I noticed in early January that we are now a family with three headlamps. Each purchased for a different need, each with a different lumen rating and features. Best, their price spread covers the market. It sounds to me like the perfect chance to have a showdown!

The Contenders:

GSM Atom

Lumens: 1.8 Battery Type: 2 CR 2016 button cells Burn Time: 15 hours Weight: 28.5 grams Lighting Distance: 4.5 meters Number of settings: one Cost: $10

Special features: Magnifier for LED, tilting head, water resistant

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Princeton TEC Aurora

Lumens: 8 to 25 Battery Type: AAA Burn Time: 50 to 160 hours Weight: 79 grams Lighting Distance: 11 to 20 meters Number of settings: Four (high, medium, low, strobe) Cost: $25 to $35*

Special features: 3 LEDs, water resistant, pivoting head, triangle configuration minimizes shadows.

* The Aurora is no longer produced but still available on-line. A similar headlamp from Princeton TEC such as the EOS costs around $35.

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Petzel Tactikka XP

Lumens: 10 to 40 Battery Type: AAA Burn Time: 60 to 120 hours Weight: 95 grams Lighting Distance: 18 to 35 meters Number of settings: Five (maximum, optimum, economic, strobe, boost) Cost: $58

Special features: High output LED never needs changed, water resistant, pivoting head, comes with four filters (wide beam, red, blue, green) and one filter holder, has a battery charge indicator

The Results:

 

I bought the GSM Atom first primarily for taking out my contacts while camping (when I still wore them!) and writing in my journal. Did it meet these needs? Yes! Perfectly. That is until the batteries started to die while on a motorcycle trip in Canada. We finally found batteries that would work (not the correct ones, but close) in a discount store. I have a few spare from that purchase but thoughts of locating the correct batteries somewhere other than on-line gives me a headache.

I never really noticed how dim the headlight was until the Aurora came into our lives. After that, I realized that the few times I wore the GSM for cooking or doing anything over three feet from the headlamp made me squint. Its days as my primary headlamp were numbered from that moment forward.

The Princeton TEC Aurora was a Christmas present for Raven. The light eclipsed the GSM. We were soon fighting over who got to wear the Aurora. It was perfect to use when walking outside at night or cooking on the grill. You can easily and quickly set up a tent in the dark, find missing gear, or work on the motorcycle.

I honestly forgot it has three light settings as I am just about always using the brightest. Technically, I should be able to tone it down and journal with it on while in the tent. It is sheer laziness that I don’t do so.

Heavier than the GSM, the Aurora is not uncomfortable. Reviews mention that it is easy to bump the buttons to turn it on when in a pack, but we’ve never had a problem with that. In fact, when my fingers are cold and gloved, I have a hard time hitting the button to turn it on or off. The GSM, by contrast just spins to turn on and off: no buttons. Of course, the GSM is so dim that I’ve left it on after being finished with it completely unaware that it was still emitting light!

Raven’s biggest complaint about the Aurora is that it had no red lens for better night vision. That is how the Petzel Tactikka came into our lives. With four lenses, and five light settings, the Petzel just about does it all. In fact, it may just have too many bells and whistles! The design is clever allowing one lens to be loaded and slide over the LED easily with even a gloved hand. But only one lens at a time. And it only came with one lens carrier. So why do I have four lenses? Raven likes the red lens, I like the clear wide angle. It is not worth switching back and forth every night. I think I’m going to have to buy two more lens carriers as well so that I don’t lose the green and blue lenses, which just would be a waste. But I’m wondering if I’ll ever even use them.

Still, the Petzel is amazingly bright even without hitting the boost. The button is easy to find and use even with gloves, though it took me a few days not to always hit the boost instead of ‘on’. The method of switching between light levels and ‘off’ is so well designed that it seems like the Petzel is reading my mind.

The Petzel is also so bright that I DO remember to use the other functions. I am usually on optimum to economic unless I have the red lens on. Then to really see adequately I need to use the maximum light, so I’m burning batteries. I have yet to actually need the boost function and only seem to use it by accident.

The Petzel is also obviously the heaviest of the three headlamps. If I don’t have the strap tight enough (because Raven had it on last, let’s say), it will slide down my forehead. It is easy enough to adjust, but I do find myself adjusting it rather frequently to keep its bulk in place.

GSM Atom Verdict:

If you need a cheap headlamp for close range activities like stashing items in a tent, this headlamp is unbeatable for its price. It works perfectly for journaling while camping and best of all your tent mate won’t threaten to throttle you if you don’t turn it off. They probably won’t even notice it is on unless you look at them.

All that being said, if you need a headlamp for night activities like cooking or walking rugged paths, this is not the headlamp you should buy. It is probably NOT the one you want in an emergency as you’ll be wasting valuable time trying to see what the heck is going on. Not to mention with only 15 hours of burn time and batteries that are nearly impossible to match when traveling, this headlamp will eventually leave you in the dark.

Pros: good for close range activities, cheap

Cons: short burn time, impossible to find batteries, and poor distance lighting

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Princeton TEC Aurora Verdict:

 

This is the epitome of the headlamp. Bright, it offers a long burn time as well as lower light settings. You can cook, hike, set up camp, and then switch to low to journal. AAA batteries only enhance the functionality of this headlamp.

In 2004, the Aurora actually won Backpacking Light’s Trail’s Best Award beating out a Petzel Tikka Plus due to functionality at low temperatures and burn time. For that review, click here. We can see why. This headlamp is the favorite of both Raven and I for its modest weight, light settings, and simplicity.

Pros: Good range of light for a multitude of activities, moderate weight, uses AAA batteries

Cons: No red lens to protect night vision

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Petzel Tactikka XP Verdict:

If you are a gadget aficionado, this is the headlamp for you. It even has extra add-ons you can purchase separately!  The light is amazingly bright, not counting the boost that would probably scare off intruders or allow you to spotlight rhinos. The different colored lenses allow you to customize to suit various needs.

The boost will eat through batteries, though. The battery charge indicator is a nice thought, but not visible when you are wearing it. Guess you are supposed to trust your friend to point out when it says your battery is low! Happily, the Petzel only needs AAA, so battery replacement isn’t a huge problem.  However, with so many bells and whistles plus the weight this headlamp may be a little more than what is needed.

Pros: Amazing range of light options from boost to low and different colored lenses, easy to change mode or slide over the loaded lens, takes AAA batteries

Cons: Heavy, only comes with one lens carrier plus the compartment on the headlamp so easy to lose the other two lenses, moderate burn time