AceBeam H35 review: a five-bulb barrel headtorch with a belter of a beam

I have been testing out a broad range of lighting options from the Chinese brand AceBeam during the dark winter months here in the soggy southwest, including the deceptively svelte skybursting Acebeam P20 Flashlight.

It blew me (and my retinas) away and probably made my neighbours wonder why there was a searchlight scouring the sky for enemy bombers (it’s the best hand torch I’ve ever used).

Suffice it to say, I was looking forward to testing the brand’s H35 5-core Dual-light Source Headlamp to see how it compares to the very best head torches on the market.

As you can probably tell from the star rating, the H35 5-core Dual-light Source Headlamp isn't perfect and might not be suited for fast-paced activities like trail running. For other stuff, though, it's well worth considering. Read my full review below to find out.

AceBeam H35 review

Price and availability

The H35 5-core Dual-light Source Headlamp is available now, either directly from AceBeam or online at various sites, for a recommended price of around £85 in the UK and $92 in the US.

Specifications

• Weight: 163g/ 5.7oz (Including battery, bracket and headband)
• Size (Length/Width/Height): 87 x 40 x 44.3mm
• Body material: AL6061-T6 high-quality aluminum alloy
• Power: 1 x 3800mAh 18650 lithium-ion battery
• Brightness: Ultralow (10 lumens), Low (110 lumens), Med (320–110 lumens), High (920–320 lumens), Turbo (2600–1100 lumens), Red light (200–100 lumen), Red S.O.S. (200–50 Lumens)
• Range: Up to 170m (on Turbo), 85m (high),
• Peak beam intensity: 992.25cd
• Modes: 7 (Ultralow, Low, Medium, High, Turbo, Red, Red S.O.S.)
• Run time: 193 hours on UltraLow (6 hours on High)
• Charge time: 3.5 hours
• Ingress rating: IP68
• Compatibility: Hiking, camping, climbing, working, general use

Design and features

Mounted on a breathable elastic headband, this simple to use, single-unit head torch has a cylindrical design, with two easy to locate buttons on the top that activate the light and then let you toggle through the various modes. The body of the torch houses a rechargeable battery and a bank of five LED bulbs (four white, one red) that combine to offer you a broad range of beam options, ranging from the ultra-bright Turbo, which launches a 2600-lumen lightning strike with a reach of 170 metres, through to the gentle-glow Ultralow, which will give you a little bit of illumination for up to eight days on a single charge.

In between these modes are three very practical settings (Low, Medium and High), where you can strike a great balance between useful brightness and power conservation (the higher beams also automatically step down to a lower setting after several minutes, to protect battery life). There’s also a red light, which can be used on constant beam or activated to pump out a pre-programmed continuous S.O.S. sequence of short and long bursts.

It’s possible to lock the light, to avoid accidentally activating it when you’re carrying it around in a hiking backpack or daypack. The on/off button features a battery level indicator, which glows green all the time you have more than 30% of juice left in the tank, but turns red when the power drops below that, and then starts flashing with increasing urgency as the percentage drops past 20% and 10%, so you can switch to a less draining mode in order to get back to base. The H35 is easy to charge, with a USB-C cable (which comes included) and the battery is completely replenished after about three and a half hours.

The housing is curved to fit comfortably and ergonomically on your forehead and the unit can be angled downwards at various degrees, to illuminate the trail ahead while hiking in the dark. The flat surfaces at either end of the main unit make it possible to stand the torch up, and one side is magnetic (allowing you to attach the unit to a vehicle or anything else metal), so you can use it like a camping lantern or work light in all kinds of scenarios.

The all-metal (high-grade aluminium) casing of the H35 is water- and dustproof (IP68) and extremely tough, and the unit can withstand large drops and complete submersion in water to a depth of 2 metres for at least half an hour.

Performance

I have been using the H35 5-core Dual-light Source Headlamp for the last 6 months, primarily during camping adventures in autumn and then after-dark hiking through the light nights of winter. It has also proved extremely useful for everyday tasks, from walking the dog in the dark through to doing DIY projects in my attic – where the range of beam options and placement configurations have made it a really useful tool

The five-bulb light rack is 46mm across and projects light out across a 100-degree arc, illuminating a broad amount of upcoming trail when I have been walking in the dark. During night hikes I found the width and range of the H35 beam to be pretty much perfect on the Mid setting (which lasts for 20 hours – easily long enough for overnight escapades or multinight projects.

This beam is more than adequate for lighting up potential obstacles in the path immediately ahead, and it also gives me enough peripheral vision to spot waymarkers and signage (and things of interest) off to the side of the trail. By twisting the barrel, you can rotate the beam 75 degrees downwards, which I have found very useful when walking and doing tasks in the campsite and in the garden after dark.

When required, I can up the beam strength to High o Turbo for a short period. On the downside, there is no capacity to shoot a concentrated narrow beam from the H35, like there is on many headtorches.

Although this powerful head torch does generate quite a bit of heat when used for extended periods, as I have been doing while hiking, the higher settings automatically step down after short time and the alloy metal body cools pretty quick. The mount also keeps the light and battery unit a good 1cm from your head, so there is no heat sensation.

The mount is curved too, so it fits the profile of your forehead, and although this isn’t the lightest headlamp out there, I found it perfectly comfortable to wear. If I was being picky, I would recommend some extra padding on the headband, but the material has a decent enough next-to-skin/hair feel, and the elastic is perforated, so it doesn’t get sweaty.

This band goes over the top of your head, as well as around, which provides extra support (useful, because there is some heft to this metal head torch, and all the weight is carried at the front). It also has reflective flourishes to make you extra visible to vehicles from all angles when hiking on lanes and roads at night.

The red LED bulb is ultra bright (200 lumens), with a range of 63 metres, and it allows you to properly illuminate your surroundings, so you can check out wildlife read signs and look ahead along the trail without attracting flying insects towards your face or shattering your night vision. It’s a pity you can’t lower the intensity of this beam, though, to more subtly perform close-range tasks like checking your map, locating something nearby during the night, or exiting a shared tent or dorm room without waking everyone else up.

Verdict

The AceBeam H35 5-core Dual-light Source Headlamp is a very impressive and highly capable piece of kit for illuminating post-dusk hiking adventures, taking car camping (when carrying weight isn’t an issue), walking the dog on dark and wet winter mornings and using for all sorts of tasks after dark, no matter where you are – at home, in the garage or garden, or hard at work.

It’s super tough, completely waterproof and can survive all sorts of rough and tumble. The beam options and modes are great, ranging from ultra-powerful to very long-lasting, with plenty of functional modes in between.

It’s a little heavy and chunky for some purposes, but use as described above it’s very versatile, with a magnetised flat base opening up multiple positioning options. If only the brightness of the red light was scalable, it would be even better.

Also consider

As capable and impressive as the H35 is, it is too bulky and heavy for some after-dark and outdoor situations, such as trail running, rock climbing, fastpacking and minimalist backpacking escapades.

If you’re looking for a headtorch that weighs considerably less but still offers a very high level of functionality and performance, both the Petzl Swift RL 2 and the new Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 are brilliant choices – just remember they’re lighter because they’re made of plastic, so they’re not quite as tough).

For a featherlight headtorch ideal for night running, it’s hard to beat the excellent Silva Smini or the nifty little Petzl Iko Core. And if you simply need a functional but unfancy light that works without breaking the bank (for yourself or a child going away on a school camping trip, for example), have a look at the Lifesystems Intensity 300.