ThruNite TH20 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp Flashlight -Lightweight Waterproof IPX-8 EDC Headlamp for Indoor & Outdoor Hiking,Camping, Cycling - NW

This is just my initial impression and use, I'll update in a few months. This initial review is using a basic AA alkaline battery.EDIT - Update #1: With the Lithium Ion 14500 battery, on Turbo, this headlight throws some serious light. Seriously, I've never had/seen such a powerful headlamp before. I know of course there are even more powerful/brighter ones out there, but the limited research I've done on them is they start around $60. I can't see why I would need to travel with more than one battery on typical backpacking trips (3-10 days), except perhaps in winter when light is so very critical and a dead battery could be very bad news.Update #2: This is my first experience with using li-ion in a light. Not sure if it is the protected 14500 I am using or the TH20's own built-in protection, but the light cuts out suddenly at 3.0V. It doesn't dim, just cuts off, which (news to me) to simply how li-ion batteries work. You absolutely need to carry a back-up battery if in the woods with this (which good advice anyways, but it's essential in this case).Update #3: Following up on Update #2, I tried a different 14500 battery. For #2, I was using the Orbtronic 840mAh 14500, which is rated for a draw of about 1.7A. The TH20 can pull up to 1.5A on Turbo. I've since learned that it's best to have a battery rated at least twice the draw of the device it will be used it, in this case it would be a 3A rated 14500. So I bought the Efest 650mAh 6.5A 14500. I ran the headlamp on Turbo for over 30 minutes (Thrunite's owner manual says limit it to 10 minutes on Turbo) before turning it off. The headlamp got very warm, almost too warm to touch. I doubt I did any damage, but I now feel more confident using Turbo mode with a li-ion 14500 installed. BTW, one review said he was getting reading of 800mAh on said Efest battery on his Opus BT C-3100 analyzing charger.Update #4: I've since corrected a few statements in my review below, such as I had previously incorrectly stated that the battery couldn't be locked out (it can with a 1/4-turn loosening twist of the battery cap).Update #5: Long story short, I don't recommend unprotected 14500 cells in this light for beginners of li-ion cells. I was having trouble with the lamp and checked the voltage of the unprotected Efest 14500's. It read 1.2v, checked on a second multimeter. Li-ion cells are stable down to 2.5-2.8v, so 1.2v is a significant over discharge. Some battery experts convinced me that while what I did wasn't ideal, I just needed to keep an eye on it and charge it very slowly at 200mA or less. I placed it in the Xtar VC2 Plus charger, which will start charging at 100mA for overly discharged li-ion cells until it reaches 3.0v then will switch to 500mA. Once it switched, I removed it and then charged it in the Opus C-3100 at 200mA, which is better for a small cell like a 14500's. The cell charged fully and internal resistance seems normal. If any of this is Greek to you, then you're better off sticking to protected cells. Why did the cell get so discharged if the TH20 has built in low voltage protection? According to Thrunite customer service, 1.3v is the cutoff point for li-ion cells and 0.9v for NiMH. Why they did it at 1.3v I have no idea. It should be more like 2.8v. I'm removing one star from my rating for this design flaw./end EDITPros: solid construction, very bright, very adjustable brightness, intuitive mode switching, true neutral (warm) color light, spare parts, uses only one battery, option for li-ion 14500 for brightest turbo mode, built-in reverse polarity and low-voltage protection, battery lock-out by loosening tail cap, excellent valueCons: tad heavier than I'd like for backpacking, spare parts don't include rubber power button, turbo mode not to be used more than 10 minutes (I've gotten 30 minutes without noticeable issue using appropriate battery)This is my first solid metal headlamp. I've grown tired of the short lifespan of plastic based headlamps. Though while the solid aluminum construction of the TH20 is welcome, I do wish the walls were slightly thinner to save a bit of weight.I'm particularly pleased by the neutral white color this lamp throws. Definitely has a yellowish tint, which I prefer. I despise all things blue light aka cool white.The button presses are fairly intuitive. Press on and off. Once on, press and hold to ramp the brightness up or down; release and repeat to ramp in the other direction. When off, long press to turn on ultra low power Firefly mode (this is as fave feature of mine), then quick double press to rocket to turbo mode (highest brightness), another double press turns on SOS signaling.I love that the Firefly mode can be accessed directly. When camping, I often don't need super brightness and prefer to preserve my night vision by using as dim light as possible. It seems that Firefly mode will fit this bill perfectly.I like the light pattern: a brighter spot in the middle and a wider diffusing halo around the spot🚙Note that the extreme brightness of Turbo mode is 250 lumens on AA and over twice that on a 14500 battery. Waiting for a 14500 in the mail, but Turbo on AA is already more brightness than I'll typically need. I was able to see pretty good all the way up a 80 foot tall pine tree. The instructions do warn not to keep Turbo mode on for more than 10 minutes to protect against overheating. I suspect this is most crucial with the 14500 battery, I will test temperatures with the infrared thermometer later and update.Finally, this is a screaming deal for the quality. I have paid nearly twice as much on plastic head lamps that had not near the quality or features. I cannot see any reason to ever buy a plastic-based headlamp ever again with such durable, brighter and better electronics like this on the the market for $29.

