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Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp

$49.95

(6)

Item # 850679

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The Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp packs versatility into a compact, durable unit that you'll take on every adventure, from backpacking trips to international travel.

Single 150-lumen Maxbright LED throws a bright white beam up to 90m on high; 2 white 5mm LEDs output 30 lumens and reach up to 23m on high
Also includes 2 red LEDs that output 15 lumens and reach up to 20m.; red LEDs minimize the impact on your night vision
White 5mm LEDs are dimmable so you can balance light output and battery life to meet your needs
3 AAA batteries (included) provide 110 hrs. of burn time for the Maxbright LED; using the 5mm white LEDs, the batteries provide 160 hrs. of operation
Switch to the red LEDs and the batteries will last for 150 hrs.
Regulated circuitry ensures consistent power output over the lifespan of the batteries
Large push-button switch is easy to operate with gloves on
The Princeton Tec Vizz headlamp has an IPX7 rating (protected against water immersion down to 1m for 30 min.)

Made in USA.

Item 850679

View all Princeton Tec products

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Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp

4.8

(based on 6 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Bright (6)
Long battery life (6)
Waterproof (5)
Adjustable beam (4)
Durable (4)

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking (4)
Hiking (4)
Car camping (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (5)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (6)

Reviewed by 6 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-6

May

2013

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

A light for any occasion!

By JackCrab

from Fayetteville, AR

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustable Beam
Bright
Durable
Long battery life
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Hiking

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

This headlamp is extremely versatile. The red LEDs conserve your night-vision, while the dimmable LEDs take care of all the middle ground. At their brightest, the meet most of my needs. The 150-lumen high setting was amazingly bright. I found myself easily switching between the various modes as my situation changed.

Accessing the battery compartment is a breeze, and head swivels vertically, which is a plus.

My only con (and I'm not sure that it's even a con) is that the unit is a little larger than I was expecting. Overall, a great headlamp.

Comment on this review

May

2013

(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Bright and long battery life

By leprei

from San Diego, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Bright
Durable
Long battery life
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

Very efficient single led high beam rated at 150 lumens for 110 hours with only 3 AAA batteries. Also I would guess the CRI (Color Rendering Index) is near 85 with a warm color temp; color replication is very good. However, I would say the brightness is actually closer to 100 lumens when compared to similar flash lights with the same throw/focus. I haven't used the dimmable white leds or red leds much, but the whites do dim and the reds are bright.

Comment on this review

May

2013

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Fantastic headlamp

By N7

from Upstate, NY

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Bright
Dimmable
Lightweight
Lock-out Feature
Long battery life
Waterproof

Cons

None

Best Uses

Backpacking
Climbing
Hiking

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

I purchased this lamp as well as the Petzl Tikka XP2 (my favorite until now) for a side-by-side comparison (with new batteries). The Vizz is definitely brighter both on the bright setting as well as in red mode. With the XP2, I see a bit of the light in my peripheral vision which I find troublesome as it is distracting to me when I hike, but I did not have that problem with the Vizz. The large LED has a slightly warmer color temperature which I found to be more pleasing and less harsh. With the XP2, you get either a narrow beam, or a very diffuse beam. The Vizz has a nice wide beam with a bright spot in the middle which I find to be very versatile. Though the XP2 has better battery on the low setting, the Vizz's duration is 50% greater on the high setting with both lamps using the same batteries. Finally the Vizz is also more waterproof and costs $5 less than the XP2. I was surprised how much better the Vizz was and will be exchanging the XP2 for another Vizz.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

5.0

Great headlamp

By Roy19120

from Silver Spring, MD

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustable Beam
Bright
Durable
Lightweight
Long battery life

Cons

Best Uses

Car Camping

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

Great light for the money. All the best features. Red and white light and a hinge to adjust the direction for map reading in your lap. Worked great on my first camping trip. Look forward to the next.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

(9 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

No compromise headlamp, does it all well

By BCSC79

from Greenville, SC

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustable Beam
Bright
Durable
Lightweight
Long battery life
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Hiking

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

Great little light, very pleased with the purchase. I was originally set on buying another brand's headlamp for their variable dimming and locking features but couldn't decide between two models which made me compromise between water rating, weight and brightness. That's when I stumbled upon this guy which offered the best of both - and even improves on several features!

