Fenix HL16 70 Lumen LED Headlamp for camping/hiking kids/children with EdisonBright AA Alkaline battery (Purple)

Sat 2024-03-16 23:34 UTCThis review is for a Fenix HL16 LED AA x 1 cranium light ordered 2024-03-15 and received 2024-03-16.I paid $10.84 with tax and free Prime delivery, $5 less than whatever other color was available for this magenta body with dark blue and purple headband version.I sadly lost a gearbag with three LED cranium lights and purchased the Fenix HL16 to replace the smallest one.The single AA battery was the feature that made me buy this one. Cranium lights with AAA batteries are the most common and until I lost it I had been using one with that was powered by three AAs regularly at work but both types seem to burn through batteries pretty fast, either just more output than necessary or not high efficiiency, who knows..The packaging comprehensively graphs the light ouput. 70 lumens sounds low when my weakest LED flashlight is supposedly 350 but in practice this probable actual honest rating is plenty of light for tasks even probably hiking. The red LEDs comparitvely very dim but in a darkness after your eyes adjust, maybe it's engineered just right. Any of the light settings would make it easy to keep track of your kid wearing this light in the dark.It's very comfortable and light (58 grams without a battery, 84 with a battery) feels sturdy, comes with a spare gasket, spare screw and tool for the battery door.The headband is about about 1 inch wide and has about a 1/4" silicone strip bonded to it that covers the front half or so of the headband to help keep it in place.My adult male hat size is 7 1/8" / 57cm. There is a lot of adjustment left to go bigger.The light body is a seemingly strong plastic, the battery door has a good latch and DOES NOT RELY ON THE CHILDPROOFING SECURITY SCREW that requires a tool and is in an awkward spot just above the hinge. I removed the screw.The ratcheting adjuster does seem like a possible weakness and I don't see a way to jerry rig a fix if it does break but as others have pointed out, kids are tough on equipment so maybe it'll be fine for my generally caring use.I was initially critical of the control switch but after actually paying attention to how it works, it is now intuitive for me. A quick press turns on the red LEDs, a longer press turns on the white LED, subsequent quick presses cycles the light output, long press turns OFF. The button has a distinct click and good feel but I haven't tried it with gloves.

bargin at $10. many pros, 3 brightness levels,takes 1aa instead of 3aaa so you save money on batteries. sturdy,no slack tilt ratcheting on light head and most important to me, battery run times listed by fenix seem accurate. on mediium on an eneloop battery, i got over 7 hours runtime but after 6th hour,light began to dim, so you have over 1 hr. useable light and plenty of warning before batter totally dies. reccomend. also if just remove the child saftey nut, battery door still secure and no need for allen wrench use.

I could hardly believe the condition of this headlamp when I received it. It was used, the headband was stretched and had hairs on it. It was missing a necessary screw and the two batteries that were supposed to come with it. The battery compartment was corroded and the headlamp itself was badly cracked.

Fenix first launched these in 2017, for about $40. now they are marked down to $10! They are a no frills basic headlamp that once came in blue, purple, and yellow housings. The purple model is actually pink, but a pleasant pink. There's been a surge in headlamp products that puts out over the top lumens in the most abrasive tints and then ramp down to low levels once it gets hot. So its not all that practical to have a burst mode, thankfully these don'tFor anything to be childproof usually means its built pretty tough. they include a hex key and a spare hex screw but as many noted its not necessary and the battery container is snug regardless.From offsingle click turns on the red leds, another single click slow blinks them, and another single click turns it off. found these great for astronomy. only a long press on the switch will turn on the white LED. It remembers the mode you're on, and its 4500K, a pleasing neutral white.Current measurements on 1.5V supplyParasitic draw is 0.01mARed steady is 46mALow white is 22mAMed white 200mAHigh white is 480mAthe lower modes of white are not by PWM, if it is it isn't noticeable even on camera.It doesn't feel front heavy when worn and the headband is still in good condition, as expected both of the pink ones I recently ordered the original battery that was included had leaked in the package. Its sat there for seven years. I run mine with Eneloop AAs. I believe these are being phased out, so I bought three more just to have them.Fenix has already rebranded the HL16 designation to a 3AAA headlamp, so I'd buy a couple before they disappear forever

If you read the product description fully, you will see that this headlamp requires the use of a tool (allen wrench) to replace the battery. I was buying a headlamp for an auto emergency kit and such a headlamp simply isn't suitable for that use. Returned the product to Amazon.

If you long for the simplicity of the AA powered HL21 of old, this light is for you. I don't need 500 lumens to work on my car, take the trash out at night or bring in firewood. I don't need 20 different modes. I won't be sending codes in Klingon in an emergency. There's work to do.Take the battery-screw out and throw it away if you are over the age of six. If you swallow an AA-battery at the age of six or older, that's actually pretty impressive, not a risk you should worry about. I choke on a Childrens-Tylenol on a regular basis. The battery door stays shut without the screw.I love simplicity. You will too. Battery gets low, change the battery with another rechargeable. No need to wait for a USB-recharge. Thanks for reading this. I'll be here all week.