Top 5 Headlamps

If you are here, it probably means that you are in the market for a new headlamp. Well if that's the case, you have come to the right place!

As a lover of the outdoors and ex mechanic, a good headlamp is an important tool for me, but with so many useless headlamps on the market, I was tired of wasting money finding one that works well!

That's why I decided to take it upon myself, to test and review the best headlamps South Africa has to offer, so you don't have to!

On this list you will find my Top 5 Picks.

Wow, just Wow. I first came across the Lumeo Pro on Facebook via one of their ads. I must say I was a little skeptical, as at the time, I had never heard of the brand, never the less, this incredible little headlamp had some very unique features that I had to try. So I made the call and placed my order, and I am so glad I did!

My Lumeo Pro arrived in a compact box, at first I was a bit worried about how this headlamp could even fit in such small packaging, but after opening I quickly figured out why. The Lumeo Pro is so light and flexible that it can literally fold into the palm of your hand, this is a game changer for camping trips and storage.

The Lumeo Pro's true claim to fame is the front facing 230° ultra wide beam. This super bright 350 lumen beam produces a wide ray of light, this eliminates all blind spots and literally lights up everything infront of you. I found this feature so incredibly useful, as I no longer needed to turn my whole head around to see what I needed to see. This was so different what I'm used to and what is found on most headlamps on the market that produce a narrow, focused beam, instead of a wide flood light. (although it does feature a side beam which produces a more focused beam if need be) Now keep in mind 350 lumens is not the brightest headlamp on my list, but it is plenty for the vast majority of people.

The clever design of the Lumeo Pro makes it a pleasure to use. It doesn't feature a bulky, protruding front light that is heavy, bounces around when doing activity and just gets in the way, rather its slimline design makes sure the device stays fixed on your head with no bounce. It is also so light and comfortable that I actually forgot I was wearing it!

Another, first of it's kind, feature is its on/off wave sensor. This allows the device to be turned on and off with the swipe of your hand. This is so useful when your hands are dirty and you don't want to fiddle with the device itself.

The unit is also rechargeable via the modern USB C type cable which is a really nice feature to see. This also saves you from having to buy expensive AAA batteries.

Dealing with the company was a pleasure too, the checkout process was easy, fast and secure. I received shipping updates via email and it was delivered to my home address in a few days. The communication back and forth with the team was quick, and they were able to assist me with the queries I had. They also offer a 30 Day Money Back guarantee, which put my mind at ease while placing my order. They have plenty 5 star reviews on their website which is a huge plus for me as an online consumer.

The Lumeo Pro is an absolute game changer when it comes to headlamps! It is my go to for my outdoor adventures as well as my work around the house. Couldn't recommend it more!

In conclusion, the Lumeo Pro is a great little headlamp, especially for the R499 Price. The is only available online, I couldn't get it from a store like many other brands and they also seem to be often out of stock, which I guess is a sign that people are digging it!

The MH7 is a pretty solid bit of kit, its made by LED Lenser who’ve been making gear for 20+ years. So, there’s no shortfall of manufacturing experience from these guys, and chances are, you’ve seen their gear around.

The MH7 has a max 600 lumen adjustable beam, which is plenty bright. It’s got five lighting settings: high-power, mid-power and low-power modes, as well as a blinking pulse. It also has a red light mode, which is handy when you are out camping and don't want to attract bugs.

What I really liked about this headlamp is the solid build. you can truly feel the LED Lenser quality. It's made from a tough plastic body which feels surprisingly premium to the touch.

The LED lenser does feature an adjustable lens, which allows you to change the beam angle from wide to focused. The focus beam can reach quite a distance, about 200m, which is great for spotting things far in the dark. The wide mode on this headlamp isn't the greatest I have seen, while the beam is very bright you do feel detached from the light, even on the wide setting it shines quite a fair distance in front of you, and isn’t great for uses in which you need to see something close to you, like working on your car or with electronics.

The MH7 has a 1500 mAh rechargeable, removable battery. In order to remove this battery you need to pry the headlamp out of its casing and then fiddle with the plastic flap to get it out. I did find this to be quite a mission. Another nice feature about this headlamp is that it has a magnetic charger that simply snaps into place.

