HF8R Signature RGB Rechargeable Head Torch review: Brains, brawn and brightness

Like the people responsible for finding and naming new stars, German brand LedLenser, which specialises in lighting products (these guys came up with the very first LED flashlight back in the day), is clearly extremely clever, but it doesn’t have much imagination when it comes to giving their babies memorable monikers.

I don’t have a clue what the letters and numbers in the HF8R indicate, but I do know that it is a very impressive-looking head torch, which boasts some incredibly high-tech capability and a range of fantastic-looking features.

Suffice it to say, I was excited about testing the claims in the field (and on the trails and amid the hills) but also slightly concerned that its level of complexity might bamboozle my simple brain or – worse – detract from its usability and performance as a head torch. Luckily, neither concern played out, and this is right up there with the best head torch I have ever tested.

There are two iterations of this headlamp. I have been using and abusing the top-of-the-range Signature version, which has 400 more lumens than the Core, and can throw a ‘Boost’ beam an extra 10 metres. The Signature also boasts more colour lights than the Core, with red, green and blue options available (which at least explains the RGB acronym LEDLenser often affixes to this model of the HF8R).

Beyond these relatively small differences, the Signature and the Core are essentially the same headlamp, so I have reviewed them together.

HF8R Signature RGB Rechargeable Head Torch review

Price and availability

The LedLenser HF8R Core Headlamp is available in two colours (teal and black) now, for a recommended price of £144.95 in the UK, $119.95 in the US, €129,00 across the EU and AU$ 269.95 in Australia. The higher-spec LedLenser HF8R Signature Headlamp has an RRP of £169.95 in the UK, $159.95 in the US, €159,00 across the EU and AU$ 299.95 in Australia.

Specifications

• Weight: 194g (including headband)
• Versions: Core / Signature
• Size (Length/Width/Height): 80mm / 40mm / 50mm
• Colours: Teal / Black
• Head movement angle: 45°
• Brightness: 20–300–900 lumens (Low–Mid–Standard)
• Max brightness (Boost mode): 1600 lumens (Core)/ 2000 lumens (Signature)
• Range (Signature): 25 metres (Low) / 100m (Mid) / 200m (Standard)
• Boost Range: 210m (Core) / 220m (Signature)
• Colour temp: 5200k–6200k
• Modes: Low / Mid / Standard / Boost / Blink / Strobe / S.O.S. / Red / Green (Signature only) / Blue (Signature only)
• Run time: 90 hours (Low) / 10 hours (Mid) / 3.5 hours (Standard)
• Charge time: 270 minutes
• Ingress rating: IP68 (fully dust and waterproof)
• Compatibility: Hiking, caving, camping, climbing, working, general use

Design and features

The HF8R family of lights from LedLenser are powerful single-unit headlamps, with the light system and the battery all housed in the same unit, which is mounted on the front of a headband. The system is built around four white light LED bulbs and a colour bulb, but this is a very high-tech light compared to most headlamps.

Bluetooth connectivity and automated adaptive light capacity offer the user a genuine hands-free way of customising and operating the various beam options available, and an ‘Advanced Focus System’ allows you to refine the light output.

As you would expect these days, it’s rechargeable, and there’s a nifty magnetic connector on the recharging cable (like an Apple Mac product), which attaches to receptors on the bottom of the unit. Four mini red lights indicate the level of charge.

The headband has a silicone cradle at the rear, which helps with comfort levels and helps keep the unit securely in place (especially if you’re moving around).

The HF8R also comes with an extra band that you can add to the harness, which goes over the top of your head to provide extra support (useful, because this isn’t a lightweight head torch), and a removeable comfort pad that quickly affixes to the rear of the light unit, to keep your forehead happy.

Brilliantly, the unit can be quickly and easily removed from the headband and clipped into a universal bracket, which clamps to all sorts of things, such as tent poles and tree branches, effectively turning the headtorch into a camping lantern or flashlight. Whether it’s being worn on the headband or used in the bracket, the light unit can be angled downwards up to 45 degrees.

Operation

When you first turn the LedLenser HF8R on (the Core or the Signature models) the four white LED bulbs rotate through a funky little sequence, which lets you know the headlamp is in Adaptive Light Beam mode. This means the torch will automatically alter both the brightness and the focus of the beam to a level it deems sufficient in the surrounding light conditions, without you having to do anything.

If you do want to toggle through the white light options, increasing or decreasing the brightness of the beam manually, press the top button again to loop through Low, Mid, Standard and Blink settings. At the end of those options, another press will turn the light off (but when you turn it back on, it will remember the last setting you had it on).

