Petzl e+LITE Tested

Petzl e+LITE Tested

Price: £25

Weight: 27 grammes (including head band) case, 18 grammes

Features: LED torch featuring detachable head cord, ball and socket swivel joint, integral clip, three white light settings using three LEDs plus two single red LED options, switch lock, waterproof down to one metre, uses two watch batteries with ten-year shelf life, 19-metre range on full power with 45-hour burn time, functions at temperatures from -20C to +60C.

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What's It For? The new e+LITE, which should be reaching the shops around [b]mid-Bovember[/b] following heavy demand, is Petzl's ultra-lightweight, semi-emergency torch. The idea is that it so small and light that you can simply stash it in your pack, or a pocket or, well, anywhere it'll fit and then forget it until you need it.

We say 'semi-emergency' because it's a fully functional headtorch that you could use regularly without problems.

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The Techy Bits As far as we can see there's nothing particularly radical about the technology behind the e+LITE, Petzl's masterstroke has been to take advantage of the increasing efficiency of LED bulbs and the availability of tiny but affordable batteries to produce a brilliantly thought-out and neatly executed ultra-lightweight torch with neat features like the integral clip, the 360-degree swivellng ball and socket joint.

It's design rather than technology strictly speaking, but it's been beautifully done.

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How It Performs The great thing about the e+LITE - always spelled like that by the way, it's not an elite for example - is that it combines beguiling tinyness with surprising useability.

Bang it on full power and it's perfectly happy ambling along unlit lanes to the pub from the campsite, or keeping an eye on the spaghetti back at base and with its 17-metre odd range, it's also more than capable of getting you off the hill in an emergency if needed.

That's just the start though. The torch is just asonishingly cunning. You can use the detachable elasticated head cord to wear it like a normal headlamp or to mount it on a helmet, or you can take advantage of the integral spring clip in its base to mount it on any suitable thin surface - a cap peak for example, or a lapel, or a part of your tent.

Then a 360-degree ball joint lets you swivel the light into the optimum position. Cool and if you really want to, you can save another five grammes by detaching the clip/ball completely making the torch a bonkers 27 grammes with batteries....

The batteries are CR2032 lithium watch cells that you can pick up at the supermarket for a couple of quid - changing them takes 30 seconds with the aid of a small coin, sorted. Claimed burn time is 45 hours and that seems about right.

The mode selecting switch has been carefully thought through as well. There's a locked-off end position to prevent accidental discharge, ahem, then low and high-power settings and an emergency flash using the three main white LED bulbs.

Next over is a red flash from the single central red LED, then a pure red LED beam designed not to compromise your night vision then finally another off position. That's great because it means you don't need to click through night vison-impairing white light to reach the red settings. If you were being fussy, you might ask for a lock at the red end of the scale too, but that's just about the only flaw we can think of.

It's also certified waterproof down to one metre and we had no issues with water ingress. Nor did we manage to break it, despite mostly leaving the weighty - ahem - 18-gramme translucent red case at home.

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Verdict

We reckon the e+LITE is going to become a bit of a classic. Normally when you pare down weight you end up with something so basic that function can be compromised, but there's none of that with Petzl's new torch.

It's superlightweight yet also surprisingly versatile with it and all those carefully thought out design points will have them oohing and aahing down the pub. If you're a regular night navver then you'll probably want something more powerful, but for occasional general and emergency use, the e+LITE is the absolute, erm, business.

Is there a downside? Yes, it's so small it's easy to mislay it between outings :-)

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Tiny, light, versatile and beautifully thought through. So small you can lose it rather easily - we think that's what the case is for :-)

Performance
Value

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Petzl web site

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