PETZL - ACTIK CORE Headlamp

2024 Update: My first Actik is still going strong, still feels great compared to my blocky somewhat uncomfortable black diamonds, and the battery is still in great shape. I’m back looking for another1st gen for my travel kit (I would have liked one when I went caving earlier this year). Looks like reviews on the newer 600 lumen edition are terrible. 2019 Review: My ex recommended Petzl. I was tempted to get a Black Diamond Storm to be contrary AND because it was cheaper AND it had great reviews AND I’m not into Mega Xtreme Hard Core Sports (!) that require a top of the line headlamp. But I ceded and bought the more expensive Actik Core model solely because it was rechargeable. Man, two things immediately happened: (1) I had to admit he was right, and (2) he was jealous of my really nice headlamp. It’s brighter than the moon, has great battery life and the rechargeable mode is worth every extra penny. It sounds dumb but when stuff runs out of batteries, sometimes I just go “eh” and walk away, because hunting down esoteric or relatively heavy batteries is enough of an excuse to dissuade me from whatever horrible task that would have required me to wear a headlamp, e.g., crawling through a hazing line of attic-dwelling spiders to put down insulation during the only hours of the day when the attic isn’t 108-degrees (in the summer). oh no, the headlamp batteries are out? Boy, TV sounds like a great option right now. But with the Petzl, I just plug it in, easy peasy lemon squeezy. And then I do the task the next day. The modes (like red light) are unexpectedly useful for when I’m sneaking through my backyard at night to do the chores I didn’t manage to do in the daytime while trying not to alarm the neighbors (washing out the birdbath at 1 AM), or digging around in my poorly lit crawlspace (where’s that angel food cake pan that I use once every two years?). I reach for my Actik Core way more often than anticipated and in three months, it has earned a dedicated place in my “most used” stuff drawer, replacing even most of my flashlights because it’s so small and accessible, and I never misplace it (again, unlike my flashlights - of which, I have three, and I have no idea where they are, but I always know where my Petzl is). Cons: Getting the headband off of this model was so difficult that I gave up. It’s partially forever unclean now and I’m making peace with that. Would absolutely buy again. Even if it might be overkill for a weenie homeowner that just wants a convenient hands-free light, it’s a great headlamp.

I purchased this many years ago and it is still going strong! I love the option of using the rechargeable battery pack or batteries.

Initial review 10. January 2018, edited 11. January 2018. This review is for the "Petzl Actik Core Headlamp" Have been using Petzl "Tikka 2" lamps for work (Grey with a green button and 4 LEDs) for about 5 years and they have done a very good job mounted to a hard-hat with "Kit Adapt". I have yet to try this out properly to see how long the "CORE" lithium battery holds out, but that was the main reason for why I decided to try the "Actik" model. As some other reviewers have said, the design and production quality of the more recent Petzl headlamps is not as good as it was a few years ago. It made me think whether the product was a "fake" Petzl rather than the real thing, but the packaging and headband seem to be of too high quality for that. The production quality of the lamp itself is however, not significantly higher than of cheap no-name brands. In my initial review I said the following: 'These new lamps do not seem to fit the "Kit Adapt" as the tilt setting doesn't hold - it just droops to the lowest setting / dangles loose. I will improvise to get it fitted to a hard-hat but I would have preferred to not have to spend time on it to make it work.' I have since tried it with a new "Kit Adapt" and it works as it should. Perhaps the one I tried it with first was just worn to the point where it will still work with the older TIKKA models but not these new ones. I will up the review from 3 stars to 4 for this. I may consider buying more of these in the future. --- Update March 24 2023 I think I have about 5 of these now. Some are in rough state after much use, but the batteries are still good. I have been using these for over 5 years now and am quite happy with the way they have turned out. I usually have 2 lithium batteries charged up and just swap when I need. The battery usually lasts through my work day as long as I never have it set on the brightest setting. If I accidentally turn it all the way up and leave it there, it drains the battery very quickly and tends to leave me without light for the rest of my day at work, unless I'm at my depot where I have a fully charged battery ready for swapping in. Usually have them fitted to a hard-hat with Kit-Adapt. When I renew my hat (happens every 3-4 months) I just replace the double-tape with thick 3M high bond tape. Have probably been using the same Kit-Adapt for about 5 years.

