Petzl Bindi 200 Lumens Black

Product Information

Were there to be a downside to this it is that it makes testing the actual burn time pretty much impossible, because it completely depends on where you're looking. If you're looking down more your burn time will be higher (up to 50hrs on RL Max Power), but if you're staring a lot into the distance then it'll be way shorter (2hrs on RL Max Power). I've found the significance of this variation a little alarming, especially when trying to plan for something that requires a degree of certainty. For instance, I've long been plotting a Bob Graham Round, and for that I need a torch that is going to last through the night. If I was using the Reactive Lighting Standard (i.e. middle) setting then I would in theory get somewhere between 5-40hrs burn time. If it's the former, then it won't last the night; if it's the latter it'll last me nearly two days. As such, which of the two figures can I really rely on? The answer is difficult to give, other than to say that if I did end up using the SWIFT RL, which I suspect I will, then I would tilt the torch down so that it preserves the battery. In reality this is likely the case whilst running, and it's definitely the case whilst climbing, where you're likely to spend most of your time looking at the ground immediately front of you. And for most users, the medium and low settings, which provide phenomenal runtimes of up to 225 hours on low (4 hours on high), give plenty of light for hiking or doing camp chores. While all these specs are great, real-world testing proved the Spot 400-R is up to a lot of jobs. I used it on a Nebraska turkey hunt during which I camped for a week, and the light shined bright for the entire time. And it was the best-performing small headlamp of more than 20 tested in our longevity test!

Overall, Sean is very impressed with the user interface. “It was my go-to headlamp during early mornings in camp and late nights on the trail. I used it in rain, snow, and cold conditions. And through it all, I really appreciated the wonderful simplicity of the single button. Just press it once and the light turns on. Press it again to cycle through modes. It’s that simple” I've found the quoted burn times for standard and max mode to be pretty accurate, and in low temperatures I have not noticed a particular drop-off in battery life. Walking off Stob Coire Sgreamhach on a very cold evening in December, for instance, I had the torch on full beam for about 60 minutes, and later on it still had enough life to pitch a tent and faff about in it for another hour or so. I've not put the proximity mode's stated 50 hour life to the test.One minor criticism is that the SWIFT battery is a bit awkward to remove, but given that the USB is readily accessible, and I don't actually have a spare battery to replace it with, this hasn't presented a major problem; however, if you were trying to fiddle with it wearing gloves, whilst battling with the elements on a mountainside, it could be quite awkward. Modes and Operation In short: The Petzl Bindi is an ultralight companion for urban adventures, use in moderate terrain, and as a just-in-case EDC headlamp. Petzl Bindi Headlamp: Stats Thanks to the diminutive nature, our testers barely noticed this headlamp while testing. It fits great and is extremely comfortable. mAh Li-Ion rechargeable battery is easily charged via a micro USB cable with a 4 hour recharge time. While this is safety-first, the NEO5R proved to be no slouch in terms of performance in testing. It has an incredibly good runtime and came in just behind our premium selection (also a Ledlenser light) in terms of the overall runtime.

Finally, like our runner-up selection from Coast, it has a super easy-to-use zooming bezel. Just twist it a quarter-turn to go from wide to spotlight. It’s a great solution and one of the best we’ve used. Operating the light through the single button was intuitive: A single press turned on the white light, and subsequent presses scrolled through its three modes. An extended button hold activated the red light; pressing it again fired the red emergency beacon. The Bindi doesn’t have a memory for light mode, but it does switch on to the last-used color mode. That said, if the budget is a major concern then the ACTIK remains a very solid choice for the all-round user.This is a nice feature, especially if you forget to recharge things on the regular. It’s also easy to move from floodlight to spotlight with a simple turn of the dial on the lamp.

Pointless Medium. Lamp is overall not bright. Battery capacity is expected, but 2h on high is lie. It is more like 1.5h, I don’t know how long it last on medium in reality, because is to dim even on high Time and resources being finite, we generally make detailed comparisons between products only in our Group Tests; but it makes sense to do so here. Most headlamps these days offer a rechargeable component, but some still rely on regular batteries. Both options can be great depending on how you use your headlamp. Yes, the NAO+ is more expensive, bulkier, heavier, and has less output; however, what it has in abundance is battery life - something that is not to be underestimated! This is a crucial factor, especially when you compare the various burn times to how long the night can actually be. In midwinter, depending on where you are in the UK (and how grey a day it is), you can realistically get a good 18hrs of darkness. Whilst the ACTIK and the SWIFT can indeed cope with this through reducing their output, that - some may say - would defeat the object of carrying such a bright headtorch. With the NAO+ there is no need to compromise, with a highly respectable 350 lumens being possible over a time frame of 15-25hrs. That's a get out of jail card on the winter mountains!Next, note that modern rechargeable batteries have gotten really good. You’ll see in our runtime that many of these will run for days without a recharge. And in our testing, they all managed to run for 7 to 24 hours or more. If you need a recharge in the field, just bring a small battery bank to recharge your unit. The headlamp shined a full 24 hours straight while still putting out useable light. It also has a powerful beam of 600 lumens that reaches 100 m into the night. Headlamps are a hotly contested item here in the GearJunkie office. We each have our favorites, and the arguments get hot over the most important headlamp features, specs, and user interfaces. Indicator light shows the remaining battery life when in use: Green for 66-100%, Orange for 33-66%, Red for 0-33% All these modes will work until the Bindi’s internal circuitry triggers the “reserve” mode, which preserves 3 lumens of light for an extra 1 hour 30 minutes, according to Petzl. There’s also a 3-lumen red “proximity” mode to preserve night vision that’s rated for 33 hours. Finally, the Bindi carries an emergency red strobe Petzl claims is visible for 400 meters and will run for 200 hours.