I was looking to spend about $30 on a a headlamp as a gift for a friend. She used to have an Energizer (or similar) styled headlamp that ran off of 2-3 AAA batteries, the kind you can pick up at a Walmart, Kmart or Target. Her nephew broke it earlier in the year. I had gifted her a keychain flashlight prior to this but that never saw use. The headlamp was a different story though so I thought it might be a nice thing to pick up for her as she never replaced it.
She is not the type to use CR123 batteries, and I believe a headlamp a single AA would be a bit more weighty than she would like and not use it. So I was looking for something in the same style as what she once owned.
The first one I checked out was the Fenix HL15. It runs off of 2 AAA batteries. Output isn't the greatest but for her it is brighter than the one that she owned and it offers more flexibility in terms of available modes, including a red moonlight mode. Weight seems to be just about right. While I was leaning towards this, I was still searching for additional options or comparable headlamps. I will admit I got to looking for me too (think Olight/Armytek for me heh).
In my search I came across the Jetbeam HP35. This looks to be fairly new as it uses an XP-G3 emitter. I could only find two websites that offer it for sale, though no other information outside of what is available there. Does anyone own one of these? I'm curious to see if the tint is cool white or neutral, though I would guess cool white. The weight, despite being a battery heavier at 3 AAA, is lighter than the Fenix HL15. It also offers red led output. While there are differences in output levels, the max mode is higher here and offers more runtime overall. The attachment point where the headband and holder meet look like a possible weak point to me though.
Which should I choose, and if not one of these two, what would you recommend?
She is not the type to use CR123 batteries, and I believe a headlamp a single AA would be a bit more weighty than she would like and not use it. So I was looking for something in the same style as what she once owned.
The first one I checked out was the Fenix HL15. It runs off of 2 AAA batteries. Output isn't the greatest but for her it is brighter than the one that she owned and it offers more flexibility in terms of available modes, including a red moonlight mode. Weight seems to be just about right. While I was leaning towards this, I was still searching for additional options or comparable headlamps. I will admit I got to looking for me too (think Olight/Armytek for me heh).
In my search I came across the Jetbeam HP35. This looks to be fairly new as it uses an XP-G3 emitter. I could only find two websites that offer it for sale, though no other information outside of what is available there. Does anyone own one of these? I'm curious to see if the tint is cool white or neutral, though I would guess cool white. The weight, despite being a battery heavier at 3 AAA, is lighter than the Fenix HL15. It also offers red led output. While there are differences in output levels, the max mode is higher here and offers more runtime overall. The attachment point where the headband and holder meet look like a possible weak point to me though.
Which should I choose, and if not one of these two, what would you recommend?