To be fair, I've only had this product for 6 hours. However, I'm already very impressed! So far, I've already used it for checking my car's oil, carrying in some firewood, and bringing in a couple of bird feeders from the backyard. The light it throws is very impressive, and I like the 3 different light brightness levels. I primarily used the middle brightness for my several tasks. I haven't used the red light feature yet, but I'm sure it would be good for collecting some firewood for the pit during a party when there's people around you don't want to blind. It fits very securely to my head. It's lightweight and low-profile, which is a dramatic improvement over my previous headlamp. I was also very impressed with the headband itself! It resizes very smoothly and easily, and the plastic buckles seem very rigid and able to stand up to years of use. I love that it's rechargeable. As my first high-end headlamp, I can tell this was a good choice. It's styling is simple but sturdy, and the light it throws surpasses what I expected. I live in a rural area, and this will be endlessly useful, hopefully for years to come! Thanks for reading.

I got my Petzl a few weeks ago and have used it maybe five or six times in dark urban areas where street lights are not exactly abundant. For comparison in certain areasLong my route, without a headlight I cannot see the curb ramps in front of me, much less across the street. I have run right off curbs without any idea, and had to change direction in the middle of intersections to find the sidewalk on the other side. It’s dark! At first I was a little bit disappointed in the spread or peripheral coverage of the light, and perceived hot spots in the coverage area. My base point of reference for this disappointment was my Light & Motion Urban 350 bike light which I’ve used for several years on early morning bike commutes in similar urban areas. I really liked the 350 lumen output and wanted something similar in a headlamp. The other day I brought my urban 350 with me on an early morning walk. Comparing the two lights at 350 and 100/150 lumen settings I noticed my beloved Urban 350 had a more narrow spread, I presume for higher speed bike travel, than the Petzl. After this comparison and getting used to the Petzl I am realizing that even in a sparsely lit street environment I usually use my headlamp on the 100 lumen setting and only switch to 350 when I stray from sidewalks onto side trails. I have become quite happy with my Petzl and would recommend this light to anybody willing to listen to me jabber on and on about how great it is. I have questioned whether a model with a max of 100 lumens would have been sufficient but I do have aspirations of non-urban jogging and hiking on unlit trails. I think the 350 lumen setting will come in quite handy in those situations. It would be nice to have a slightly wider spread closer to 180° at the 350 lm setting. I have in the past walked right by my trailhead because of headlights with forward focus and little to no peripheral illumination. Get one.

I have owned about a dozen headlamps and this is the first one I found that could hold a candle to the old (old, as in, I had to special order an after-market 3rd party LED bulb for Neptune Moutaineering because sort-of-white LEDs just started to be bright enough to see as far as your boots) Petzl Duo that was my standard climbing/winter light for ~15 years of hard use. Petzl lights cost more because they are better lights. They are not a bright as some others, they don't (yet, AFAIK) have one that uses 18650 (super high capacity rechargable lithium cells) batteries, but if you need to bring a light because your life might depend on being able to self-rescue after dark, find your way up a glacier, etc. its what you want. This one is small enough to replace the crappy little CR2302 head light I used to carry "just in case". While a second battery is pricy, it has been very hepful as there is very little warning when this light is about to run down. You still get light on the lowest setting for quite some time, but if you are trying to find your way to the next set of rapel anchors after dark it really could use a little more "heads up" notice. The battery pack is super easy to charge via USB and has a LED charge level indicator. I also keep 3 AAA lithium batteries sealed in a ziplock "just in case" which is a great option not all rechargable lights give you. Climbers, spelunkers, EMS, and SAR personnel depend on Petzl lights, helmets, etc. for cause.

On initial inspection it seems excellent. I will update after more testing but out of the box it looks like exactly what I wanted. The bright setting is very bright , looks clear as day 40 ft out. The dim setting is very similar to my black diamond iota in intensity (100 lumens I think) ; seems fine for in the tent or small tasks but lacks brightness when trying to see outside your immediate area . I like the build , the battery pack has a light on it that lets you know when it's charged , and there's no adapter. You just plug the battery straight into a normal samsung charger . The fact that it also works with normal AAAs is comforting as well. Again, I'll update if/when things change but out of the box it seems totally legit . So far, favorite rechargeable headlamp, if expensive. Update: had it a while now and it still puts other lamps to shame. Great design, bright as heck . Would buy again.

I love these lights they are the best for when I run at night or when I work late nights. The battery keeps a long charge too

7年ほど仕事で使用していたブラックダイヤモンドのストームが防水出来なくなって壊れたので買い換えました。 照度も3段階調整可能かつ専用バッテリー付きで電池も使えますし、業務使用にも十分使えます！

Ottima luce frontale . Provengo da una Petzl di 6-7 anni e non c'è paragone . La durata è ottima e illumina molto bene . Io la uso come luce da casco in bici . Al minimo permette di leggere il gps / computer e ha una lunga durata . Al medio / massimo permette di affrontare anche le discese a velocità abbastanza sostenute in quanto riesce ad alluminare abbastanza in profondità . Le autonomie dichiarate dalla casa sembrano abbastanza realistiche . Funziona sia con 3 batterie AAA e sia con la sua batteria Core che in questa versione è compresa . La batteria Core ha il vantaggio che max in un paio di ore si ricarica al 100%.

