Intro
When I first starting running I remember joining my local running club with the cheapest headtorch I could find. I immediately felt ashamed by how pathetic the beam was and often resorted to simply turning it off around others as they appeared to have the sun attached to the top of their heads. Now I have the sun. It’s honestly the most impressive shine from a torch I’ve ever seen. At 1600 lumens, you are lighting up the trails more than ever before, ever feared running at nighttime? You forget it’s night time with this thing on.
The light
Not only does the beam on the Fenixlight HM65R-T V2.0 outshine every torch I’ve ever had but it also has two separate light sources. Both a bright white LED and a warm light LED both operated by the two singular individual buttons on the top. The warm is like turning night mode on your smartphone, it’s less harsh on your eyes and gives a yellowy tint to your surroundings. If you were doing a serious amount of hours overnight, perhaps on a 100 mile race or a harsher start timed 50 miler, then the warm light setting offers a kinder view to your eyes, one which I think would benefit all runners. Supposedly this beam is particularly good in misty conditions, I’ve just not encountered any mist when testing.
The other light source on the Fenixlight HM65R-T V2.0, the bright white LED, is where you’re getting the super charged daylight beam. On my runs I noticed if I really wanted to see the terrain underneath on technical trails, this was ideal. Supposedly it only lasts on this setting for 3 hours but when testing at home, I found that it lasted past 4 hours. Not that I think you’d really want to have it onthis setting for more than an hour at a time, unless on a desperately tricky path or if you really needed to just stay awake for a while on a long race before the real sun came up. It’s also worth noting that you can easily switch on SOS mode by holding either button for 2 seconds, super easy and great emergency feature.
The fit
Now I have a bad history with headtorches, where I find that wearing them, I have to fasten it quite tightly to my head to stop it from bobbing around. This often leaves an imprint of the torch on my forehead and can also rub away at my skin. Not only that but every other torch I’ve had, I’ve had to take the torch off to readjust the strap, to tighten or loosen dependent on the scenario. When in the dark this can prove quite problematic. Many a time, I’ve taken a headtorch off, whilst still running, and blinded myself trying to readjust it before plonking it back on my enormous head.
Well, with the Fenixlight HM65R-T V2.0 you’ve got a BOA fit system, a winch-like cog on the side, to tighten or loosen the strap, honestly it blew my mind, I immediately showed my wife when I saw it, man-splaining (as people put it), the genius of the design. The strap around the head is also a little wider than other torches which makes it much more comfortable than the smaller headtorches I’ve used and has tiny holes in to make it a little more breathable which is helpful for those of us who sweat a bit more (me).
Admittedly I still do find that it rubs a little bit on the front, but at this point I’m starting to wonder whether it’s the shape of my head. It could be the weight of the torch which is a touch on the heavier side at 140g.
The battery
I’ve already lost count of the number of hours I’ve used the Fenixlight HM65R-T V2.0 for and not charged it. My usual marker for these things is usually having to replace the AAA batteries that I forever keep having to thrust in. The rechargeable aspect is easy, working nicely with your common USB-C input and the two times I’ve had to recharge it, it only took around 2 ½ hours to reach full battery. Very impressive and simple. I also noticed that when low on battery, it would automatically decrease the output, which helped me get home without burning it out completely on the spot, a great safety feature.
Last thing which admittedly I didn’t even notice for weeks as it was so subtle, is the whistle that’s been snuck onto to the side of the headstrap. I honestly would not be surprised if some people went years without even knowing it was there, but again, a great safety feature. Maybe it should just be made a little more obvious, it might help some people pass the mandatory kit checks at races in a tight spot.
Conclusion
This is both the brightest and most comfortable headtorch I’ve ever owned. It charges fast, its easily adjusted, it has good variety in it’s functionality with the two light sources. The adjustable strap is an absolute dream for those who like to fidget with such things.
In short, the Fenixlight HM65R-T V2.0 is the best headtorch I’ve used by a long way and I wouldn’t be surprised to see many many people wearing it in the coming months of darkness. Well done Fenix!
Read our sponsored article by Fenixlight, who offer advice on how to select the best head torch for your needs. Read it here.
About the author: I’ve been running for about 7 years, I love all types of running road, trail and fell, 5K, marathon and ultra distances. I have a wife and two kids and my own accounting practice which often take a backseat to running. I’ve also recently founded a local running group, High Peak Runners, hoping to bridge the gap from Couch to 5K to running consistently and most importantly, enjoying it! Follow Robin here.
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