Recommend me a Head Torch..

[potsy]

As per title, not for cycling duties but more for hiking/walking around campsites/and other night time manoeuvres.

Needs to be decently bright, comfortable and not too expensive.
Currently using a cheapo one I picked up at Tesco, been OK but not the brightest, and runs on 3 aaa batteries, maybe a rechargeable would be better?
Thanks.

 

[Threevok]

I would suggest one of the cheap solar-storm ones on eBay, that come with a head strap. Rubbish for the bike, but great as head torches

 

[HobbesOnTour]

As per title, not for cycling duties but more for hiking/walking around campsites/and other night time manoeuvres.

Needs to be decently bright, comfortable and not too expensive.
Currently using a cheapo one I picked up at Tesco, been OK but not the brightest, and runs on 3 aaa batteries, maybe a rechargeable would be better?
Thanks.

Personally I don't like rechargable batteries. In a worst case scenario I can use batteries from something else. (I do use rechargable aaa batteries though).

I recently had to buy a new headlamp and found the following features useful:
A low power red lamp - very effective at preventing night blindness for the times I need only a quick bit of light.
(I wonder if this would work as a rear lamp in emergency?)
Locking the light - three presses on the power button means it will only go on with three presses. It has happened that my old lamp has switched itself on in my barbag.

It also has a dimmable light which is useful.

Good luck

 

[Cycleops]

Decathlon do quite a wide range. I bought their fiver one which is actually quite good but there's a load to chose from including rechargeable:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/browse/c0-accessories/c1-outdoor-equipment/c3-headlamps/_/N-d6izmd

 

[cougie uk]

Alpkit do good head torches. Popular with runners and walkers.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I would suggest one of the cheap solar-storm ones on eBay, that come with a head strap. Rubbish for the bike, but great as head torches

Lots on eBay. I think I paid £15 or so for something that's both LED bright, adjustable and long-lived, with usb rechargeability. Looks very similar to this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/402943930187?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=235113&meid=355f42cce9d34f3cb52236a7fe399c82&pid=101195&rk=5&rkt=12&sd=274892327231&itm=402943930187&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&algv=SimplAMLv9PairwiseUnbiasedWebCpr08MlcGreedyV6WithPLX&brand=Unbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum:402943930187355f42cce9d34f3cb52236a7fe399c82|enc:AQAGAAACMGJN5yOun3MBdBO4cqx4sFJYUx7BXXciFb4Jn67ZgjTPO2fvVDP2p3VsZ7dFkYxSzAz2lMIxqwBr7xhzIezbBxOUdi8skqXPKBpF4raC9U4CmGhFDU363TeE4x84TxcJF8j6zXY8zW0YWcVzN%2Bv4AadTOmW3iP9PGTFhGz1ilm73gykl5YtlJZpliRTIPWjTJ7GqjGqO8IW8s3BruPy2TcB%2FdLe3%2BNE4WQu0eJyzm3tl8uxz5wRe5UWA7NyzTpwyNB2t8L8pVoD4rflA3Wf9J7y82J5AcsMSnykzFh9rnSQn6SmsUL37%2FNU7pHiEwr0XFAYwYdzXykFvZ%2BEw5j5aryIacWdTWuCl%2B1P%2FOg454BbHP%2BtAb5XgQQ9G9sB3%2BgbgxVNhHZhRCTJRCz0ggdIyrQlBz9CYGSDs9YIboZOS94%2FJt4pOURNqlu5rVL9WRYLsMn%2BMCb7%2FmBmG9uOrDCYSdp61t%2BHvCSm%2BpKvvWn9ZJ9ItxtTWM7Op5DEpQeSL7MweZruJNXOKweXOHvW1%2FkocTJb7I94W6%2FTZufslEuGYUBBTps8ir2DdJsIjeB8oJ%2Fpyhn9W4zkMlrLcoovaXJidkdjDsxWiDbG0jR1NyGW56GfEBauhtobehcrhWkOXGNkvSZ4k15S68Z1eVddxE65fprrZhdXm607KEzVA1wfJ0rShgpAqyeGKQYLmIx61BWBFVCI6e3nS1Q0XR8UB22BRP9q%2Fj48HJmgumi6CWDGhyGGB|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2047675

I use it every night for dog walking at this time of year

 

[Dogtrousers]

TBH I wouldn't worry too much. I have owned various head torches over the last 20-odd years. I've paid quite a lot for one or two of them. A couple of years ago I bought a weedy small AAA powered one from the cheap end of the Petzl range at a hiking shop, almost on a whim. It knocked spots of some of my older lamps, and it was right at the bottom of the range.

I guess what I'm saying is ... if you buy a known brand (to have some assurance of quality/ support if it's faulty) then you can't really go wrong as even the little ones are good these days.

And if I think back to the lamps we used when I went caving in the 80s ... with a gigantic battery pack. No comparison.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

The Energizer ones are great and cheap as chips, 10 to 20 quid on Amazon or at the likes of Sainsbury's and Halfords, price depending on the model, power, and features. I've been using one for a couple of years, camping, DIY jobs etc. It has a red LED mode and 3 brightness settings. Runs off 3 AAA and lasts ages. Perfect.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'll second the Decathlon ones.

 

[newts]

I had a Petzl e+lite for about 15 years, compact & light.
Batteries are 2 x coin cells & give many hours of light

 

[fossyant]

The Energizer ones are great and cheap as chips, 10 to 20 quid on Amazon or at the likes of Sainsbury's and Halfords, price depending on the model, power, and features. I've been using one for a couple of years, camping, DIY jobs etc. It has a red LED mode and 3 brightness settings. Runs off 3 AAA and lasts ages. Perfect.

We've got a couple of these - seem pretty bright.

 

[potsy]

The Energizer ones are great and cheap as chips, 10 to 20 quid on Amazon or at the likes of Sainsbury's and Halfords, price depending on the model, power, and features. I've been using one for a couple of years, camping, DIY jobs etc. It has a red LED mode and 3 brightness settings. Runs off 3 AAA and lasts ages. Perfect.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to get one of these energizer jobbies as recommended by canucks traveller, looks like it will do the job. 360 lumens, a few modes and cheap enough

I have loads of aaa batteries in stock so this will do nicely.

 

[cheys03]

Amazon product ASIN B08PNYC5C5View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PNYC5C5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Good beam, small, light enough and good selection of brightness settings. Half the price of the OLight's equivalent.

 

[roley poley]

And if I think back to the lamps we used when I went caving in the 80s ... with a gigantic battery pack. No comparison.

oh yeah ..loved my petzl zoom in its day

 

[Blue Hills]

I don't like ones that run on AAAs, particularly 3AAAs - FFS I'm buying batteries not condoms. My favourite head torch is from Alpkit but unfortunately I don't think they do it anymore. It runs off a single AA - so there are no problems with unbalanced batteries - can be an issue with rechargeables.
I'd also get one with a comfortable headstrap. My Petzl is too minimalist - has a strap like a fishing line.

As noted above, Decathlon do a decent range.