# Best cr123 battery headlamp?



## Glennbo (Apr 3, 2010)

This is my first post. I joined here because I need good advice right away.

I just lost my headlamp. I loved it and it worked wonders for me for six months of almost everyday nightime urban hiking. It was the Princeton Tec Apex Pro. It runs on two cr123 lithium batteries. I loved this headlamp so much that I bought 100 cr123's. 

I'm was just going to buy an exact replacement, but before I do I wondered if there is a better headlamp out there that runs on the batteries that I now have a ton of. 

I've done some browsing but it seems nothing can compare with the 90 lumens for 12 hours on wide angle that my Apex Pro was giving me. I almost exclusively used the wide angle option.

Before I just get another one (or two) I thought I'd tap the CandlePower Forum's knowledge and see if there is a better headlamp that uses cr123s. I did a lot of research before I spent $90 on my Apex Pro, and it was the best purchase I made all year. So any replacement has some big shoes to fill. 

I've become totally reliant on my headlamp. Without it tonight I felt blind. I walk home from work at 1:00 in the morning down some very dark streets. I carried my Fenix P3D Q5 Premium in my hand (my everyday carry flashlight which also uses cr123s), but it just wasn't the same. I miss my Princeton Tec Apex Pro terribly.


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## Gazerbeam (Apr 3, 2010)

Hi Glennbo! :welcome:
The Apex Pro is also one of my favorites, save your self $20+ this time around at OpticsPlanet.com.


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## carrot (Apr 3, 2010)

You could also consider the Surefire Saint or Saint Minimus but really if you were 100% happy with your Apex Pro you should stick with it. It's a great headlamp.


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## Gazerbeam (Apr 3, 2010)

Wow carrot, just watched you roll over 1000 "real" posts, kudos’ to you! Keep them coming. :twothumbs


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## Glennbo (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks for the warm welcome and suggestions. I managed to find my headlamp. But being without it taught me a lesson so I'm ordering another on. Same type: Princeton Tec Apex Pro.


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## Glennbo (Apr 4, 2010)

Just thought I'd mention that I did check out the Surefire Saints, new Fenix HP10 or whatever, and the Zebralights. All of them had worse statistics than my Princeton Tec Apex Pro. 

Still, if anyone knows of a better cr123 headlamp I'd be interested. My requirements remain: long run time + high lumens + wide angle.


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## Ace12 (Apr 4, 2010)

Does the 5mm leds have a good floody beam for up close work? I have been using a streamlight Argo HP for work for a few years now. I am thinking about upgrading to an Apex pro. Anyone ever compared the two?


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## carrot (Apr 4, 2010)

It is difficult to go just on manufacturer's specs when considering other products as every manufacturer has a different way of rating their products.


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## Gazerbeam (Apr 4, 2010)

Ace12 said:


> Does the 5mm leds have a good floody beam for up close work? I have been using a streamlight Argo HP for work for a few years now. I am thinking about upgrading to an Apex pro. Anyone ever compared the two?


 
I tried to take a descent beamshot of the Apex Pro's 5mm leds but ran into The Easter bunny! 







The 5mm led's are focused into one beam, with lots of light spill. The hotspot is 
just slightly blue, not as blue as the picture. The beam works good for close up tasks. 
Sorry, I don't have a streamlight Argo HP to compare.


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## Misan (Apr 6, 2010)

carrot said:


> You could also consider the Surefire Saint or Saint Minimus but really if you were 100% happy with your Apex Pro you should stick with it. It's a great headlamp.


Surefire Saint or Saint Minimus are good headlamp, but expensive. Zebra cheaper and no worse.


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## csa (Apr 6, 2010)

I agree. You should check out the Zebralights, they're fantastic headlamps. If you're using the existing light for floody tasks, the H30 is just amazing. Really really nice for that.

As the others said, be skeptical of manufacturers brightness/runtime claims. Very few of them can be trusted explicitly. Go find one of the posts by members here that measure runtime vs. brightness and the ones who have an integrating sphere.


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## Misan (Apr 6, 2010)

If you have an opportunity, the best option is to see a flashlight into a living, and even better to compare live. 
Sometimes my friends on the phone asking how my lights shine, it's like asking - "What was the taste of bacon today?".


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## ToTo (Apr 6, 2010)

You should check out the new H31 as well
and think about the warm white options^^


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## Glennbo (Apr 17, 2010)

Just an update. I finally got my "best" cr123 headlamp. It's another Princeton Tec Apex Pro. So now I've got the one I beat on nightly, and another in reserve. It feels good to have two of these magnificent creations! 

I just couldn't find a better headlamp. I want to thank you all for your advice, and I'm still open to upgrading in the future if anything exceptional comes along in cr123 battery headlamps.

lovecpf


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## carrot (Apr 17, 2010)

Misan said:


> Surefire Saint or Saint Minimus are good headlamp, but expensive. Zebra cheaper and no worse.


Zebra appears to have a poor track record of reliability. Paying more for a better User Interface and less stress (no breakdowns in the field) seems like the obvious choice. You only pay once, but you suffer a bad UI for life.


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