Thread: Budget headlamp advice wanted!

Among a couple of other options, our house has two LED lenser MH5 rechargables. Bought one, and it was good enough that we wanted one each.

Reasons we like it;


- Runs on an 18650, but can also run off a standard AA as an emergency backup.

- Good balance between enough settings without having too many. It just has Normal, Bright and Red. And a focus ring. Fine for reading a book in the dark, but can also be used for spotlighting possums in a pinch.

- Not too heavy, doesn't need a full head harness to stay in place, just a single strap around the cranium.

- Don't have to take the battery out to charge. It charges off a USB with a magnetic attachment. So it can be charging in the car, or where ever.

Fenix HM65r, I've got the v1 version and have had it for a few years now. The v2 appears to be essentially the same, great bit of kit and by the looks on sale at pb tech at the moment.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/TOL...ack-Rechargeab

My $23 Sofirn H25LR from Ali Express arrived in the post today.

After getting it working and having a play around I’m impressed.

I’ve not owned many headlamps but I’m pleased with its rugged and simple design which feels very solid for $23! Both red and white lights and their different brightnesses give plenty options with the bright being BRIGHT. Yet to see what battery life is like and how it goes in the field but my first impressions of it are that it seems great, up there with the best $23 I’ve ever spent.

“You get what you pay for” always runs through my mind when buying things so cheaply from places like Ali Express, but if this isn’t too good to be true then I’ll take it! I know I’m not the first to experience the joys of inexpensive Chinese stuff being quite useful and of reasonable quality but as I said earlier, I think I’ll always be suspicious

I run my Sofirn for hunting, SAR and around the house in the roof when been working up there. Battery life seems to be good but it is slow to recharge if using the built in port, if at home I just swap out the battery and charge it in my normal charger. However being able to give it a quick top up in the car or off a battery bank is very useful.

As with Jaacko, received my aliexpress sofirn H25LR, but I paid $26.00. Being playing with it for a week now. I like it, worked very well while fishing off the rocks the other evening.

Originally Posted by deernuts

As with Jaacko, received my aliexpress sofirn H25LR, but I paid $26.00. Being playing with it for a week now. I like it, worked very well while fishing off the rocks the other evening.

Just bought another one from ALiexpress for the kids, as they were fighting over who got to take it last time we went away Turns out there's a version with 2 white leds rather than one red, one white... oops. Chucks out alot of light though, and my son is getting into a bit of adventure racing/rogaining, so it will hopefully get a bit of a workout on some evening/night rogaines - he's decided he likes that one better!