To activate the Boost mode, which can be done at any time, quickly double-click the main button – this gives you a beam of 1600 lumens with a range of 210 metres on the Core, or a night-splitting 2000 lumen beam with a throw of 220 metres on the Signature.

By turning the wheel at the bottom of the light unit, you can switch between the various flood and spotlight options that the combination of the four main bulbs facilitates. The Signature RGB model comes with Red, Green, and Blue colour options (whereas the Core has only a red bulb option). To activate the colour bulb, hold the main button for 2 seconds, and to toggle through the options, keep single-pressing it.

Additional settings and functions can be accessed and tweaked by downloading the LedLenser Connect app and pairing the headlamp to your phone through Bluetooth.

Performance

I have been using the LedLenser HF8R Signature headlamp for several months now in a wide range of outdoor scenarios, from night hiking escapades during the dark evenings of early spring through to a car camping adventure across the South West when I was testing the TentBox Go. I have also been putting it to good use during more prosaic tasks, such as when walking the dog after dark and while doing a DIY project in my loft.

My early concerns that I would need to sign up for an engineering degree to work out everything the HF8R is capable of, and spend hours learning how to activate all the many high-tech functions it made available to me, were largely unfounded.

With a single easy-to-find button on the top of the unit, it’s actually very simple to operate and toggle through the options that you most commonly need. In fact, the adaptive lighting does most of those things for you, but you can change the focus and width of the beam to your requirements by using the dial on the bottom of the light unit.

The Ledlenser connect app is also surprisingly painless to install and use, and I found the experience of finetuning my headlamp’s settings from my phone really quite enjoyable. Using it opens up a whole suite of additional options, including an Emergency Light setting that will automatically activate the light if charging is interrupted by a powercut or an earthquake. The latter is a remote possibility in Devon, admittedly, but it’s good to know the HF8R has my back.

It's not a lightweight headtorch by any means, and all the weight is carried on the front, but the high-quality harness keeps it securely in place so long as you’re not attempting to do anything too vigorous such as trail running or night trampolining. The ability to mount the light unit on to a universal clamp is also really useful in all kinds of situations, whether you’re camping or attempting to do some practical task in a dark place.

I really like the Adaptive Light Beam capability of the HF8R, which makes it a genuinely handsfree headtorch and is really helpful if you’re doing any sort of rock scrambling in reduced light, or subterranean exploring in caves and potholes.

The three main white light settings (Low, Mid and Standard) are more than sufficient for the vast majority of scenarios, with the Low beam offering decent glow for over three and a half days, and the Mid and Standard settings being bright enough for pretty much everything you require. The Boost and Blink options are there for when you really need them, but it is a bit of a shame that the strobe and S.O.S settings are only accessible via the app.

I’m not convinced I’d pay the extra price for the Signature if all it offered was an additional 400 lumens and 10 metres further throw over the Core on the Boost setting, but I do like the bonus colour options that only come with the top-spec model. A red light is great for preserving your night vision, map reading and getting up in the middle of the night without waking up all your tent/dorm mates, but green is great for wildlife spotting and blue is perfect around water, and for detecting leaks.

And speaking of water, many of my pre-dawn and post-sunset adventures here on the coast involve proximity to water, and it’s very comforting to know that a pricey piece of kit like this can survive an accidental plunge into the wet stuff.

Verdict

It’s not perfect – the LedLenser HF8R is big, bulky and heavy compared to many head torches, and all the weight is carried on the front (although the harness is very good).

However, it is an excellent, extremely well-designed and ultra-capable headlamp when used in the environments it is intended for, especially when you need hands-free illumination, which is supplied via the adaptive lighting technology.

If you’re someone who enjoys regular after-dark adventures and overnight escapades, or you spend a fair amount of time exploring or working underground or anywhere that natural light does not reach, then this is a truly excellent piece of kit.

The complexity of the inner workings don’t make this headtorch hard to operate, which is a minor miracle, and neither do they impact on how well it delivers its main function: to provide a range of beams to enable you to enjoy your outdoor activities to the full.

Also consider

As impressive as the LedLenser HF8R Signature Headlamp is, many people will find it either too heavy or too technical to be of practical use to them. One alternative is the AceBeam H35, which is still too heavy for running, but offers even more lumens on the Turbo mode and has a broad range of excellent features.

If you’re looking for a lightweight guiding light for use when trail running, rock climbing or fastpacking, the excellent Silva Smini, the Petzl Swift RL 2 and the new Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 are superb choices – however, they weigh less because they’re made of plastic, so they’re not quite as tough as the ).

For a good budget option headlamp, consider the Lifesystems Intensity 300.