Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

Owner:             Thomas
Used since:       2020
Tested by:        Thomas
Review by:       Thomas
Primary Use:    Hiking and Camping

Review:
This is a great all-rounder that is a perfect headlamp for hiking and camping, incl. long multi day hikes. It seems quite flimsy at first because the casing is of really light and fairly think plastic - I guess time will tell whether that’s an issue in terms of durability or not. But so far it has not disappointed on any of my recent trips. The main reasons I like this lamp are: it is really lights, packs away very small, is simple and comfortable to wear, has good brightness, has a red light option and most of all - it has a hybrid battery system. It comes with a little rechargeable Petzl specific battery, which can be connected to USB to recharge. If that battery runs out (ie. on a one week trip), you can bring some spare AAA batteries and put those in instead.

Pros:
- Hybrid Battery option (USB Rechargable and/or AAA)
- Red Light option
- Small and light

Cons:
- Casing seems a bit flimsy/thin

Comment:
Good headlamp that really meets the requirements for most outdoor enthusiasts.

Manufacturer Website:
https://www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/ACTIVE-headlamps/ACTIK-CORE

Petzl Swift RL Headlamp

Owner:             Thomas
Used since:       2020
Tested by:        Thomas
Review by:       Thomas
Primary Use:    Hiking and Camping, Caving

Review:
I have actually only bought this headlamp because at the time I could not find my Petzl Actik Core headlamp. I thought I had lost it and stumbled across this Swift RL model instead. I have actually not used it much on any hiking and camping trips but from the few occasions I can certainly say - this thing is as bright as it gets. Turning it on max. power is like turning on the high beams of a car - bright as daylight.

The lamp is super comfortable to wear. The many different modes and how to switch between them is a little bit confusing and personally I believe the auto-sensing light adjustment is more a gimmick than anything else. Not really something that personally find very useful as in practice I just click through the different brightness levels until I find the one that suits me for a given situation.

You can only charge it via USB, so there are no external battery option like the Actik has. Also a red light option would be nice. But I guess this headlamp is more for specific purposes such as when you need a really bright light. Comparing it with the Actik, I find that the Swift RL is overkill and less practical for the normal hiking and camping use. You won’t usually need 900 Lumens in these circumstances and doing a 5 day or more hike with it would be a challenge if you can replenish the dead built-in battery with an external AA or AAA battery.

Pros:
- Super comfortable around the head
- Crazy brightness (if that’s what you need)
- Pretty light weight for the power it has
- Rechargable

Cons:
- No red light option
- No option to use external spare batteries
- Too many light modes make it confusing to switch between them
- Auto-sensing light adjustment not really very useful in practice

Comment:
Its a great headlamp from Petzl like they all are, but this is more for a targeted buyer that needs a lot of brightness more than some of the other typical features (such as red light and hybrid battery options). This one would be good for caving and dark areas where a lot of illumination is required but not for an extended period of time since recharging may be difficult over multi-day use (other than buying another Petzl spare battery pack for this model).

Manufacturer Website:
https://www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/PERFORMANCE-headlamps/SWIFT-RL