
First Impressions
H30-Q5
The H30 comes packaged with a headband with a glow in the dark silicone bracket, a slip on pocket clip, a lobster claw, and neck lanyard with a glow in the dark silicone bracket. There are multiple ways to utilize this headlamp. The headband is comfortable to wear, and made of quality material. The H30-Q5 also comes with a replacement switch cover in glow in the dark silicone. I replaced the black one with it immediately, as it makes the switch highly visible in low light conditions. The only gripe I have with the package is that the lamp itself doesn’t fit super snugly in the silicone bracket. It’s not loose, but it can move around if you’re not careful.
The H30 has a single CREE XLamp XR-E Q5 bin LED in it. The light has 3 factory preset brightness settings. Low is 4 lumens, medium is 20 lumens, and high is 80 lumens. I tested the run times of each setting with Surefire brand CR123A batteries. The run time on high was right at 2.5hrs, which is right on with what the factory stated. 2.5 hrs at 80 lumens on a single battery is very impressive. The run time set on medium was right around 24 hours. The run time set on low was just shy of 4 days!!! I am very impressed at the efficiency of the CREE led. To use the light you just press the switch and the light comes on immediately. You then hold the button down to cycle through the brightness levels. Be advised that this light has no warning when the batteries die. The light just shuts off. The beam is a straight 80 degree flood pattern, with no hot spot. It provides a very nicely illuminated area, and on low is still a very effective light. I tested the light’s operation in various temperatures ranging from 17 degrees Farenheit, to 70 degrees Farenheit. It performed flawlessly, and turned on immediately. I did not submerge the lights to test water resistance, but I did use them both in the pounding rain and had no problems.
Over the past month I’ve used this light almost every day. Its finish is perfect. It still looks like it was just removed from the packaging. The light has performed flawlessly.
H50-Q5
The H50 comes packaged with an elastic headband with glow in the dark silicone mounting bracket, a neck lanyard with glow in the dark silicone bracket, a slip on pocket clip, a silicone anti-glare shield, and an additional glow in the dark silicone bracket. I am not sure why the H50 comes with the spare silicone bracket and the H30 does not. The two lights feel identical in weight when on your head. Both are very comfortable. The H30 does fit slightly more snug in the silicone, and overall is easier to use as a headlamp because of the external switch.
I tested the H50 in the same 17-70 degree F temperatures as the H30. The light, when equipped with lithium batteries, functioned flawlessly in all temperatures. When equipped with the standard AA batteries there was a slight delay in the light turning on in cold temperatures. You had to warm it up a bit in your hands before it turned on. This of course, is not a fault of the light, but a function of the different chemistry betwee alkaline and lithium-ion cell. It functioned without problems in the warmer temperatures though. As I stated earlier, the light also functioned perfectly in the pounding rain.
I did also notice that the twisty cap had a tendency to pick up grit, requiring you to disassemble the light and wipe the threads clean to get that smoothness back. This did not impede function of the light, but I felt more comfortable using it when it was clean. A nice function of the H50 is being able to use it with the slip on pocket clip, and mounting it to your pack strap. The H30 didn’t do well in this role as the switch kept getting bumped and turning the light off.
Post Testing Conclusions
I’ve got a good system with these lights now. The H30 is my dedicated headlamp for woods bumming and mountain biking, and the H50 is my dedicated pack light. It lives on the strap of my pack. With its wider flood pattern it makes an excellent light for this duty.
I really like both of these lights. However, it is my opinion that the H30 is a better choice. It feels like a more advanced version of the H50. The light is easier to operate, and maintain. The only real advantage that the H50 has is the use of AA batteries, which is an important factor for some. To me, it is not an issue, as all of my lights use the CR123A batteries and I like to standardize that aspect. Both lights are both extremely well made, and very durable. It was a sheer pleasure to use the Zebralight products, and I will continue to do so for a long time.
I totally recommend Zebralights headlamps. If you are in the market for a new headlamp, and want something that adapts to any role and is die-hard tough and reliable, look no farther then Zebralight!
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