Dave Pollard
USING a head torch quite literally gives you a hand whatever you’re doing, whether it’s faultfinding in the engine bay, changing brake pads or walking back from a breakdown at night.
The Nightsearcher 700R won last time out, taking the title from its 580R predecessor, and now the company has added motion-sensor (hands-free) control. We put it up against the standard 700R and Nitecore’s heavy-hitting NU43.
We used the trio in a variety of situations and compared their specifications, notably the light (measured in lumens), modes, battery and weight. We always like to see some kind of IP certification against dust ingress (the first figure), and moisture (the second).
You’d be pleased with any of these units, all of which provide lots of useful light. With the added Lightwave function, we’d put the new 700R model in top spot, with its stablemate sneaking ahead of the very impressive Nitecore due to its better price and zoom function.
Mini test
NEW PRODUCT
Nightsearcher LightWave 700R Rechargeable LED Head Torch
Price: £52.75 Power: Li-Poly/0.8Ah
Contact:shop.nightsearcher.com
Rating:
BASED on the test-winning 700R, this torch keeps that model’s 10-lumen warm white/flashing, plus 25, 310 and 700-lumen light modes.
All are easily operated from a top-mounted button and the over-the-head strap keeps it secure. Its li-poly battery is 0.8Ah, lower than some, but with the option to also use alkaline batteries.
The turn-to-adjust zoom function adds to its usefulness, and on high
