Love this headlamp. great long lasting burn time.

Similar Products Used:

mag lite, store brand headlamp.

The Zoom is probably the widest used headlamp in the World.

It uses 3 AA batteries (not 4) or a single 4.5v battery. I use the AA because of wide availability and cheap price.

In Winter I always keep a spare set of batteries in an inside pocket to keep warm, and swap daily.

The Zoom is designed to provide enought light for walking and does so easily with the standard bulb. There is a really bright Halogen bulb available. I have 1 but do not need it. The bright bulb or cold weather drains batteries much faster.

I bought this headlamp because I liked the battery box at the back of the head which balances the weight of the lamp at the front. Princeton Tech has everything in a single unit at the front.

I did not choose the Arctic model where the battery box is carried inside as I thought that the cord would get caught on something when taking pack on and off for clothing changes. If the cord pulls out of something on a trip ---no light= not good. Easier to carry a battery swap.

So far this headlamp has performed flawlessly, 5 stars.

I even give the value rating 5 stars. I paid EMS retail for this lamp, but have not seen it anywhere at a significant price difference in the year since I bought it.

Customer Service

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Similar Products Used:

Mini-Mag in a headstrap. More of a comparison with a Micro than a Zoom as the light is much less. To hike with a Mini-mag it must be hand held due to the low light output.

I have used about three different headlamps for mountaineering and have found the Petzl Zoom to be the most reliable and versatile. It is light weight and puts out more than adequate light. I also use this light as a helmet mounted light while cycling. It's great.

Similar Products Used:

Petzl micro and Petzl duo.