Race Harborough are delighted to announce Petzl as title sponsor of Petzl Tunnel Vision 2026.
Petzl will be on hand during the event in November to chat all things headlamps, as well as offering you the chance to try out their models.
For those of you thinking about purchasing a new headlamp, here’s some expert advice from our sponsors.
At Petzl, we’ve been innovating hands-free lighting for over 50 years. Our goal has always been to provide our customers with headlamps which deliver the highest performance. Whether it’s for running, caving, skiing, hiking, or everyday activities – Petzl makes a headlamp to meet your needs. New technologies have allowed Petzl to invent and design headlamps that are ever more powerful, more lightweight, and more adapted to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts.
How to choose your headlamp
Picking the right headlamp for you can feel overwhelming. With so many numbers, specification details, and technical claims, it’s not always clear what really matters. Understanding a few key terms can make a big difference, so here’s what’s most important to remember:
Lumens – indicate the total amount of light a headlamp produces. While a higher lumen count generally means a brighter beam, more isn’t always better. Excessive brightness can drain batteries quickly, could mean a heavier overall headlamp, and may cause glare during close-up tasks.
Beam pattern – equally as important as your lumen count, the beam pattern determines how that light is distributed. A wide beam casts illumination across a broad area and so is ideal for general use. While a narrow or spot beam projects light farther into the distance, perfect for route finding or technical single-track terrain. Many modern Petzl headlamps balance the two with mixed-beam configurations and some implement reactive light technology to provide adaptable lighting that adjusts to your surroundings.
Batteries – your headtorch’s battery is key to its performance, take into account the activity you require the headtorch for, how long you’ll need illumination, how bright you need, and the ambient lighting conditions.
For instance, Petzl’s 1500 lumen NAO® RL headlamp features a powerful 3200mAh battery for sustained and long-lasting single-charge use at high output. Meanwhile, the slimmer Core battery seen in popular lamps like the TIKKA CORE and ACTIK CORE provides a power output of 1250mAh which when combined with an output of 4-600 lumens is plenty for general activities and camping use. The Hybrid system used on TIKKA and ACTIK also allows you to easily switch to AAA batteries if required.
There are over a dozen headlamps that make up our range from compact lighting for everyday activities through to performance models for trail running and caving. The demands and the commitment of users are what guide our approach with a focus on new products as well as improvements to existing ones, we look forward to supporting you in your pursuit of the inaccessible.
