Petzl
Petzl Actik Core (625 lumens)
- Brightness: 7/10 How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark.
- Runtime: 7/10 How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by.
- Weight: 7/10 How much it adds to your pack and your head.
Three-season hill walking and wild camping where you may walk in the dark for a few hours
- Brightness
- 625 lumens (FL1)
- Runtime
- 7 h at 100 lumens
- Weight
- 88 g
- Power
- Both
- Water rating
- IPX4
Where to buy
HikeWare £61.50 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £60; the red one is out of stock, other colours in stock.
View at shop: HikeWareTask Outdoor £61.50 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £50; the red one is out of stock, other colours in stock.
View at shop: Task OutdoorUltralight Outdoor Gear £69.99 In stock. Free delivery. Shop's own list price is £74.99.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Brightness
From maker's figures 7/10How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark. 7: Better than most.
Petzl states 625 lumens to ANSI/PLATO FL1 with the CORE battery it comes with: the 500–799 band (450 lumens on AAA).
Runtime
From maker's figures 7/10How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by. 7: Better than most.
The 100-lumen standard mode runs 7 hours on the CORE battery (FL1), in the 6–9.9 h band. On AAA it is 10 hours, but AAA are not included.
Weight
From maker's figures 7/10How much it adds to your pack and your head. 7: Better than most.
88 g with the CORE battery, in the 50–89 g band.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Comfort*
Reviewers' average 8/10How comfy and steady it sits on your head.
4 reviews on comfort, e.g. "I’ve found the Petzl Actik Core to actually be one of the most comfortable and stable head torches I’ve used.".
Ease of use*
Reviewers' average 9/10How easy the buttons, modes and lock are, with gloves too.
5 reviews on ease of use, e.g. "The single large button is easy to operate with gloves on, which isn’t something we can say about the two-button designs".
In short
Good for
- Three-season hill walking and wild camping where you may walk in the dark for a few hours
- Hikers who want a USB-C rechargeable lamp that can also take AAA in an emergency
- Camp life and night navigation without cycling through beam modes: flood and spot together
Strengths
- 625 lumens (FL1) at 88 g with a 115 m reach
- Mixed flood and spot beam in one press; wide reflective headband
- Hybrid: the CORE battery (USB-C, 1250 mAh) is included, and it takes three AAA when you run out
- Single button, lock mode, battery indicator, red light and strobe
- Easier battery door than the previous model; 5-year warranty on the lamp and 2 years on the battery
Weaknesses
- IPX4 only: splash-proof, trails many rivals on waterproofing
- 100 lumens lasts only 7 hours on the CORE battery, and no USB cable is supplied
- No dimming between its three white levels
- Heavier than the lightest hiking lamps: Outdoors Magic's tester found it a little heavy for the longest light-weight trips
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (6)
- Petzl UK: Actik Core product page (maker's specifications, ANSI/PLATO FL 1)
- CleverHiker: Petzl ACTIK CORE Headlamp Review (tested for years, 2025 model against the old one)
- SectionHiker: Petzl Actik Core Headlamp Review (625-lumen model)
- Outdoors Magic: Petzl Actik Core 625 review (autumn of testing, North Wales and Lake District)
- Live for the Outdoors: Petzl Actik CORE Headlamp review, new and improved for 2025
- YouTube, Ryan Tilley (mountain guide): Petzl Actik Core headlamp (the new 625-lumen model on Shasta and Whitney night starts; Petzl sent the lamp)