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Petzl Swift RL or NAO+

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So I am pretty blind/clumsy and having a nice bright head torch has done wonders for me. I have had a SWIFT RL for about a year and I thought it was brilliant. However, the battery life was not the best which I found out whilst descending off the Cuillin ridge after getting rather lost. I have unfortunately somehow misplaced my SWIFT RL and before I bought a replacement I thought perhaps the NAO+ might be a better fit for me because of the better battery life. I was wondering if anyone had/used both and couuld compare them for me? Is the NAO+ about as bright SWIFT RL (I know on paper SWIFT RL is brighter) in reality, is the beam pattern similar and the colour of light? I should also say that I normally use it in the reactive mode which I have found very useful. 

TIA James

 whenry 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Professor_Professorson:

I've only used the Swift, which I'm pleased with, but I did consider the Nao+ too. The review on here of the Swift a couple of years ago had a thread with some comparisons with the Nao+, which I found quite helpful in making a decision.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/gear/petzl_swift_rl_-_one_headtorch_to_ru...?

In reply to Professor_Professorson:

The review posted above is definitely worth reading (and not just because I wrote it); however, there's one caveat to this which hasn't been shouted about much yet, because it's not actually out, but the information is out there, so I don't think I'm releasing any embargoed information when I mention that the NAO+ is soon to be superseded by the NAO RL.

I'm a massive fan of both the NAO+ and the SWIFT RL, but were I to own a single one, I'd choose the NAO+. I love how it's weighted, love how it fits, love how bombproof it feels, and love that extra battery life. This isn't to say I dislike the SWIFT, because it's similarly amazing, but I think I've historically favoured battery light over brightness (and the difference between the two in terms of their brightness is - in spite of what the figures suggest - relatively subtle). 

The NAO RL is a really interesting development, because it's a little less like the NAO we once knew (which, compared to this, looks incredibly old and clunky) and bears a much greater resemblance to the IKO (albeit significantly more supercharged). Interestingly I was a bit indifferent about the IKO, but I think it's interesting what Petzl have done, drawing upon its design and technology, then applying it within a larger and more powerful headtorch.

I'll spare any further details for now, but will post back a few thoughts if anyone has any further questions. I've had a sample on loan for the last couple of months, so have a fair grasp of how it handles/performs in use.

Post edited at 11:31
 climbingpixie 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Professor_Professorson:

Not used the Swift but just wanted to add that the Nao brightness is more than adequate for complex night orienteering so I'd imagine would be suitable for your needs.

 Fellover 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Professor_Professorson:

Going to give a very unhelpful answer, which is that when I was choosing between the Swift RL and the NAO+ I ended up choosing the Fenix HM65R. Haven't regretted it yet.

I wrote a bit about it in this 'Best headtorches for winter climbing' thread: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/winter_climbing/best_headtorches_for_wint...

 probablylost 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Fellover:

Similarly I have a NAO+ and a fenix hp25r v2. I almost never use the NAO since I got the fenix.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Thanks very much, Rob, apologies for the delayed reply. I have indeed read the review which was very informative! 

Thanks for mentioning the NAO RL I think I will just wait for that. Ideally, I wanted SWIFT and NAO mashed together and hopefully, this sounds great. I did have a quick google, but couldn't find any more details, do you have any more details? 

In reply to Fellover:

I think I read this thread when originally looking for the SWIFT RL, they do seem to have a good caving rep, I have honestly just found the reactive mode really useful and not sure I would choose a torch without one

I should say that I also tend to use the headtorch around campsites and for running 

In reply to probablylost:

Similarly, the same question, do you not miss the reactive mode?

 galpinos 29 Apr 2022
 probablylost 29 Apr 2022
In reply to Professor_Professorson:

I don't actually, and I had a reactik before the NAO+ so I've had a lot of use out of reactive lighting. I think I just find it more customisable and less faff to get the beam profile that you want without having to use a phone app. E.g. for normal running I don't need the bright spot beam every time I look down the trail, just when route finding so for I tend to run on the 400 lumen flood and have the spot set to ~ 1000 lumens to flick on for route finding. Then for round campsite you can just have a low light flood by pressing a button rather than having to select a campsite profile on your phone.

The big advantages for me are:

The fenix is nicely regulated so will do a flat 400 lumens for 8 hours. Also has a 5ah battery so run time is good. I've found the NAO+ is good for a short period then falls away quite quickly.

The fenix is much brighter than the NAO+ even when fully charged. I've used both side by side and it's quite noticeable, both in the throw of the spot beam and the quality of the flood beam.

Finally the price of spare batteries for the NAO+ is quite frankly absurd.

In reply to probablylost:

I'm almost tempted! For the moment I am just living my Petzl Myo which I actually love so simple. 

I have to say that SWIFT RL regulation is pretty good. It has always given out consistent lighting until it drops to the reserve battery


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