Imalent HT70 triple light source headlamp review

REVIEW – Whether tracing wiring issues through cable races to just wanting to get your coffee ready to brew on a cold morning at a campsite, a headset from the modern, LCD era is something you need to embrace. They are a far cry from incandescent ones of yore and are quite a bit more robust than those from even a few years ago. Today, I have another headlamp to test, and I’m excited about the possibilities. It is the IMALENT HT70 Headlamp 3500 Lumen LED Rechargeable Flashlight, Super Bright Head Lamp with Red White Warm Light for Camping, Outdoor, Running and Hiking (HT70). Let’s see if it lives up to all those words.

What is it?

The Imalent HT70 is a three-way headlamp with a rechargeable and easily replaceable battery.

What’s in the box?

• Adjustable elastic headband with plastic light holder
• The Imalent HT70 itself (installed in the headband bracket)
• Steel spring clip
• USB-A<=>USB-C cable for charging
• removable overhead top strap
• Semi-hard-shell storage/travel case

Hardware specs

Design and features

The Imalent HT70 headlamp is a black cylinder with a central lighting “bump” in the center about .75” from either end.

Overall the lighting unit itself is 3.75” long and 1” in diameter. The outboard ”bump” is .5” out from the main cylinder, and measures about 2”. On the top of this bump, there is a three-way slider switch. With the switch set in the center, sliding to the left will go to a red safety color, which will protect your night vision. Sliding to the right will move from the center “cool” light to the “warm” light. Each of the side LCD systems (red and warm) has three intensity settings, with the low “lightning bug” level being barely visible, all the way to a hot bright setting. The main (center) LED has 5 intensities. The first three levels mimic the other two LED systems. The last two are much brighter and penetrate a long distance. To change intensity settings, you merely hold the power button down as the unit cycles through the levels. When you move the slider to go to another system, be aware that the setting is saved in its current state, which means that it’s possible to have the center saved at a high level, then slide over to the red light, work for a good while in night safe mode and switch back to high level bright, which can be quite jarring. (I wish the system would reset to the “lightning bug” setting after a bit of time not being in use, just to keep from blasting your eyes accidentally by forgetting you had an adjacent system at a high intensity. It’s quite easy to move the level up when you switch over, but very difficult to wait to recover your night vision once a bright light has been turned on.)

Setup

Setup is minimal – just top off the battery and you should be ready to go! The battery charges inside the light itself, rather than needing an outboard charger. There is a weather-protected USB-C port on the right (as you’re wearing it) on the same face as the power button. There are two charging LEDs on the opposite side of the lens “bump” that glow red while charging and green when fully charged. Charging time is minimal and the battery never went down noticeably in any of my testing.

Performance

I use headlamps when doing things outside at night that require vision and two hands, or if I’m in a dark place inside, (under a table, inside a cabinet, under a sink, or behind furniture) where I need both hands. The most common use for me is my after-dark grilling habit – I decide to grill something for lunch the next day (or several days) after the sun has gone down. The deck light by my back door is directly across from the grill, so my body always casts shadows on whatever is on the grill. And I want a little better light than I can get from a low-wattage porch light ten feet away.

While grilling several times with the Imalent, I played around with the Imalent HT70 settings – warm versus red versus cool light, various light intensities, etc. It was surprisingly easy to not only change settings but to get back to a setting I wanted. Most modern flashlights require you to remember a certain type of click, double click, click-and-hold, or “hold down when turning on” maneuver to move from high to low, cool to warm, etc. The Imalent has a physical slider to move between the three LED systems, and a single button to turn the selected system on, off, or up through the levels.

Having the on/off button on the side of the unit does make it a bit awkward for a lot of changing (your open hand will span across the lens if you’re using it one-handed while, say, holding a pair of tongs with a nice chicken thigh off the grill for inspection with your other hand), and the next mode may be on a higher level and shine brightly on your hand, blinding you for a second, but that’s not something you’re going to come across in general use. Most folks are gonna set up a light color and intensity, and then just use it for that job. But it was sometimes surprising to switch the light and get a blast from the other color as I switched back and forth.

The Imalent HT70 is possibly the most versatile and comfortable headband light I’ve ever used. It’s balanced, has an easy-to-understand method for moving between various levels as well as various types of light, and is very easy to put on and take off. On the band, there is a strip of tacky gel to keep it from slipping, rather than just having more tension be the only thing holding it in place. This is great for attaching to hard hats or bike helmets, as the slick surface of the “brain bucket” will be gripped by the gel.

There is an over-the-top band that can clip onto the bracket and the rear center of the strap to hold it up without requiring as tight a constriction on the main band. When I leave the well-lit trail area on my ride home from work after dark, the small patch of light from my on-board light is not quite enough to see the road ahead while biking through the neighborhood, and is almost useless for the mile of unlit trail I have to go up between the surface street to my street. (The paved multi-use trail is great in daylight, though! With Daylight Savings time, I’ve had a few run-ins with after-dinner strolling dog walkers using small lights, so I have to be careful! Having a little brighter light that follows the line of sight as I turn my head (rather than the direction of my handlebars) has been great.)

While we’re talking about the band and the light holder, I must compliment Imalent on the significant upgrade they made between the previous headlamp of theirs I reviewed and this unit. The previous iteration had a wire bail that swung over the light and was nearly impossible to remove or reattach. I think I bent the wire on either the first or second time I tried removing it from the headband. This attachment is made of some type of plastic, which is hard, yet yields enough to snap the lighting unit into and out of easily. It holds tightly and rotates with a nice click so it doesn’t change the angle of where the light is focused without you intending to make the change. When you pop it out, there is an included spring steel clip that can be locked into one of the channels that the headband holder uses and can be clipped to a shirt or a hat visor. (Although, it was in a headband – why would you do that?) It’s odd to have the lens assemblies in the center of a bar-type flashlight when it’s handheld but workable.

What I like about the Imalent HT70 headlamp

• Bright light at any level
• Easy to change between modes
• Easy charging
• Versatile and comfortable band

What I’d change

• On/Off switch on the side is awkward
• Have the intensities reset to the lowest setting after a minute or two using another system.

Final thoughts

We are a civilization that idealizes (and almost worships!) well-lit spaces. Whether it’s for safety, clarity, or surveillance/verification, lighting up a place will enhance our handling of it, at least for sighted persons. I love having a bright light handy and most other folks do as well. (Don’t believe me? Look around the restaurant next time you’re in one of those dimly-lit spaces and note the percentage of patrons who read the menu or wine list with their phone camera flash on!). But flashlights (even those with teeth grips!) will never be as stable, adjustable, and useful as a good, bright, adjustable headlamp. The Imalent HT70 Headlamp is a moderately-priced, full featured unit that offers a wide array of settings for your lighting needs, and the travel case means it is easily at hand in whatever situation you have that requires focused task lighting. It’s earned a permanent spot in my biking basket, for sure!

Price: usually $69.95 currently on sale for $55.96
Where to buy: Company Webstore and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Imalent. Imalent  did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.