Over Christmas, I realised that I don’t actually own any torches, and whilst I have no interest in throwing myself into yet another expensive, niche hobby, I wondered if the folk here could help suggest a possible flashlight.
I’m wondering what kind of options are for a headlamp style flashlight, ideally one that can be detached from the headlamp mounting, if that’s a thing. In the most ideal world, the flashlight itself would be small enough I could fit it in my everyday carry tool pouch, which is a tool pouch that’s around A5 size.
I used to have a basic headlamp which had three lights on it and a button which toggled between modes so it had some variable brightness. I liked that I could tilt it up and down. I used it mostly for digging in unlit storage units, or illuminating in and around my car when unloading at night. It wouldn’t need to be too bright (the brightness aspect is one of the things I find most overwhelming about fancy flashlights, because there’s a lot of in-group lingo to be learned which I haven’t had the brain for.
One of the worst parts about my old headlamp was that its charging adaptor was specific and it’d often go uncharged if I couldn’t find the specific charger for it. I don’t know how fancy flashlights™ are generally powered, but I don’t want to get a nice gadget I never use because it’s awkward to charge. Proprietary connectors are a bit of a nightmare.
My budget would be up to £100 as a maximum, and only for something that ticked all my boxes. I have no idea how reasonably my goals are here, so thank you for reading this. I’d be glad to hear any suggestions anyone has, whether they be product suggestions, or questions that might be useful for me to consider in narrowing this down. You don’t need to explain your recommendations too much — I can go away and research stuff once I have a place to start, but at the moment it just feels a bit big
Thanks
Edit: I feel like I’ve got plenty to go on now, thank you to everyone who answered, I love y’all, wonderful nerds
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One thing the flashlight community usually strongly prefers is lights that run on standardized, field-replaceable lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Common form-factors for these include 14500 (14x50mm; AA-sized), 18650 (18x65mm), and 21700 (you can probably guess the dimensions by now). Some lights have built-in charging for these, but they can also be charged in slot chargers like the Xtar VC2SL.
There are versions of these batteries with USB charging ports on them like these from Keeppower. Just note there are a few lights that don’t fit them due to length - it’s best to consult reviews (or just post here) before buying if you want to use those.
As for the headlamp itself, I really like the Skilhunt H150 with Nichia 519A LED in 4500K (or 3000K if you like the incandescent look). These have brightness levels from low enough to keep your dark adaptation to… well, likely brighter than your previous headlamp. The optional BL-110C battery has a USB-C charge port directly on the battery, while the headlamp itself has a proprietary magnetic charging pad. It can take an AA battery as a backup.
Going up in size from there, the Skilhunt H04 series, Skilhunt H300, and Armytek Wizard Pro, all with their optional Nichia LEDs are great options. Their 18650 batteries have about three times the capacity of the H150’s 14500.
All of these have pocket clips and magnetic tailcaps, which makes them work well handheld lights and magnetic work lights as well as headlamps.
Thank you for this great response, it’s given me a lot to think about wrt batteries. I feel like I’ve got a decent sense now of what good things to look out for
My main lights, including my EDC, are Emisar. They are among the best lights available in many different ways and they are also among the best bargains you can get. Emisar lights feature a complex “operating system” called Anduril. It is incredibly versatile. You can configure the behavior of your light in detail and use it in all kinds of ways (such as beacon and candle modes). That can be daunting for someone who just wants a basic light.
If you like tech gadgets you will probably love an Emisar light. Just be aware of what you’re getting. Also, since you said you’re interested in a headlamp you should probably get a DW4 instead of the D4V2.
Having said all that, let me point you to the Arbitrary List of Popular Lights. It’s a great resource for people who aren’t flashlight nuts but want to find a good, practical light. Start with the Medium Headlamp section and work your way up or down if those don’t seem like the right size. Everything on that list is a good choice.
I’ve seen Emisar crop up a few times, and I suspect you’re right that I’d probably enjoy one, and also that it’s good to know what you’re getting into.
I’ve not seen that big list before, that looks like a useful overview resource, thank you.
The DW4 is currently on sale at the Emisar website. There are an insane number of options. I’m sure you can sort through them, but let me make a few suggestions…
If you want brightness and some throw, pick the SST-20 (5000K) LEDs and stick with the standard driver. If you want long runtime and broad flood, pick the 519A with Dome (5000K) LEDs and check the box for the Boost driver.
Different people have different needs and preferences, which is why all of those options exist. You can always do some research and figure out what matters and why. I just offer them as a way to get started without diving in that deep. :-)
Best of luck!
I’m going to suggest the Nitecore HA11: http://parametrek.com/blog/ha11.html
Pros: very small and lightweight, has a red nighttime mode, runs on a standard AA cell (best used with Eneloop), doesn’t go too crazy for high lumen output. Relatively cheap (20 USD retail here, no idea about UK).
Cons: no built in charger (but you can get a very small external one), UI is a little bit fiddly, red nighttime led is longer wavelength than ideal though I still use it. Body is black so it is hard to find in the dark. I stuck Countycomm glow in the dark tape all over mine and that makes it very easy to find at night.
Being able to remove a headlamp from its headband usually isn’t that useful. A headlamp is generally perfectly good as a flashlight. Just hold it in your hand and don’t worry about the headband.
For the best headlamp, I recommend the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro. It’s bright, efficient, and durable. There is a Nichia version which has superior light quality, but has a lower max brightness then the non-Nichia (Cree) version. While it comes with a proprietary built in magnetic charger, it uses standard 18650 sized lithium ion cells, meaning you can either buy a separate external charger or a battery with a built in USB-C port.
On the budget side, there is the Wurkkos HD15. It’s less efficient and durable, but far cheaper. It has 2 different LEDs. There are models that have a throw/flood LED combo, and ones that have a white/red combo. This headlamp does have USB-C port built in and uses the same 18650 batteries.
Thanks for these options; it’s useful for comparison to see what’s considered to be a budget option even if I’m likely to go for something on the fancier side
I like Petzl, used their stuff a lot in camping/humid conditions (aka sweaty pockets) and they haven’t let me down yet. They also have a mini USB rechargeable battery you can get instead of three AAAs.
