Researching headlamps was both enlightening and surprising. When a customer is interested in buying a flashlight, the most common question we get is about the brightness. We carry a lot of light sources at NAO including headlamps, lanterns and flashlights. Some flashlights boast high lux and others high lumens, having multiple measures is confusing, so here is a brief explanation of lux vs lumens and what features make a good flashlight/headlamp.

Brightness/ Lux vs Lumens

Brightness and burn time are dependent on each other - increasing the brightness automatically decreases burn time, and vice versa. In 2009, a group of manufactures and major retailers came up with a performance standard for battery run-time called ANSI FL-1. The ANSI standard decided that run-time should stop once the brightness diminished below 10 percent of its fresh battery value.

	Different Lighting types showing difference between standard lighting and constant. Reactive lighting helps extend run time.

Some companies have developed what they call constant or regulated output lamps which offer a steady output while the batteries are strong, with a sudden decrease as the batteries lose strength. While a much better alternative to a long low burn time, the abrupt lack of light can catch you off guard if you are not readily prepared to swap batteries or use a backup.

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Petzl e+LITE

great little backup light is the ultralight Petzl e+LITE  . The e+LITE weighs only an ounce and can take a beating, plus, the CR2032 watch batteries are good even if stored for up to10 years, so you can be confident your backup will be there for you.

Beam Type

• Close proximity floodlight mode - casts a wide dim beam for close up tasks, such as preparing meals at the campsite, rummaging in the tent, reading, or in most household situations. The lower light level means the battery run-time is dramatically extended.
• Spotlight mode - many products include specific bright LEDs and optics that focus the light in a beam best suited for looking at a distance. These spotlight beams shine brighter, and the narrow beam is ideal for trail finding as long as it is not too narrow. Some lights have a combo flood and spot light together which gives you the long-distance vision and a spread of light to illuminate objects up close, so you don't have to do a lot of head turning.
• Red light -red light does not cause our pupils to shrink the way white light can, so it's good for preserving night vision. It takes your eyes up to an hour to fully adjust to the dark, so for hiking you might need something more. Hunters love this light because animals can't see it, so it doesn't spook them. Flashing red strobe lights are great for search and rescue, since the red strobe is visible at great distances and in red light mode the battery has a much longer run time.

Choose the right light source for the activity you have planned. Keep in mind that a light with variable modes and beam choices will make them more useful for a greater range of tasks. Headlamps are great in a wide range of situations and allow you to keep your hands free. We also have flashlights that have magnets on the bottom, so you can "hang" them from the hood of your car or on any other metal service you are working near. If you have any questions about the features of any light we carry, please feel free to ask us.