Mammut headlamps, a decent range available to light the path of your next adventure and today we will be looking at the recently released S-Lite and S-Flex headlamps.
Although the packaging is very nice, the first impressions on both of these lights is that they are plasticky and a bit flimsy. It’s a bit disappointing because the Swiss company usually makes high end gear that looks and perform well. Both the S-Lite and S-Flex are cheap but for around the same $30, the Petzl Tika 2 or the Black Diamond Cosmo have a much better look and feel. At least they are lightweight and both powered by a single AA battery which is convenient.
Mammut S-Lite
The S-Lite is the little sister of the S-Flex. We weighted it at 19g / 0.67oz without the battery, add around 20g / 0.77oz for a standard AA. It is equipped of three white LEDs and can be used in four different light modes: bright, brighter, brightest and flashing. The light produced as a narrow angle of 35° and a maximum brightness of 20 Lumen. This means a light-flood up to 18m more or less.
Mammut S-Flex
Sharing the exact same body with it’s sibling, the S-Flex has a different set of LEDs. Light modes are: bright, brighter, continuous Red and flashing Red. It weights slightly more than the S-Lite at 22g / 0.77oz without battery. The red and flashing red are convenient additions and mean you can use the S-Flex as a rear light on a bike helmet for example. It has an angle of 40° and a maximum brightness of 35 Lumen.
Shared characteristics
The S-Flex and S-Lite share the same headband which can be adjusted in size. It is reasonably comfortable and stay well in place. Unfortunately that back of the case itself is flat and when worn on your forehead gets uncomfortable after a while. A curved shape would have been a better option.
The lights can be tilted between -10° and 90° but unfortunately you’ll have the need of both your hands as the hinge is too stiff to be operated one handed. The battery compartment can be accessed by pressing a small button, again not very practical. Do not expect to do it in cold conditions without a bit of pain. Last thing I would like to mention is the switch, which requires a double press to switch on the light, very good to prevent unwanted battery drain or any use of the headlamp until you figure out how it works. I tested using it with ski gloves and I can just about manage to switch on the light and flicker through the different modes.
Thoughts on Mammut headlamps
It’s a mixed bag with Mammut S-Lite and S-Flex. For a very affordable price you get a very lightweight, simple but cheap looking and not always easy to use headlamps. The fact that they work on a single AA battery is awesome and they are perfect for around-the-camp use, book reading or to leave in your day pack and pull them out in case of emergency. They are not suited for fast-paced activities in the dark like trail-running, cycling, climbing etc.
[note]The Mammut S-Lite and S-Flex headlamps were given to us for the purpose of this review. We try our best to not let this affect our views in any ways. Our gear tests are done in real life, during our own outdoor activities.[/note]
