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Energizer Vision HD Review

Good enough performance, at a good price, but the Tikkina is a better long-term value
Energizer Vision HD
Credit: Abriah Wofford
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Price:  $19 List | $9.98 at Amazon
Pros:  Attractive price, good flood lighting, easy to use
Cons:  Below average spot beam, below average quality
Manufacturer:   Energizer
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  May 28, 2018
Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
52
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#18 of 27
  • Trail Finding - 35% 3.0
  • Close Proximity - 20% 5.0
  • Battery Life - 15% 6.0
  • Weight - 15% 6.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 9.0

Our Verdict

The Energizer Vision HD is a low-cost light that provides good close proximity beam quality and reasonable overall performance. The Petzl Tikkina, offers a better value in the long-run with better performance on multiple counts, and overall better construction quality.

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Energizer Vision HD
This Product
Energizer Vision HD
Awards  Best Buy Award   Top Pick Award 
Price $19.00 List
$9.98 at Amazon		$19.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers		$10.97 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$25 List$24.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Pros Attractive price, good flood lighting, easy to useSuper easy to use, inexpensive, solid performance, compact, and reliableLightweight, small size, excellent flood beam, great priceLight, small, relatively inexpensive, good battery lifeThoughtfully designed for use by young kids, child-proof battery area, not too bright, fun color option
Cons Below average spot beam, below average qualityGood but not great spot beam for trail finding, slightly below average flood beam opticsToo weak a beam for trail finding or distance viewingBelow average lightingNot a great light for grown-ups or even older kids, poor battery life
Bottom Line Good enough performance, at a good price, but the Tikkina is a better long-term valueFor $20, the Tikkina offers impressive performance at a great price, that will meet most people's needsOffers great close proximity lighting at a budget priceA good quality & lightweight product, but wedged in between the ultralight e+LITE, and the better TikkinaA reasonably priced light that is our Top Pick for Kids
Rating Categories Energizer Vision HD Petzl Tikkina Black Diamond Astro Black Diamond Ion Black Diamond Wiz
Trail Finding (35%)
3.0
5.0
3.0
3.0
1
Close Proximity (20%)
5.0
4.0
7.0
4.0
6.0
Battery Life (15%)
6.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
2.0
Weight (15%)
6.0
6.0
6.0
8.0
8.0
Ease of Use (15%)
9.0
10.0
9.0
6.0
9.0
Specs Energizer Vision HD Petzl Tikkina Black Diamond Astro Black Diamond Ion Black Diamond Wiz
Measured Beam Distance 45 m 62 m 38 m 44 m 7 m
Claimed Distance 40 m 55 m 35 m 38 m 20 m
Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) 8.7 hrs 3.5 hrs 4.8 hrs 7.4 hrs 3.3 hrs
Claimed High Mode Run-time 8 hrs 60 hrs 20 hrs 6 hrs 5 hrs
Measured Low Mode Run-time 74 hrs 223 hrs 95 hrs 115 hrs 3.3 hrs
Claimed Low Mode Run-time 8 hrs 220 hrs 80 hrs 180 hrs 120 hrs
Measured Weight 3.1 oz, 89 g 2.9 oz, 83 g 3 oz, 86 g 1.9 oz, 53 g 2.3 oz, 65 g
Battery Type 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA 2 AAA 2 AAA
Water Resistance water resistant IPX4 splash proof IPX4 splash proof IPX8 waterproof beyond one meter IPX4 splash proof
Manuf Claimed Lumens 180 lumens 150 lumens 150 lumens 100 lumens 30 lumens
Beam Type flood/spot flood flood, dimmable flood/spot flood
Red Light no no no yes kids multi-color
On Switch Lock no no yes no no, 2 hr auto-shutoff

Our Analysis and Test Results

In a competitive field, this product, which almost seems like an afterthought from a huge battery manufacturer, actually has some attributes to offer potential customers.

Performance Comparison


Energizer Vision HD headlamp
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Trail Finding


The trail finding score for this headlamp is well below average at 3 of 10.


Beam Distance Photos
Beam photo of Energizer Vision HD
Beam photo of Petzl Tikkina

Energizer Vision HD
Petzl Tikkina

Close Proximity


The Energizer's close proximity score falls right in the middle of the pack because it casts an even beam; it's just not very wide. If close proximity is very important to you, check out the Black Diamond Gizmo ($20), which scored very high in this metric and has a long battery life.


Battery Life


The battery life score is surprisingly good. It has an ANSI measured high mode run time of 8.7 hours and a pretty good 74 hours in low-mode. These are solid run-time numbers, but the low-mode run-time pales when compared to the similarly priced Petzl Tikkina which delivered an amazing 223 hours in low mode.


Energizer Vision HD headlamp
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Weight


At 3.1 ounces or 89 grams, this is lamp is toward the lighter end of the spectrum.


Ease of Use


This headlamp earned one of the highest ease-of-use scores. For infrequent headlamp users, it's nice to have a light that is intuitive and doesn't require learning the various features. It is also manageable even with gloves.


It must be pointed out that this light is by far the most troublesome when it comes to inadvertently turning on. Almost more often than not, we'd find it turned on in our pack. The switch has no lock mode and the large button seems more vulnerable than most to bumping and jostling.

Energizer Vision HD headlamp
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Conclusion


If you're on a budget, this is a very functional headlamp that is offered at an attractive $19 list price. We think the $20 list Petzl Tikkina offers a better value though, both in the near term due to stronger performance, and in the long-run due to better quality and durability.

— RJ Spurrier
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