It is what it is...Likes:1. Ease of use. One power switch. On/Off.2. Quality of construction = durability.3. Trusted manufacturer.4. Size.5. Weight.6. Non-recharable battery.Dislikes:1. Price point.2. Single function. Basic hiking headlamp. Can not be dimmed or brightened. Single LED, one power.3. 180° lighting. Non focusing light beam.4. No emergency high intensity flashing strobe selection.I've purchased smaller hand held flashlights, from the same company, for just over 1/3 the price with more functionality.I do like the manufacturer. The quality of their products are great in being highly functional and durable.I prefer carrying extra AA or AAA batteries than cables and one large recharging battery.

Excellent product for $29.99, but neutral white tint is greenish.This is an excellent product for $29.99. It is well made, durable, and has "infinite" brightness control from firefly to full brightness. I am very happy with the product at this price point, but the neutral white tint is inferior to my neutral white Zebralight.One month review: I am still very happy with this product for $29.99. The strap, silicone, metal, and machining are all high quality. It is very lightweight, comfortable, and excellent for close up hands-free work with a rechargeable Eneloop AA battery. I probably won't buy the lithium 14500 as I prefer using an 18650 powered light for running high lumens. This light is absolutely ideal and fantastic for any kind of work you need to do with your hands. The best feature of this light is the "infinite" brightness settings.My only complaint remains the greenish neutral white tint of this product. However, I personally don't like cool white tints, and I would still pick a greenish neutral white tint over a cool white (blue) tint.In summary, get this ThruNite as a cheap high quality AA light for hands-free work. It is an excellent companion to a higher powered 18650 light. I am personally very happy with the competing Zebralight brand, but they cost several times what this product does.Update: I have had the TH20 neutral white head lamp almost a year now, and I still really like it. I use it frequently, and it makes my work much easier. I haven't had any problems with the quality, and still believe it to be very well made. The headband and silicone are still snug and in perfect condition. The firefly modes alone are enough to buy this. In my opinion, firefly modes are way more important in a flashlight than its maximum brightness.As another side note on my choice of companion 18650 light, the Emisar D4 flashlight with Nichia 219CT 90CRI 5000K (daytime sunlight) is now my go to, and there is absolutely no comparison between Thrunite's greenish "neutral white" and the beautifully tinted, very white 90CRI Nichia, but I am still very happy that I can get a cheap high quality head lamp from ThruNite in a "close enough" neutral white to be perfectly functional for all my hands free work. The TH20 Neutral White is still way better than most of the no-name "LED flashlights" floating around.Hint: If ThruNite would start producing a neutral white TH20 option with a very high CRI emitter (like the Nichia 219C) it would be absolute perfection.Another note: This has an SOS strobe but does not have a normal slow strobe. I wish it had a slow strobe for walking/biking at night.----------------------------------------------------------------18 month update: I still really like the ThruNite TH20 Neutral White. It still works great. I have only run AA Eneloop in mine. I highly recommend getting any of the competing Emisar D4 flashlights as your companion 18650 light. They are fantastic, and sold at similar price points to the Thrunite TH20.Quick Summary:1. Sub-lumen (less than one lumen) modes are important to me, and the TH20 has this (Firefly mode 0.3 lumens)2. Max lumens aren't very important to me in this category of light (single AA/14500).3. Lumen steps (number of brightness levels) are important to me in every light. TH20 has excellent brightness control.4. The TH20 neutral white beam color is good enough, and is much nicer than many low end lights. It could be improved though.5. If you want more lumens, get an additional 18650 or 26650 class light.6. Learn about candela, lux, and the Weber-Fechner law before you chase high lumens.7. Learn about color temperature and color rendition index (CRI) before purchasing any light.8. The TH20 Neutral White really is a great light for the price.Two year review---------------------------------Thrunite TH20 Neutral White still works great. TH 20 is an AA headlamp. If you want a similarly priced 18650 (bigger battery) headlamp, I really like the competing Skilhunt H03 Neutral White Headlamp with TIR (flood) lens. The Skilhunt H03 neutral white has a very nice daylight color temperature and is a lot brighter (on turbo) than the Thrunite TH20, while being very noticeable longer, and heavier. Also, the Skilhunt H03 does not have as many brightness settings as the TH20, which is noticeable on the low brightness (moonlight) settings. The Skillhunt has only one true moonlight setting, while the Thrunite TH20 has multiple. The H03 does have a slow strobe feature that the TH20 is missing. The many brightness settings are still one of TH20's strongest features.TH20 remains near perfection in an AA sized headlamp (at any price), still wish Thrunite would use a better neutral white LED. The small size and low moonlight settings of the TH20 makes it a superior choice for most headlamp applications, and I use it instead of an 18650 headlamp most of the time.---------------------------------------------------Almost 4-year review.I've had the TH20 almost 4 years now. Still works great.Amazon is trying to list the Thrunite TH01 as a "newer version" of the TH20 reviewed here. That isn't true. The TH01 is a USB rechargeable 18350 battery headlamp with a dual strap headband. The TH20 is a small, single strap headband, non-rechargeable (unless you remove the battery) headlamp. They aren't the same category of headlamp. The TH20 will take an AA battery. The TH01 will NOT take an AA battery. Thrunite's website makes no mention of the TH20 being discontinued or replaced, and I hope they continue making it as is (with a better neutral white emitter.)As a sidenote, I personally prefer lights that aren't USB rechargeable. The USB charging feature is one more thing to break, and one more place for water to get in.

