I don't like this retailer but this is a very sparse category (headlamps under 1 ounce) and I happened to be across from one of their stores today, so I picked up 4 of them (two red and two teal). Weight is 27g all up (light, headband, and batteries). The light separates from the backing clip and the light+batteries weigh 18g so the rest is about 9g. It might be possible to golf away a few grams by replacing the headband with some shock cord, but treating 28.35g (1 ounce) as the target weight, this light comfortably hits the target and I can skip further optimization.

Pluses: 1) the light runs on included lithium primary batteries. They won't leak and have known low temperature performance and long shelf life. 2) Cheap ($1.97 at the store mentioned). The nearest competitor that I know of is $11 (UST Tight Light and harder to find). 3) Very simple UI: press on, press off. No modes. Large, easy to use pushbutton. 4) smooth flood beam, fine for up-close repair work or walking to the loo in the dark. No real throw but this is more like a keychain light than a caving lamp. Maybe a light to stash away in case something happens to both your "real" light and its backup.

Minuses: 1) Large pushbutton might be easy to press by accident. If stashing the light away just in case, I'd leave the protective tab installed in the battery compactment, which also ensures no parasitic battery drain. Then pull the tab out before using the light. But it would be good to have a software timeout or lockout. 2) The headband is too short, maybe intended for kids, or maybe I'm just swell-headed. I can wear it when adjusted to the maximum but it's tighter than I prefer. I might sew in an extra inch or two of fabric, or replace the headband with shock cord. 3) While it's very small for a "proper" headlamp, it's much bigger than a Photonlight or similar. 4) Not that waterproof, particularly because of the slot left unsealed by pulling out the battery tab. Of course you could cover that with a bit of tape, but that could be awkward if you pull out the tab in the field. 5) Need Philips screwdriver (a 4mm driver bit is probably enough) to change batteries.

I think the use of CR2032's is a win for this light specifically, on the assumption that you'll use the light only very occasionally or as a backup for a backup, like a Photon light. The stated runtime is 3 hours and I can believe that. Two 2032's have about as much energy as a charged AAA Eneloop so there's plenty there. I'd expect a long tapering "tail" as well, but haven't yet tested. I will do a brightness and runtime test once I get some kind of measurement setup in place.

The 4 leds are SMT with the usual crappy tint. Maybe you could replace them with high CRI leds if you were nerdy about it. Someone actually mentioned that. It might even be possible to replace the 2032's with a small lipo pouch cell.

Main more serious alternative in the sub-1-oz category that I know of is the Nitecore NU05 v2, which unfortunately has just 1 hour runtime (40 lumen output that can't be adjusted downward). I haven't yet gotten to try one of those so can't compare directly. Maybe soon though. Black Diamond's 2032 light ($20 iirc) is discontinued and the Petzl e+Lite ($30+) might also be. The Petzl is of far better quality than this thing, but the cost is outlandish unless you're really trying to prove something.

My main immediate modification will be to staple a piece of Countycomm GITD tape to the headband, as I do with almost all my headlamps, to locate the light in the dark. Put the tape at the "far" end of the headband so you can use the LED's to charge up the tape. The staple is because the tape's adhesive isn't that strong under flexing, and it can fall off if you just stick it onto the headband. You could sew it instead of course.

3.5 stars out of 5 given the niche category and the low price. Main deductions are for the short headband, the waterproofing issue, and the easy accidental activation. This all could have been fixed very easily during design.

I weighed this with a crappy kitchen scale with 1g resolution and poor consistency, but will use a more precise scale when I get a chance.

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[–] solrize@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I would say the weakest part of this light is the swivel bracket, as the little detents and teeth are likely to wear down. If that happens with mine, I might try fixing it with a shim of masking tape or similar.

It's definitely a cheap light and I'm less enamored of them now then when I first nabbed them, but I'm still glad they exist, as the usual cheap headlamp uses three AAA's, and alkaleaks notoriously leak and destroy the light, as their name implies.

Lithium non-rechargeable batteries generally have very good storage life, so that yours works fine after 2 years is expected. The main thing that could interfere with that is if the light itself is draining power when turned off. I haven't tried measuring that but I'd like to hope the manufacturer isn't that clueless.

I may be able to get an NU05 for cheap so I'll do a separate post about that if I get it. Another alternative used by some is a Nitecore Tube or Photon micro light tied to the side of your head with thin shock cord. I'd actually very much like to see more headlamps in something like the NU05 format. Nitecore has a few other ultralight headlamps but they try to do too much and suffer from lumenitis. A rechargeable or 1AAA version of the Mal-wart light with better quality would also be great.

The classic light in this format is the Petzl (https://www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/Headlamps/ePLUSLITE) that I mentioned, but it's ridiculously expensive for its functionality unless you're hell-bent on staying under 1 oz. There are tons of far more functional alternatives in the next higher weight class.