Petzl TIKKA XP2 -
Review
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Price:
£45
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Weight: 85 grammes
(including batteries)
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Features: Headtorch with one high-powered
white LED plus single lower power red LED, three white lighting modes
and two red lighting modes, slide-up diffuser, integrated whistle on
headband, electronic push button, adjustable angle, battery charge
indicator light, maximum range of 60 metres, powered by three AAA
batteries. Rated IP
X4 (water resistant), three-year guarantee.
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What's It
For?
The Tikka XP2 is the revamped version of Petzl's compact and versatile
all-round head torch. With a mazimum beam length of 60-metres coupled
with a neat slide-up diffuser, the company says it can be used for
pretty much everything from walking through to mountaineering,
trail-running or mountain biking. For more general use see our review
of the standard
Tikka
2.
The Techy
Bits
Like the other
models in the Tikka
2 range, the XP features new, higher-powered LEDs for better light
output. The XP's single white LED puts out 60 lumens which is enough
for a 60-metre beam with fresh batteries. On low, batteries will last
for 160 hours.
There's also a red LED with lower output in the same housing which can
be used to preserve night vision when necessary and also has a flashing
mode, so at a pinch could be used as an emergency rear light if cycling
on the road.
Headband strap - above -
doubles as emergency whistle
There's also a neat fuel gauge which comes on when the beam range drops
below 5 metres and there is only a 50% burn time remaining for
proximity lighting.
Speaking of batteries, the TIKKA 2 and other TIKKA models
bar the entry
level TIKKINA, can now be used with alkaline, rechargeable and lithium
batteries, whereas in the past, it was confined to alkalines. That's
good news for cold weather use where lithium cells are more efficient.
The batteries are AAA cells, three of them.
Finally, the the standard Tikka 2, the torch is water resistant to the
IP X4 standard and stood up
fine to normal use in wet conditions.
How It
Performed
For general walking and camping use, the Tikka XP is arguably overkill,
but if you're a climber who might need to spy out a route or check
abseil stations from above, the piercing 60-metre beam is a real boon.
It also works well for running - the wide angle diffuser helps here -
and as an ermergency bike torch, though it's not bright enough for fast
technical riding.
The XP 2 is comfortable on the head an easy to use, even with gloved
hands. The electronic switch is pretty much unmissable and the big tab
on the diffuser makes it easy to find and operate. Angle adjustment is
easy and the torch stays where you put it. At high power you get as
much light as most users will need, but the lower level means it's also
useable as a general walking and camping torch.
The red light you'll either appreciate or not, but for some users - the
military for example - it's a big plus and is activated by holding down
the switch for two seconds. Once in red mode, it stays in red mode
until you switch it back, even after the torch has been turned off.
Two other improvements - the battery case is now easy to open and the
torch can use lithium batteries for great burn time and better
performance in cold conditions.
The one thing the XP lacks is a regulated output. That means the light
output falls as the batteries lose power. There's a battery charge
gauge to tell you when your battery is on the way out, but if you want
constant high output throughout the life of the batteries, take a look
at the regulated
Myo
RXP instead, though you'll pay an extra
£30 for the facility, though it's also considerably brighter
and programmable too.
The improved Tikka XP 2 is hard to fault. It's comfortable, reliable
and brighter than its
predecessor.
Controls are easy to use, even with gloved hands, build quality is
classic Petzl and niggles like the hard-to-use battery compartment have
been ironed out. The combination of high and low settings and the handy
wide beam diffuser means you can use the XP 2 for anything from camping
through to picking out a route on a crag at night. And the weight
penalty over the standard Tikka 2 is just seven grammes. You even get a
red LED for night vision preservation. Regulated output would make it
even better but a lot more expensive we suspect.
Buy if
you're looking for a light, compact, top quality head torch for a wide
range of uses including running and climbing and don't need a regulated
output.
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 Build
quality, useability, size, weight and brightness are
all excellent.
 Not much.
Regulated output would be the icing on the lighting cake.
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Performance
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Value
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Know more or want to?
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forum.
Stephen Woods
