Petzl Alarmed By Tikka Look-Alikes

Petzl importers Lyon Equipment are warning people to beware of Tikka look-alikes selling at far lower prices than the genuine Petzl LED original.

The company says that the cheaper head torches have been deliberately styled to look like Petzl's torch, but use inferior plastic, have poor switches, a narrow, low quality headband and cheapo LEDs that give off a yellowish light rather than the bright white of the original.

Petzl's UK lighting manager, Roger Chaldecott, says that the importers have even had 'some product returned to us by consumers thinking that the low-cost Tikka-like that they bought was a genuine Petzl product.'

So how can you tell the difference? Genuine Tikkas and Zipkas retail for around £25 and the new Tikka and Zipka Plus for £30. The standard Tikka has three LEDs and the Plus has four. The look-alikes sell for between £10 and £15 and while most are not badged as 'Petzl', Lyon says that there have been some cases of fakes being sold on e-Bay.

If you want to look at pictures of Petzl torches, see their web site...