I have one. I use it for running (on my head) as well as just general use around the house. I really like it. It is small. total weight with enloop/strap is 3.14 oz. and smaller than 1AA cell popular lamps here. Excellent angle adjustment and stays put on the head without over pressure while jogging. It has battery level indicator _per mode_! So you are on main when switching on, you can tell what your level is for that mode... switch to flood, the level changes because the required load changes same with red. This is practical and nice.
Has "power tap" -- which I don't understand why these fancy lamps so highly rated here don't have or haven't adapted... which ever level you are in, just touch... "touch" the side and it turns full blast. Touch the side again, it goes back the previous. Awesome when just checking paths or whatever. No double click triple click half click what ever click all with the possibility of moving your lamp while clicking. Speaking of clicking, the on/off/mode button is really nice too with good feedback.
All modes are dim able to whatever you want... when you turn it red, it will always come on red till you turn it back to regular. One giant CON... it has no memory -- none I can tell anyhow. It will come on the main light. However, if you have it in red mode, then it will come on in red - which is nice. The intensity is always the same for either main / red. You have to re dim / brighten to your liking.
I really like the light. The lack of memory is making me wanting to return it. But the power tap is making me wanting to keep it...
A positive example, past halloween, I flip it upside down and wore it around my neck while with kids stealing candy... I had it on low flood for walking in the dark. Being upside down, I can adjust the angle to how I want it to not blind people -- so far, any of the $60+ fancy lamps much discussed here that I covet can do this np. Shocker that kids are all on sugar high and excited... some trip and fall and spill their candies all over the grass... I touch the side of the lamp to put on high... they find their candies and move on. I tap to go back to low flood... just awesome. Now a negative example, same night, I was adjusting for flood for walking and I accidentally turned it off... I turned it back on, it went on main beam, I had to quickly turn back to flood and readjust my level... annoying. Given it was dark, that moment of spot beam was jarring.
It is $39 retail. REI is running 25% off for BD stuff now. With that discount, well worth it to try it for your self.
I have no issue with its build. Alu lights are nice as is a well made polymer. I however, don't like the latch for battery bay. They should have done a clamp shell for durability. Time will tell. However, because it is REI, warranty is covered. No shipping to china...etc
I ranted enough. Good light. I give it 4 out of 5 candles LOL
That said, I still have 6 of the old style Ions still working - rarely used just stuffed into chalkbags, a few Spots of the earlier gen with less Lumens, a BD Storm and 2 Icons. The old Ions will be getting new Nitecore Tubes (on the way from Nitecore right now) to supplement them as I don't trust the BD's to be 100 % functional when it's mission critical and they finally get pressed into service.
