Headlamp design doesn’t change much year to year; you got an elastic strap and a big ole’ light on the front packed full of batteries. But Brunton has gone back to the drawing board with the RL6 headlamp which gives consumers a new option in the way we light up the night.
The Brunton RL6 is different in that they created two seperate compartments to hold the 4 AA batteries. Each compartment is spread out on the headband, which takes the weight off the forehead and distributes it to the back and sides of your noggin. Not only is weight distribution an advantage, but it also leaves more room for a burlier light that is brighter and packed with more features.
Five white LED bulbs and one red LED for night vision shine from the lamp, which features five light modes (high, med, low, flashing, and red light). The lantern has a 72 ft max light distance, 85-hour battery life on the brightest setting, and according to Brunton, the thing is even ATEX certified for use in potentially explosive environments (good for when your camping buddy devours several cans of beans.) It’s also water resistant so there’s no worries about the headlamp fizzing out in the rain.
I took the Brunton RL6 with me on several outdoor adventures, from mountain biking to backpacking. I appreciated the weight distribution and the immense brightness of the lamp. It’s so bright at full strength, that I used it for riding my mountain bike at night. I taped the headlamp to my helmet, and it cast enough white light to supplement the Cygo Lite on my handlebars. In fact, I even used the RL6 while competing in the 18 Hours of Fruita mountain bike race, and it worked great.
On backpacking trips, the RL6 headlamp was my go-to light for tooling around camp or as an emergency light in my pack on mountain climbing excursions. While the weight distribution and brightness of those five LEDs are pluses, the bulk of having all those battery compartments is a minus. Most headlamps are smaller and can pack away easily by rolling up the strap around the light. This can’t be done with the RL6. The battery compartments are too bulky, and ultimately, they make the headlamp heavier overall.
That being said, if you don’t mind trading weight and efficiency for a powerful, bright, well-built headlamp, then the Brunton RL6 is a great choice and will probably light your way for years of outdoor adventures.
To purchase, visit Brunton online.