So small and light you’ll never have an excuse not to bring it along in case of emergencies. Yet works well too even if you’re planning to need a light. Also takes standard batteries. Minimalist headband works surprisingly well, and easy to position on your head to get the optimal angle. Only downside is the occasionally flickering switch.

No, really, I mean it, for life. The batteries seemingly never get low, the light is bright and white, the LED's never need to be replaced, and I dare you to find a way that you can't use this light. The headband is great for anchoring this light to anything you can think of from bike handlebars to hand's to the top of your shoe(really does work). You'll be astonished! Keep kicking out gear that is this resilient, comfortable, useful, and versatile and you'll have the whole market!

Well, what can I say about the zipka? I used one on the appalachian trail in 2001,and it did work great. I loved the small size (I was able to put it anywhere in my pack or in my pocket), it always worked, and it was always bright enough for me to walk at night or do whatever I had to do on the trail. My only complaint was that the little strap started to cut into my forehead when I wore it for long periods of time. This is not a problem during cold weather if you wear a warm cap on your head and the lamp over top of it(the cap will keep it from cutting into your head), but when it's warm outside, you don't want to wear a warm hat on your head while you're walking at night. If it wasnt for that, I would have kept it. I traded mine in for an "aurora" headlamp.

First introduced on camping trip in 2004. Having purchased my own, I find that this is a very compact and versatile light. Battery life has been excellent and light illumination is very good. Would recommend for multiple uses from camping to making it through power outages.

I've had older Petzl headlamps in the past and my new purchase of the Zipka was and excellent choice.
I went backpacking over the weekend and I used it with no complaints. I could hardly tell it was on my head! It's super light and really bright for the size.
Thanks for a great price and awesome service; as always:)

These are nice to have without having to wear a full head band for your lighting, But the one I had the zip pull line on the headlamp broke, and I had to use it like a flash light for the rest of my trip. I sent it in and they replaced it, but still be careful, if you are rough on lighting in the woods, this may not be for you.

I have two of these - given as gifts to my children, but far too good for them.

I'm holding them both until they are old enough to appreciate them.

Small enough to carry with you always, battery life so good they work when you need them.

I am so sold on LED's, and this light in particular.

Buy several - you need them more then you know.

What I like about the Zipka -
Small - I can fit it in a coat pocket
Battery life - lasts forever - I've had 3 of them for a year and have not replaced a single battery!
Convenient - The headlamp strap also works to secure the light to your hand for when you are working on a car or other tight spots.

This is, hands down, the best flashlight I've ever owned. I like to have 3 of them around the house - one in my car, one by the front door and one next to my bed.

Highly recommended.

In comparing my first headlamp--REI,w/4AA batteries--with my new Petzl Zipka, the difference is astounding...the REI lamp was unreliable, heavy, light would go on in the pack due to poor positioning of the switch...I feel really confident about this lamp....keep that spaceage stuff coming!

This is a preliminary review of the Zipka Headlamp. The design is very compact and the retractable strap design is ingenious. Light output is sufficient for doing tasks around the campsite and for non-technical hiking. We have yet to find out its performance as the batteries run down. We will be keeping an ongoing review of this headlamp at our world cycling tour website at http://wainwrightschool.com/worldtour

I bought one of these a couple of years ago and have used it more than I ever thought I would. In addition to being small and easy to take along on canoe camping trips (kayak camping in my case) it is a great reading light. I use it every night. My husband usually goes to sleep before I do and used to complain because I kept the light on. Now he can't even tell I am awake and reading. But that 150 hours of burn time is a little optimistic. I change the batteries after about 40 hours - yes there is still some light available but it is not very good to read by. The only reason I don't give it a 5 is that the rubber backing came off the part that goes against your forehead and sometimes I have to jiggle the switch because the light flickers a bit.

I can't believe how much light you can get out of such a tiny weightless package. I was wearing it in the tent and the person I was with did not need a light of his own. The same can probably be said for all LED headlamps but the unique strap on this one makes it extremely compact for when it's not on your head. As well, you can easily attach it to your pack's shoulder straps for immediately accessible light at all times. Great purchase!!!

This is my second Zipka headlamp and I love the clever design, super lightweight, small size and long battery life. The zipka plus is a better headlamp because it is easier to turn on and off, and has three brightness settings. All together- this headlamp is the best one I've ever seen.

Got one from a climbing buddy for my 50th birthday and have used it in the crawl space, under sinks and barbequing after dark. Gave 9 for Xmas - 80 year olds for finding that book on the top shelf, 40s for running at night, kids for night time tag and reading after lights out. Very comfortable and versatile. It now lives in my backpack.

Light,Bright and Ultra packable.I keep it with me at all times!! I actually had to use it at work when our magnifying lamp light burned out! I've replaced my booklight with my Zipka!! My camping mates are jealous! This year, birthday presents will be the Petzl Zipka headlamp! Zipka Fan, PK

Great little light for the money. Minimalists will love it.

We love this headlamp for its size, lightness, and it is very effective. I have used it quite a bit for camping and hiking. Already owned one and purchased a second so both of us would have our own.

This is a great back-up headlamp. It's super light and fits anywhere. The LEDs aren't great for running at night, because I thought they made my depth perception a little weird, but over-all I loved it. Don't be over zealous with the zip thing though - my brother was playing around and it broke, but for the most part they're pretty sturdy.

I had two of these, bought two more for gifts, and then bought another for myself. No bulky head straps to mess with, just zip out the elastic band (in 4+ years I've never broken one) that's built in. I use them for backpacking, camping, bicycling, winter barbecuing, and working in dark places.

Excellent headlamp but it lacks multiple brightness settings. The stretch-out headband works great for me, but might be a problem for people with long hair (I have seen people get their hair stuck in it). Also, the switch gets kind of hard to switch after a few years. On the new version Petzl changed the switch and included multiple brightness settings, but they raised the price too.

Hey, this site offered such a great price on a great product that I had to buy 2. the first went into my wife's purse and the 2nd into my truck. With 2 young children and many outdoor activities, these head lamps are go-anywhere great-pieces-of-kit. They are so small, and yet so bright. The retractable cord allows placement anywhere. Well worth it if you need to see...

My backpacking/camping gear selection has been an evolutionary process since I started hiking in earnest in 1993. First, it was 'whatever I can get my hands on/afford' ... followed by upgrade what I needed to. As I got older and became more financially stable, I began to upgrade everything. One of the last things to be replaced was my mini mag flashlight, in favor of a headlamp. The Zipka was the second of my headlamps, and at first I LOVED it because of its size and brightness and battery life. But after a few years of use, the flicker (seems to be a recurring theme here) has become too pronounced and annoying for me to tolerate. I don't know if the flicker is because of the switch or the construction of the battery compartment, but either way, I'm ditching it in favor of a new LED lamp that doesn't flicker.