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Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp

Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp

Item # 748982
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This item is currently sold out or unavailable online.

For your reference, this page contains historical product information.

Princeton Tec® Apex Pro offers all the great lighting power and options of the original Apex, plus it's almost 2 ounces lighter!

  • Headlamp uses two CR123 lithium batteries versus the 4 AA batteries of the basic Apex; both models feature rear-mounted, water-tight battery cases
  • Apex Pro's intense, 3-watt LED with optimized lens casts an incredibly bright beam.
  • Three-watt LED is surrounded with an array of four standard LEDs for stepped down, power-conserving light
  • Features a flashing emergency strobe, plus dual push-buttons that let you select from two lighting levels on both the primary and standard LEDs
  • Bright, 3-watt LED combined with the Princeton Tec® optimized lens/collimator maximizes the beam by balancing long throw with flood light
  • Power-regulated circuit board ensures consistent lighting levels throughout the life of the batteries; includes a battery power meter
  • Heat-regulating technology prevents light from getting too hot
  • Three-strap headband holds light in place; user can quickly detach the top-of-head strap if desired
  • High-grade materials ensure durability and strong resistance to water, weather and environmental conditions
  • Includes two CR123 lithium batteries

Manufacturer supplied product specs

Made in USA.

Item 748982

This item contains hazardous or flammable materials and is restricted to surface shipping only.

Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp Specs

Specification

Description

Bulb type3-watt LED and 4 LEDs
Weight with batteries6.1 ounces
Dimensions2.3 x 1.8 x 1.75
Brightness (lux @ 2 meters)High: 452 / low: 12
Maximum beam distanceHigh: 85 / low: 14 meters
Brightness levels4
Beam typeFlood / spot
Strobes1
Regulated outputYes
Battery life at 70 degreesHigh: 15 / low: 35 hours
Batteries2 CR123
MaterialPlastic
Weight5.75 ounces

Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp
 
3.8

(based on 13 reviews)

69%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Bright (13)
  • Stable (10)
  • Adjustable beam (7)
  • Durable (7)
  • Good battery life (6)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Backpacking (12)
    • Hiking (11)
    • Car camping (4)
    • Day trip (3)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Avid adventurer (11)

    Reviewed by 13 customers

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    Displaying reviews 1-10

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    (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

     
    2.0

    Amazing Light -- Horrendous Durability..

    By NE Dave C.

    from Rhode Island

    About Me Avid Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Adjustable Beam
    • Bright
    • Long battery life
    • Stable

    Cons

    • Cracks Easily
    • Fragile
    • Not Water Resistant

    Best Uses

    • Backpacking
    • Hiking
    • Night hiking

    Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

    This light is extremely bright. Hands down the brightest I've used (when set to brightest setting). The choice of spotlight vs LED is nice, because it allows you to have ambient light for night hikes, or spot light for close work.

    The PROBLEM with this headlamp... is the durability. This light will crack at the hinges and it will crack along the screws that hold it together. It will start out as just a crack (there goes your water resistance...) and then it will get worse, and the low-grade plastic will actually begin to chip away.

    Don't buy this light until they come out with one that has metal hinges and a rubberized housing... stick with a cheaper light so that when it cracks you don't feel so badly about it.

    (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

     
    4.0

    This light rocks for adventure racing

    By mtuchris

    from Ann Arbor, Michigan

    About Me Avid Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Bright
    • Long battery life
    • Stable

    Cons

    • Bulky

    Best Uses

    • Adventure Racing
    • Backpacking
    • Car Camping
    • Hiking

    Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

    I own a Petzl Tikka Plus for camping and backpacking and that worked fine until I took up adventure racing. Then I bought this Apex Pro so I had more light to spot control points at night and to spot further down the trail when running at night.

    This light is hands down brighter than my old mountain biking headlamp and burns a lot longer. The low power wide beam mode is more than bright enough to find your way around your tent or campsite at night while providing days of burn time on low. Most of the time I only find I need the wide angle setting on high even for running at night. The high intensity spot burns through battery life fast for an LED but still will outlast anything else that bright. I can spot a 12"x12" flag from 100 yards while running with that beam.

    The headlamp takes a few easy seconds to get adjusted properly for fit and is solid on my head with almost no bobbing when running.

    My only complaint is that the screw tabs that retain the light to the strap system cracked on the first one I owned due to a silly design flaw that made it prone to cracking if over rotated forward. I noticed on my free replacement (thank you REI) that the design had been changed to aleviate that problem and I have had no issues since. I think the design change was made in early summer 07.

    I would definately reccomend this to those who want or need a light that will outshine and outlast their competition.

