With 900 lumens of lighting power at only 100 grams, the SWIFT RL is Petzl's brightest compact headlamp. Designed with a reflective two-part headband for a stable and secure fit, this lamp is ideal for outdoor recreation with a mixed beam pattern for distance and proximity lighting.
Lightweight and rechargeable, the SWIFT RL is also equipped with REACTIVE LIGHTING technology, the light sensor adjusts brightness and beam shape automatically, extending battery life.
3 Reactive Modes For Ease Of Use
The Max Burn Time brightness level, in the REACTIVE LIGHTING mode, provides 100 lumens of lighting power - bright enough to see 35 meters ahead and offer up to 50 hours of battery life.
The Standard brightness level, in REACTIVE LIGHTING mode, provides 300 lumens of lighting power - bright enough to see 55 meters ahead and offers up to 40 hours of battery life.
The Max Power brightness level, in the REACTIVE LIGHTING mode, provides 900 lumens of lighting power - bright enough to see 150 meters ahead and offer up to 30 hours of burn time, with a minimum 2-hour guarantee.
This headlamp can also be used in STANDARD LIGHTING mode by simply holding the on/off button down. Standard lighting features 3 modes of 10, 200 and 550 lumens.
The SWIFT RL is simple and easy to use, with just one button for all functions: ON/OFF, lighting modes and levels. The button also includes a LOCK function that allows you to manually lock the headlamp to keep it from accidentally turning on in your pack, or to lock in a specific lighting configuration during use.
The rechargeable 2350 mAh lithium-ion battery can easily be charged using a micro-USB cable in or out of the SWIFT RL while the five-level indicator lets you know how much battery power remains when you turn on or turn off your headlamp.
The SWIFT RL is available in three colors: black, orange, and blue.
Comments
I wondered why there wasn’t anything mentioning the price of this head torch, then I checked the link and find it costs £95.
That’s a lot for a torch!
It's actually fairly reasonable for the features you get. Yeah, definitely not cheap, but it's not a luxurious price tag either for their flagship. You can also find it for £75 online, so it's not really £95 either.
What I am a bit upset about is the new battery type which costs £36 or more. Sure, it's much larger capacity than the previous Petzl Core, but it's a bit of a shame that you cannot just reuse old batteries if you had some lying around. It doesn't seem to be compatible with AA/AAA batteries, which is a nice and cheap backup or a good option for multi-day activities. Although it sounds like battery pack is a must these days.
I'd echo PPP's sentiments, which ultimately chimes with what I say within most of my reviews: if you're buying a premium product don't be surprised when they charge a premium price.
That said, I would also argue that £95 represents something of a bargain given what you're getting. We're a bit sheltered in climbing/mountaineering/hillwalking circles, but take a look at the running/cycling market and you'll soon be spending three times that, which is interesting because within what we do a headtorch could genuinely save your life, or - at the very least - make it a whole lot easier.
I think my bike lights are perhaps even more necessary to keeping me alive commuting than my headtorch is walking off winter hills! But I take your point - some bike lights are incredibly expensive. The only thing I would add though is market size seems to be central again - my current favourite bike lights were all bought from Aldi (or from a Hong Kong online "shop" a few years ago) and all cost less than a tenner (the HK ones much less than that including delivery from China which is a bit mad when you think about it), but are very very good. You can get cheapy headtorches too of course, but beside Alpkit ones (which are a different kettle of fish as you know you are getting decent quality and good back up there), I've not heard of any climbers recommending no brand or supermarket headtorches yet. On cycling forums lots of people will give their experiences of Aldi bike lights for example.
I too don't have a problem with the price because 900 lumens is a lot. It probably compares pretty well on a lumen/£ ratio.
But how many runners' head torch are three times as much? Runners have also heard of Petzl you know.
Look at this of top 5 headtorches article for runners, three of them are Petzl: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/gear/tech/g28655876/best-running-head-torch/.