PETZL - ACTIK CORE Headlamp

2024 Update: My first Actik is still going strong, still feels great compared to my blocky somewhat uncomfortable black diamonds, and the battery is still in great shape. I’m back looking for another1st gen for my travel kit (I would have liked one when I went caving earlier this year). Looks like reviews on the newer 600 lumen edition are terrible. 2019 Review: My ex recommended Petzl. I was tempted to get a Black Diamond Storm to be contrary AND because it was cheaper AND it had great reviews AND I’m not into Mega Xtreme Hard Core Sports (!) that require a top of the line headlamp. But I ceded and bought the more expensive Actik Core model solely because it was rechargeable. Man, two things immediately happened: (1) I had to admit he was right, and (2) he was jealous of my really nice headlamp. It’s brighter than the moon, has great battery life and the rechargeable mode is worth every extra penny. It sounds dumb but when stuff runs out of batteries, sometimes I just go “eh” and walk away, because hunting down esoteric or relatively heavy batteries is enough of an excuse to dissuade me from whatever horrible task that would have required me to wear a headlamp, e.g., crawling through a hazing line of attic-dwelling spiders to put down insulation during the only hours of the day when the attic isn’t 108-degrees (in the summer). oh no, the headlamp batteries are out? Boy, TV sounds like a great option right now. But with the Petzl, I just plug it in, easy peasy lemon squeezy. And then I do the task the next day. The modes (like red light) are unexpectedly useful for when I’m sneaking through my backyard at night to do the chores I didn’t manage to do in the daytime while trying not to alarm the neighbors (washing out the birdbath at 1 AM), or digging around in my poorly lit crawlspace (where’s that angel food cake pan that I use once every two years?). I reach for my Actik Core way more often than anticipated and in three months, it has earned a dedicated place in my “most used” stuff drawer, replacing even most of my flashlights because it’s so small and accessible, and I never misplace it (again, unlike my flashlights - of which, I have three, and I have no idea where they are, but I always know where my Petzl is). Cons: Getting the headband off of this model was so difficult that I gave up. It’s partially forever unclean now and I’m making peace with that. Would absolutely buy again. Even if it might be overkill for a weenie homeowner that just wants a convenient hands-free light, it’s a great headlamp.

On initial inspection it seems excellent. I will update after more testing but out of the box it looks like exactly what I wanted. The bright setting is very bright , looks clear as day 40 ft out. The dim setting is very similar to my black diamond iota in intensity (100 lumens I think) ; seems fine for in the tent or small tasks but lacks brightness when trying to see outside your immediate area . I like the build , the battery pack has a light on it that lets you know when it's charged , and there's no adapter. You just plug the battery straight into a normal samsung charger . The fact that it also works with normal AAAs is comforting as well. Again, I'll update if/when things change but out of the box it seems totally legit . So far, favorite rechargeable headlamp, if expensive. Update: had it a while now and it still puts other lamps to shame. Great design, bright as heck . Would buy again.

I have owned about a dozen headlamps and this is the first one I found that could hold a candle to the old (old, as in, I had to special order an after-market 3rd party LED bulb for Neptune Moutaineering because sort-of-white LEDs just started to be bright enough to see as far as your boots) Petzl Duo that was my standard climbing/winter light for ~15 years of hard use. Petzl lights cost more because they are better lights. They are not a bright as some others, they don't (yet, AFAIK) have one that uses 18650 (super high capacity rechargable lithium cells) batteries, but if you need to bring a light because your life might depend on being able to self-rescue after dark, find your way up a glacier, etc. its what you want. This one is small enough to replace the crappy little CR2302 head light I used to carry "just in case". While a second battery is pricy, it has been very hepful as there is very little warning when this light is about to run down. You still get light on the lowest setting for quite some time, but if you are trying to find your way to the next set of rapel anchors after dark it really could use a little more "heads up" notice. The battery pack is super easy to charge via USB and has a LED charge level indicator. I also keep 3 AAA lithium batteries sealed in a ziplock "just in case" which is a great option not all rechargable lights give you. Climbers, spelunkers, EMS, and SAR personnel depend on Petzl lights, helmets, etc. for cause.

