Black Diamond Unisex's Revolt 350 HEADLAMP

Product Information

Below average battery life, claimed battery life is wildly misleading, single button hard to use, lame waterproofing But, if a big beam is not what you are looking for, then skip the Fenix. It is heavy, weighing in at a half a pound, and offers only average flood light performance. And, at its price, there are a lot of less expensive lights with more well-rounded performance (albeit with less powerful spot beams). But, when it comes to lighting up the wee end of the trail ahead, no other lamp can match the Fenix. Utilizing LED technology, the ReVolt produces a light beam that can reach a distance of up to 80 meters at its maximum level. It offers three power levels, allowing users to adjust the brightness according to their needs. This flashlight supports three AAA batteries, which provide the necessary power for its operation. At a weight of 89 g, it is lightweight and easy to carry during outdoor activities. Not all headlamps have a flood light option, but it’s a great function to have for proximity lighting. Best for around camp or in a tent, flood lights cast a wide beam and maximize the view right in front of you. Some headlamps will have two LEDs, one for spot lighting and one for flood lighting, while others (like the Coast FL75R) allow you to shape one single LED into a distance beam or an up-close flood. In their specs, most manufacturers will call out a lamp’s beam distance—for example, the BioLite HeadLamp 325 has an 10-meter flood and a 70-meter spot. The Petzl Actik Core features both a flood and spot beam

This is quite a close comparison, like with my other review of the Spot vs Storm. These lamps share a lot of the same, features, but first the differences.

Petzl tries really hard to make its headlamps compatible with its own Core rechargeable battery. You can charge this battery directly via the headlamp’s USB port. And it will last you hours and hours on end. According to the company’s figures, using the minimum power of the main beam will give 190 hours of 4 lumens light, illuminating up to 9m, dropping to only 8m after 10 hours. When you need a big, bright, and wide light, the Fenix HP25R is the right tool for the job. It absolutely dominates the other lights in brightness. It shines a beautiful beam 182 meters distance. Like all lights, that beam degrades as the battery drains, but not much. It drops from 182 meters to about 150 meters in the first 30 minutes, then steps down to a regulated 113-meter beam for 2 hours, and then steps down to 69 meters for a final 20 mins. That gives you 2.8 hours of an amazingly wide and bright beam to enjoy. No light except the similarly priced Zebralight H600w offered a comparable combination of sustained and powerful beam performance. Battery level is indicated on the side light, changing from green to orange then flashing red to indicate a nearly exhausted set.

Comfort:The storm comes with a nice extra piece of padding on the mount area, stopping you from getting that nice plastic mark on your head. Nice touch! Helpfully, the lamp has a brightness memory, so it will remember your preferred light intensity next time you turn it on, and you can also instantly ramp up the brightness with a single tap, rather than having to cycle or press and hold the main button. Conclusion Max beam:not much of a difference here –we are talking 5m (or about 16ft).It might make the difference for you. Then get the Storm. Burn time:because the Storm has an extra battery, and it ONLY uses Alkaline batteries it lasts 10 hours more(on average when compared with Alkalines) and way longer when you compare against the Revolt with rechargeables. Rechargeable lithium might still be “better” in some regards, but not much, and they have their own downsides.

You can switch between lighting modes with PowerTap technology, and choose between full power and dimmed power. The former setting will drain your batteries faster, which is something to keep in mind. Then again, 160 hours on the low light setting is a pretty good burn time. However, if you set it to the highest brightness setting (350 lumens), the difference is drastic. In fact, the Actik Core has a battery life of only 2 hours in this setting, which is somewhat disappointing. The worst scoring products were those whose operation required reading the manual. The Petzl Reactik+ is the worst with a score of 3/10. It has small buttons, and Petzl's innovative (but not generally loved) "Reactive" mode complicates use. Without a manual handy, it is easy to be left simply guessing at which of the two buttons does what — Reactive is a wrench in the works in the operation of a device we'd like to be fall-off-a-log easy to use, we're not fans. Gloved Use But it’s a perfectly fine lamp for any activities on dry land. With the lower lumen output and long battery life, I would say that this lamp is a particularly good fit for camping or overnight hiking. Basically, it’s great for everything where you prioritize the burn time over brightness. The Sprinter works well around camp, but it isn't ideal for that purpose due to battery life issues. If you are looking for a general-purpose light, the Sprinter is both overpriced and misses the mark when it comes to features and functionality. But, when it comes to running, the Sprinter leaves the competition in the dust.

If you can get past the price tag, which can be hard to swallow, the Zebralight H600w Mk IV won't disappoint. It offers an amazing combination of bright quality lighting, great battery life considering its brightness, and built-to-last durability. We don't normally think of a head torch as being in the "long-term investment" category, but the Mark IV qualifies. This is a connoisseur's light, with a bomber metal casing, precise finishes, and amazing lighting. Using a state of the art 18650 Li-ion battery (not included), the Mark IV blew away most other lights on battery life, shining a wide-clear beam longer than a football field for 3.1 hours on high-mode (we used H2 mode) and lasting more than a week on the low-light setting (we like M2 mode). In both cases, the light level is regulated the entire time, so it cases a consistent level of lighting the entire time. Waterproof and submersible to 2 meters, the Mark IV will survive in the most punishing environments. The initial charge via a USB lead attached to a laptop took a long time: 13 hours before the battery indicator said the headtorch was fully replenished.

Features

Just like the previous BD headlamps, it has 3 different night vision settings, and it is waterproof. You can submerge it approximately one meter in the water and it will work perfectly.

The ReVolt headlamp comes with rechargeable batteries, but it is also compatible with AAAs. Now, the rechargeable ones are more convenient to use, but the Alkalines will give you a brighter light. Granted, all of the headlamps last longer when they are in the low light setting. That is why it’s ironic that this headlamp will last you some 70 hours even when it’s emitting all 500 lumens! In fact, I would advise carrying three alkalines anyway as spares. The last thing you want is to find yourself in the dark with exhausted power supply. With alkalines, the ReVolt is claimed to provide 70 hours of light at full power on the main beam, and 300 hours at minimum. Holding down the button takes the headtorch into red mode, with the two red LEDs giving a dim, but night-vision-preserving light. I found the red light pretty much unusable for route finding on the hill, though it is bright enough to read a map, though of course much of the detail, and the orangey-brown contour lines in particular, disappearing in the red light.

Our Verdict

In addition to that, most Petzl headlamps often come with rechargeable batteries and also the option to switch to AAAs when you need to. The average headlamp features a range of lighting modes, including spot, flood, colored, and strobe lights. The default setting for most lamps is their powerful LED spot beam, which focuses the light at a distance rather than casting it wide around you (the max distance these can reach is listed in the "max beam" section of our comparison table). While not necessary in all circumstances, a long-distance beam can be helpful for looking far down a trail, trying to spot an anchor while rappelling, or even for extreme uses like caving. A proximity beam illuminates the area right in front of you One feature we don't love is the auto-shutoff after 2 hours to prevent accidental battery drain. This prevents its effective use as a nite light, which would otherwise be a great option (we typically set headlamps to a very low dim level, and leave them on all night). The Wiz is not a great general purpose light for grown-ups (or even older kids), due to the limited beam distance, but it is perfectly adequate for walking the dog at night, reading or use around camp. The Wiz is affordable and we consider it the best light for young kids, great for travel, sleepovers, and camping, assuring you a happier family adventure. The ReVolt also has a battery meter, which is different from the battery power indicator. Its function is to signal different error modes, such as improperly seated batteries or batteries that have been discharged too much and need to be reconditioned in a wall charger (not included).