# Flood vs Floody beam types



## bkpdle (Jul 26, 2017)

When a manufacturer like Zebralight offers headlamps in Flood (120 degree beam spread) and Floody (90 degree beam spread), what are the practical differences in use? Is one better suited for reading in bed (with book right in front of you) versus walking through a basement with stuff all over the floor so you need peripheral light to not trip?

Anybody got any beamshot comparisons?


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## terjee (Jul 26, 2017)

There would be differences for reading a book in bed for example, but it's always hard to define which is "best". Some prefer 120, some (most?) prefer 90, and some prefer spot with a lot of spill. Not only are there differences in preference subjectively between people, but objectively as well. How far is the book from your face when you're reading? That effectively controls how much of the page is lit just as much as the light, and also how much is spilled to the sides of the book.

Good rule of thumb could perhaps be that you'll know if you ever want more than 90 degrees. Two possible cases include up-close work like if you're crawled under a car, and perhaps if you're lighting for a group walking next to you.


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## tech25 (Jul 26, 2017)

For reading I prefer a flood type light. I don't currently have one but I have used my H51fw and H600fc and while they do the job- I find the flood light makes it more comfortable to read with. There is less variation within the beam.

For close work- the flood type beam wins but for hiking or general usage, I found the floody beam to be more versatile. Walking in a basement both will work. 

The reason I went with the floody over the flood is the flood is a more specialized light with limited throw so the floody works better in more situations. Down the road, I do plan on getting a flood light.


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## Loverofthelight (Jul 27, 2017)

As far as I see, I prefer headlamp fatures spotlight for viewing at a distance, while floodlight for up-close illumination, as to the spot/spill beam angle depends on personal demands, but there is no big difference. 
So a headlamp features both spotlight and floodlight that matters, and truly versatile.


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## TCY (Jul 27, 2017)

From Taschenlampen forum

Floody: Zebralight H600Fw MkII XM-L2 NW 4400K (18650)






Flood: Zebralight H602w XM-L2 NW 4400K (18650)


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## tech25 (Jul 28, 2017)

I used that thread in choosing what would be better for me. There are also videos on youtube showing the differences between the beam types. Look under stefano for some really good comparisons.


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## WigglyTheGreat (Jul 28, 2017)

Full flood (mules) are awesome for organizing basement, cleaning out garage, etc. Also When doing night walks/runs I use a h602w waist mounted to supplement my h600w headlamp. More often than not I use the magic tape diffusing trick to diffuse my h600w and make it more floody. For reading I like my h52fw.


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## eh4 (Aug 4, 2017)

Flood is limited and specialised enough to stay in my tool bag in its headband for mostly arms reach projects. 
Floody works ok when you ideally want flood, but flood won't cut it when you want floody. 
Floody really does look better and make for a great utility light with some reach, it's a great compromise, but if I only had one I'd want the regular spot+fill, the reach is considerably more than floody, and like they say you can use translucent tape to approximate floody when you want it. 
My order of preference on a budget:
Spot+fill,
Floody, 
Spare Spot+fill, 
Flood.


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## nimdabew (Aug 10, 2017)

I use a ZL302(?)FW when flying in the cockpit, but outside of about 5-6 feet, it is nearly useless. My Tiara C1W is a much better all around headlamp because it is not a flood type beam, but it's hotspot reflects off my screens and instruments a bit too much and doesn't have enough flood when inside of the plane. If you are doing a lot of close in work, or inside of building stuff, the 120 degree flood beam would work well. Outside, or in bad weather, you would almost be better off without any headlamp. I carry a 18650 powered handheld on a lanyard around my neck, and the ZL flood headlamp around my neck so I dictate which light to use and when to use it. Different hammers for different nails. 

For reading, the 302 warm flood would be an amazing light because there is no hot spot, a very very nice even light distribution, and very wide beam. It also has as many different settings as you could hope for for just about any lighting condition you would need too.

ETA:

Here is a good representation of my 302 warm flood lamp. You can see the reflective sign in the background getting some light reflected off of it and shining back, and the picture is darker than it actually was, but not by much. It was "lighter" in the way that losing 2 pounds in still a good thing, but when you weigh 250 pounds, it is a drop in the bucket. The bucket is about 5 feet from me when this picture was taken, the wall with the sign is about 40-50 feet or so. 

https://goo.gl/photos/ct1eCW22uB2NYJbi9

ETAA: The light was on the highest setting, 446 lumens. Very low cd as seen in the photo. I don't have my armytek on me at the moment to show the different however.

Here is a pic of the lamp about 18" from a beige wall. Super floody and works great for my intended purpose, but not much beyond about 10 feet, most of the time, arms length.

https://goo.gl/photos/tEGbcf12qdYAWCeq5


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## geokite (Aug 10, 2017)

On local hiking trails, I prefer a pure flood light (H502w clipped on my waist belt) as it gives the sense of hiking under moon light, and it gives great vision for the side of the trail. I carry a non-flood light also but don't use it very often.


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