Petzl Vs. Black Diamond (Who Makes The Best Headlamps?)

Petzl Headlamps

Let’s start this review of the best headlamps with the top sellers from Pretzel Petzl! :>

The headlamps that we will review in detail are Tikka,  Actik Core, and Nao+. You can read about the first two in even more detail in some of my former reviews, and see how they compare to their lower-budget versions! But now, you’ll get to see how they compare to each other and their Black Diamond rivals.

Petzl Tikka Headlamp

The Tikka headlamp is one of Petzl’s most popular models. It is a long-lasting one, and you can see exactly what you’ll get with it in the product information below.

There are three light settings for the Tikka headlamp; low, medium, and high. The low setting will give you a beam distance of some 10 meters, but the battery can last for an incredible 240 hours on it. On the other hand, on the high setting you will get 60 meters of beam distance, but with (only) 60 hours of battery life.

In terms of the bean length, the low setting is perfect for any activities where you are focused on your immediate surroundings. The medium settings will be great if you are moving around a lot, and the high setting will allow you to see almost 200 feet in front of you.

This headlamp is water-resistant, so you will be perfectly fine in the rain and snow. However it’s not fully waterproof, so it’s not really suitable for deep-sea diving or similar activities.

But it’s a perfectly fine lamp for any activities on dry land. With the lower lumen output and long battery life, I would say that this lamp is a particularly good fit for camping or overnight hiking. Basically, it’s great for everything where you prioritize the burn time over brightness.

And the Tikka is also compatible with Petzl’s Core rechargeable battery. If you already own the Core battery then great; if not, you will have to get it separately, and it will set you back some 30 bucks. But, it is definitely worth it because you will save money in the long run.

Petzl Actik Core Headlamp

If you don’t think Tikka is bright enough for you, then the Actik Core will probably look like a better choice. Check out its main specs below.

As the very name of this headlamp suggests, the Actik Core comes equipped with the Core rechargeable battery. So, that is a good thing when you think about all the money you would waste purchasing AAAs again and again. But it also had a big effect on the price of the headlamp because the Actik Core costs twice as much as the Tikka, and then some.

But this headlamp is also twice as bright as the Tikka, so the steeper price is not really a surprise. Overall, it is a better and stronger lamp, and more suitable for some really strenuous activities in the dark. And the two light modes (wide and mixed) will really allow you to customize the direction and width of the light beam.

I would say that the Actik Core is a great lamp for mountaineering, night skiing, and backpacking. The lumen output on this thing is really high, but it also means that its maximum battery life is much shorter. However, this headlamp is also compatible with AAAs, and you can always switch to those if your Core battery runs out of charge.

Then again, 160 hours on the low light setting is a pretty good burn time. However, if you set it to the highest brightness setting (350 lumens), the difference is drastic. In fact, the Actik Core has a battery life of only 2 hours in this setting, which is somewhat disappointing.

Related Post: Actik vs Actik Core

Petzl Nao+ Headlamp

The Nao+ is the brightest and smartest lamp out of the bunch. Check out the main features of the headlamp in the product information below and then let’s get into the details.

If brightness is your one and only concern, then the Nao+ was built for you. With 750 lumens, this is one of Petzl’s brightest lamps to date. But it’s also one of the most expensive ones, and you will have the shell out a couple of hundred bucks for it.

But there are many benefits to this headlamp. I for one thing love that it has integrated Bluetooth. That allows you to control the Nao+ via an app for your phone (compatible with both iOS and Android), and the possibilities are endless. For example, you can tell the lamp that you need it to burn for 4 hours and 15 minutes, and it will adjust its brightness accordingly.

The headlamp also has an integrated brightness sensor. This allows it to work in two different modes, reactive lighting, and constant lighting. If you set it to reactive lighting, the lamp will autonomously adjust the brightness level and put out the optimal amount of light for your surroundings.

But you can also set it to constant lighting, which means that it will shine as bright as you want it for as long as the battery allows it.

There are actually 4 different lighting profiles that you can set the Nao+ to trail running, mountaineering, trekking, and backpacking. And you can do that with a few taps on your smartphone screen!

The downside of this headlamp is its short battery life. The Nao+ is compatible with only the 2600 mAh Li-ion battery it comes with, unlike its predecessors. This means that you should use it wisely and only set it to maximum lumen output if you really need the added brightness.

