Princeton Tec Remix Plus Review
A premium priced light that is outperformed by competitors costing less
Photo: Abriah Wofford
Price: $50 List | $52.99 at Amazon
Pros: Well made construction
Cons: Poor performance, short battery life
Manufacturer: Princeton Tec
Cons: Poor performance, short battery life
Manufacturer: Princeton Tec
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ May 28, 2018
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Our Verdict
The Princeton Tec Remix Plus is built with quality construction, but at $50 list it is comparatively far too expensive for the performance it delivers. For example. when put side-by-side with the $20 Petzl Tikkina, our Best Buy winner, it had much lower overall performance scores across the board. The Tikkina sells for a 60% lower price, and comes in at half the weight. It is hard to justify buying the Remix, given so many strong competitors that offer more for less.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Princeton Tec Remix Plus | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  |  | |
| Price | $50 List $52.99 at Amazon | $49.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $39.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $30 List $29.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Well made construction | Excellent trail finding and close proximity beam, waterproof, above average battery life | Excellent spot light capability, wide evenly lit flood beam, above average in most ways | Super easy to use, inexpensive, solid performance, compact, and reliable | Unmatched for ultralight weight and size, outstanding for close-proximity use, durable |
| Cons | Poor performance, short battery life | More expensive, heavier than average, claimed battery life is very misleading | Below average battery life, claimed battery life is wildly misleading, single button hard to use, lame waterproofing | Good but not great spot beam for trail finding, slightly below average flood beam optics | Not well suited for distance viewing, expensive |
| Bottom Line | A premium priced light that is outperformed by competitors costing less | A durable light that will last for years with a bright high-quality beam, slightly higher in cost and weight | A quality, durable, and bright light that hits the sweet spot for most people's needs, despite dubious marketing claims | For $20, the Tikkina offers impressive performance at a great price, that will meet most people's needs | For those ultralight-fans who cut their toothbrush in half to save weight and size, this is the perfect light |
| Rating Categories | Princeton Tec Remix... | Black Diamond Storm | Black Diamond Spot | Petzl Tikkina | Petzl e+LITE |
| Trail Finding (35%) | |||||
| Close Proximity (20%) | |||||
| Battery Life (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Princeton Tec Remix... | Black Diamond Storm | Black Diamond Spot | Petzl Tikkina | Petzl e+LITE |
| Measured Beam Distance | 58 m | 91 m | 94 m | 62 m | 31 m |
| Claimed Distance | 78 m | 85 m | 80 m | 55 m | 10 m |
| Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) | 1.6 hrs | 5 hrs | 2.9 hrs | 3.5 hrs | 9.4 hrs |
| Claimed High Mode Run-time | 5 hrs | 40 hrs | 30 hrs | 60 hrs | 9 hrs |
| Measured Low Mode Run-time | 43 hrs | 42 hrs | 9.7 hrs | 223 hrs | 18 hrs |
| Claimed Low Mode Run-time | 100 hrs | 120 hrs | 175 hrs | 220 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 5.8 oz, 165 g | 4 oz, 112 g | 3.1 oz, 89 g | 2.9 oz, 83 g | 1 oz, 27 g |
| Battery Type | 4 AAA | 4 AAA | 3 AAA | 3 AAA | 2 CR2032 Lithium |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 splash proof | IP67 waterproof to one meter and dustproof | Splash proof (dubious IPX8 claim) | IPX4 splash proof | IPX7 waterproof to one meter |
| Manuf Claimed Lumens | 165 lumens | 350 lumens | 300 lumens | 150 lumens | 50 lumens |
| Beam Type | flood/spot | flood/spot | flood/spot | flood | flood |
| Red Light | no | yes, red/green/blue night-vision modes | yes | no | yes |
| On Switch Lock | yes | yes | yes | no | yes |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Princeton Tec needs to step up their headlamp game at this $50 price point. The market is now crowded with excellent products. The competition offers much more performance, for the same, or even much lower prices.
Performance Comparison
Photo: Abriah Wofford
Trail Finding
Scoring a 5 of 10, the Remix Plus has fairly poor trail finding abilities for its price.
Beam Distance Photos
Princeton Tec Remix Plus
Black Diamond Spot
Close Proximity
The Remix was disappointing for close proximity use, earning a poor 3 of 10 rating.
Battery Life
The Remix's battery life score is a mediocre 3 of 10, with only 1.6 hours in our measured high mode runtime tests using the ANSI standards, and 43 hours in low mode.
Photo: Abriah Wofford
Weight
The Remix is large and bulky compared to competitors, coming in at 5.8 ounces or 165 grams, and a two part package with batteries in back and the light element in front.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is a relative high point for the Remix, but even there it scored only about average.
Photo: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
We can't say the Remix Plus offers great value. The Petzl Tikkina is 60% lower list price, and scored much better. Other $50 lights, like the BD Storm left the Remix in the dust. Not recommended.
— RJ Spurrier
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