Silva Announces Super Bright New Headtorch

Also hot from the wild west midlands is the news that Silva has not only corrected some basic flaws in its otherwise impressive headtorch range, it's also about to release a new, super powerful rechargeable model with a 75-metre beam no less...

When we first tried Silva's L1 headtorch we were blown away by the excellent electronics and the superb power of the torch with its three-watt Luxeon LED.

What we weren't so impressed by were three fundamental flaws that really undermined the torch and others in the range.

The headband was too tight, so wearing it for any length of time was a bit like having your skull crushed slowly.

It didn't help that on the L1, the twin battery boxes were flat-sided and pressed hard against your head, plus we managed to pull the wires out of ours in normal use.

Finally the switch was flush against the body of the torch making it hard to use with cold bare hands and near impossible with gloves.

The good news is that Silva has tacked all three issues in their latest, revised range. We had a quick try at the show and can confirm that the new headband is significantly more comfortable and has slimmer clips, the battery boxes are now curved neatly to match the contours of your skull and the new switch has a pronounced nobble for easier switching and a more definite click when you use it.

What's more the white and cammo versions of the torch are joined by a super cool black one, not that we're shallow or owt. Obviously white is more sensible for nighttime general use, being easier to spot in an unlit tent for example, but the black one does look great.

Meanwhile, the future is almost with us. The L1 uses a 3-watt Luxeon LED and is, to be honest, more than bright enough for most people, the new Silva LX on the other hand, trumps its older brother with a 5-watt Luxeon bulb.

Silva says that the result is a 75-metre beam on full power and by '75 metres' they mean bright enough to read, or at any rate, to distinguish a newspaper headline 75 metres away...

The LX also scores over the L1 by using a remote, rechargeable 4.5 amp Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack which can be stowed in a warm place for cold weather performance and gives an estimated 15 hours of light at full power.

Also included will be two clip-on diffusers for close-up and covert use, one transparent, the other red.

So what's the price of being the shiniest light on the hill? You're looking at £99.95 with Silva saying that the LX should be in the shops before Christmas.