‘This is probably a bit unnecessary,” I thought to myself as my 1,100-lumen Petzl Reactive head torch lit up my dog like a comedian on Live at the Apollo. Over the past few months, our evening walks have been illuminated by various forehead-mounted gizmos, each one seemingly more powerful than the last. This particular model was overkill for the task at hand, but it proves an important point: not all head torches are created equal.
Brighter isn’t always better. If you’re a trail runner navigating rocky descents at night, a high-powered beam is a must. But if your biggest challenge is finding the campsite loo in the dark, you can probably save yourself a lot of money.
