It’s raining and getting darkish within the Rocky Mountains, and I simply need to get again to camp. After a protracted day of archery looking, I’m fried. I pull the Ledlenser HF8R Signature out of my backpack, push a button, and am greeted with intense mild. Time to hit the path.
I spent the final 2 weeks utilizing the Ledlenser HF8R early each morning and late each night time. I selected to do that as a result of that is Ledlenser’s latest flagship headlamp. And the model swung for the fences, going as far as to name it “hands-free.” It’s — kinda.
And as a lot as this can be a very superior, efficient headlamp, it has some shortcomings, too. I’ll dive into these under. However regardless, that is essentially the most tech-packed headlamp I’ve ever used.
In brief: The Ledlenser HF8R Signature adjusts its mild beam robotically to correctly mild the atmosphere for the wearer, with no palms wanted. This characteristic works nice! However in order for you extra management over the sunshine, this super-modern headlamp can get fiddly and even irritating to make use of. The HF8R Core can be accessible with barely much less energy however comparable options for lots much less cash.
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Lumen output
2,000 lumens turbo, 20 lumens low - Rechargeable Sure, magnetic charging cable
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Burn time
3.5 hrs. excessive, 90 hrs. low -
Weight
6.84 oz. -
Pink mild
Sure -
Waterproof score
IP68
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Adaptive mild works nice -
Highly effective mild with lengthy (220 m) throw -
Future time -
Pink, inexperienced, and blue lights
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Difficult to make use of in nonadaptive mode -
Can solely cost with devoted magnetic wire, incompatible with different widespread cords
Ledlenser HF8R Headlamp Assessment
Once you purchase the Ledlenser HF8R reviewed right here, you’re shopping for greater than a headlamp. This huge (6.84 ounces) rechargeable mild additionally ships with a motorbike mounting package. And whereas I haven’t examined it on a motorbike but, it does seem to be a logical use, given the excessive energy output and adaptive lighting.
Within the field can be an over-head strap (to be added in order for you for consolation), consolation pad, and magnetic charging wire. And sure, you may solely cost this headlamp with Ledlenser’s proprietary wire. No, it gained’t plug into an ordinary USB-A or USB-C. Extra on this later.
I strapped the headlamp on my head for the primary time at our elk looking camp at 11,000 ft, the place it might function my main headlamp for two weeks. Simply push the button and wowsers!
The sunshine jumped to life with a reasonably nifty mild present. As the sunshine turned on, it calibrated its 10-ish mild sources, every turning on and off in an alien sample. Sporting the sunshine, the glow in entrance of me fluctuated from huge to slim, dim to brilliant. Then, it settled onto a snug viewing mild at mid-distance. Take a look at the transient video under for an thought of the way it works.
However it actually didn’t keep there! As I moved and turned my head to close or far objects, the headlamp adjusted for the just-right quantity of sunshine. If I lifted my head, the beam shot throughout the meadow, illuminating objects 200 yards away. However once I turned again to the camp desk and tinkered with the range, it dimmed to mild my palms and the range knobs appropriately with out blinding me or my fellow campers.
Strolling on trails, the sunshine was very brilliant and a pleasant, heat colour. It did a wonderful job of illuminating each close to and much objects. I used to be shocked again and again by how effectively it tailored as I moved my view from a near a far object. As soon as turned on and on this mode, a wearer actually can depend on the adaptive lighting for a lot of situations.
To be blunt, the adaptive lighting is fairly wild and superior. And if that’s all I deliberate on utilizing, I’d fall in love with this headlamp.
However, effectively, it isn’t. And therein lies the rub.
Fidgety Controls
Whereas the Ledlenser HF8R does an unimaginable job of managing mild output robotically, that isn’t all the time what I would like. In fact, I principally need my headlamp to run on fairly low energy to save lots of battery. If I want a burst of energy, I would like it merely and rapidly.
Nicely, that’s not the place the HF8R shines.
Over the course of a few weeks of use, I constantly needed to push the button by way of repeated cycles to get it set on the mode I needed. It actually wasn’t intuitive. For instance, to lock it right into a low-power white mild, it required me to show it on, wait a few second, after which faucet the button once more. However wait too lengthy, and also you merely flip the sunshine off as an alternative of fixing the mode.
Press the button twice, and also you enter turbo mode — which is nice for highly effective mild, by the way in which. But when that’s not what I needed, and it typically wasn’t, I’d discover myself turning the sunshine on, off, by way of pink mild and blue and inexperienced, earlier than lastly touchdown on the mode I needed.
It was somewhat irritating and made me really feel dumb, like I wasn’t able to utilizing the sunshine appropriately. Perhaps it was simply me or an absence of expertise with the particular mild, but it surely was, to me, too difficult.
Charging Twine
The Ledlenser HF8R Signature (and Core mannequin) makes use of a wire with two magnets on one finish that connect to magnetic charging cords on the headlamp.
In case you’re OK with a wire that you would be able to’t use for anything, good. In case you’re additionally OK with not having the ability to cost this headlamp with something however the devoted wire, additionally all good.
However for these of you who hate a rat’s nest of cords devoted to only one gadget, this can be a fairly large disadvantage. I, for one, am not fond of getting to pack, arrange, and handle particular cords for particular gadgets, so it’s a fairly large con.
Ledlenser makes use of this fashion of charging as a result of it makes it simpler to waterproof the headlamp. It’s a good level. However it’s additionally price noting that loads of headlamps on the market share IP68 water- and dustproofness through the use of a easy USB-A or USB-C wire.
Conclusion: Ledlenser HF8R Signature
The Ledlenser HF8R reviewed is an spectacular headlamp with automated adaptive lighting that can impress the heck out of a variety of customers. It’s highly effective, sensible, and has a long-lasting battery. It may additionally perform as a wonderful biking mild given the adaptive, highly effective beam.
However the finicky handbook controls and magnetic charging wire will be irritating.
If you may get previous these downsides, the HF8R Signature (or cheaper Core mannequin) are a few of the most superior lights I’ve seen. For many who need the most recent, biggest, whiz-bang tech, the HF8R collection is bound to impress.
