Petzl e+LITE Headlamp Review (50 Lumens) – 2017

The updated Petzl e+LITE (left) is twice as bright as its predecessor but still only weighs 26 grams including an integrated swivel stand, elastic head strap and plastic whistle.

The new and improved Petzl e+LITE ultralight, ultra-compact headlamp is twice as bright as the earlier version and comes with a more comfortable elastic head-strap, emergency whistle, swivel stand and plastic protective case, all standard. Still powered by two CR2032 batteries, the upgraded e+LITE provides 50 lumens of light (up from 26 lumens) and improved battery life, making it far more capable around camp and for nighttime hiking than previously.

Weighing just 26 grams (minus the red case), the e+LITE has a regular white light, a max white light, a white strobe, a red light, and a red strobe, making it great to use for the trail in addition to bike-riding, as an emergency light for your car, or at home too!

One of the things I like most about this headlamp is that fact that it has a manual lock that prevents it from accidentally turning on, as well as a self-documenting selector so you never have to guess how many swipes or clicks are needed to move it from one mode to another. Simply move the white selector from one position to another to select the desired light mode, or click it into the off position to lock it. It will never turn on accidentally in a stuff sack and drain before you need it.

	Lumens	Distance (meters)	Battery (hours)
White (Standard)	15 lm	6 m	12 h
White (Max)	50 lm	10 m	9 h
White (Strobe)	15 lm	>100 m	95 h
Red (Standard)	2 lm	100 m	15 h
Red (Strobe)	2 lm	>100 m	70 h

The e+LITE is powered by 2 x coin-sized CR2032 lithium batteries, which I also like, because they're so lightweight to carry. The back of the e+LITE has a waterproof compartment that stores the batteries: simply unscrew it with a thin coin or fingernail and replace them as needed. The light's battery power is also regulated, which means that it will maintain the same level of brightness throughout the battery lifetime, without becoming dimmer as the batteries drain.

The Petzl e+LITE has a built-in swivel stand in addition to a head strap and emergency whistle.

This new version of the e+LITE includes a swivel stand, so you can position the light for task-specific lighting, without having to wear it or if you want it to point in a single position while you perform other tasks. The new model also includes a comfortable elastic head strap instead of a retractable string and a separate whistle (plenty loud) is attached to the head strap (so you can't lose it) that is also used to adjust the headband size.

Recommendation

The Petzl e+LITE headlamp (50 lumens) is one of the best headlamps ever designed with an easy-to-use mode selector that prevents accidental battery drain. Now twice as bright as before, the upgraded e+LITE is a better value than ever for ultralight camping, hiking, and backpacking. As someone who's been using the previous version of the e+LITE for the past three years, I'm delighted with the improvements that have been made to this new version, without removing any of the value of its predecessor. Strongly recommended.

Disclosure: The author purchased this product with his own funds.

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