LED Lenser SEO 7R Headtorch | Review - Outdoors Magic

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LED Lenser SEO 7R Headtorch | Review

German lighting specialist LED Lenser's SEO 7R is a good choice for moderate to medium trail running use with some added quirkiness thrown in.

‘Enough light for easy to medium running terrain plus a neat zoomable beam and USB-rechargeable battery all tick the boxes, but strange halo-effect beam can be distracting and it’s starting to look a little expensive.’

Outdoors Magic: Handy zoom, just about enough light, rechargeable battery, reasonable burn time, red light option, can be used with AAAs if needed, stepless dimming.

Outdoors Tragic: Lacks the raw power of something like the Nao+, odd halo effect is distracting and the beam is uneven.

Outdoors Grabbit? The German-designed SEO 7R has enough power and range for easy to medium terrain plus some neat features like the zoomable beam. Battery life is reasonable and you can always swap in some AAAs if the rechargeable lithium ion cell runs out. It’s light too and reasonably comfortable too. The beam pattern’s a little uneven though and the odd halo effect at some zoom settings is a tad distracting. Overall while it lacks the raw power of some rivals, it’s a decent torch for general trail running with some interesting and useful features. 

 

Full Specification

220-lumen single main LED / stepless dimming from 220 lumens to 20 lumens / Rapid Focus zoomable lens technology / micro USB rechargeable lithium battery / AAA x 3 back-up facility / IPX6 water resistance to jets of water / battery life (claimed) MAX 20 hours – MIN 5 hours /

Full Review Below

One of our head torch tests within an abandoned railway tunnel
Simple design with battery housed in the head unit removes potentially vulnerable cables - Photo: Lukasz Warzecha (lwimages.co.uk)
No issues with the easy-to-adjust elasticated headband. The relatively light weight keeps things stable and comfortable too - Photo: Lukasz Warzecha (lwimages.co.uk)

LED Lenser SEO 7R Headtorch | Performance

It’s not as bright as rivals like Petzl’s 750-lumen latest Nao+ but the SEO 7R’s 220-lumen beam is enough for off-road running and walking on moderate to medium terrain. The single-unit light-head keeps weight down to a respectable 932 grammes and means there are no vulnerable cable connections and the torch is comfortable on the head.

It has some interesting features too. The Rapid Focus zoomable lens allows you to adjust the beam from a long-reaching, focussed spot down to a more general, proximity-friendly flood, which is ideal for running use. It’s not, as you can see from the beam shot above, the most even beam ever and occasionally fine trail details are distorted, but it makes for a more versatile experience.

Wound out, the white lens ring gives a spot beam, back it off and it’s more of a close-proximity flood – Photo: Lukasz Warzecha (lwimages.co.uk)

The other interesting aspect of the beam, is an odd halo effect ring of light which we think it down to the translucent blue housing. It’s distinctly odd and slightly distracting, but not a deal breaker.

Light output is adjustable via stepless dimming between the 220-lumen max and a map-reading friendly 20 lumens. The top-mounted switch works well with lighter gloves, but is a bit fiddly if you try it with heavier, insulated gauntlets.

Finally, battery life is decent ranging from a  claimed minimum of five hours – though like all batteries, burn time drops off in colder conditions. One neat touch is that you can swap the lithium ion rechargeable cell for a trio of AAAs in a matter of seconds, so you’re not doomed to darkness if you do run out of power on the go.

The blue translucent section of the lighted pivots downwards for fine adjustment and stays put in use - Photo: Lukasz Warzecha (lwimages.co.uk)
Lithium ion battery charges via a micro-USB port, but can also be swapped in seconds for three AAA cells - Photo: Lukasz Warzecha (lwimages.co.uk)

LED Lenser SEO 7R Headtorch | Verdict

Overall the SEO 7R’s a decent choice for moderate to medium trail running with a good balance of light output and burn time, a handy, zoomable beam that gives you both spot and flood outputs, though not at the same time, and steplessly adjustable lumen output too.

It’s reasonably light and comfortable to wear and stays pointed where you want it to be. Being able to swap the rechargeable battery pack for AAAs is a nice tough too and could save you an uncomfortable trudge home in the dark.

It’s not all perfect though, the beam pattern isn’t always as smooth as it might be and the odd blue-tinged halo effect can be slightly distracting, but on the whole, it works well and makes a reliable night-running companion provided things don’t get too gnarly underfoot.

More Information

See ledlenser.com

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