Petzl e+LITE Ultra-Compact Emergency Headlamp
Tiny headlamp with red light option
I’ve been using headlamps for various purposes for a couple of years now: For yard-work in dimming light, for riding my bike to and from work in the autumn, when I have to be on the road before the sun rises or after it has gone down, camping, etc. Different lamps work for different purposes.
This tiny lamp is the smallest one that Petzl offers, and fits easily into a pocket. It’s not terribly strong, so it’s unsuited to lighting your way if you need a lot of light. But there are times when you want very little light – just a night-light attached to your forehead, so to speak. I use it when I’m reading bedtime stories to our ten-year-old. It’s just bright enough to light up the page, but not enough to keep him (or me) from drifting off to sleep.
There are five settings: Dim white light, brighter white light, red light, and strobe functions for both the red and white settings. I never use the strobe settings – though the red strobe would make this a good tail-light for a bicycle. But the red light is very useful. A red bulb produces a light that feels much less harsh than white light. So when I wake up at midnight and need to get a glass of water, I grab this light, turn on the red bulb, and go about my business, without waking myself up more than is absolutely necessary.
Petzl claims that the battery will last for ten years. I’ve only been using my e+LITE for two years, so I can’t confirm how accurate this is. But after many night-time uses, it’s still working well.
Petzl E+LITE Ultra-compact emergency headlamp $30
