Petzl Actik Headlamp Evaluation | CleverHiker

Backside line

The Petzl Actik sequence is a favourite for its strong brightness, snug gentle high quality, and intuitive design. The Actik is the lower-powered, non-rechargeable sibling to the favored Actik Core, providing the identical nice gentle high quality and ease of use at a lower cost. Its decrease lumen score and reliance on single-use batteries restrict its finest use circumstances, but it surely’s an amazing headlamp for round camp or informal night time hikes.

The Actik makes use of Petzl’s combined beam know-how, which mixes spot and flood lighting with out the necessity to change between modes. This simplifies operation. Whereas the characteristic works effectively, we’d nonetheless recognize the flexibility to toggle between spot and flood for extra exact lighting management. The Actik is simple to function, with three brightness ranges for white gentle, a crimson gentle, and a crimson strobe.

At 450 lumens, the brightness is nice, although it may very well be higher for extra technical use. It gives good gentle high quality and shade rendering at shut vary, however we discovered its throw shorter than different headlamps we examined with related lumen scores.

In the event you’d wish to improve to rechargeable performance, the Actik is suitable with Petzl’s CORE battery. Whereas including the CORE will value greater than shopping for the Actik CORE immediately, it boosts the headlamp’s brightness from 450 to 600 lumens. We imagine you’ll get higher worth by buying the Actik CORE from the beginning, in case your price range permits.

Illumination & Gentle High quality

With a most output of 450 lumens, the Actik’s brightness didn’t precisely wow us. In comparison with competing headlamps with related and even decrease lumen scores, others appeared brighter and had a greater throw. That mentioned, we appreciated the standard of sunshine the Actik gives, with wonderful shade rendering that isn’t harsh on the eyes, even at full brightness. Petzl’s mixed-beam know-how allows each spot and flood lighting concurrently with no need to toggle between the 2, making it versatile and user-friendly.

We have been significantly impressed by the Actik’s crimson gentle, which provided shocking brightness and vary. In contrast to typical crimson lights that solely work for close-up duties, the Actik’s crimson gentle allowed us to comfortably hike at night time, delivering visibility far past what we’d count on from this setting.

Burn Time

The Actik gives a strong burn time throughout its settings. On max energy (excessive), you may count on round two hours of battery life, whereas on the low setting for max burn time, it gives as much as 100 hours. Curiously, when utilizing single-use batteries as a substitute of the CORE rechargeable battery pack, the Actik positive aspects round three extra hours on the medium (100lm) setting, which could enchantment to customers who prioritize prolonged use between battery adjustments.

Total, the Actik gives a barely higher burn time than the dearer Actik CORE, making it an amazing worth for individuals who don’t want the additional brightness.

In real-world use, most customers (like us) will toggle between the three brightness ranges to go well with their wants, so burn time will fluctuate relying on utilization patterns. Nonetheless, we discovered the Actik’s burn time dependable and akin to most of its opponents, although it runs barely shorter than another fashions we examined.

Weight

At 3.4 ounces, the Actik is heavier than different headlamps we examined with related brightness. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really feel too heavy on the brow on account of its balanced design. The perceived weight is lower than anticipated, and whereas we did expertise some fatigue after sporting it for roughly three hours throughout an in a single day hike in Colorado’s Sawatch Vary, it wasn’t a difficulty for shorter use.

In the event you change the disposable batteries for Petzl’s CORE rechargeable battery pack, you may shave off three-tenths of an oz, which makes a noticeable distinction. The Actik is a strong selection for backpacking, however ultralight fanatics would possibly lean towards lighter choices that ship related brightness with out including additional ounces.

Consolation

Consolation is essential when evaluating headlamps, as something strapped to your brow for hours ought to really feel snug. Regardless of its weight, the Actik passes the consolation take a look at. The strap doesn’t trigger discomfort throughout extended use, and though a small quantity of plastic touches your pores and skin on the headlamp physique, it’s primarily unnoticeable.

One pet peeve of ours is when a headlamp runs sizzling and transfers warmth to the pores and skin, however we had no points with this whereas testing the Actik. The strap additionally does job with temperature management.