It has an incredibly bright 150 lumen main beam which illuminates a huge swath of path to the front and sides. Ptec calls this main beam form 'medium' but it's not because they compromised on distance or width, they just combined them both in to an elongated triangle. Quite nice for biking or spotlighting, however I'll use the secondary side beams for most hiking. Con - 1) Such a bright beam near your eyes results in increased airborne particle reflection which can be annoying 2) You can't dim the main beam

The dimmable secondary LEDs provide excellent area lighting for working in tight spaces, hiking, or illuminating a campsite. I found them to be plenty for biking too as long as I kept it under ~12 mph. The secondary LEDs are activated by holding down the button. The mode always starts at the dimmest setting which continues to increase in brightness until you release the button. You can start the dim cycle again at any time. The cycle increases the intensity of the beam to the highest point, blinks once, and then dims back down to the lowest setting where it will continue to repeat as long as you hold down the button. Each dim cycle takes 3 seconds. Cons - more of a wishlist: lower the dimmest point and increase cycle time for more granularity of dimming control.

Red mode on the Vizz is my favorite of any headlamp because it's a spot-shaped beam that isn't too bright for reading and actually has a decent throw making it suitable for walking/hiking. Having this tightly focused red beam has another advantage - it's not distracting to others unless you point it right at their eyes.

There is no flashing mode - I never used flashing modes on any of my other lamps so I don't miss it on this one.

It has a lock to prevent accidental power-on which is accomplished with the three quick presses (unlocks with the same). When I say quick, I mean you have to complete the three quick presses in about a second and a half. I find it kind of silly that some other headlamps use a hold action for locking because that's exactly what seems to happen when the button gets pushed up against something in a bag.

There is a battery power alert function under the power button which begins blinking when your batteries drop below 20% capacity. I haven't burned through my first set of batteries so I can't comment on life, but I would expect it to perform near spec since everything else has.

Physically, the batt compartment is held IPX7-tight with a small metal slotted thumbscrew which mates to a brass fitting in the case. Finally, no more prying or fighting to get a headlamp case open! The mount doesn't quite pivot a full 90 degrees, but no complaints here, it's enough to keep light pointed at my feet or on a book. Headband is durable and comfortable. I can't stand anything tight around my head and found I can wear this one more loosely without it jumping around or falling down.

Ptec seems to have designed everything about it around the concept of preserving night vision which extends usefulness beyond the headlamp itself. For example, red mode can be activated and deactivated with a single button press without turning on any of the white LEDs. The directly-accessed secondary white LEDs start at the dimmest level and get brighter. Light leak through the case is either diffused and converted to night vision friendly red/green case wavelengths or absorbed. Even the battery low and lock indicators are red to preserve night vision.

Colors are all a bit muted and bland and are much darker in person than pictured here on the site. The design & material both look dated, like a throwback to my first Ptec Aurora lamp from over 10 years ago. It's likely that the materials and colors were chosen specifically for the way that they handle excess light from the high power and wide angle LEDs. Green was the only color in stock locally but I decided to order a red one for store delivery and am glad I waited - the color works like a bonus with the red LEDs and it will make it easier to see if I drop it outdoors or if it's in a bag full of stuff.

In summary, the real beauty here is in the engineering, operation and results. If you don't need flash modes and don't want to compromise on weight, waterproof rating, or brightness this might be for you.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Another GREAT PTec headlamp!!

By LateLunch

from Southern Nothern Virginia

About Me Environmentalist

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustable Beam
Bright
Lightweight
Long battery life
Made in USA
Multi-mode
Night Vision Preservation
Waterproof

Cons

A Little Tight On My Head

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Day trip
General purpose
Hiking
Reading light

Comments about Princeton Tec Vizz Headlamp:

If you're looking for your all-rounder headlamp: look no further.

Being a headlamp/flashlight enthusiast, I am sure to have one or three on my person at all times. I use them for like everything: reading, working, finding stuff on my floor that I dropped, checking the insides of bags and suitcases, the list goes on.

After experiencing other headlamps with a similar layout (spot, flood, and red LEDs), and noting the pros and cons, I have come to the conclusion that this is the superior product.

Using 3 AAA batteries, the Vizz is lightweight. Because I have an "Indiana Jones Crystal Skull" forehead, headlamps like the slide down and become illuminated blindfolds. The Vizz doesn't do this. It's shape feels good in the hand when it needs to be a handlight, and it's well-textured surface provides a nice grip. It just feels good.

Unique to this headlamp in the PTec lines is it's adjustable brightness. Not all of the light modes are adjustable, but then again, I only find I need an adjustable beam for the flood light. PTec does this, and TURNS THE FLOOD LIGHT ON IN LOW MODE, to save on the blinding factor. the lamp also cuts on in red mode, and the light indicating that it is LOCKED OUT (no accidental battery drainage) flashes red, too, instead of eye-burning blue.

The Cons are few, and are mostly personal beefs with me: The lack of a crown strap (my alien-esque forehead is the cause, Gray-ish people might take note) is a bit of a bother, but not that big of one. There is some light leakage through the translucent red plastic, but if that's an issue for you order it in black.

All-in-all, I find this to be a great headlamp, another in a long and venerable pedigree. If you're looking for your all-rounder headlamp, look no further.