Need a new head torch and one for home that’s always ready to go at home, that might even double as a light when the next electrical gremlin trips the consumer box and I’m not here.
last torches I bought were from wurkkos, but constant problems with the switches on the ones I bought for my dad mean they’re off the list. Great when they worked.
budget isn’t a factor as I just need some that are a. Good, b. Last.
any recommendations? Or what to avoid.
I've got a couple of O-Light head torches at home for the winter, one next to the front door and a tiny thing next to the back door. Good enough for trudging round the forest when it's a new moon. Had a model with an all in one rechargeable head. But i think the kids lost/stole/repurposed it at some point. None of them are less than 5 years old, used regularly (no street lights round here at all, i even need a torch to go to the bins or the garage.)
I love my petzl IKO Core
Fenix headtorchs here. Rechargeable and you can get helmet mounts too. Use mine for riding, running and occasional caving.
Petzl for me, we have an iko core and a RL nao. Both are great, personally I like the rl as it has more light output, but it is heavier than the iko
Led Lenser are really well made. Not always the brightest for the money but reliable and durable. They are made for industrial use and come with hard hat fixing kits. I've bought them when work has been paying for them.
I also have a cheap Chinese Sofirn headlight, that's extremely bright, metal case which feels robust and only cost about £35 delivered.
I have a Knog Bandicoot. Lost one but liked it enough to buy another. Not expensive.
That's what i use for handheld torches, got one in the car and one charging on the coffee table ight nowLed Lenser are really well made.
Been very happy with my petzls. I have a couple of the running ones (iko?). The first packed up, and i was able to warranty it without any trouble. A brand new one was supplied FOC from France, and about 5 days later the battery from the old one arrived via UPS from their UK office with a note saying 'your may have further use for this'. Brilliant customer service.
Petzl head torches last better than any others IME. The rechargeable battery for the tikka type works well and allows AAAs to be used as well. You can also buy a kind of box to put the light in to make it work as a table lantern.
I've got a tikka+ that's well over 20 years old and still works fine. Managed to buy it a new headband 2 years ago as the elastic had gone. Torch is still fine as are the even older bulb zoom ones at the back of the drawer.
I have a newer tikka at work and it's brighter than the older one but still feels as though it should last a long time.
I’ve got a handful of Petzl headlamps, not because I really wanted them but it’s all I could get my hands on . I’ve got the core rechargeable batteries for both and I’ve used them constantly for the last 5 years without issue. The oldest one needs a new headband though. I’d recommend from a reliability point of view, but I do find the housing cracks after a few years use. Not end of life, but somewhat unsightly.
Link to Petzl spares from Needle sports. Always a great shop to deal with IME:
We've got a couple of actiks with core batteries, they are very good. I dropped mine in the sea, the battery was goosed but the lamp was fine. New battery and all was good.
I have also had first class service from the petzl UK people
Led Lenser are really well made.
Also (based on a sample pool of "me"), exceptional warranty response.
Torches have progressed massively over the past few years so what might have been good in 2021 is not so great now.
For a head torch I would look at the Nitecore NU20 Classic which costs around £28 and has good features and runtime with charging via USB C - link to review below.
For other torches I am a big fan of Rovyvon and carry a small A8 on a keyfob most of the time. It is powerful, has good runtime and has body lights that can be used as an auxilary rear bike light in a pinch. Rovyvon does a range of lights so ypu should find something to suit if budget is flexible. Review of various models below.
Torches have progressed massively over the past few years so what might have been good in 2021 is not so great now.
For a head torch I would look at the Nitecore NU20 Classic which costs around £28 and has good features and runtime with charging via USB C - link to review below.For other torches I am a big fan of Rovyvon and carry a small A8 on a keyfob most of the time. It is powerful, has good runtime and has body lights that can be used as an auxilary rear bike light in a pinch. Rovyvon does a range of lights so ypu should find something to suit if budget is flexible. Review of various models
that tiny rovyvon torch is bright for something so small. The other look good too.
that Nitecore NU20 Classic two strap band doesn’t look too comfortable? Good value though. But I’ve been caught out already on that.
Olight, stunning build quality tones of light from Perun head torches, Perun 2 is quite heavy as a head torch but the mini is more than good enough. Olight seeker 4 for hand held. Bonkers bit of kit, you could land a plane with it and it easily fits in your hand, pocket etc.
Tried loads of brands over the years Olight are the best by far. You can use the Perun 2 or mini as a back up bike light and dazzle incoming Zombies when the apocalypse is upon us.
I saw a hat in tkmaxx with a built in led for £4 yesterday. I was tempted to buy it but I didn't as I had recently bought 3 hats from bnm. Probably good for round the house but not so much for running.
I picked up a mini 500lm cob led light for £5 whilst in tkmaxx which will be my edc light for winter this year.
Fenix headtorchs here. Rechargeable and you can get helmet mounts too. Use mine for riding, running and occasional caving.
I've got a Fenix FM70R and really struggle with it. The switch system is difficult to use, trying to just increase brightness often throws me into red light mode - reading the instructions you are supposed to press the switch for something like "2.7 seconds" - how the flip are you supposed to count that??? Also, after half an hour or so I find it quite uncomfortable on my head (not an issue on a helmet though). For those reasons my go-to headtorch is an old Decathlon one-night that has lasted years.
I've got a cheap Petzl headtorch that takes AAA batteries. It's not terribly bright, but never seems to need new batteries. It doesn't get used an awful amount, but I just want something that I know will have power when I need it.
Some of the Alpkit ones look good, but I have not experience of them.
For a 'torch' that doubles as a light during a powercut - you might be better off looking at some kind of camping lantern, rather than a torch? A lantern will have a more even light throw and can be sat on a table with no bother. Some torches also convert to a lantern.
Something like this?
I've nothing particularly positive to add but I will say that my Petzl RL Nao is a godawful, shittily designed, poorly made hateful bodge of a contraption and the only reason it hasn't been stamped into a bog somewhere is because it was an xmas present.
How that design was ever allowed to progress from the drawing board, let alone be sold to actual people, will remain one of life's great mysteries.