New Icon Irix Headlamp

[Beacon of Light]

Hey Beacon of Light,

Is it possible to get a beamshot on the wall of the 4 5mm led and also one with all the led on for the Iris I? I might be interest in one depending on the beam profile.

Also, how comfortable is the holder pressing against your head? The Rayvoc(?) 1AA headlamp holder is not very comfortable. Left an deep imprint on my forehead.

IRIX I beamshot on high (with center LED as well as 4 surrounding LEDs) 6-7 ft feet away

IRIX II beamshot on high 6-7 feet away

The holder is very comfortable. It comes with an extra pad if you needed more comfort but I have never even tried the extra pad as it doesn't need it IMHO.

 

[Beacon of Light]

So Beacon, can you tell which is brighter on high? Do you think the lumens on HIGH is mixed up too, or do you think just the runtime on LOW is mixed up?

They are both rated at 5 lumens on low and I can see why the Irix I has more runtime with only 4 LEDs on but Im curious if the Irix II is really 50 lumens on high.

Is the 5th LED on the Irix I actually different, or is it just using a reflector?


or am i just confusing myself... ?

I think they may have just mixed up the runtime numbers between models as the IRIX II is noticeably brighter on high.

I can't tell if the LED is different but I think it is like the Princeton Tec Remix which has a cluster of 3 5mm LEDs that have a low and a high, and then has a Maxbright LED that is higher on low than even the 3 LEDs on high. Sort of seems like the same concept. The center LED is probably a good 10-15 lumens brighter (maybe more) than the surrounding 4 LEDs.

 

[Beacon of Light]

Here are a couple more comparison shots I took last evening on high. After doing the side by side comparisons I was quite surprised at how much more floody the IRIX II is and that is accepting the fact that the IRIX I is a very floody light naturally. The IRIX I has a bit more throw and isn't as bright on high. Pictures should demonstrate this pretty clearly (blurry in a couple of shots haha).

IRIX I at 15 feet:

IRIX II at 15 feet:

IRIX I looking at ground:

IRIX II looking at ground:

 

[Captain Spaulding]

I think they may have just mixed up the runtime numbers between models as the IRIX II is noticeably brighter on high.

I can't tell if the LED is different but I think it is like the Princeton Tec Remix which has a cluster of 3 5mm LEDs that have a low and a high, and then has a Maxbright LED that is higher on low than even the 3 LEDs on high. Sort of seems like the same concept. The center LED is probably a good 10-15 lumens brighter (maybe more) than the surrounding 4 LEDs.

Ah, this makes me feel better. I wanted the brighter and floodier of the two and even though the runtime is off, I feel I made the right choice. :thumbsup:

I can live with 75+ hours of runtime... Plus I dont like the purple body of the Irix I!

 

[yowzer]

Whenever I see this thread I think of the operating system.

Anybody have a comparison picture of these lights with a Zebralight H50 or H501 for scale?

 

[gunga]

Can the Irix 1 be modded? I need a neutral emitter in one.

I would likely get one if they can be modded...

 

[jag-engr]

Some duct tape, maybe a few layers, on the bottom front edge below the two leds should stop any glare issues unless rotate all the way down, in which case any headlamp would give you glare.

Great idea! :twothumbs Eliminate glare with no permanent modification to the light.

Can the Irix 1 be modded? I need a neutral emitter in one.

I would likely get one if they can be modded...

I would love to put in a better power LED, such as a neutral XP-G (or XP-E for throw) and warm 5mm LEDS. If I could only make one of those changes, I would definitely go for warm 5mm LEDs.

 

[Illuminator]

New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

I was looking for a quality, sturdy LED headlamp that uses single AA battery and came across ICON IRIX II headlamp. My goal is to standardize all my battery needs to rechargeable AA batteries for general purpose lights excluding tactical/weapon lights.
We all know that the same genius behind Surefire weapon lights is behind the design of this headlamp. I ordered from the Opticsplanet and few days later, Santa in brown clothing delivered these beauties.

Likes: This thing is built like a tank. Bright enough for general usage...camping, scaring little kids. Competitive pricing (compared to other LED and non-LED headlamps) , Sturdy construction (did I say this is built like a tank?), easy to use (can be operated with one hand with gloves), adjustable angle, can be easily removed and used as regular hand held light. LED lamp will last longer. And my two favorite reasons, it uses single AA battery and it has adjustable brightness control. This was designed by our own PK of Surefire.

Dislikes: Not the cheapest but not the most expensive either (you get what you pay for). I wish there was more tension (or friction) on clips that holds this unit in its place but as someone already pointed out this is an easy fix. However, I don't think it will easily pop out even without the added friction. Packaging is hard to get through especially when you were eagerly waiting for its arrival. Sharp knife was deployed to destroy the packaging.

Conclusion: I highly recommend this headlamp to anyone who sees a need to have hands-free light source. This is a must have for campers, survivalists and collectors.