    (2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

     
    3.0

    Manufacturing Flaws

    By Propter Hoc

    from Oregon

    About Me 3-season Backpacker

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Battery type
    • Bright
    • Cool burning on head
    • Stable

    Cons

    • Manufacturing shortfalls

    Best Uses

    • Backpacking
    • Hiking

    Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

    Do your research! I bought this headlamp at [...] and loved it, absolutely loved it, all throughout the first 4-day trip it took with me. Unfortunately, when I got home and started reading online about my new purchase I found many many reports of chronic cracking of the headlamp housing above the two screwholes which hold the housing shut (making it water resistant). Some even reported pieces of plastic falling off as a result. I looked at my housing and sure enough, after about 10 hours of use over the course of a 4-day trip, it was cracked. I returned it to [...] without any issue and picked up a Black Diamond Icon Rechargeable which was rated brigter than this Apex PRO. Unfortunately, it does not use CR123 batteries which are common to my surefire lights and my SteriPen Adventurer, which was convenient for me. Also, subjectively, the Black Diamond does not seem as bright - though I may more reasonably be able to attribute that to the fact that I haven't had to trust my trip to this new contender yet in a new moon after my eyes have adjusted properly (the Apex Pro saved me on my 4-day during an unexpected long night trek during Septembers new moon).UPDATE 06OCT07: I was looking at the Princeton Tec website today and cannot locate the Apex PRO anymore, only the AA Apex. I contacted Princeton Tec about this to ask if they are revising or recalling the model. I'll write more when I find out for sure. I sure hope they improve the housing materials and re-release it. I loved that light.

    (1 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

     
    5.0

    You can see everything with this headlam

    By Ohio_Backpacker

    from Kingsville, Ohio

    About Me Avid Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Bright
    • Durable
    • Long battery life
    • Stable

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Backpacking
      • Car Camping
      • Day trip
      • Hiking

      Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

      I is great for dark nights and night hiking

      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

       
      5.0

      Great headlamp for serious prosumers!

      By Sleeps With Dogs

      from San Diego, CA

      About Me Avid Adventurer, Casual/ Recreational

      Site Member

      Pros

      • Adjustable Beam
      • Bright
      • Durable
      • Long battery life
      • Stable
      • Surefire Battery Compat

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Evening Dog Walks
        • Hiking

        Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

        I spend a lot of time outdoors in the darkness. I've used other brands in the past, but they didn't have the durability of PrincetonTec (PT). A few years ago I started out with a PT Corona (which I still own and use daily), which is a good overall headlamp, but it didn't have a spotlight function which would allow me to leave my Surefire flashlight(s) at home. Once I checked out the PT website (check it out, it's great!), I knew I needed the PT Apex Pro, since it would give me the wide-angle usability of the PT Corona, a spot function close to a 2-cell Surefire, plus the added benefit of the 123A batteries (i.e.:Surefire compatibility, much smaller battery compartment and 1.2oz lighter overall than the Corona). Another significant benefit is the digital controller of the Apex, which truly keeps light output at maximum regardless of battery level (the PT Corona, with it's AA batteries, tends to spend most of it's time at the 40-70% illumination output level, in my 2 years of experience with it.) I also like the battery level indicators of the Apex, which includes a warning flash pattern of the main light and a small status led light which blinks red to remind you to change out batteries back at home/base.
        I've been using the Apex Pro for 11 months now on a nightly basis for around 45min each night (dog-walking). The wide setting works great for hiking speeds and around camp use. The high-output/wide setting is a good choice for rough terrain hiking. The spot settings (both low and high) are quick to switch to from the wide setting since they have their own dedicated switch, and lets you quickly ID animals or humans out to 100 yards and terrain features out to maybe 250 yards. The spot setting is also very useful for minor medical procedures and gear fixes which seem to always need as much light as possible.
        As for battery life, using the the lower power setting in the wide-mode 45min. a night, and a few 5min high-output spot sessions a week for minor dog inspections and "surgeries", a pair of batteries tend to last me about two weeks. That's great for my usage-model, and I buy 123A batteries in 50-packs online so it doesn't seem to cost all that much more to run this model over the Corona in disposable AA battery costs.

        Bottom Line: If you use 123A flashlights, this is a must have headlamp; it matches the quality and performance of the higher-end Surefire models. If you don't use 123A batteries, you might be better served by the Apex AA model (and perhaps an Energizer AA rechargeable kit solution, if you plan on using a headlamp regularly)

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Great Headlamp!

