Best Headlamp for $25-$40 Range? Doesn't have to be ultra-ultra light, just good quality, good light, durable as I'm a clutz.

Thanks In Advance,
John Doe

PT Eos. Tried and true, and very recently upgraded with a better LED.

Cheers,

Rick

http://www.rei.com/product/799818

this is a newer version of the one i use, works just great, cant beat the price. mine has a strobe setting, this version doesnt appear to for some reason (maybe cuz its pointless). it doesnt weigh much at all so you dont get the "tug" that sum headlamps give where the whole thing pulls forward.

Thanks to cheap LED's, headlamps and flashlights are becoming cheap and passe'. I bought a pack of 10, 9-led, flashlights at Home Depot yesterday for under $10 that included batteries and are super bright! Walmart and Home Depot now stock some very light weight and functional headlamps that work as well as my Black Diamond but cost a fraction of what it did. You might go have a look.

I have a coleman one that is about $25 and uses a cree LED. Very bright. Bought it at Walmart.

The new Zipka looks promising. I have the two previous models. The new one has a separate red LED in addition to the big white one.

9-LED lights? (I think I've seen those - the office supply stores sell them, too.)

I think they'd be a good idea. Then I won't need to carry a light - I'll just bask in the radiated light from the next campsite!

Seriously, though, I've used and been satisfied with the Princeton Tec Scout, Black Diamond Gizmo, and any of the Petzl Tikka/Zipka series. If you're an ultralight zealot, the Princeton Tec Pilot (Just-in-case) light and Petzl e-Lite are sufficient. My own favorite is the PT Scout, because in the straight-ahead (storage) mode, the on-off button tucks up under a little flange that prevents it from accidentally turning on in your pack.

My old PT Aurora is a great headlamp, but it's not made any more. But you can still find it online for anywhere between $20-$30, depending on the site you order it from. Is more than enough for my needs for hiking.

Dryer, I bought that pack from Homedepot, you may as well return them now. The contacts are so bad they won't turn on after while unless you remove the batteries and rotate them.

John Doe I don't think you told us about your intended usage, that matters.
Jim

I want my headlamp to be bright enough for night hiking, regulated so it doesn't start dimming before the batteries are gone, and capable of taking lithium batteries (last longer and work better in cold temps). This is particularly important in fall and spring with shorter days. In summer, I use a Petzl e+light which weighs only an ounce, and normally is needed only when I get up at night. I wouldn't like to do extensive night hiking with it, though, which is why I use my Princeton Tech headlamp in shoulder season.

"Best" is a very subjective word loaded with variables. What are you looking for? Brightness or long runtime? Narrow or broad beam? What type of battery? Do you prefer the power in the back or all in the front? What type of switch do you prefer? Do you need to use it with a gloved hand? Are adjustable levels important to you? Do you like a top strap? Does it need to be waterproof? Do you prefer multiple cells or just one? Will it be used in below freezing weather? How do you feel about adjusting the angle?

My point is, your question is like asking what the best car in the $25K-$40K range is. As Jim said, the light should fit your needs and you didn't specify what they are. Without knowing that, any suggestion is a stab in the dark. Pun intended

First off, thanks for everyone's input, appreciate it.

Intended uses; no need for freezing or gloved use, yes to adjustable levels, yes to waterproof, yes to adjustable angle, don't mind a little weight, would like it to use either regular or rechargeable batteries, definitely wan't it to be pretty bright. Don't want it to be out-dated by next year.

Side note, a friend has 2 Princeton Tec Eos's, 08' & 09 (or 09' & 10') and the newer one seems twice as bright as the previous years model. Tested them side by side last night. Pretty crazy.

Thanks again,
JD

Hi JD,

IMHO the Eos is the rare headlamp that was designed "right" from the beginning and as you note, with LED upgrades is better and still very competitive today (five years is ridiculously long in "flashlight years"). It, and the new Petzl Tikka XP2 are my favorite headlamps--the Eos for its steady high performance and simplicity and the XP2 for its amazing versatility.

Of the two, only the Eos hits your price point.

Cheers,

I, too, will join the EOS love fest, with only a few reservations. Good things about the EOS that you might look for in competitors are 1) compact and lightweight, 2) ability to use alkaline, metal hydride and lithium batteries, 3) adjustable light levels (you will find surprisingly low lighting will work better for night hiking most of the time) 4) versatility - I ordered a bike variation of the EOS, which also came with a head strap.

The one flaw I have found is the weak battery compartment hinge. The older EOS I have broke the hinge after only moderate use. I was able to patch it with tape, but its days are numbered. I have reinforced the hinge on my second EOS with gorilla tape.

New flashlight and headlamp models are produced about every five minutes these days, so compare the EOS benchmarks with the newer models you encounter.

So far of all the headlamps I have tested and also used, I am a big fan of )and is my regular take along) is the the Petzel E-lite. And yes I use the red mode most of the time (for those that did not see a point of it) I find that I like its none glare and easier to see things at times funtion.

Plus I am gram counting fool, so it naturally falls into my critera of a light.

I used a Petzl brand headlamp for several years, it worked pretty well. When it died unexpectedly this fall I grabbed a $27.95 headlamp from Amazon.It works great! I’m sure those cheap battery powered outdoor headlamps won't last longer than the brand headlamp i use. http://www.amazon.com/Petzl-E43-PBY-Headlamp-Yellow/dp/B000O00JH0

I can't be any happier with my Zebralight H30. It's backordered and can't be ordered right now, which leads me to believe that a newer/better product is coming out.

Twice the price range of what you're looking for but an awesome headlamp. Well! worth it. 4 lumen low output is great for around the house/camp use and will last days at that level. 80 lumens for 1.5 hours is enough light to illuminate most of my back yard to more than enough light levels. IMHO, buy something a tad bit better and enjoy it for a LOOOONG time. I have a Princeton Tec Apex Pro that throws a lot of light, but for general around the house/camp use the wide smooth flood of the Zebralight wins hands down.

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=89&products_id=455

I have two of these lights, eGear HL130. One for my wife and one for me. We used this on our recent multi-day backpacking trip. It's great for the price. The other option is Coast LED Lenser H7 which is in your price range, but I have not used them yet so don't know how they perform. But with LED I am sure it won't be disappoint. You can get them at http://www.batteryjunction.com/

eGear HL130



Coast LED Lenser H7