The Actik is decently snug for many actions, like climbing or operating, due to its balanced design and safe strap. For us, it stayed in place throughout path runs with out an excessive amount of bouncing, however after a number of hours, we did discover the strap might really feel a little bit comfortable round our temples. It’s not essentially the most snug headlamp we’ve ever worn, but it surely will get the job performed for medium-level consolation.

Ease of Use

The Actik is designed with easy-to-access, single-button performance. On the highest of the headlamp, you’ll discover a big, rubber button that controls the entire headlamp’s capabilities. A single press prompts the white gentle and subsequent presses cycle by means of the three white gentle brightness ranges.

Holding the button down prompts the crimson gentle operate, and one other press whereas in crimson gentle mode prompts the strobing crimson gentle. A single press from the brightest white gentle or any crimson gentle mode will flip the headlamp off. You’ll be able to maintain the button for 4 seconds to lock and unlock the headlamp, stopping battery drain whereas packed away.

We discovered the massive rubber button simple to press, even whereas sporting medium-weight winter gloves. Customers might wrestle barely with mittens or heavy-duty gloves. The strap is well adjustable, although most customers will want two palms to regulate. The battery compartment might be tough to open when swapping batteries, however this design helps preserve the Actik water resistant.

Options

The Petzl Actik gives three white gentle modes—most burn time (450 lm), customary (100 lm) for a stability of brightness and battery life, and most energy (7 lm)—all managed by a single, easy-to-use button. Petzl’s combined beam know-how combines flood and spot lighting, offering close to and much visibility with no need mode adjustments. Along with the white gentle choices, the Actik features a steady crimson gentle and an emergency crimson strobe. It has a lock characteristic to forestall unintentional battery drain, and a transparent battery life indicator retains you knowledgeable of remaining energy.

Whereas the Actik isn’t rechargeable by default, you may improve it with Petzl’s CORE rechargeable battery, which converts it into a totally rechargeable headlamp by way of a micro USB port on the battery, whereas additionally boosting brightness by 150 lumens.

From our expertise, the Actik’s reflective strap is a pleasant contact—it’s simple to identify at nighttime, and because it’s detachable and washable, cleansing it after an extended journey is not any downside. One in all our favourite options is the storage pouch that turns the headlamp right into a lantern. It’s excellent for softer lighting while you’re winding down at camp or studying in your tent. Whether or not we’re on an off-the-cuff night time hike, fixing one thing beneath the sink, or simply stress-free by the hearth, the Actik’s easy options and flexibility make it a strong go-to.

Ought to You Purchase The Petzl Actik?

The Petzl Actik, with its $60 MSRP, gives wonderful worth, spectacular gentle high quality, versatility, and reliability. Its intuitive controls and considerate options—such because the phosphorescent reflector, battery monitor, and locking characteristic—improve usability and comfort. It’s a well-rounded selection for outside actions the place most brightness and throw aren’t the first focus.

Whereas it’s not the lightest headlamp, and its 450-lumen most output doesn’t present essentially the most spectacular throw, the general construct high quality and hybrid design—permitting for the addition of Petzl’s rechargeable CORE battery—make the Actik a versatile and reliable possibility for customers who worth energy supply versatility.

Nevertheless, because it comes out of the field, some customers might discover the shorter throw and decrease brightness limiting. For these requiring a headlamp for extra demanding actions resembling climbing, biking, or mountaineering, the Actik is probably not the very best match. However for on a regular basis duties like family chores, unwinding at camp, or informal night time climbing, the Actik is a strong selection.

What Different Headlamps Ought to You Contemplate?

In the event you just like the Petzl Actik however need different choices as effectively, take a look at these fashions or the remainder of our lineup on the listing of our favourite headlamps:

Black Diamond Spot 400 Evaluation: The Spot 400 and the Actik are sometimes in contrast as two of the very best headlamps in the marketplace. The principle distinction is that the Spot 400 is $10 cheaper, absolutely waterproof, and gives a greater throw.

Petzl Actik CORE Evaluation: In the event you recognize the convenience of use that the Actik gives however need extra brightness in a chargeable package deal, the Petzl Actik CORE is basically the identical headlamp however with a 600-lumen most output and a chargeable CORE battery.