Headlamps are great, allowing you to shine a light in any direction without taking up either of your hands the way that flashlights would. Problem is, you’ll have to wear it on your head for extended periods, so it needs to be as lightweight as possible to minimize any discomfort. The Fenix HM55R Renegade prioritizes that lightweight build, giving you a powerful headlamp that weighs a mere 3.7 ounces.
Billed to deliver “the best balance of power, portability, and runtime,” the headlamp isn’t the brightest, lightest, or longest-lasting, instead boasting an impressive mix of performance on all fronts. It’s designed for general outdoor recreation, making it ideal for hiking, camping, and other activities that don’t require extremely bright outputs.
The Fenix HM55R Renegade is a headlamp that puts all the electronic components on the front housing, w ith the LED module mounted on top of the battery case, allowing you to move the LED housing around independently. This makes it possible to tilt the LEDs up to 60 degrees, so you can aim the beam closer or further, depending on what you need. The whole thing is detachable from the headband, too, making it easy to clear or replace headbands as needed. Oh yeah, the outfit also sells different styles of headbands that are compatible with this headlamp design.
It has a maximum output of 1200 lumens in spotlight mode, although that’s at the Turbo setting. To the unfamiliar, that means it won’t actually stay at 1200 lumens for long. Instead, it will only maintain that for a short time (usually a minute or so) before tapering down to a level that won’t overheat the LEDs. In case you don’t need that 1200 lumens at the start, it also offers High (350 lumens), Medium (130 lumens), and Low (30 lumens).
The Fenix HM55R Renegade also offers a floodlight mode if you need a wider coverage area for your illumination. It has three settings, namely High (350 lumens), Medium (70 lumens), and Low (five lumens). Lastly, there’s a red light mode if you want to be less disruptive to wildlife in the backcountry. The spotlight, by the way, has a maximum throw of 574 feet, while the floodlight offers 187 feet and the red light reaches 43 feet. Runtime will vary based on the settings you use, with Spotlight on High lasting you 6.5 hours, Floodlight on High lasting four hours, and Red Light on High (70 lumens) lasting for eight hours. The battery is replaceable, too, as it uses a pretty common ARB-L18-1600 module, although it’s also compatible with other makes and models of the same dimensions (18350).
The headlamp is IP68 waterproof, so you can submerge it in water for short periods, while being rated to withstand drops of up to 66 feet. Other features include a LED indicator for battery level, a large side switch that’s designed to be used with gloves, automatic brightness downshifting when it detects high temperatures, a covered USB-C charging port (so it won’t be penetrated by water), and a breathable reflective headband.
The Fenix HM55R Renegade is available now in three colors, priced at $74.95.
