Petzl E + Lite Front Emergency Lamp 40 Lumens

Really useful size and great features like the carry case and flash mode. Bargain.

Neat little torch. I have added this to my first aid kit as backup for when I'm on an expedition or paddling at night if my original torch fails.

Like many of my fellow males of the humanoid species, I have the inexplicable urge to own the best flashlights :-) But of course there isn't just the ONE best one, you need one that is the brightest, one that is the smallest, one that is the best for certain situations that never occurred but could, right?So I was looking for this headlight even before I knew it existed. I already have a headlight (of course, just as you do!) but that one weighs 5 times as much as this one, runs on 3 AAA batteries, makes my head tilt under the weight if isn't installed in the exact middle of my forehead and requires 2 servants to carry it in its dedicated suitcase. OK, that was an exaggeration - except for the fact that it's 5 times heavier and kind of bulky so I tend to leave it at home, so of course the only times I could really use it, it ain't there. And as the old saying says (doesn't it...?) the best light is the one you have with you.Now about this one: This is the perfect head lamp if you only need one occasionally (not if you need to run it all day as the 12 hour battery life means you will have to change the hard to find CR2032 batteries every other day), and if what you need is carrying portable daylight on your head that is so light you will forget it's even there, and makes you confident moving around or doing things even in absolute darkness. Of course it doesn't make your surroundings as bright as daylight, but even on the low setting, it makes you see everything in a large room, and on the bright setting, it will easily light up an approximately 100 sq meter area around you enough that you can see what's there. It's not enough light to shoot a movie, but enough to get around without bumping into anything, and to see about 10-15 meters ahead and around your pretty clearly.What I like about it:- Very small and lightweight- Plenty of light for everyday use- The light pattern is completely diffused - no hot spot in the middle - and I love that. So it's not for you tactical military types, it's for everyday tasks, walking in the darkness, e.g. while hiking or camping and you get caught in the dark or have to go out at night. The light pattern is very natural - so much so that I can see myself using it in a dark tent to read a book, which would be impossible with a typical head lamp as it will have a bright hot spot in the middle that will blind you if you focus it in front of you. I also love this outdoors in situations where I just want to see (and not chase something with a bright spotlight that will project to a long distance - this is not the light for that). I have plenty bright flashlights if I want to see far away, but for example, for simple walking, a spotlight is not that practical, because the bright spot in the middle makes you relatively blind to the rest of the area and you will probably find yourself continually "scanning" the area with the small bright spot. Or you can just put this on your head, relax, and simply see.- The switch - intuitive, prevents the lamp from accidentally turning onWhat I didn't like about it:- The feel of the plastic backing against my forehead. Easily fixed: I moved the strap around to the back of the holder so it crosses on the back of the plastic backing instead of the front - now I have soft fabric against my forehead, not hard plastic. Problem solved.- The CR2032 batteries, which aren't sold at every corner (and you will pay 10x the price if you have to buy them at a gas station), but I can't complain about it since that's the compromise that makes the light so small. The good news is that this one is easily solved as well: I bought 4 rechargeable batteries for it (Look for LIR2032 - CR2032 can NOT be recharged) and a tiny USB LIR2032 charger. The charger itself is about the size of a tiny USB flash drive, so if you don't need to take spare batteries (you can just recharge the ones in the lamp - they recharge in about 3 hours) then it is still the smallest headlight, but now it is also one that you never have to buy batteries for again. Win!So if you want a tiny but powerful head lamp that gives you a soft, diffused light, ideal for "general" use, this is the best one I could find.

Firstly, it's tiny. You could have this in your pocket and forget you have it in there. It's not very bright. You could use it to walk down a trail in the dark but you wouldn't see far ahead of you. The switch that changes modes feels positive in action. You need to hold the torch with your other hand to move it. The torch is mounted on a back plate using a ball and socket joint. As others have said, this feels quite loose. If I nod hard enough it will flip down. Not a problem using it around camp, but if you want this for running for example it would be dropping down constantly. I bought it to keep in my outdoor first aid kit so it's perfect for my needs.

It’s very clever and well thought out and wonderfully uncomplicated but it is strictly an emergency light solution - but here’s the problem; the brightness is too low to be if any use.

Like it, great product, let down by the light bevel which allows the lamp to flop down all the time.

I have the old version (black and red, three white LEDs) of the e+lite which must be about 20 years old and still going strong. I bought this to use as a back up in my running kit (old one lives in my walking sack).Unfortunately the new one isn't as useable as the old one. First of the ball joint which allows the torch to tilt up and down is quite loose. Should be ok to walk with, but the impact from running is enough to cause it to flop down so it points at your nose. The old one also had a metal clip on the back plate which allowed it to be clipped to clothing, the new one doesn't.The single LED is brighter than the old one, but more diffuse. This could be good/bad depending on preference. On the plus side the headband now has a whistle incorporated into the adjusting toggle.It's ok, but the old one will be going in my running kit as it's more useful as a running backup, the new one will go in my rucsac as a 'just in case'.

This is a brilliant tiny head-torch. This has saved my numerous times. With its 10 year battery shelf life you can throw this in a rucksack, coat pocket, car glovebox, etc and forget about it.I forgot my main head-torch during a trip to the lakes and this worked just fine for finding my way around the campsite. I also read a book using the red setting without disturbing anyone else in the tent. My car broke down a few weeks later with an electrical fault, meaning no hazard warning lights. I stuck this on the back headrest and aimed it back down the road in flashing red mode to warning oncoming traffic. It did the job amazingly well considering it is tiny.After those experiences I bought a second one and gave it to my wife.