Brightness and Performance Quality

The Actik Core touts some pretty impressive stats from a purely technical perspective. With a maximum output of 600 lumens and throw distance roughly the length of a football field, this headlamp can really light up the night when called upon. On this note, we thought that the Actik Core’s biggest strength was focused lighting at a distance.

Thoughtful employment of this high powered headlamp allows you to see obstacles before at a more comfortable vantage rather than stumbling right into the briar patch or gigantic elk lurking in the trees in front of you.

Unfortunately, this left us wanting more out of the floodlight feature. The Actik Core is a mixed beam headlamp, throwing a high powered beam at a distance while providing some diffuse lighting in the immediate area.  Being able to outshine the sun is useful, but ultimately has limited utility when you’re trotting down a low stakes trail and need to make your battery last.

In short, the beam is too focused to do much incredibly well aside from illuminating a particular patch of ground, section of rockwall, or sound of snapping branches. Our testers noted feeling claustrophobic due to reduced peripheral vision, particularly if they were hiking through densely forested sections of trail in the dark, though it still performed well enough to keep up with most of the other models in our running.

Vetting the Settings

The Actik Core has three different brightness modes, a red light, and an emergency strobe. You can cycle through each of these modes with one hand by way of the single topside button. Features like a settings lock are accessed by holding the button down.

Petzl has made the setup simple enough to get what you’re looking for without too much trouble. Even if you’re not at all technologically inclined, you can find what you’re looking for eventually with some persistent button mashing. Our testers appreciated having such easy access to multiple modes when groggily starting their days before sunrise and being able to brute-force their way into low-light mode while their brain was still waking up.

We mentioned the impressive illumination capabilities in the high power mode in the brightness section above. While maximum output was the standout setting for us, it’s ultimately not the one you’ll end up using most often. The medium setting has a constant output of around 100 lumens, which we found to be more than acceptable for quick trips to the bathroom or for those inclined towards nocturnal roaming. The lowest setting and the constant red light mode won’t get you very far down the trail but are great when it comes to reading or rummaging purposes- they also last a very long time.

Battery Life and Burn Time

As is the case with all headlamps, burn time is contingent on what setting you’re using. With this in mind, let’s start with the Actik Core’s admirable capabilities in its lowest setting. Factory specifications state that the runtime is somewhere in the ballpark of 100 hours. One of our testers reported they accidentally left their version running inside of their backpack in the middle of a five day hiking trip. They still had enough power in the rechargeable lithium ion battery to see them through the rest of the trip without swapping to their backup AAAs.

When you switch into the more powerful modes, battery life drops dramatically. The Petzl Actik Core has a higher lumen output than average. Because of this it has a lower-than-average runtime on its brightest setting. If you’re using it for any kind of technical adventure where you might need maximum light for more than a couple of hours it would be wise to bring a couple of backup batteries.

Another of our testers reported that during their sunrise summit of Mount Leatherman in Idaho, they were shocked at how quickly they drained the batteries searching screenfields for their route. Luckily the sun started to rise by the time they completely drained the batteries, but they struggled to float by on the medium setting after getting the low-battery warning flash only an hour into their hike.

Given the brightness of the Actik Core, balanced with its relatively low weight and compact build, it shouldn’t be surprising that it rips through batteries quickly (2 hours) at its highest setting. The “normal” medium mode is a little better and might see you through an entire night of continuous use (8 hours) if you start with a full charge. Because of these limitations, we would strongly encourage ambitious recreators with technical goals to bring backup batteries.

Hybrid Concept Power Source

One of the main marketing points of Petzl’s Actik Core is their Hybrid Concept battery solution. Stripped of marketing and technical jargon, this just means the Acik Core takes either the included rechargeable lithium ion battery or three AAA batteries in a pinch.

The lithium ion batteries charge up in about three hours via micro USB, and those with big brightness needs can load up on spares from the Petzl webstore or come prepared with good old fashioned disposable batteries.

Petzl reports (and our testers corroborate) that performance is better with rechargeable battery packs than with standard AAAs, particularly for high-output purposes. Both battery life and maximum output differ significantly- but with that said, the full 600 lumens is beyond what most casual recreators need for a couple of nights in the woods.

Special Headlamp Features

We’ve touched on the Actik Core as a powerful but straight shooting headlamp that doesn’t do anything particularly different in terms of design and execution- but there is a single standout choice, along with several minor details, that showcase the degree of polish we look for in our favorite products.

The Actik Core’s battery unit and light are mounted on a plate rather than attached directly to the band. This is hugely beneficial for focusing its high powered beam on specific points, and gives users the flexibility to angle their light upwards and at angles more traditional headlamps would not. The Actik Core is not the only high quality headlamp that offers this feature, but it does make good use and keeps things relatively compact for the additional moving parts.

Petzl takes steps to make the Actik Core easy to find at night. Most backpackers are familiar with blindly scouring the inside of their tent in search of their headlamp, or otherwise falling asleep with it clutched in their hands just in case. The Actik Core has a glowing phosphorescent reflector and a reflective headband to make it easier to locate. We also appreciate the headband for purposes of being visible at night to cars and other hikers.

For more casual camping outings, the Actik Core’s included storage bag doubles as a diffuse light lantern when you leave the headlamp on inside. This is a great way to share light with friends for a late dinner, or play cards around the picnic table before you go to bed.

Comfort and Durability

Our testers have reported no comfort-based issues with the Actik Core or its headband. We have, on several occasions, hiked through the night with it on for hours at a time. The band is flexible, easy to adjust, and doesn’t slip while traveling at normal hiking pace. We’ve only gotten critiques on this end from our trail runners, who found the headlamp a little too front heavy for their purposes- though that’s no uncommon for models with their battery packs in the front.

From a durability standpoint, the Actik Core is above average but not great. It’s waterproofed to a degree that should protect against light showers and splashes, but offers no guarantees against total immersion for any length of time- so take care if you’re crossing any rivers. In a similar way, the plastic used in its construction is high-quality but not indestructible. Our testers haven’t found average wear and tear to be a problem, but try not to back your truck up onto it.

Value

At roughly $80, the Actik Core is more than twice as expensive as our favorite budget model, the Petzl Tikkina. We found the Actik Core to be notably expensive even when compared to premium competitors like the Black Diamond Spot. Initially, our testers were left wondering how to account for this disparity.

As mentioned, the Actik Core doesn’t do anything significantly different from competing models headlamp except its above average brightness. On closer inspection this is only part of the story.

The Actik Core isn’t just bright, but balances solid runtime with lower output levels for compelling versatility. It also includes a rechargeable lithium ion battery, the same of which cannot be said for other high-end models we’ve tested. Ultimately what you’re getting is certainly more polished and better performing than budget headlamps, and the only price rationalization you need to do is deciding whether the uptick in brightness is worth roughly an extra $30 to you.

We Recommend It!

Across the board the Actik Core is a great headlamp with something to offer nearly every style of hiker, camper, or outdoor enthusiast. Its price tag is justified by excellent versatility, impressive brightness, and a couple of notable polish points. We’d recommend the Actik Core to anyone, for any purpose- if you can stomach dropping the money.