Petzl Tikka

Presenting the Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp.

This little beauty has served with me for over a year now. I can say I still love it and use it often. This is used so often that we now own three more.

This model has three power modes as well as a blinking mode. The company claims that you can get as much as 120 hours from the two AAA batteries. I haven’t tested this claim, but after a year of off and on use I see no reason to change the batteries yet. Note: as of 2008 I have used this headlamp almost daily and have come to the conclusion that the average useful life of the batteries is about 12 hours, after that its nothing more than a dim reading light.

Four superbright leds are packed inside a water resistant package. It fastens to your head with a single elastic band. On the lowest power level it makes an excellent reading light in bed. The highest power level can be used to do light work outside at nighttime. From about five feet away the light is still rather bright, though it is not as white as they might have you believe.

That purple tint is the light that is emitted.

I rate this headlamp very highly, considering the amount of light that is coming out of just three AAA batteries. But what really wins me over is the compactness of this unit. The power source and the light are contained in one piece. Other models and brands suffer from having the power source in the back of the head, resulting in a second strap to go over the top of your head. That extra strap is time consuming and uncomfortable. I look forward to reviewing other Petzl models in the future.

• Three brightness settings (economic, optimum, and maximum) and a strobe option
• Recessed, glove-friendly button won’t accidentally turn on in your pack
• Ratchet-style tilt option with molded light block to minimize glare
• Estimated battery life: 150 hours (economic), 120 hours (optimum), 100 hours (maximum)
• Four LED bulbs

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