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Before purchasing this, I really had a hard time deciding which headlamp to buy. It was either this, the Princeton Tec Apex Pro 200 Lumen Headlamp, or the Fenix HP10 7 Level 225 Lumen LED Headlamp.
Like many other people, I thought this headlamp was going to be a little in the heavy side because of the 4 AA batteries, but not quite! I have used this for about 4 weeks used it in saltwater fishing and kayaking. I don't think this headlamp would be ideal if you're running or if you're going to wear this for long periods of time. So if you're in debate whether to get this or the PRO version, keep in mind what activity you are mostly going to use this for. Also, keep in mind that the PRO version has slightly less run time since the battery capacity is lower. So there is a trade off.
Now for the reason why I have this a 3-star mediocre review.
One night I was kayak fishing and my headlamp kept turning on and off sporadically so I figured that my head lamp was running low in battery or something was messing up the connections. When I took it home I saw that there was water condensation within the light housing! Keep in mind that his headlamp is supposed to be rated, PX7 (waterproof to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes). I know I did not go underwater or capsized with this lamp, just the occasional saltwater splash.
Anyways, I called Princeton Tec and they told me to send it to them for evaluation. They will either repair it or send me a brand new one (hopefully). The only bad part is that they said it will take about 4 weeks for them to send it to me!! I sent this lamp in on Aug 15 and with a tracking number, I saw that is was successfully delivered in their shop. However, the guy said that they either haven't received it yet or "it's just sitting a big bin somewhere with many other RMAs." That can not be a good sign. I should have just returned it to Amazon and bought it again. With Amazon prime, that would be way quicker than sending it for repair/replacement.
In summary, this headlamp is really good if you got a good pair like the other reviewers here. I would rate this headlamp 4-stars or even 5 stars. I had a really good experience with it. I really think that I just had a bad pair. So, f you have a problem with it, expect a long wait if you send to Princeton Tec. Just send it back to Amazon (if you're in return window of course).
Now that I think about it, Hurricane Irene is hitting the east coast this weekend. I hope it wont be too bad, but do I wish I had this lamp during the storm.
Update:
I have received the unit back and they just sent me a completely new one. One of the major problems that I see with this lamp is the O-ring. It can come out easily when you remove/replace the batteries, so be careful!
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I started carrying this headlamp on a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail when the days started getting short, and right thru winter on the trail. It worked so well that it became a four season light in my pack. Generally thru hikers carry much, much lighter headlamps. I however can't shake this headlamp for a lighter one. It is a fantastic light, that takes a beating, and preforms perfectly. I carried this headlamp for 6,000 long distance miles on the Appalachian Trail. It did not fail, ever. Winter long distance hiking on the Appalachian Trail requires "night hiking", a lot of "night hiking". I clocked in some long hours in the dark, night after night, for months on end. It preformed flawlessly. I just can't give this light anything but 5 stars. This light has a voltage regulator. Four AA Lithium battery's will get you 50 hours of CONSISTENT burn time set on "4 LED LOW". Which is the mode I always night hiked with it in, and it was plenty of light to quickly cover miles on the Appalachian Trail at night. The 3 watt spot, and 4 LED HIGH are always available if you need more light, but both those modes increase battery power, and I used those modes sparingly (when needed). The 3 watt spot is super powerful, and is a handy tool to have, but use it sparingly, as it eats battery. 4 LED Low is plenty to night hike by.
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I bought the Apex after years of using a Petzl Zoom and the difference was fantastic. This is an extremely bright light with four decent light settings plus an SOS setting that to be honest isn't of any interest to me with its intended usage which is fishing and dog walking. I especially like the strap, it seems most manufacturers have opted to go with a round the head only type strap and I find this type with an additional over the top strap provides a more secure fit. It isn't perfect though, the batteries last no time at all on high beam however the low beam & low flood settings do last for ages.
However, the quality of materials used in this lamp is extremely suspect. On first appearance it is a solid unit, well made and robust. In my case however the plastic used for the rear of the lamp holder & hinge simply degraded and fell to pieces. The lamp had been used for no more than 10hrs use very occasionally over year as it was bought on a whim when I was sick of looking for 4.5v batteries for my Petzl. One day I got it out of the cupboard and the lamp unit was detached from the headband. The plastic hinge had broken into several small brittle pieces of plastic without any impact whatsoever. Fortunately the unit comes with a 10 year guarantee (and believe me, if you have bought one of these you will need it!).
Princeton were extrememly good to deal with and accepted that the lamp was defective immediately via email. They have a UK service agent, Whitby & Company (UK) Ltd in Kendal, Cumbria and I was advised to contact them, again a very helpful company. After a brief phonecall I sent the lamp back and was delivered a new unit within a few days.
The replacement unit is now about two years old and guess what? I have just packaged it up for return to Whitby and Co with exactly the same fault. What I at first thought was a rogue lamp has now manifested itself as a serious manufacturing defect. I'm glad I din't rely on the lamp for caving etc, if i did i would be very reluctant to use it. A quick internet search will throw up dozens of people who have had the same issue. This one is only on its second set of batteries. Buyers beware!
As a company Princeton & their service agant Whitby & Co are both excellent. This product however is fatally flawed and If I get a new unit as a replacement this time, I will probably sell it on.
Honest reviews on Princeton Tec Apex 200 Lumen Headlamp
This headlamp is very bright and easy to carry due to the compact size. A major drawback is that you will need to replace the batteries quite often, e.g. every two days after intense field work. I have no experience with high-end products of other brands to make a direct comparison.
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I've been using headlamps at least two to three nights per week for the last five years or more. During that time, I've had the opportunity to own a number of headlamps made by different manufacturers. I've used Petzl, Pelican, Black Diamond, Cree, Coleman, and Energizer. The Princeton Tec Apex is easily the most comfortable, brightest, lightest, most capable headlamp.
