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So for Xmas I got this headlight that has a flexible LED lightbar in the forward portion of the strap. It also has a conventional LED with lens on the side.
The lightbar is a wide beam the light on the side is a spot beam. Unfortunately, the only way the two lights can be on at the same time is when the spot beam is in strobe mode.
I was surprised at how bright the lightbar is, especially for only 300 lumens. That said, it is a wide beam and does not have the penetration distance that you would expect from a 300 lumen LED with a lens. But boy is it bright and wide and no dead spots. If you are working on something close up (within 0 to 40-50') in the dark - like a dead car engine, or an injured person, or a camp area at night, this is what you want to use.
Unfortunately, the spot beam on the side has lots of hot spots and rings and such, but it does reach out further.
Not saying this is the best headlamp, or the best of the lightbar type, or that other lightbar headlamps are this good, or worse, or not better - I have not tried others, this being the first - but I will say that the lightbar type (at least this one) has real advantages over the lens type when you need a wide beam that will fill in the area immediately.
If it had a better spot light with no or few dead areas, with more lumens, then it would maybe be ideal (I have not tested this a lot) - if it had more modes and the spot light could be used in conjunction with the wide beam lightbar without being in strobe mode. This would still be a good light for trail walking or jogging or maybe riding a bicycle.
I've seen a lot of similar headlamps, but not many (any?) with an additional spot light with a lens. I see other lightbar headlamps advertised with more lumens and more battery power, but not sure if more lumens for a wide beam with short distance penetration is necessary. I would like to see it have more modes than "my God that is bright!" and "ahh, that's not so bright, but still don't look directly at the light". E.G., maybe 4 to 5 brightness levels with a "moonlight" mode (maybe 10-20 lumens) that lasts for days like some of my flashlights.
The lightbar is a wide beam the light on the side is a spot beam. Unfortunately, the only way the two lights can be on at the same time is when the spot beam is in strobe mode.
I was surprised at how bright the lightbar is, especially for only 300 lumens. That said, it is a wide beam and does not have the penetration distance that you would expect from a 300 lumen LED with a lens. But boy is it bright and wide and no dead spots. If you are working on something close up (within 0 to 40-50') in the dark - like a dead car engine, or an injured person, or a camp area at night, this is what you want to use.
Unfortunately, the spot beam on the side has lots of hot spots and rings and such, but it does reach out further.
Not saying this is the best headlamp, or the best of the lightbar type, or that other lightbar headlamps are this good, or worse, or not better - I have not tried others, this being the first - but I will say that the lightbar type (at least this one) has real advantages over the lens type when you need a wide beam that will fill in the area immediately.
If it had a better spot light with no or few dead areas, with more lumens, then it would maybe be ideal (I have not tested this a lot) - if it had more modes and the spot light could be used in conjunction with the wide beam lightbar without being in strobe mode. This would still be a good light for trail walking or jogging or maybe riding a bicycle.
I've seen a lot of similar headlamps, but not many (any?) with an additional spot light with a lens. I see other lightbar headlamps advertised with more lumens and more battery power, but not sure if more lumens for a wide beam with short distance penetration is necessary. I would like to see it have more modes than "my God that is bright!" and "ahh, that's not so bright, but still don't look directly at the light". E.G., maybe 4 to 5 brightness levels with a "moonlight" mode (maybe 10-20 lumens) that lasts for days like some of my flashlights.