Product is easy to use. The strap / band is easy to adjust. The on / off / mode button is easy to use yet also seems to be just difficult enough that you aren't accidentally changing light output / mode while trying to adjust the angle / direction of the light. Low light mode is rather dim. Seems useful for navigating around a campfire without blinding everyone. The mid and high output modes are impressively bright. Mid brightness is more than enough to illuminate a path while walking. High output mode can be blinding to others. This is the mode I used while up in my attic. It throws enough light that it felt like the roof was off and the sun was shining in. If I can fit it over my mountain bike helmet and get it to stay put I think it might be enough light output to act as a secondary light in conjunction with a handlebar light. I did click through the modes and enable the red light and flashing / strobe, but I haven't actually used them. I don't know if they are bright enough for low light / low glare activities. In theory the red would be useful as a passenger in a car wanting to read a book or a map at night without turning on a bright light and affecting driver vision. If you were camping perhaps it's good for moving about the tent at night without blinding yourself with a bright white light. Comfort with this light is a balance with what you're doing and how well it needs to stay in place. It doesn't need to be very tight to stay put while sitting around. It was barely on my head when using it as extra light while changing the brake pads and rotors on my car. I had it a little bit tighter while roaming around my attic. At this level the light is very comfortable and quite stable. If I were to use it while running it would need to be much tighter so it didn't fall off my head each time my foot hit the ground. For some people ( including me) that might be a little too much pressure on the head. I know I'd get a headache from it.

To be fair, I've only had this product for 6 hours. However, I'm already very impressed! So far, I've already used it for checking my car's oil, carrying in some firewood, and bringing in a couple of bird feeders from the backyard. The light it throws is very impressive, and I like the 3 different light brightness levels. I primarily used the middle brightness for my several tasks. I haven't used the red light feature yet, but I'm sure it would be good for collecting some firewood for the pit during a party when there's people around you don't want to blind. It fits very securely to my head. It's lightweight and low-profile, which is a dramatic improvement over my previous headlamp. I was also very impressed with the headband itself! It resizes very smoothly and easily, and the plastic buckles seem very rigid and able to stand up to years of use. I love that it's rechargeable. As my first high-end headlamp, I can tell this was a good choice. It's styling is simple but sturdy, and the light it throws surpasses what I expected. I live in a rural area, and this will be endlessly useful, hopefully for years to come! Thanks for reading.

But prefer my Myo version from Petzl, because the Myo has enough light at the low setting for reading and a broader beam for reading and walking. The Actik is rechargeable, or takes AAA's, which I have not tried, is lighter and simpler. Its bright level is quite bright, but the Myo does not need as much to do the same job, and lasts longer. A rechargeable Myo would be far superior if one can stomach the external AA tri-battery pack. Both of them could use headbands that last longer and do not need frequent adjustment.

We are full-time RV'rs and use headlights all the time for repairs and other projects. I've been looking for a light that had a recharable battery and was also bright and had great battery life. This light is EXCELLENT. It is simple and only has 3 modes but I think that is part of what I love about it. The super bright function is extremely bright and the other two modes work great to extend battery life. I purchased two batteries so I could easily swap them but I have to say I barely ever have to as they last forever. The strap is wide and made of extremely durable material, I can tell this will last for a long time. I haven't tested the water resistance but the construction seems excellent.

I purchased this lamp specifically for the night legs of a Ragnar Trail race, and it did not disappoint. It is bright in the max setting, but even the middle setting completely lit up the rocky terrain I was running through during the race. The light didn’t dim during my 2.5ish hours running on the trail plus walking to and from the campsite all night. Note- my wife used her Petzl on max for her night legs and it had started dimming as she neared the end of her second run. The description does list the burn time on max at 2 hours with the Core battery pack, and that is about how long she had use it. It does list that AAA batteries will give longer burn time, but I have not tried that out. It stays put on my head with minimal movement. The only readjustment that was necessary was after I took a tumble over a tree root, and that was only a minor reposition. I now use this lamp almost daily when I take my dog for a walk in the evenings. Having the rechargeable “Core” is nice since I didn’t love buying batteries. Overall, this is a great light that is bright and stays put on your head.