User Review: Brunton L3

Brunton L3
Above: The current L3, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed June 5, 2006 by Noel J Mount

Rating:
Price Paid: $110

The light really is the brightest headlamp that I have ever used. A 3 Watt LED pokes a neat round hole into the darkest night and is great when hiking at dusk or around the camp. However my experience so far with the construction of the lamp makes me think about a backup Petzl in the bag whenever I head out again...

1. When I got it in the mail, one spring inside the battery compartment was just lying loose. I sent the lamp back and Brunton replaced it!

2. The little plastic clips that hold the wire onto the headband broke off as I changed from the regular battery arrangement to the belt Megapack configuration. Lousy poor quality plastic. My partner had the same issue!!

3. The cover for the battery has a security loop onto the wire. One of these also broke off as I changed batteries for the first time... again lousy plastic.

4. If that was not enough... I also found that when I put New rechargeable batteries into the lamp it would not work!!! I found that there is a piece of plastic near the Positive pole inside the battery compartment that prevents the pole from making contact... I stuffed Al foil inside and made contact.

5.The tilt angle is just not quite enough to make reading at night comfortable... I have to push the headband up the back of my head to get light on the paper... Really!!

6. The headband at full extension is just TIGHT on my head... just a few millimeters and a band over the top would make it comfortable for me... Like the Petzl...

I wish they had looked at the details ... Brunton would have the best light on the planet if they had concentrated a little on these details.

Noel J. Mount