REASONS TO BUY
Light for beam power
Takes lithium ion batteries
REASONS TO AVOID
Not nearly as good a batterly live as standard MYO XP
Expensive
Petzl MYO RXP Review
Petzl MYO-RXP
Credit: Petzl
Our Verdict
This delivers great close proximity lighting and has more beam power levels than any light we tested. The extra “R” in RXP stands for “regulated” as you there are three lighting modes, for each of which the user can select the power from among ten possible levels, from 8 to 140 lumens. While this feature sounds cool, we didn't find we used it. The three default levels that the headlamp comes with are fine. We did find a big drawback to the regulated feature: the battery life was not nearly as good as the MYO XP. Whereas the MYO XP had one of the longest battery lives of any headlamp tested, the RXP was just OK in our tests. Due to that and the fact that the RXP is $15 more expensive, we recommend you stick with the standard MYO XP. For the price of the RXP, you can get the super bright Black Diamond Icon or nearly get three Coast HL7 headlamps.
The MYO RXP is a programmable model of the Petzl MYO XP headlamp. Overall, these two headlamps are similar in their brightness and functionality.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
Spot mode light turned on
Credit: Shellay Glatz
Trail Finding
This light has an excellent trail finding score with 8 of 10 and is tied with our two Editors' Choice winners, the Coast HL7 and the Black Diamond Spot. But as you can see in the beam comparison photo below, the Coast shines further into the distance and does so almost a third price.
Beam Distance Photos
Close Proximity
The flip=down diffuser gives the RXP instant perfectly even light and a score of 9 of 10. It's impressive, but the Black Diamond Spot had similar performance for half the price and longer battery life as you can see below.
Beam Distance Photos
For about a third the price, the Coast had even better close proximity lighting and a perfect score of 10 of 10.
Battery Life
Battery life was okay and earned the RXP a score of 4 of 10. It lasted 4.8 hours in our measured high mode run time ANSI test (learn more about ANSI an our Headlamp Review ). That compared 5.2 hours for the Spot and 8.5 hours for the Icon. This is one area the Petzl Tikka RXP does better. The RXP lasts 5.1 hours, does so with a brighter beam and 50% less weight.
Uses 3 AA batteries
Credit: Shellay Glatz
Brightness
The RXP measured a max beam distance of 75 m compared to 70 m for the Spot and 128 m for the Coast. It earned a score of 6 of 10, which is not all that impressive for a $90 headlamp.
What makes the RXP stand out are the 10 possible lumen levels. No other light we tested gives you that much control. Whether you need that brightness control is another question. We didn't find it all that useful.
Weight
At 138 grams, this is halfway between a compact light like the Spot 93 grams and a more robust light like the Icon 230 grams.
Value
For $90, this light faces a lot of competition. A few $36-40 lights scored higher. To justify the price, you really have to love the variable brightness settings. While this can be a nice feature, we feel the Coast HL7, with its simple adjustment lever, does a better job.
Conclusion
This a great headlamp, but too expensive for the performance it delivers. The Black Diamond Spot is half the cost, lighter, has a longer battery life and scored the same on beam quality. If you are looking for powerful beam and perfectly even near light, check out the Coast HL7.
This headlamp also will likely be phased out for the Petzl TIkka RXP which is lighter, brighter and has better battery life with a rechargable battery.—
RJ Spurrier and Chris McNamara
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