        By len

        from Atlanta, GA

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Adjustable Beam
        • Bright
        • Durable
        • Long battery life
        • Stable

        Cons

        • Bulky

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking

        Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

        I recently got a hold of this headlamp for a 2 day backpacking trip. On the second night of our trip we got caught in a serious thunderstorm. We threw our pack covers and our ponchos on and fought through the storm. My Apex Pro stood beside me and did not show any sign of weakness. It split through the rainfall and fog and lit the path for our safe trip. My friend's headlamp could not break through the rainfall and was useless. I ended up taking lead. At the campsite it was very useful and the four led's provided a broad light beam and was very useful. We hung up the headlamp and used it as a tent light all night long. Woke up the next day to check to see if I needed to replace the bulb, but it still shined as bright as when I put new bulbs in. I would highly recommend this headlamp to anyone. At it's highest output, it is the equivalent of my smallest Surefire flashlight.

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        4.0

        Possibly the best all around headlight

        By cycling junkie

        from Sacramento, CA

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Adjustable Beam
        • Bright
        • easy to use with gloves

        Cons

        • Needs specialty batteries
        • Not truly waterproof

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Hiking
        • Night Cycling

        Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

        The choice of settings and brightness is a nice plus and can save battery life. Very bright focused beam. Relatively light even when worn for extended time. Easy to use with gloved fingers, but avoid pressing buttons when raining...it may short out.

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        4.0

        Bright . . . need I say more

        By Joseph

        from The Mountains of Utah

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Adjustable Beam
        • Bright
        • Durable
        • Stable

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Backpacking
          • Car Camping
          • Day trip
          • Hiking

          Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

          This is a great light. It is very, very bright, not too bulky, and relatively light in weight. Further, I didn't realize how much better it would feel psychologically to have a bright light (there is a certain sense of security in being able to shine a light a couple hundred feet into the forest). The only down side is the battery, but I bought rechargeable batteries so I don't have to buy the super expensive ones.

           
          4.0

          Very useful and versatile light

          By Eric from SD

          from San Diego

          About Me Casual Adventurer

          Pros

          • Adjustable Beam
          • Bright
          • Durable

          Cons

          • A bit hard to adjust beam

          Best Uses

          • Backpacking
          • Car Camping
          • Hiking
          • Kayaking
          • Mountain biking
          • Mountaineering

          Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

          I like this light. Quite a bit more, in fact, than any other headlamp I have owned and I've owned quite a few going back into the early 1990's. I've seen other reviewers criticize the CR123 batteries. That seems a bit odd to me, sort of like buying a V8 car and then complaining about the gas mileage. If you want the power, you have to make some trade-offs. In this case, nothing really packs the punch of CR123's for such minimal weight and bulk on your head. I haven't noticed the battery life being worse than lamps using AA's, but if you are worried, take a spare pair; they weigh next to nothing. I really like the fact that I can now buy one set of batteries for my headlamp, Surefire flashlight and Steripen. They are definitely becoming more mainstream; I recently found them at a [...] in Ridgecrest California on my way to backpack in the Domelands.I have not had any durability issues and I've used the lamp for almost two years doing everything from sea kayaking, general hiking/mountaineering, climbing to a late-night oil change under my Jeep and trying to find things in my attic. I actually use it once a week in the summer for a mid-week night mountain bike ride. It is brighter than any of the dedicated bike lights that my friends use. Our ride is usually 2-3 hours long and I can get about 1 1/2 rides out of a set of batteries. It gets expensive but, again, trade-offs... My only gripe is that the buttons to switch from spot to flood and between high and low settings are a bit tricky to find, especially with gloves on. Even harder when speeding through tight single-track at night. To be fair, however, Princeton doesn't really advertise this as a bike light.All in all, its been a tough and very bright light that has worked for me in all sorts of different situations for several years. If you are worried about the expense and availability of the batteries, go for a different model. If not, this is a great lamp.

          • Gift:
          • No
           
          5.0

          Excellent Headlamp

          By two-wheeler

          from Salt Lake City, UT

          About Me Avid Adventurer

          Site Member

          Pros

          • Adjustable Beam
          • Bright
          • Durable
          • Long battery life
          • Stable

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Backpacking
            • Cold Weather
            • Day trip
            • Hiking

            Comments about Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp:

            Both my wife and I have had this headlamp for about a year and really like it. We have taken it backpacking a few times, and I have used mine for night cross-country skiing, hiking, working on the house and car, etc. The beam is very bright and even, and the batteries last a long time in the cold--much longer than my Petzel Myo did--and the regulator keeps the beam bright for most of the battery life.

            While we are not abusive, we aren't too protective of the headlamp either, and we have not had any cracking as other reviewers have experienced. I'm not sure if they used the high beam more and/or exposed it to more heat, or what, but we have not had an issue.

            Another reviewer said that the battery meter drains the batteries, but we have not experienced that and I find it hard to believe. It turns off after a certain number of hours and the tiny power indicator LED flashing every 10 sec probably drains less than turning on the headlamp for 1 second.

            I would definitely buy this headlamp again.

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