Let me start by saying I love this headlamp. If it were a little softer I’d probably cuddle up with it at night. It is just…plain…great.
I care this much about a headlamp primarily because of when/where I run for training. I do my training runs early in the morning which, especially in the winter, is well before sunrise. And this run involves single track trails with a fair bit of roots, branches, etc. In these conditions I need to see. I’d tried to use a basic Princeton Tec lamp which worked well in sunrise/sunset conditions but it wasn’t doing the trick in full dark. Enter this beauty:
The MYO RXP (optional top strap not shown)
In its highest output mode the MYO RXP will crank out 140 lumens; not quite double Petzl’s own MYO XP at 85 lumens. It is also programmable so you can select any of three light levels ranging from 8 to 140 lumens. If the sun does happen to rise during a run all it takes is a couple clicks and I can back off from the vampire-blasting maximum output level.
That output level does come with a price, however. The RXP will happily chew up batteries if you run consistently at max output. The upside? It’s lithium battery compatible so you can squeeze out a few more hours in the cold that way. Thankfully it does have a “low battery” indicator so it’s easy enough to check before you leave the house to make sure you won’t be stuck out in the pitch black.
Since the RXP is a power hog it does take 3 AA batteries. The battery compartment is at the back of the head, leaving just the light in front. My biggest concern before I tried this out was that the weight/balance would be awkward and unwieldy. I’m happy to say this was definitely not the case. I am ordinarily very sensitive to stuff on my head (sunglasses, hats, etc.) and I found the RXP very well balanced and comfortable. One note: I use the optional top strap that isn’t shown in the above picture.
The bulb housing itself can of course be angled up and down; it takes a little pressure but once it’s locked in place it stays put. It also has a diffuser that flips down to make the beam a more focused, long distance light. I don’t use this setting too often since I’m usually more concerned about what’s right in front of me, but it’s come in handy a few times in the fog.
Summary
If you want to do some short to middle distance technical trail running when the only light is whatever the stars and moon provide, this is a fantastic headlamp. You can run at or near full daylight speed and be reasonably confident you won’t end up faceplanting. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who wants something on the lightweight end of the spectrum and I certainly wouldn’t carry it as an emergency backup or spare, but if you want some serious light, this is for you. One down note: the RXP will put a dent in your pocketbook. It retails for about $100 so keep an eye out for those discounts.
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