Review: Petzl Tikkina, Tikka Core and Actik Core Headtorches

Petzl are a market-leader in lighting, and the TIKKA is the model that launched it all as the brand’s first LED headlamp some 20 years ago. The TIKKINA is arguably the TIKKA’s slightly simpler spin-off, with the ACTIK being the most feature-heavy and powerful of the trio. All three designs had a revamp in late 2022, with updates to their appearance and functions. The TIKKA, TIKKINA and ACTIK do share some common features, but they also have some key differences, and price tags to reflect those.

Aesthetically, all three models are very similar. They’re rugged and have a compact, streamlined casing. They’re grippy, easy to adjust, have soft, comfortable headbands with reflective elements and they each fit very well over hoods and helmets.

The range of motion for angling the lamps has been improved, and you can completely remove the lamps from their headbands to use in conjunction with Petzl’s Helmet Adapt systems if you wish.

All three models are LED (Light Emitting Diode) headtorches, though they each have different brightnesses and beam functions (more on those further down). Now to the befuddling bit: how bright should my headtorch be? Each of the lamps has a different brightness level (measured in lumens), and different brightnesses are suited to different activities and levels of technicality. For example, a headtorch of 100-250 lumens would likely be sufficient for camping or urban use, and you might consider something around the 400 mark for trail running, but it very much depends on the environment and your proximity to other objects and people!

when used in conjunction with the Core battery, the TIKKINA just kept going, and going…

We begin with the TIKKINA, which is the lowest in price and the simplest model in terms of features. The TIKKINA has a uniform, wide beam pattern with three brightness levels which you cycle through by pressing the one and only button on the top of the lamp. That’s really it in terms of function, but let’s not forget the common features of all the lamps, and the TIKKINA has the same rugged casing, adjustability and capacity to be used with helmet and bike mounts of its more powerful counterparts.

The TIKKINA doesn’t come in a CORE version, which makes sense because it IS the budget model in the range. That said, it has the hybrid battery system so can be used with a CORE battery if you choose to. With a maximum brightness of 300 lumens, I found that when used in conjunction with the CORE battery, the TIKKINA just kept going, and going… If you’re into specifics, the TIKKINA has a burn time of 100 hours with AAA’s and 120 with a Core battery at its lowest light output, 10 (AAA) or seven hours (CORE) at standard brightness and 2 or 3 at full whack.

The TIKKA has a uniform, wide beam pattern with three brightness levels which you cycle through by pressing the button on the top of the lamp. You can activate the red light by holding the button down when the lamp is switched on, and lock the lamp by doing so when it is turned off. So why do headtorches have a red light anyway? The red light function on a headtorch is effectively for a gentler kind of ‘night vision’, when you are with other people at close proximity. Red light on a headtorch is also less intrusive to wildlife, won’t dazzle you when you’re map reading, and can be used to attract attention in an emergency.

Balancing your battery life with brightness level is fairly straightforward: in max power mode, you’ll get a maximum output of 450 lumens for two hours with a CORE battery, and 350 lumens with AAAs. In standard power mode, you’re looking at 100 lumens for seven hours with a CORE, and 12 hours with AAAs. At the lowest light level, you’ll get seven lumens for a very healthy 110 hours with both battery types. The TIKKA has a green/amber/red light that indicates battery level too, so it’s easy to keep an eye on. We were sent the CORE version of the TIKKA, but also tested it with AAAs, finding the burn times indicated by Petzl to be pretty much spot on.

Because of the single, wide beam pattern, the TIKKA might be a more useful asset when you’re not facing things at varying distances – walking on consistent terrain for example, rather than negotiating sections of scrambles or reading rock routes. The three brightness levels and width of the beam mean it is comfortable at close proximity however, so a pretty good option for night navigation and hiking. The lock function makes it a reliable emergency lamp to stash in your crag bag too, especially if you prefer to use something with reactive lighting or an adjustable beam pattern on the more technical parts of your adventure. It’s always a good idea to have a backup!

The TIKKA has decent weather resistance which easily withstood a shower and has a nice balance of being reasonably light whilst withstanding the knocks and drops that come with an active, outdoor lifestyle.

Before the eagle-eyed amongst you point out that I said the ACTIK is lightweight when it’s actually the heaviest of the three – consider that it packs a hefty 450 lumens of power and some additional functionality into almost identical casing for just 4g more than the TIKKA. I think that’s pretty impressive.

Being able to toggle between beam patterns is really handy if you’re a taking on multiple types of terrain

The ACTIK is the most feature-heavy of the three lamps, with three white light levels, flashing and continuous red light, but also those added beam patterns too. But what are beam patterns on headtorches, anyway? Well, if you’ve ever tried running with a headtorch in spotlight mode, you’ll know it can make you feel oddly off-balance, and if you’re looking for the line of least resistance on a rock face, a floodlight isn’t going to help you pick out useful features. Being able to toggle between beam patterns is really handy if you’re a taking on multiple types of terrain, and the ACTIK does this with that one button. It took me a bit of fiddling to figure out the button-pressing patterns to activate each function, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s pretty intuitive.

Right then you number-lovers: The ACTIK will burn for 100 hours at its lowest level (7 lumens) with both Core and AAA batteries. At standard power, it’ll go for 10 hours with AAA’s and 7 with a Core. At maximum output, you can expect a burn time of two hours with both battery types.

The ACTIK feels like a really good option in terms of a reliable, technical torch for climbing, scrambling and descending in the dark, and I imagine its power-weight ratio and beam patterns are a big draw for fell runners too.