Peter Molloy (Forth Valley Orienteers ) kindly agreed to review this BrightBikeLights.com headlight.

Ferei HL50

2200 lumens

What made you want to review this headlight?

The Ferei HL50 II was a headtorch of which I’d not previously heard of, and since it always seems that a few brands dominate the market for headtorches, so it is always a good thing to branch out and try something new.

What was your reaction when you opened the packaging?

The torch itself was compact and not too hefty. It has a very sensible design and is especially good when it comes to the compactness of its wiring. This can be a big problem with headtorches, especially those with large battery packs.

What were your likes / dislikes when using the headlight?  For example: How effective was it, was it easy to use, did the different levels of illumination provide the range you expected, was the highest level of illumination sufficient?

Overall, I liked this product a lot. The beam is very bright and powerful – when using it I could easily have over 130m of excellent vision. This is always extremely important in orienteering and is particularly helpful when taking bearings, when it is important to look further ahead of you. It was very easy to use with a simple button on the side of the strap with 3 default lighting settings, however this can be altered if you wish.

However, I found that the beam, although very powerful, was a bit narrow and this made it quite difficult to read the map effectively when it was pointed so as to have the longest beam. However, with the problems associated with reactive headtorches that dim to read maps, this is not necessarily such a bad thing after all.

Did the headlight feel comfortable to use?

It was indeed comfortable to use and I was particularly impressed by its lightness – sometimes headtorches with the battery pack on the back of the head strap can feel very cumbersome, however this was not the case with the Ferei.

Did you feel safe whilst using the headlight?

Yes, I did. Along with the standard brightest light, there are also various settings to make emergency signals, which is always something to consider when night orienteering.

Were your expectations met, unmet or exceeded in relation to performance, usability, and suitability of this headlight for the sport of night Orienteering and for running at night in general?

My expectations were met. I was impressed by the brightness and how comfortable it was. I would say this was a suitable headtorch for night Orienteering and running at night, even if the beam is a bit narrow.

Would you recommend this headlight to a friend?

I would happily recommend this headlight to a friend. I certainly would feel confident lining up on the start line of a big race with the Ferei on my head!

Did the headlight have any features you found especially useful or helpful?

I’d say the most useful feature is the battery life. With over 4 hours’ charge on full beam (2200 lumens), you will be sorted for pretty much any night race. Although maybe if you get lost on the long night leg of TioMila it might be time to drop down a light setting!

Could you write a description of your experience in using the headlight, especially in relation to usability and suitability for night Orienteering

When I went to do some night orienteering with the Ferei, I was impressed by the length of the beam, which makes taking bearings a lot easier as there is something to focus on in the distance. This made one of the most intimidating aspects of night O much more easier to handle and certainly gave me confidence whilst running. However, the beam narrowness did mean a bit of faffing and squinting the get the map sufficiently bright but not blinding, however you do get used to this very quickly whilst out orienteering.

The Ferei HL50 features:

• Up to 2200 lumens using dual high-performance LEDs
• 8 programmable light levels
• Lightweight, robust, and waterproof
• Configurable battery options – two or four cell battery packs available
• Uses two lithium rechargeable batteries (included) which can be changed in seconds
• Battery pack can be removed from headband
• Available in ‘spares’ section: Four-cell battery packs, extension cable, car charger, diffuser, extra batteries
• Ultra-long run mode on low (143 hours at 66 lumens)

Further information about this Ferei HL50 (2200 lumens) head torch can be found here.

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BrightBikeLights.com
MTigerSports.uk:
"Thank you to Peter for providing this review and our best wishes to all British Orienteering members with their night orienteering. For further information on headlights for Orienteering and running visit Brightbikelights.com