NewRice Headlamp Review

Rating: 3/5

Pros:

BRIGHT light output
Includes rechargeable batteries and charger
Battery charger has three independent slots
Can use both red and white lights at same time
Cree 200 lumen LED
Decent battery life with rechargeable batteries

Cons:

The adjustable angle changes too easily
Cheap plastic clip prone to breaking
Included batteries are not their stated mAh rating

Conclusion: The NewRice LED Headlamp is so bright that it’s almost blinding, and I have this bad habit of looking straight into it when I turn it on. It’s a good thing though, as this single headlight does a significantly better job lighting up dark trails at night than my pair of bike lights I own. The illumination circle is wider and it is far brighter. The headlamp is approximately 60 lumens in dim mode and 200 in bright mode. As an added feature, both the red and white lights are usable at the same time.

The included batteries are nowhere near their 1250mAh rating, more like 700-800 mAh from my approximation. This makes them about the same as a standard rechargeable. The included charger is harder to rate. I think it is a smart charger, but it still seems to try and charge full batteries so I’m not entirely certain. In terms of real world usage, if all three batteries in the light are dead at the same time, this charger will be ideal as it has three slots that charge independently. This is significantly better than other basic chargers which pairs of two batteries in them to charge. At least, in this case, you’re getting a charger that will work perfectly for the head lamp so that three batteries are always ready when you need them.

The only complaint I have about the headlamp is a minor one. The adjustable angle changes too easily, for example if I’m riding my bike and I hit a bump, the angle of the headlamp will change. I just end up wearing it upside down so it doesn’t do this.

Overall, this headlight is a great package. It is bright and the included batteries and 3-slot charger are a nice bonus. I’d recommend it if you need an inexpensive and bright headlamp.

Author’s Note: Rating revised to 3-stars after the plastic piece that holds the strap to the light broke. I was able to glue it back together but without this piece there’s no way to wear the light as a headlamp, so it kind of defeats the purpose of owning it. If you do purchase this light I recommend being very careful with that piece as it is quite fragile.