Petzl Bindi - A super lightweight head torch for walking and camping
French outdoor manufacturer Petzl released the Petzl Bindi head-torch in 2018. A very simple headlamp, and none the worse for it, the bulb unit sits within a plastic cradle that attaches to your head via a bungee cord and a cinch system. It’s petite, smaller than a matchbox, and weighs 35gm.
Petzl Bindi is another purchase that I felt I didn't really need until I had it. I'd looked at my outdoor gear from a redundancy perspective and had identified a gap where, should for any reason my main head-torch catastrophically fail on me and I had no back-up lights. (I use a Petzl Nao head-torch for winter hiking and running, which I have complete confidence in, but the risk I’m mitigating here is I break it in a fall rather than it doesn’t work). In the past, my spare head-torch has been a Petzl e+Lite (which was very light and came in a neat capsule case) but whenever I used it, I found its 30 lumens weren’t bright enough and it became purely an emergency product for static activity before I sold it on. Petzl's Bindi model is only 9gm heavier but it offers you much more powerful light settings, along with some emergency solutions.
Petzl Bindi main power settings -
Lowest setting, 5 lumens, which keep for use for in a tent or around a wild campsite (50 hours usage time)
Medium setting, 100 lumens, which I can use for running off-road (3 hours usage time)
Highest setting, 200 lumens, which I’d prefer to run with but the battery life is short (2 hours usage time)
I generally use the medium setting (100 lumens) with the occasional burst from the highest setting, which provides a very bright white light. There’s also the option to use the Bindi in red light mode, e.g. for map reading so you don’t lose your night vision. The battery will last for 33 hours in that mode. (I don’t use the red light. If it’s dark enough to need a light to read the map I generally need a light to navigate so I just keep it on the white bulb setting). There’s also a red strobe mode, so it has five modes in all.
Activities I find the Petzl Bindi head torch useful for are;
Photography - Outdoor photo shoots commonly start pre-dawn and last until after dark. I need to be able to find the photography equipment I want to use, plus be able to return to the car safely. (The Bindi’s also proved useful when someone had forgotten their own head-lamp).
Hillwalking, hiking or trekking (in Spring, Summer or Autumn) - When I don't expect to need a head-torch, I’ll carry the Bindi as my main light. Outside of photography or wild camping, I’m not commonly out on a trail for long after dark outside of winter, and the Bindi is easily powerful enough for anything I’ll need to use it for. (For winter use, or for jogging/running off-road at night, I’ll carry a Petzl Nao head torch).
Wild camping - You don't need much light in a tent or around a camp-site and it’s useful for saving the batteries of my Nao head lamp.
Multi-sport use - I’ve found the Bindi to be useful for a bike. The cord wraps easily around your handlebars and the adjustability of the cradle makes it easier to focus the light where you need it in front of your wheel. The red strobe light also serves as a backup rear light. (As you may tell, I like to have redundancy in my gear when I’m outdoors).
Emergency use - I do most of my running at night in the hills local to Edinburgh and it’s nice to have the comfort of a spare head torch should, for any reason, my main headtorch fails me. (I also like to have a back-up for winter hillwalking).
What I like about Petzl’s Bindi headtorch
Small and very light - I never notice it in my pack.
Bright - Even on it’s middle setting, there’s a lot of light output (100 lumens), despite the tiny battery.
Simple to use - Three clicks with a clear distinction between levels.
Protection against accidentally switching it on - You can rotate the Bindi in its cradle so the power switch is protected, plus disable it temporarily via the operating system.
Rechargeable by USB - I carry an Anker powerbank (6700 mAh) for charging my mobile phone. It can charge the Bindi head torch (680 mAh) multiple times.
Reserve mode - When the battery is critically low, the Bindi will switch to 3 lumens and run for a claimed 1 hour 30 minutes
What I’d like to see changed
The cord hangs loose and I’d like to see the product sold with the plastic capsule the Petzl e+Lite comes with, so it’s neatly bundled up (I appreciate though that’s not very environmentally-friendly)
20/100/200 lumens would appear to be ideal brightness requirements for the activities I do, based on the power settings I use most on my Nao head torch (I’m always surprised how little light you need for walking or jogging on simple ground).
Fully waterproof - The Bindi is IPX4 water resistant, which classifies it as protection from 'splashing water, no matter the direction'. Given Scotland’s wet climate, I’d prefer it was IPX5 (‘protects from low pressure water jets at any direction). That’s likely semantics though and I’ve had no issues as yet.
I often have difficulty finding the on-off switch with gloves on. I’d prefer the switch housing to protrude further so I can easily tell where it is.
Overall, the Petzl Bindi head-lamp serves all I need for three season hikes, trail runs and camping. It also provides me with a useful backup and emergency option in winter, when paired with my Petzl Nao head torch. I’d highly recommend it.
Alternatives
Your options I think are limited if you’re looking for a similar size, weight and capabilities of the Bindi, with only really one other product, also from Petzl, fitting the bill.
Petzl e+Lite - Lighter than the Bindi but not as powerful or multi-functional
Petzl Zipka 2 - Weighs twice as much
Black Diamond Spot Lite 200 - Operates on AA batteries and it’s waterproof (IPX8), unlike the Bindi. Slightly heavier at 54gm