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Review on ThruNite TH20 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp Flashlight -Lightweight Waterproof IPX-8 EDC Headlamp For Indoor & Outdoor Hiking,Camping, Cycling - NW by Alex Barr

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Excellent product for $29.99, but neutral white tint is greenish.

Excellent product for $29.99, but neutral white tint is greenish.This is an excellent product for $29.99. It is well made, durable, and has "infinite" brightness control from firefly to full brightness. I am very happy with the product at this price point, but the neutral white tint is inferior to my neutral white Zebralight.One month review: I am still very happy with this product for $29.99. The strap, silicone, metal, and machining are all high quality. It is very lightweight, comfortable, and excellent for close up hands-free work with a rechargeable Eneloop AA battery. I probably won't buy the lithium 14500 as I prefer using an 18650 powered light for running high lumens. This light is absolutely ideal and fantastic for any kind of work you need to do with your hands. The best feature of this light is the "infinite" brightness settings.My only complaint remains the greenish neutral white tint of this product. However, I personally don't like cool white tints, and I would still pick a greenish neutral white tint over a cool white (blue) tint.In summary, get this ThruNite as a cheap high quality AA light for hands-free work. It is an excellent companion to a higher powered 18650 light. I am personally very happy with the competing Zebralight brand, but they cost several times what this product does.Update: I have had the TH20 neutral white head lamp almost a year now, and I still really like it. I use it frequently, and it makes my work much easier. I haven't had any problems with the quality, and still believe it to be very well made. The headband and silicone are still snug and in perfect condition. The firefly modes alone are enough to buy this. In my opinion, firefly modes are way more important in a flashlight than its maximum brightness.As another side note on my choice of companion 18650 light, the Emisar D4 flashlight with Nichia 219CT 90CRI 5000K (daytime sunlight) is now my go to, and there is absolutely no comparison between Thrunite's greenish "neutral white" and the beautifully tinted, very white 90CRI Nichia, but I am still very happy that I can get a cheap high quality head lamp from ThruNite in a "close enough" neutral white to be perfectly functional for all my hands free work. The TH20 Neutral White is still way better than most of the no-name "LED flashlights" floating around.Hint: If ThruNite would start producing a neutral white TH20 option with a very high CRI emitter (like the Nichia 219C) it would be absolute perfection.Another note: This has an SOS strobe but does not have a normal slow strobe. I wish it had a slow strobe for walking/biking at night.----------------------------------------------------------------18 month update: I still really like the ThruNite TH20 Neutral White. It still works great. I have only run AA Eneloop in mine. I highly recommend getting any of the competing Emisar D4 flashlights as your companion 18650 light. They are fantastic, and sold at similar price points to the Thrunite TH20.Quick Summary:1. Sub-lumen (less than one lumen) modes are important to me, and the TH20 has this (Firefly mode 0.3 lumens)2. Max lumens aren't very important to me in this category of light (single AA/14500).3. Lumen steps (number of brightness levels) are important to me in every light. TH20 has excellent brightness control.4. The TH20 neutral white beam color is good enough, and is much nicer than many low end lights. It could be improved though.5. If you want more lumens, get an additional 18650 or 26650 class light.6. Learn about candela, lux, and the Weber-Fechner law before you chase high lumens.7. Learn about color temperature and color rendition index (CRI) before purchasing any light.8. The TH20 Neutral White really is a great light for the price.Two year review---------------------------------Thrunite TH20 Neutral White still works great. TH 20 is an AA headlamp. If you want a similarly priced 18650 (bigger battery) headlamp, I really like the competing Skilhunt H03 Neutral White Headlamp with TIR (flood) lens. The Skilhunt H03 neutral white has a very nice daylight color temperature and is a lot brighter (on turbo) than the Thrunite TH20, while being very noticeable longer, and heavier. Also, the Skilhunt H03 does not have as many brightness settings as the TH20, which is noticeable on the low brightness (moonlight) settings. The Skillhunt has only one true moonlight setting, while the Thrunite TH20 has multiple. The H03 does have a slow strobe feature that the TH20 is missing. The many brightness settings are still one of TH20's strongest features.TH20 remains near perfection in an AA sized headlamp (at any price), still wish Thrunite would use a better neutral white LED. The small size and low moonlight settings of the TH20 makes it a superior choice for most headlamp applications, and I use it instead of an 18650 headlamp most of the time.---------------------------------------------------Almost 4-year review.I've had the TH20 almost 4 years now. Still works great.revain is trying to list the Thrunite TH01 as a "newer version" of the TH20 reviewed here. That isn't true. The TH01 is a USB rechargeable 18350 battery headlamp with a dual strap headband. The TH20 is a small, single strap headband, non-rechargeable (unless you remove the battery) headlamp. They aren't the same category of headlamp. The TH20 will take an AA battery. The TH01 will NOT take an AA battery. Thrunite's website makes no mention of the TH20 being discontinued or replaced, and I hope they continue making it as is (with a better neutral white emitter.)As a sidenote, I personally prefer lights that aren't USB rechargeable. The USB charging feature is one more thing to break, and one more place for water to get in.

Pros
  • ‎LED
Cons
  • The interface for switching between different light modes may be confusing or difficult for some users

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