LED Lenser H7

I first got my hands on one of these as a sample from the supplier. It had been recommended to me as being a good headtorch to look at for Mountain Rescue use. I had already seen and been very, very impressed by the Police Tech Focus model, and was keen to get that kind of lighting power in a ‘hands-free’ option.

The model I have been using is the slightly older H7, which doesn’t have the dimming switch mounted on the back of the battery pack. However, it does have the same light output and focussing ability of the newer version.

Like many of it’ s competitors, the H7 uses three AAA batteries in a battery pack mounted on the rear of the headstrap. However, unlike it’s competitors, it has an even, solid light beam spread with no ‘dark patches’. This is due to the unique focussing lens system that LED Lenser use, coupled with a high specification LED.

I now use this as my primary headtorch, be it training with the rescue team on a Wednesday night, finding a good pitching spot on the side of a mountain when wild camping or leading groups as part of the 24hr Three Peaks challenge. It is reliable, has proven quite economical on battery life considering it’ s light output and is lightweight too. Previously I had used a Petzl Myo XP and have found that I prefer the LED Lenser H7 overall.

The focussing ring is operated by a small stud that slides from left to right, changing the beam spread progressively from a wide circle to a tighter beam. People often comment on the evenness of the light spread, as it is unlike anything I have seen from other headtorches.

The H7 has seen most of it’ s service with me on Mountain Rescue callouts and searches, either as my main form of lighting or in conjunction with a bigger ‘search’ torch, such as a Clulite or an X21. In this respect it has been fantastic, providing me with more than enough illumination for whatever task I have been performing.

Unlike most LED torches, the LED Lenser range has a light output which is of a different color ‘temperature’. A problem with other LEDs is that the ‘blue’ colouration of the light makes it difficult to spot running water, ice and certain other hazards. This can be a problem if you are depending on your headtorch’s light to keep you out of trouble! With the LED Lenser H7 I have yet to encounter this problem.

The downside of this fantastic light output is something that is common to all powerful LED headtorches, and that is reflection from water particles when walking in fog or low mist. As the torch is only inches above your eyeline it can cause a glare and makes it difficult to see beyond the immediate cone of light. In these situations I prefer to use one of the hand-held LED Lensers, such as the Police Tech Focus or the P7. Having said that the dimmer switch that is on the current model combats this problem by reducing the possible glare (and preserving battery life). There is also a rechargeable version available, the LED Lenser H7R.

Reviewer: Richard

Used since: February 2009

This product is unavailable or out of stock.