Black Diamond Headlamps

In this section of the review, we will check out Black Diamond’s top-rated headlamps. Namely the ReVolt, Storm, and Icon. All three are great choices, and you really can’t go wrong with either one.

Spoiler alert: the icon is my absolute favorite because it’s really top-notch.

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp

Before we get into the detailed characteristics of this headlamp,  a breakdown of its main features can be seen in the product information below.

The ReVolt headlamp comes with rechargeable batteries, but it is also compatible with AAAs. Now, the rechargeable ones are more convenient to use, but the Alkalines will give you a brighter light.

And funnily enough, the Alkalines will also last longer than the included rechargeable batteries. I would say that this is a downside; why would they make a rechargeable headlamp that performs better on non-rechargeable batteries?

But, you could also just consider that a benefit, I guess. You can get the most out of the regular batteries, and when you need a stronger performance of the ReVolt, just put 3 AAAs in it. In addition to that, there are 3 different night vision modes on this headlamp, which is a really cool feature.

Another incredibly important benefit of this headlamp is that it is fully waterproof. It can be submerged up to 1 meter into water, and you can then use it for about 30 minutes. This makes it a great choice for diving, and basically anything where you need a waterproof headlamp.

So, the lumen output and the battery gimmick are not really impressive. But the battery life is; you will get 30 hours of battery life on a high light setting, and up to 175 hours on a low light setting. But keep in mind that those numbers refer to the battery life of Alkalines – there is no information about the ReVolt’s battery life on its own rechargeable batteries.

Related Post: Black Diamond Revolt vs Storm

Black Diamond Storm Headlamp

The Storm headlamp is about one class above the ReVolt. It is also one of Black Diamond’s most popular models ever, and it’s great for all kinds of activities. You can also see how the Storm compares to the Spot, but first, you can check out its main specs in the product information table below.

The Storm actually features two LED bulbs; one is a QuadPower LED, and the other one is a DoublePower white LED. When combined, these bulbs are able to produce a lumen output of 350. Therefore, this lamp is great for activities where you need close-range light, but also for the ones where you need a longer range.

Its maximum beam length is 85 meters, which is plenty for hiking, trekking, skiing, and pretty much all other outdoor activities. Additionally, it is also waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes at a time. Just make sure that you let the batteries fully dry, once you take them out of the water!

You can switch between lighting modes with PowerTap technology, and choose between full power and dimmed power. The former setting will drain your batteries faster, which is something to keep in mind.

In terms of night modes, this Black Diamond headlamp allows you to choose between red, blue, and green night vision modes. That’s pretty cool, and it’s also a feature that we find often in the BD lamps, but not in the Petzl ones.

So, the Storm headlamp is just a tad more powerful than the ReVolt. But funnily enough, since it is much more popular than the ReVolt, it’s also more affordable. So, if you can compromise on the lack of rechargeable batteries in the Storm, I would say that it’s the better out of the two.

Related Post: Black Diamond Revolt vs Storm

Black Diamond Icon Headlamp

The Icon headlamp truly is iconic. It is BD’s brightest lamp that we are checking out today, but it’s still below $100! You can see what its main specifications are in the product information below.

So, what makes this lamp iconic? Well, for one thing, it’s the battery life. Although it uses alkalines, the Icon headlamp can last you up to 175 hours, on the low light setting. This is a drastic improvement over Petzl’s Nao+. Yes, the Nao+ had 250 more lumens, but the battery life difference is still more than 150 hours!

Granted, all of the headlamps last longer when they are in the low light setting. That is why it’s ironic that this headlamp will last you some 70 hours even when it’s emitting all 500 lumens!

In terms of the beam length, you can set it to as low as 2 meters – for when you are reading or cooking during a blackout. You can also get it to illuminate 100 meters of the path in front of you, which makes it great for all kinds of adventures in the dark.

Just like the previous BD headlamps, it has 3 different night vision settings, and it is waterproof. You can submerge it approximately one meter in the water and it will work perfectly.

There are several different lighting modes to which you can set this lamp, as well as an indicator of remaining battery life. Additionally, the Brightness Memory will allow you to set a particular level of brightness to which the lamp will revert to when you turn it off and then on again. Pretty cool, right?

READ MORE: BLACK DIAMOND ICON HEADLAMP REVIEW