The Product

Spoiler

Physical Dimensions

Build

What's Included

The headlight, installed in the headband

2 alkaline AA cells

Paperwork

The paperwork consists of a warranty card and a descriptive user manual, with instructions in 9 languages.

Ergonomics and retention

can be removed from the headband, but it's really not intended to be used that way. There are no other included mechanisms of hanging on to the light.



As pictured above, this lightbe removed from the headband, but it's really not intended to be used that way. There are no other included mechanisms of hanging on to the light.The included headband has three straps. I was initially surprised by this, considering how light weight it is, but this does give some extra stability. I prefer this style anyways, but if you don't I'm quite sure it would still be stable with the top band removed.The included mount lets you angle the light as needed. I'm not sure how well the plastic ratcheting mechanism used for angle adjustment will stand up to extended use and abuse, but I didn't see any issues in my short time with the light.

Modes and Interface



The UI is as follows

From off, a full press turns the light on in low

From on, a full press turns the light off

From on, half presses cycle through low > medium > high > beacon > low etc. That's it. It's a simple UI, and I quite like that it starts on low every time. I wish there was a way to get from high to a lower mode without stepping through strobe, but it's a reasonable limitation given the type of switch used. The modes are all controlled by the reverse clicky switch on the right side of the light. All other headlamps I own use an electronic switch, so this is interesting to see. The mechanical switch means there's no long press actions or shortcuts in the UI, and simplifies it a fair bit - but it also means there's absolutely no standby drain while the light isn't in use. That's a huge benefit for anyone who plans to keep the light stashed away in storage or in a glovebox ready for an emergency.The UI is as follows

the modes are specified at 2, 65, and 250 lumens.

Light Quality and Beam



This light uses a cool white XP-G2 behind a dimpled TIR, which gives it a nice even beam pattern. The beam pattern is good, but I find the color temperature to be quite cool. I wish there was a warm white, or even a high CRI option for this one, especially since there's no getting into it to change the LED yourself.Next to a 4500K E21A, you can see that the light is quite a bit cooler, though the beam is nice and even across.

Power and Runtime

The light is powered by two AA cells in series - either alkaline or NiMH are supported. As always, I strongly recommend using rechargeable cells.

The runtime on high was tested on both Ikea Ladda cells and the included alkalines. There appears to be a timed step down to 65% at about 15 minutes in, and the output is stable for the rest of the run. Both cell chemistries exceeded the published runtimes.

On medium, the light was tested with rechargeables. The output fades steadily from turn on, settling at 50% after 1.4 hours. From this point it stays stable, lasting a respectable 18 and a half hours - again exceeding manufacturer's claims.

I don't mind timed step downs, as they provide a decent way extend battery life on the highest mode, but I wish there was a way to override this. If not, the manufacturer should at least note the timed step down in their runtime claims. The steady output on medium is great but, again, I'm a bit disappointed by the fading brightness when the light first turns on.

Summary

Pros:

Mechanical switch means no standby drain

Simple UI is easy to figure out

Plastic construction is lightweight

Diffused, even beam profile

Stable output for most of the runtime Cons:

No UI shortcuts

Cool white beam isn't my preference for a headlamp Notes and Links



If you like what you see, here's

And here's the This product was provided free of charge from Illumn. I was not paid to write this review, and have tried to be as unbiased as possible.If you like what you see, here's Illumn's product page for the HA23 . If you don't like what you see, go buy something else from them anyways.And here's the manufacturer's product page for the HA23.