 

[abarnhart]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Was wondering if there were any long-term use reviews? These finally made it the shelves of my local sporting goods store and was thinking about picking up a Irix II. Do they continue to live-up to the initial hype?

 

[mellowman]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

I bought an Irix II and then a soon after a ZL H51w. Spend more and get a ZL. Soo worth it!

 

[debeli]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

I bought an Irix II and then a soon after a ZL H51w. Spend more and get a ZL. Soo worth it!

Why?

 

[abarnhart]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Why?

Agreed. I know there are LOTS of Zebralight fans out there and I've read plenty of glowing opinions of those lights. I'm particularly interested in the Irix and would love to hear from a person who has used it for an extended period of time.

 

[Size15's]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

What I like about the IRIX is the simple ability to dial the output to what I need. No farting about with clicks and modes and all the gumpf.
Another thing I like is the single-AA battery compared to the three-AAA batteries used by the PT EOS.

I've just got home from a hiking weekend and I took a pair of IRIX with LiAA batteries, and a Saint Minimus + an ICON SOLO with me onto the Brecon Beacons.
Okay so we had some of the best hiking weather I've ever experienced and make good time so I didn't need to use them on the trail, but back at the bunk house I used an IRIX dialled to it's lowest so as not to disturb the others. It's super simple to wear either as a headlamp, or unclip to handhold.

The three times I've used IRIX for night-hiking they've been fine. I've found there is a tendency for people to start off with headlamps too bright, which knackers the runtime. Even the more experienced night-hikers I've been out with go through the process of toggling the modes of their headlamps [and wishing they could use the high output mode the whole time].
So while others were choosing between medium and low, myself and a couple others I loaned IRIX to were quickly able to dial precisely the amount of light they needed.
The rotary dial is straight forward enough to operate with gloves on. Far easier than the PT EOS.

One thing I would change is the colour - from grey to bright orange would be my preference!

Al

 

[abarnhart]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Thank you Al! Just wanted to hear if they remained worthy of use after some time. It was a bit strange that this was the only thread of reviews and comments that I could find searching. I went ahead and snagged one of the II's. For the price, it looks like a solid lamp.

I have to agree... some brighter colors would rock. And, I'm a sucker for top straps... Lighthound even has a picture of the Irix's with top straps. Would love one of those!

 

[defloyd77]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Was buying a couple Nite-Ize Curvyman headphone cord organizers at Optics Planet and thought, "heck, I might as well spend 22 extra dollars to get free shipping." So, now I have an Irix 2 on the way. Can't wait.

 

[bbaker22]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

I've been using the Irix II for quite a while now. I definitely like it. I use it around the house and for camping.

To me, it feels cheap compared to my Zebralight (which I somehow lost). But, I have had zero durability issues.

The adjustable brightness is a GREAT feature. Runtime on the lowest setting is long (I don't know how long, but I sometimes use the lowest setting as a nightlight for my kids). The brightest setting is not spectacular, but sufficient for just about all my headlamp tasks (aside from mountain biking, which is a totally different need).

I initially had glare problems, but came up with a simple enough solution that works fine for me. I just put the headlamp up higher on my head and adjust the angle of the light appropriately. Feels a bit different, but works just fine, elminating glare while staying put.

 

[Bolster]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Someone please stand 36" from the wall and measure the diameter of the beam?

I want to calculate the beam angle on the Irix II for the Flood Beam Headlamp Thread.

(Actually doesn't matter how far away you stand as long as you give me accurate measurement (a) from light to wall and (b) diameter of beam)

 

[mellowman]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Why?

Irix low ~= ZL H51w low low (L2) in brightness.
Irix low run-time is about 50-60 hours.
ZL H51w L2 run-time is 384 hours (from ZL).

Irix high ~= ZL H51 med high (M1) in brightness.
Irix high run-time is about 1 hour.
ZL H51w M1 runtime is about 12 hours (again from ZL).

With the H51w I get longer run-times, higher highs and an awesome tint. To me the ZL is easily worth the extra $s. Even then the Irix seems over priced, should be around $10.

 

[Bolster]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Can somebody give me Irix II 'beam diameter' and 'distance from wall' measurements? Please?

 

[RonM]

Re: New Icon Irix Headlamp - my mini 1 minute layman's version of review

Irix low ~= ZL H51w low low (L2) in brightness.
Irix low run-time is about 50-60 hours.
ZL H51w L2 run-time is 384 hours (from ZL).

Irix high ~= ZL H51 med high (M1) in brightness.
Irix high run-time is about 1 hour.
ZL H51w M1 runtime is about 12 hours (again from ZL).

With the H51w I get longer run-times, higher highs and an awesome tint. To me the ZL is easily worth the extra $s. Even then the Irix seems over priced, should be around $10.

The ZL is a fine light but it's also well more than twice the price of an IRIX II (got mine for $23 delivered) putting it out of reach for many people. Also, where do you find $10 headlamps that run on a single AA with continuous brightness adjustment and regulation? The IRIX may not be a ZebraLight but it's certainly not a junky $10 headlamp.