The headlamp is also IP54 rated, which means that it is suitable to be used in the rain.

As great as this headlamp is, it is not for everyone. The majority of the weight sits on the front of the unit itself, this makes it almost impossible to run around with this headlamp on. I gave it a try and it was bouncing all over the place. If you are a runner, cyclist this may not be the headlamp for you.

I purchased the MH7 from Cape Union Mart online for R1300. It does sit more on the premium side, but it is understandable considering the features it has (Magnetic charger, adjustable beam, waterproof, removable battery etc.) The buying process was smooth and I received it in a few days.

All in all. It is a great contender and most definitely one of the top headlamps on the market in SA. If you need that ultra bright beam, and want that LED Lenser name. You can’t go wrong with the MH7!

You cannot talk headlamps without mentioning Black Diamond, they have a long history of making quality headlamps, and do a great job at it! The Black Diamond Storm 400 is no different, it’s simple, compact, and effective.

The headlamp produces 400 lumens at its max setting, which can get you about 4 hours of burn. Where this headlamp really shines though is in its options. It has 3 lenses which allow it to shine white, red, blue and green light! This is a really great feature, a necessity for many users and can be great for preserving your night vision, or dealing with bugs.

You can dim all the lenses by holding down the main button. The PowerTap Technology on the side of the headlamp’s housing allows you to easily toggle between full and dim power with the tap of a finger, which is great!

It also has the ability to lock the on switch to avoid it turning off when thrown in your bag. I thought that this is a great feature, and well welcomed.

Unlike some of the other headlamps on this list, it uses 4 AAA batteries, which means it cannot be recharged. While this does seem a bit outdated, there are many pros to this, for example you can easily carry extra batteries with you if you’re going on a long hiking trip.

The Storm is rated IPX67, which means it is both waterproof to 1-meter submersion for 30 minutes, and dustproof.

I picked up the Black Diamond on Run Collective online for R1200, I do feel that this is a tad high, especially considering that it doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, and you have to purchase your own AAAs which can be costly. The materials used also just feel a bit, dare I say, cheap. That being said, I have had no issues with durability in my testing. The weight is also all concentrated in the front of the device, which makes it bob up and down a bit while running.

Overall, I highly recommend this headlamp if you are looking for the green, red or blue LED features or prefer the old school style AAA batteries, because that’s where this headlamp really shines!

The Iko CORE is a unique headlamp. Petzls first attempt at a light weight headlamp, and we must say while it's not perfect, they did do well.

It's unique design makes it easy to wear, light and comfortable. They opted for the battery to be placed at the back to try and balance the weight of the headlamp to make it more suitable for high intensity activities. The Iko core features a fixed angle front LED beam. It is bright enough for camping and hiking, but the narrow angle can be a little frustrating depending on the application.

The headlamp is rechargable, but the biggest issue I have with this headlamp is battery life. On max brightness you are looking at about 2 hours of light, which for most people, may not be quite enough. Petzl opted for a more slimline design, but sacrificed battery life to achieve this. This is something the Lumeo Pro does really well, a great combo of design and function.

Due to it being a Petzl product, you can expect it to come with the Petzl pricetag. This little headlamp will set you back about R1300+

If you are in the market for a running headlamp, for short night runs, this is a solid choice from a reputable brand.

For general use around the house, a simple headlamp like the Petzl Tikkina will do the trick, featuring 250 lumens of maximum output from a single white LED.

The Tikkina takes AAA batteries which can be a bit of a pain, and maybe a little outdated. So if you are looking for something rechargeable, we’d stick with the Lumeo Pro with a lot more lumens too. But for the casual user, the Tikkina will do.

What's not to like with the Petzl Tikkina? By today’s standards, the light is decent but not overly impressive, and you don’t get the dimming capabilities like some competitors.

All in all, for the truly budget-conscious, the Tikkina gets the basics right in a compact and affordable package.

Top 5 Headlamps In South Africa That Are Actually Good!

#1 Lumeo Pro 230° Headlamp

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#2 Ledlenser MH7

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#3 Black Diamond Storm 400

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#4 Petzl IKO CORE

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#5 Petzl Tikkina

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