Reviews You Can Rely On

Vitchelo V800 Review

A below average performer overall, not recommended
vitchelo v800 headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Price:  $32 List
Manufacturer:   Vitchelo
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  May 29, 2018
52
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#20 of 27
  • Trail Finding - 35% 5.0
  • Close Proximity - 20% 2.0
  • Battery Life - 15% 7.0
  • Weight - 15% 6.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 7.0

Our Verdict

At first glance, the Vitchelo seems like it might be a contender, at least on paper, but our extensive hands-on test left us disappointed. The Vitchelo delivers average performance when used for viewing distance, OK, but certainly not impressive compared to competitors. But, it really falls short for everyday use around the camp. The close-proximity lighting levels offer a narrow beam that is poorly suited to use lighting a camping kitchen, reading, work around the house, or other normal flood lighting uses. This is a light we would not recommend to a friend.
REASONS TO BUY
Good battery life
Bright spot mode beam
REASONS TO AVOID
Very poor for close proximity use
Narrow beam

Compare to Similar Products

 
vitchelo v800 headlamp review
This Product
Vitchelo V800
Awards  Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award  
Price $32 List$21.97 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$29 List
$19.95 at Amazon
$20.00 List
$14.73 at REI
$20.00 List
$19.95 at REI
Overall Score Sort Icon
52
70
63
60
56
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Pros Good battery life, bright spot mode beamExcellent spot light capability, wide evenly lit flood beam, above average in most waysGood performance for the price, 94 meter beam throw, easy to useSuper easy to use, inexpensive, solid performance, compact, and reliableLightweight, small size, excellent flood beam, great price
Cons Very poor for close proximity use, narrow beamBelow average battery life, claimed battery life is wildly misleading, single button hard to use, lame waterproofingAverage in most waysGood but not great spot beam for trail finding, slightly below average flood beam opticsToo weak a beam for trail finding or distance viewing
Bottom Line A below average performer overall, not recommendedA quality, durable, and bright light that hits the sweet spot for most people's needs, despite dubious marketing claimsThe Yalumi is a good light, at a good price, that provides basic functionalityFor $20, the Tikkina offers impressive performance at a great price, that will meet most people's needsOffers great close proximity lighting at a budget price
Rating Categories Vitchelo V800 Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina Black Diamond Astro
Trail Finding (35%)
5.0
8.0
6.0
5.0
3.0
Close Proximity (20%)
2.0
9.0
5.0
4.0
7.0
Battery Life (15%)
7.0
4.0
6.0
7.0
6.0
Weight (15%)
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Ease of Use (15%)
7.0
6.0
9.0
10.0
9.0
Specs Vitchelo V800 Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina Black Diamond Astro
Measured Beam Distance 134 m 94 m 94 m 62 m 38 m
Claimed Distance 110 m 80 m 90 m 55 m 35 m
Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) 4.1 hrs 2.9 hrs 4.3 hrs 3.5 hrs 4.8 hrs
Claimed High Mode Run-time Not specified 30 hrs Not specified 60 hrs 20 hrs
Measured Low Mode Run-time 191 hrs 9.7 hrs 47 hrs 223 hrs 95 hrs
Claimed Low Mode Run-time 120 hrs 175 hrs 100 hrs 220 hrs 80 hrs
Measured Weight 3.2 oz, 92 g 3.1 oz, 89 g 2.7 oz, 77 g 2.9 oz, 83 g 3 oz, 86 g
Battery Type 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA
Water Resistance IPX 6 (Resists powerful jets) Splash proof (dubious IPX8 claim) IPX4 splash proof IPX4 splash proof IPX4 splash proof
Manuf Claimed Lumens 168 lumens 300 lumens 140 lumens 150 lumens 150 lumens
Beam Type flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood flood, dimmable
Red Light yes yes yes no no
On Switch Lock no yes no no yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Vitchelo is a light that is intriguing due to pretty high user-ratings on sites like Amazon, but we found it fell way short of our expectations when we put it through extensive testing side by side competing products.

vitchelo v800 headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Likes


The Vitchelo is an easy to use light that offers a beam that shines a long distance. But, that beam distance looks better on paper than it is in practice, because the V800 gains that long distance with optics that create an overly narrow spot beam that feels like you are looking down a narrow tunnel.


The comparison below shows the Vitchelo on the left versus the Black Diamond Spot. The Vitchelo actually shines a longer distance, but we'd much prefer the wider and more evenly lit beam of the Spot and other competitors.

Beam Distance Photos
Beam photo of Vitchelo V800
Beam photo of Black Diamond Spot

Vitchelo V800
Black Diamond Spot

The Vitchelo's other strong suit is battery life, where it held up well in our close-proximity test, and performed above average in our test on the high setting.

vitchelo v800 headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Unfortunately, this is another pyrrhic victory for the Vitchelo, because while battery life is excellent in the low setting, the optics are terrible for close-proximity use and we found this one of the least desirable lights to use around the camp.


vitchelo v800 headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Dislikes


Our biggest issue with the Vitchelo is poor optics — the beam is overly hot in the center and just too darn narrow — and this problem is most noticable when the V800 is used around camp in the low-level lighting. A wide and evenly lit beam is what we want around camp or in the tent, and the V800 offers an overly narrow spot.


As illustrated in the chart above, the V800 is one of our least favorite lights for use around camp. But, the problems with the optics don't stop for use at close proximity; it also degrades use for trail finding.


The narrow beam of the Vitchelo is much less useful when viewing distance, such as trail finding, than competing lights because the beam is just too narrow, providing a view like looking through a tube.

Conclusion


There is really nothing about the Vitchelo that is sufficiently compelling to justify buying it when there are so many competing products that offer better performance and value. This is not a light we'd recommend to a friend.

RJ Spurrier
 
You Might Also Like

Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.

GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.

Learn More