Petzl  Swift LT Headlamp

As a lightaholic I am drawn to the brighter and lighter mantra. As a backpacker I want ease of use with less weight. In the little time I have used it this headlamp checks all of the boxes for everyday use and backpacking except one. Sometimes I like a spot beam to scan around at trail junctions but the high setting works well enough. The one thing I truly like is using this lamp around my neck to give a better sense of depth of field while walking on rocky trails. Regular headlamps (because they are so close to eye level) don’t give an accurate sense of height of rocks as you walk. The trail trolls can reach up and trip you. I would mount a light on my sternum strap to help prevent face planting.

Smaller than airpods case, super light and comfortable with more light and burn time than you'll need most of the time. Perfect package!

I have been using this little light for a couple of months and it has become my favorite headlamp ever. It is so light and comfortable that it disappears on your head. Very easy to use and then throw on the usb-C charger when you’re done so you always have a full battery. The lamp is plenty bright for most general uses like hiking, camping or walking the dog and it also has a red light that is nice to use around camp without blinding others. I love that you can just pull it down and wear it around your neck when you don’t need to use it for a bit. It’s also so small and compact that it easily fits into any pocket. For more serious activities like running you probably want something brighter but for everything else this is the perfect headlamp.

User WhyDoINeedANickname is on target with criticisms. Petzl came so close but missed the mark. Strap is very comfortable and easy to adjust for a cord strap. Build quality is very high (notably better than either Nitecore NU20 classic or NU25 MCT, which I own). USB-C is appreciated. But you can't charge while the light is on--and the port is on the bottom so would be difficult to use anyway while charging (battery bank) Runtime in specs seems accurate. 7 lumens on low is bright enough for slow hiking. But WHY is the next white level 100 lumens? 50 would have been plenty and allowed much longer runtime. Red light is a total miss. Spot and only 2 lumens. Useless for both around camp or night hiking (red light less bugs). In case you are wondering, yes the Swift LT cord strap fits perfectly on the Nitecore NU20 so when I want red light for hiking I'll swap and get the NU20 13 lumens runtime for 12 hours. Otherwise I think the Swift LT is probably worth the price premium and it will replace the NU20 as my primary light. (RIP older NU25; only NU25 MCT is available now and has multiple flaws for hikers)

Comparing this to the Nitecore 20/21/25 ultralight headlamps. These are the only direct competitors to this Petzl headlamp that I know of and used. Pro: the headband on the Petzl is much more comfortable. It is also easily removable and washable. Great design. Cons: - Why does it take 3 hours to fully charge? Based on battery size, it should be around 1.5 hours. Annoying. - The red light is useless. A very narrow spotlight, and only one brightness setting. Whomever approved that design decision needs to find a new career. - The usb-c port should be covered. It is water-resistant as is, but will easily get dirty and muddy. I guess Petzl saved a couple of cents by not including one. - As with all Petzl products, it is overpriced for what you get. $55 is comical. $45 with the member coupon is better, but still priced too high. This is a $25-$30 headlamp. I would recommend any of the Nitecore headlamps over this. Much cheaper, much better features. Petzl failed on this one.

Compact, not too bulky and provides ample lighting dung r@@city streets running. I keep it handy for urban trravels.

Product was definitely worth the purchase, I plan on putting this to use while I hike at night and/or trail runs.

Light weight option that provides substantial illumination.