REASONS TO BUY
Better than average performance across the board
Easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive for what it offers
Petzl Actik Review
A quality light that performs well all-around, but is overpriced for the performance offered
The Actik is a quality headlamp. Just a bit pricey compared to the competition.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ May 28, 2018
RELATED: The Hunt for the Best Headlamps
Our Verdict
The Petzl Actik is a very good light with above average performance, and offers a simple, easy-to-use, design. If it sold for under $20, it would be our favorite headlamp. But, at $55 list (street price is typically around $38), the Actik's better than average performance doesn't stack up well against competing lights like the Black Diamond Storm, which sells for about the same street price, and blows the doors off the Actik in most performance categories.
Our Analysis and Test Results
There is a lot to love about the Petzl Actik. It is easy to use, comfortable, and provides quality lighting. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Likes
The Actik is one of the easiest to use headlamps. It uses a single button control that has nice tactile feedback, and remains easy to operate even with gloves on. One click gets you low-level lighting that is just right for use in the tent, for reading, or around camp. Two clicks provides medium brightness, that is nice for walking down a trail, and three clicks for high mode, which offers a compelling and bright beam. Press and hold is used to switch to the red LED and back to white lighting.
The high-mode spot beam has good optics and shines an impressive 88 meters down the trail, which is similar in distance to other top performing lights in its price point.
But, beam distance is only part of the game, to offer top trail finding performance the quality of the beam, in terms of width, and even lighting, is key. Below you can see the Actik (left) versus the Black Diamond Storm (right). Both shine about the same distance, but the Storm is much superior for trail finding with its wider and more evenly lit beam.
Beam Distance Photos
Petzl Actik
Black Diamond Storm
That Actik is also bested by the BD Spot (below, right) which sells for a lower price, and yet shines a better distance beam that rated much higher for trail finding.
Beam Distance Photos
Petzl Actik
Black Diamond Spot
Dislikes
Our biggest issue with the Actik, besides price, is the battery life performance in high mode. In our tests, battery life was only 1.9 hours in high mode, which was disappointing and well below average.
That is somewhat offset by pretty good battery life in low-mode, where we found it lasted an impressive 129 hours.
If it just cost less, the Petzl Actik would have been one of our top picks. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the Petzl Actik?
The Petzl Actik delivers on most of the things we truly value in a quality headlamp: good performance, easy-to-use, quality design, and durability. It is a high-quality light that will offer solid, reliable performance for years. The drawback isn't so much about the light itself, which we very much like, but about the price.
At $55 list, the Actik just doesn't stack up well against competing lights selling in the same price range, and you can do better.
What Other Headlamps Should You Consider?
The Black Diamond Spot sells for the same list price as the Actik, but outperforms it with better quality lighting, including a significantly better wide and evenly lit flood beam. The Black Diamond Storm sells for a bit more, but offers a more powerful and wider spot light beam, which we found to offer better trail finding performance, and better battery life.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Petzl Actik versus top competing products:
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| Price | $55 List |
Overall Score  |
|
| Star Rating | |
| Bottom Line | A quality light that performs well all-around, but is overpriced for the performance offered |
| Pros | Better than average performance across the board, easy to use |
| Cons | Expensive for what it offers |
| Rating Categories | Petzl Actik |
| Trail Finding (35%) | |
| Close Proximity (20%) | |
| Battery Life (15%) | |
| Weight (15%) | |
| Ease of Use (15%) | |
| Specifications | Petzl Actik |
| Measured Beam Distance | 88 m |
| Claimed Distance | 90 m |
| Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) | 1.9 hrs |
| Claimed High Mode Run-time | 60 hrs |
| Measured Low Mode Run-time | 129 hrs |
| Claimed Low Mode Run-time | 260 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 3.2 oz, 91 g |
| Battery Type | 3 AAA |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 splash proof |
| Manuf Claimed Lumens | 300 lumens |
| Beam Type | flood/spot |
| Red Light | yes |
| On Switch Lock | no |
—RJ Spurrier
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