UPDATED Review 3 November 2017:—————While the Thrunite TH20 I purchased in July of 2016 is still functioning fine, right away the rubber ring gasket started getting cought each time I screw the cap on, now tricky to screw the cap on not damaging the gasket, as I have to push it in while screwing the cap at the same time.Other than that everything still works just like the day I received it.BUT, at the current price of £26 (I paid £17.95) - I can no longer recommend this headlamp !Due to the fact that price has gone up but most importantly - many newer and better headlamps have been released.They still come in compact form, but now have massive capacity rechargeable and if need replaceable 18650 batteries, powerful Cree XPL and other LED’s, many show battery level too, some latest lights now even have XHP35 HD LED’s which can push 1800 lumens, altough just for short time (usually for up to 1 minute).My favourite headlamp at the moment is ‘Imalent HR20W-OP’ (W for neutral white, OP for orange peel reflector).A rechargeable headlamp with micro usb port, rechargeable and replaceable 18650 battery, 1000 lumens, really beautiful natural light colour/ tint and it’s best and standout feature - it has physical scroll wheel for adjusting brightness !The scroll wheel feature is amazing to use and very addictive :) No need to press and hold buttons to adjust light anymore, just scroll the wheel and instantly adjust brightness, can adjust brightness before turning light on and works on flashing (blink) modes too.Imalent missing just one feature that many new lights have - remaining battery level monitor.Also Imalent should definitely be less waterproof than Thrunite due to micro usb port being on the outside (has rubber flap) and scroll wheel, but all features make it totally worth it.So, while the Thrunite TH20 used to be great, it’s more kind of ‘OK’ now, still best if want to stick to AA batteries.Get what suits you best and enjoy it !:)——————————Original review:Simple yet powerful, small and sturdy light.User interface is 10/10, would not change a thing, it's a dream come true for me.Build quality is 10/10, comfortable to wear.Price paid (£17.95) was also great value.Although LED used is not of the best colour/tint - it is more than good enough for a simple headlamp (bought cool white).Final thoughts:Everyone who needs a simple, good headlamp (quick to put on, adjust, replace battery), should have this.If you are considering this headlamp, have a look at review videos online first, where you can get a good understanding of how it works and the light output.

Great torch, I love it. Running on a rechargeable 2500mah Nimh AA battery on full it seems to last about 60-90 minutes, and being AA size batteries it is easy to take a few with you. The size is about as small as you could get wrapped from an AA battery so very light on the head - I was a bit concerned about not having a centre over head strap that all my previous torches have had but this really is so light it doesn't need one.The brightness on full is similar to a 60W light bulb so you don;t tend to need it that bright too often. Firefly works well for checking maps etc without wrecking you night vision.The light beam is a broad beam so good for lighting areas, it there was one function I wish I could add it would be the ability to focus the beam down for a narrow longer distance beam for some uses.Simply easy to use control - just read the full description for details.

An ideal light for night time navigation/camping and walking. It’s not one of those lighthouses on your head lamps you can buy! What it is, is a very practical, well made and robust light. The body is virtually indestructible, the elastic head strap is easily adjustable and comfortable. Very good battery life. Happy to recommend.

Absolutely brilliant head torch, this is my 3rd now, the other 2 are still working like new. But this time I bought the natural white and do prefer the light output, I use Panasonic eneloop batteries, best head torch by miles

I have owned petzl head touches before but the plastic on them has started to become very cheap and thin so they can be broken very easily so after seeing the thrunite th20 getting great reviews on youtube i thought I'd take the plunge and buy one and I'm not disappointed, well made, tough and will take anything the elements can throw at it, rain, snow you name it and it has an sos function if you find yourself in a tricky situation. Very pleased with my purchase