Alpkit Manta

Is it possible to have too many head torches? I’m not sure it is and so have them stashed in most vehicles, bags, pockets so there’s always one to hand when needed. They’re handy things to have ‘just in case’ and invaluable for many of life’s more interesting experiences. I’m not addicted, oh no, just very practical okay?

The first thing that you notice about the Alpkit Mantra is that designed by Fisher Price look. It’s bright, it’s colourful, and it has more than a hint of grown up toy about it. But don’t let that fool you, because the Mantra packs a very handy XP-C Cree LED that throws out a very useable 120 lumens of light. Not just a lot of light but also very tuneable thanks to the zoom ring which will widen or focus the beam depending on where you need light most. It’ll easily get you home if your main riding light fails, offer just enough light to get you round your local trails or double up for campsite duty with a nice wide beam.

For closer work and map racing where the main beam may be overkill the Mantra can be switched to either red, blue or green secondary LED’s which offer a chance to save some battery time too.

Three AAA batteries power the Mantra for a nice long period, variable obviously depending on how you use the thing but think 7 -150 hours, and fitting in the pivotable head unit keep the head torch nice and compact. It’s single elastic headband makes fitting quick but not quite as stable as designs which feature a top strap too but we found it more than good enough for most situations.