Princeton Tec Apex Pro Headlamp

This Apex Pro is my new Go-To headlamp for just about everything because it's so versatile. It's very well built and fits perfectly without flopping around.The only downside is it eats batteries (CR123's) on high power. The price you pay for super bright 650 lumens I guess.

These lights are not the cheapest. But, if you NEED something and you may have alot depending on how that something works and endures thru a lot of hard use CHEAP is not the main concern.

I purchased the Princeton Tec Apex Pro in November of 2007. I have been running at night, and it is pretty dark where I live, so I needed something much brighter than the Petzl Tikka Plus that I have been using. The Apex Pro works great; using the 3 watt Maxbright light I can see the road ahead, run as fast as I want, and be seen by cars. Using the 4 Ultrabright LEDS results in a wider beam and longer run time, but is more suitable to walking the dog, reading, or camping. I went with the Pro instead of the ordinary Apex because it is lighter (Pro uses 2 CR123 batteries). I am using rechargeable 123's and they seem to work fine. The fit is comfortable, firm, I had no trouble when running. The lighthead is infinitely adjustable via a friction fit using a nut and bolt, so you can point it exactly where you want. I know that this is a potential weak spot, based on other reviews, so I'll be careful. Also know that this is a regulated light, which means that the light output remains fully bright for a period of time, even as the batteries lose power. The battery case is very secure. Its a bit of an effort to close the lid on the batteries, but not a deal breaker. The plastic buckle on the strap is cleverly used as a screwdriver to fasten the battery lid. Buttons also a good design, one side has raised, braille-like dots for easy ID. Using gloves not a problem. There is a tiny light that blinks and/or changes colors to indicate battery life. Instructions are better than average, using photos, charts, and text. Anything I don't like about this light? I suppose we could all wish for less expensive, lighter weight, and brighter light, but considering where LED technology is right now, it seems like a fair deal for its feature set.

I needed to replace my expensive Black Diamond Headlamp because the darn thing mysteriously broke. I looked around at the wide variety of lights available and settled on LED versus Xenon bulbs. LED uses less power and provides better viewing light, power usage and reliability. Wading through the numerous LED headlamps was not so much fun - people seem to love or hate the products they are reviewing. It is difficult to fathom why a product could merit 5 stars and 1 star from different reviewers. I put my trust in Princeton and Amazon. Amazon delivered the lamp very quickly and I began my real world use/test. This light is bright, lightweight and comfortable to wear. Placing the headlamp on my bicycle helmet and riding to the gym in the dark revealed that one did not need the 3 watt LED to light up the road. It was nice to have the extra light but the 1 Watt LED's provided a nice field of view for bike riding at speeds less than 20 MPH. The only bummer is that after several days of usage the batteries needed to be replaced. I solved this problem by heading over to Radio Shack and buying rechargeable batteries and a battery charger.

I love this headlamp and I recommend it. I used it on an elk hunt out West, a Northern Michigan deer hunt and for working around the house. It's great! It's light pattern is perfect and the modes are simple. My only complaint is that it eats batteries. I'm fine with it because I want the best light but it could get expensive for some.

Bought this for hunting as I was getting tired of losing my trail in unknown woods in the early, early morning with my weak headlamps. Super bright and holds the max brightness for as long as your battery lasts. At the brightest setting it lights up the whole woods. Even at its weakest setting the lamp is still brighter than most headlamps sold for hunting. This is both a pro and a con. Most of the time I can get away with just the low setting unless I get really turned around, however, I wish it could go to an even lower setting to be more discrete in the woods. A red LED would be ideal. It also throws the light wider than most LED lights I have, which tend to have a very narrow beam. Uses CR123 batteries, which are expensive but I've only had to replace them about every two years and they last being out in the Wisconsin winters.

I bought this headlamp based upon the reviews and the specs. I wanted a light that provided good workspace illumination as well as long range spotting capability. I have a couple of Peltz lamps and have been satisfied with their performance but wanted more long distance ability. The Apex is great for what I need. It provides two levels of ambient sort of workspace light plus two levels of extremely bright spot capability. I use this light as my aux light for night biking but it actually is better than the bike mounted light. It is a little heavy due to the batteries on the headband but i don't find this to be uncomfortable when wearing a hat or helmet. I also use the light for boating and fishing and find the low illumination perfect for tying hooks, etc and the spot capability is great for watching baits and night docking. i like this light a lot and would recommend it to anyone who wants a high performance light at a competitive price.

A little more bulk than some of the other headlamps I have but this is the first for me with a battery compartment separate from the lamp compartment. The low setting gives off plenty of light for hiking around and might even be too bright for sneaking in to that tree stand, the high setting is super bright! Great for most other recreating, even high speed activities and invaluable for recovering game at night. I also like that there is a small light that gives some indication of remaining battery power. I have CR123's from other items so don't mind the specialty batteries and really appreciate the extra power.

I had the original apex with the 4 aa batteries and it broke on my bag by being mishandled (Cable got pulled out and the plastic cracked) when a buddy grabbed my bag to toss it into the truck. It was clipped off to the outside by a carabiner.I can't complain it was bought in 2009 or so and was almost 10 yrs old. I got my money's worth out of it.A lot of the newer models are compete junk yes that goes for Black Diamond, the prongs for the batteries are constantly bending and getting loose or the contacts just break off (3 in a month span) I use mine twice a day for an hr or two at a time for hikes with the dog. Complete rubbish they are. Get Princeton tec or a surefire where you will get useable like and stay clear of reactive headlamps.