Petzl Reactik vs Reactik Plus: What’s The Difference?

The Petzl Reactik series of headlamps are a worthy choice if you are looking for a versatile and reliable headlamp.

The key differentiator in this series of headlamps, over others from Petzl, is the “reactive” lighting they both have. This is a sensor that adjusts the light automatically depending on the surrounding lighting. This allows you to not only have the light you need in each situation but also to conserve battery power over the long run.

The Reactik is the simpler of the two but still comes with most of the same handy features.

The Reactik Plus takes it to a whole new level with the additional Bluetooth/app combination, as well as a brighter longer maximum beam. Of course, for some people, the app just means more complexity, more things to go wrong, and features they just don’t need. If that is the case for you, the simpler Reactik is the way to go.

To allow you to compare the two in detail, you can always go back to the comparison table above that maps it all out.

Further down, I have gone over the main differences in more detail to help you make an informed decision.

The Differences Between The Standard & Plus

As I briefly mentioned above, the main differences are as follows:

1. Brightness and maximum beam length.

The Reactik Plus is far stronger at the maximum beam with nearly 50% more strength (300 Lumens) and more than 50% extra maximum reach (360ft vs 220ft). So, if the reach and brightness are a big issue for you, this is the better lamp.

It does cost you a bit more battery life of course (at max beam).

2. Bluetooth App.

The other extra feature the Plus has is the ability to connect via Bluetooth to your phone via the MyPetzl Light App. (Note: requires iOS 7.1 or later, or Android 4.3 or later)

This gives you the ability to:

• Use Custom Light Profiles: multi-activity, trail running, trekking, mountaineering, and backpacking
• Create Your Own Profiles: Pre-sets to save you fiddling around each time you do a specific activity
• Adjust On The Go: Great for activities where you want quick access to the lamp settings (night mountain biking for example, with the phone mounted on the handlebars)
• Realtime Feedback On Lamp Status: Remaining Battery/Burn Time, Current Profile
• Emergency Signal: Provides a morse-code SOS signal using the light

Video On The Reactik Plus Features

Which Headlamp Should You Buy?

The standard Reactik is more than enough for most people because it has decent burn time, beam distance, and all the cool features of the Reactive series (auto-adjusting light) too.

But, if you want a longer, brighter beam OR the ability to have way more control over the beam settings and create presets, then the Reactik Plus is the one for you.