Energizer HDL50 LED Head Torch 500lm - Batteries Included

The HDL50 is a head torch built around an LED that puts out 500 lumens on its highest setting, with a beam the retail pack rates at 75 metres. Six light modes sit behind the buttons on the front housing, so you can step down from full output to something gentler for close work where a wall or a windscreen would throw the light straight back at you. Energizer prints two hours of runtime in high mode on the pack, and the three AAA alkaline cells that run it are included, so there is nothing else to buy before the first use.

A head torch earns its keep whenever a job needs both hands free. That takes in the outdoor uses you would expect, camping, night walks with the dog, running and cycling on unlit lanes, and plenty of indoor ones as well: reading a meter in a dark cupboard, working under a car, sorting boxes in a loft with no fixed light, or moving round the house during a power cut. The top setting is far more light than most household jobs call for, which is exactly why the lower modes are there. Save the full 500 lumens for open ground, where the 75 metre reach counts for something.

The lamp unit sits in a green headband, with the controls grouped on the face so they can be found by feel in the dark. The pack carries an IPX7 waterproof marking, which in the IP standard is the immersion grade rather than the splash grade, so rain is well within what the manufacturer claims. Batteries are the only consumable: when the output starts to fade, fit three fresh AAA cells before assuming anything has gone wrong, because alkaline cells lose voltage gradually as they run down. Kept by the fuse box or in the car, it is the sort of thing you only appreciate once.

Does it come with batteries?

Yes. Three AAA alkaline cells are supplied in the blister pack, so the head torch is ready to use the moment you open it.

How long does one set of batteries last?

The pack quotes two hours in the high mode. The lower modes draw less current and so run longer, but no figures for those are printed.

Can it get wet?

The pack marks it IPX7, which is the immersion grade in the IP standard rather than the splash grade, so rain is within the manufacturer's own claim.

How far does the beam reach?

The pack rates the beam at 75 metres on the high setting. The lower modes give a shorter, closer pool of light that suits work at arm's length.

What batteries do I replace them with?

Three AAA cells, the same size as the alkalines supplied. The pack specifies alkaline and says nothing about rechargeables, so we cannot confirm those on its behalf.