Cheap Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp

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A few years ago I thought to get one of these for hikes, night photography, and simply having a lightweight flashlight in my camera bag or for when the power goes out. I read up on them, found Petzl to be the best, and yet the complaints were that the Petzl model at the time had only one brightness setting, didn't tilt, wasn't water resistant, and had no red filter. A year later Petzl came out with this model, and everything had been fixed to perfection.

Needless to say, I got one and loved it. For those new to LED headlamps, what's great about them is they leave your hands free and you never have to think about aiming the light. If the power's out, and you're tying your shoes and then looking under a cupboard and carrying out blankets, the light is always right where you need it.

Also, for walking at night, a flashlight will light up just a pizza-size spot in the middle of the road, but this headlamp casts a wide swath of light completely across a small road, so you don't have to scan for fallen limbs or porcupines everything is lit up evenly and it's much easier finding your way about.

The only downside to having the lamp right over your eyes is when it's foggy or snowing, since it lights up everything right in front of your face. But simply take it in hand, as a very light flashlight, or attach it to your belt, and all is well again. In fact, it works so that you can press the button in for when you want to check something, and then let it go and it'll go off. Much better than clicking through the four brightness settings time and again.

So I loved using this headlamp, and then I accidentally dropped it in salt water when kayaking. Not recommended. The directions actually say you can wash it out with fresh water and dry it, but I didn't get to it for a couple of days, and it had of course corroded.

Well, I had to order a new one, and what do you know it came with a little sticker on it that says, "New LED Technology, +80%." What was this about?

I dug out the specs, and sure enough, they boosted the reach from 17m (at Maximum brightness) to 32m. And not only that, but they extended the battery life at Maximum from 80 to 100 hrs. In short, the Maximum setting on my old one is now the Economical setting and lasts twice as long. You can really see the difference the Maximum setting lights up a yard and the red filter is now bright enough to hike by, when before it was best for reading or up-close work.

Way to go, Petzl.

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I've only had a chance to use the Tactikka Plus on one 6 mile run. So far I like it very much. It's very lightweight, comfortable and stays in place. Some of the roads I run on are very well lit while others are almost completely dark. I wanted a light that was bright enough for me to see in the dark places even after my eyes had adjusted to the street-lit areas. The packaging for mine did not have the "80% Brighter" sticker that I have seen on similar new Petzl equipment so I wondered if it was going to work well for me. It did. Even at the low setting it was bright enough for me to see potholes and dips in the road. The light covers a wide area and reaches far enough in front that I don't "outrun" it. The switch is easy to use. The adjustable angle housing is essential for dialing in exactly where you want the light pointed without having to hold your head at a weird angle.

The headband does soak up sweat and it did take a few hours to dry out. I don't know if anything can be done to improve this.

Overall, I would recommend it to others. I would also check out the Princeton Tec Quad. It looks to be nearly identical but it is cheaper. It trades the flip up red lens on the Petzl for a waterproof housing.

*** UPDATE ***

I've now had this headlamp for 5 months and use it many times per week. Everything I liked about it initially I still like. For no apparent reason the lamp now will not turn off. Instead it goes into an ultra dim mode that you may not notice at first but continues to drain the batteries. I have not dropped or physically damaged the light. I've tried new batteries twice. Then I sent the lamp back to Petzl at my expense for their review. Customer service was excellent and prompt. They sent me a new lamp but unfortunately it is a Tactikka instead of a Tactikka Plus which means it only turns on or off. This is a shame because I use the lamp almost exclusively in the low setting.

While my old lamp was being evaluated I used a Princton Tec Fuel. Unfortunately for Petzl even though this lamp has only three LED's it is an improvement over my Tactikka plus in every way except comfort. It is only slightly less comfortable to wear and the flood pattern is better (it has more of a spotlight in the center with a wider flood light on the sides). I ended up never using the red flip up filter on the Tactikka Plus because I wanted to make sure oncoming traffic could see me easily. I'll be using the Fuel instead of the Tacktikka now.

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This is a great headlamp. I bought this light primarily to do turtle watching since the leatherback turtles do not see the colour red. However, I soon other uses for it, like hiking and reading star maps without losing my night vision for star gazing.

The four LEDs are great. The three light settings are great since you can choose the right amount of light for the situation. The emergency flashing light feature is great if you get into trouble and need to attract attention to where you are.

I especially like the fact that the red filter is attached to the light and can pivot into place when you need it. Won't be losing any more filters from now on. The head band is adjustable and made of a comfortable material so you can keep it on for long periods.

Overall this is a great light and comes with batteries.

Honest reviews on Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp

overall, this headlamp is designed well and operates well. the only two complaints i have is with the red filter. when the red lens cover is snapped over the white leds, there is a small light gap and not all red light is seen. also, its very challenging to find the tab in which enables you to add/ remove the red lens. if you plan on using this primarily for the red light, i wouldn't recommend this headlamp.

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I have used several other headlamps, incandescent and LED, over the years and this is by far the best.

1. Light dispersion. The light pattern from this very uniform. The center of the pattern is brighter but the transition to the edges is very uniform with no discernable hot-spots. The pattern is wide enough to provide good peripheral visibility. When you are hiking at night there is no need to keep moving your head around to see the edges of the trail. The middle brightness level provides plenty of light for night hiking even for my old eyes. Younger eyes will do fine with the lamp at its lowest brightness level which will really extend the already great battery life.

2. Light weight and compact. The three AAA cells are carried close to your forehead. You hardly notice the presence of the lamp. Other headlamps that I have used have placed the lamp assembly so far out from the head that the lamp tends to bob up and down when you walk. Others with the battery pack at the back of the head or on the belt balance alright but the battery pack and wiring snag on brush, bump on the backpack or prevent you from resting you head on a pillow. The Petzl is compact enough to wear either over or beneath a hat when the rain begins.

3. Tough. I have dropped my Petzl on rock or concrete a couple of times. The worst that happened was the the battery compartment popped open. The headlamp was undamaged and went right back into service.

4. Standard batteries. AAA cells are as common as dirt. When they do finally have to be replaced there is no problem finding new cells.