J'ai longuement hésité avant d'acheter ce modèle car j'étais plus parti pour la réactik, plus moderne mais plus compliqué a utiliser surtout lors d'un trail nocturne. j'ai regardé beaucoup de vidéos de test mais elle ne m'a pas convaincu. En fin de compte, j'ai découvert le modèle Actik hydrid, simple d'utilisation, légère et puissante. Le fait d'avoir une batterie rechargeable en USB et pouvoir mettre des piles pour dépanner est vraiment pratique, plus orienté " Trail " ( ma pratique ) Je l'ai testé hier soir et franchement, elle est top !!!! super légère , on l'oublie sur la tête. La puissance en mode "standard" est suffisant et vraiment si besoin on peut simplement passer en mode "Max power" Le seul petit défaut, le fonctionnement du bouton marche/arrêt / choix des modes n'est pas simple a manœuvrer en courant. Prochain test en condition réelle samedi soir en trail nocturne dans le montagne de Reims.....mais pour l'instant hyper satisfait pour 50 € !!! ( très bon rapport/ qualité prix)

I bought this Petzl Actik Core (the one with the built-in, but replaceable, rechargeable battery) head torch in October 2018, so I have had three years' use out of it, and it's still going strong. Let's start with the key question: if I lost it, would I buy another one? Yes, immediately. I give my reasons below. I use a head torch every day in the autumn and winter months for walking my dog early in the morning, typically well before 06:30, at which time it is still pitch-black outside. As we walk mostly in woodland with overhanging trees, it can be gloomy even at dusk/dawn in spring and summer. In this environment a torch is useful for picking out detail you would otherwise miss (horse poo, for example). I already owned a Petzl Tikka XP2 and a couple of Petzl Tikkina models, but the Actik has turned out to be a genuinely useful upgrade over these other head torches. Most importantly (and somewhat unexpectedly) the Actik Core is far more convenient to charge than the others. Charging a Tikka/Tikkina is simply a matter of opening it, removing three AAA batteries, clipping them into the charger, switching it on, then removing the batteries and re-inserting them into the torch an hour or two later. The Actik Core is just easier: open, plug in micro-usb cable, wait until the light turns green to signify that it is fully charged, then unplug. It shouldn't make that much difference, and yet it does. And of course you can plug the Actik Core in anywhere you have a micro-usb charger, such as in the car or at work. The Actik Core throws more light than the Tikka XP2, but quantifying the amount produced is difficult. I can say that it gives broad and bright illumination at 20-30 yards on the woodland paths along which we walk, and in more open country has a throw of well over 50 yards, maybe 70-80? If you want something to light up large areas of ground half a mile away then I would suggest that you get something beefier, but for my purposes the Actik Core is more than adequate. What else? The headstrap is comfortable, works well, and is easy to adjust. The body of the torch appears to be completely waterproof; the hapless hound and I go out in all weathers, including persistent rain, and the Actik Core has taken it all in its stride. The torch is so light that I don't notice it when I'm wearing it. In terms of operating modes, clicking the button takes you through three different light intensities, which is useful when you want less light for close-up work. I don't use the red light modes, but they seem to work fine. The battery lasts for three or four days of 30-minute walks at full brightness before I need to recharge, which is in line with the two hours that Petzl says you should expect. Practically speaking, I try to remember to plug it in every other day when I come back from our walk. The torch is in near-perfect condition despite three winters of steady albeit not particularly challenging use. The only downside to this product that I can see that it is pricier than Chinese competitors. I actually bought one of those (for less than half the price of the Actik Core) that had really good reviews on Amazon. That product failed after I dropped it a couple of feet onto the floor, only a few weeks after I bought it. All of my Petzl torches have taken much worse abuse than that and are still going. Lesson learned: buying cheap is a false economy.

ティカを使っていましたが 接触が悪くなったのか動作が不安定になったので 買い足しました。 当然ですが明るさはかなりこっちが上です。 数字ではピンときませんが体感でよくわかります。 一点集中じゃないので視界がよく暗いところでも広く照らしてくれます。 軽さがネックかなと心配でしたが まぁまあ許容範囲です。 よりコンパクト軽量を求めるならティカがいいと思います。 乾電池ではなくコアを初めて使いましたが 充電も装着したままできるので便利です。 やっぱりヘッドライトはペツルが使いやすいです。 買ってよかったです。