I highly recommend the Petzl Swift RL, a world-first head torch with updated ‘reactive lighting’.
The Petzl Swift RL was the first headlamp with lighting that adjusted the intensity and spread of the beam depending on where you look so pressing button isn’t needed. Petzl call this reactive lighting. This has been improved with the latest version of the Swift so that the transition is quite smooth. It could be a bit jerky with the original. The new model also has slightly longer battery life and a more powerful light that reaches further.
Chris Townsend highly recommends
Petzl have improved upon the reactive lighting to make this otherwise middling lamp one of the best I tested.- Reactive lighting
- Small button
| Quick Specs | |
|---|---|
| Price: £115 | $147.41 Weight: 103g Power Source: 2350 mAh rechargeable battery Battery Life: 2 – 100 hours Brightness: 10 -1100 lumens / 12-155 metres Features: reactive lighting, mixed beam pattern, 3 light levels, red light, weather-resistant (IPX4) www.petzl.com |
The reactive lighting is so good that you don’t really need to use standard lighting, which is available with three lighting levels. In reactive mode how long the battery lasts varies with how you use it. With the lowest Max Burn Time setting this runs from 10 to 70 hours. I found this setting fine for walking on clear paths and tracks.
On rougher terrain where I wanted to see more detail further away I switched to the Standard setting which runs from 7 to 45 hours. I’ve only used the Max Power setting, which lasts from 2 to 35 hours, to see what it’s like. It’s very bright!
The various modes are operated by one switch and it’s easy to cycle between them. This switch is better than the original one as you no longer have to slide it to the side to lock it, which was difficult as it’s so small. It’s still the same size though and a bit awkward to use with bulky gloves.
The price and weight of the Swift RL put it roughly in the middle of the headlamps tested. The reactive lighting makes it one of the best tested.
Testing Notes
Chris tested the Petzl Swift RL on night walks and when camping in the Scottish Highlands, mainly the Cairngorms, throughout 2024. This comparative review was first published in the November 2024 issue of The Great Outdoors. His other reviews in this comparative test can be found in our guide to the best head torches. Chris first tested the Petzl Swift RL in 2019 and was so impressed he made it a feature of his column – you can read his review here.
