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Princeton Tec Vizz Review

A light that doesn't offer compelling performance for the price point
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princeton tec vizz headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   Princeton Tec
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  May 28, 2018
45
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#25 of 27
  • Trail Finding - 35% 5.0
  • Close Proximity - 20% 3.0
  • Battery Life - 15% 6.0
  • Weight - 15% 5.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 3.0

Our Verdict

The Princeton Tec Vizz provides solid beam brightness, but for $50 it faces some stout competition from models that deliver more performance. The most direct competitor is the Black Diamond Storm, which scored higher and also has a $50 list price.
REASONS TO BUY
Well built
Reasonable battery life claims
REASONS TO AVOID
Competing lights offer better value
New Vizz Summer 2018
Princeton Tec is rolling out an update to the Vizz that is significantly brighter at 420 lumens versus the 350 lumen version we tested in this review. We'll look forward to testing it in the next review cycle.

Compare to Similar Products

 
princeton tec vizz headlamp review
This Product
Princeton Tec Vizz
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $50 List$39.88 at Amazon
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Check Price at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers
$29 List
$19.95 at Amazon
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line A premium priced product that falls short of the competitionYou can't go wrong with the Storm, high performance, quality optics, and durable designOffering excellent optics, a bright wide beam, and strong performance for the price, the Spot is one of our favoritesA good value that offers basic functionality, slightly better than average performance, at a good priceThe $20 Tikkina is a great light around the campsite, for general use, in your thingy drawer, or car glove box
Rating Categories Princeton Tec Vizz Black Diamond Storm Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina
Trail Finding (35%)
5.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
5.0
Close Proximity (20%)
3.0
8.0
9.0
5.0
4.0
Battery Life (15%)
6.0
6.0
4.0
6.0
7.0
Weight (15%)
5.0
5.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Ease of Use (15%)
3.0
6.0
6.0
9.0
10.0
Specs Princeton Tec Vizz Black Diamond Storm Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina
Measured Beam Distance 69 m 91 m 94 m 94 m 62 m
Claimed Distance 78 m 85 m 80 m 90 m 55 m
Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) 3.7 hrs 5 hrs 2.9 hrs 4.3 hrs 3.5 hrs
Claimed High Mode Run-time 1 hrs 40 hrs 30 hrs Not specified 60 hrs
Measured Low Mode Run-time 129 hrs 42 hrs 9.7 hrs 47 hrs 223 hrs
Claimed Low Mode Run-time 6 hrs 120 hrs 175 hrs 100 hrs 220 hrs
Measured Weight 3.4 oz, 96 g 4 oz, 112 g 3.1 oz, 89 g 2.7 oz, 77 g 2.9 oz, 83 g
Battery Type 3 AAA 4 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA
Water Resistance IPX7 waterproof to one meter IP67 waterproof to one meter and dustproof Splash proof (dubious IPX8 claim) IPX4 splash proof IPX4 splash proof
Manuf Claimed Lumens 205 lumens 350 lumens 300 lumens 140 lumens 150 lumens
Beam Type flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood
Red Light yes yes, red/green/blue night-vision modes yes yes no
On Switch Lock no yes yes no no

Our Analysis and Test Results

Princeton Tec has a long history of making headlamps. Petzl, Black Diamond, and Princeton Tec represent the companies most recognized in the outdoor world for their headlamps. As compared to these other manufacturers, Princeton Tec has fallen behind lately. Generally, they have a great foundation, but the products seem to be overpriced for the performance.

Performance Comparison


princeton tec vizz headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Trail Finding


The trail finding score of 5 of 10 is about average overall, but disappointing for a $50 light.


Beam Distance Photos
Beam photo of Princeton Tec Vizz
Beam photo of Black Diamond Storm

Princeton Tec Vizz
Black Diamond Storm

Close Proximity


The Vizz disappointed us in close proximity testing with optics that has a hot spot in the middle which makes it harder to see everything in your nearby wide field of vision.


Battery Life


Our tests showed the Vizz offering even better battery life, for both high mode, and more so in low mode, than the manufacturer claims in their marketing. We found it to perform a bit above average on battery life.


princeton tec vizz headlamp review
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Conclusion


At $50 list, the Vizz is a premium priced light that faces some tough competition. The Black Diamond Spot, which scored higher overall, sells for $10 lower list price. The BD Storm offers even more performance, for the same list price.

Princeton Tec has announced in summer of 2018 a new 420 lumen version of the Vizz that may offer a more compelling value.

RJ Spurrier