I have been using Princeton Tec’s Remix Pro Headlamp for about six months and it has changed my mind about hands-free task lighting. Princeton Tec introduced the Remix Pro in early 2011 as an improved, tactical alternative to its Remix camping line. Here’s my take on it:
There are a ton of headlamps out there and most work well for close-in work like digging through a pack. I have been perfectly happy with my Petzl Tikka Plus for the past decade … until I picked up the Remix Pro. It has a large LED that projects a focused, 70-lumen beam of white light out to about 70 meters on its brightest setting.
The Remix Pro also has three smaller colored LEDs (mine had red) that light up when you first switch it on. The two settings of red light are bright enough for map checks or rummaging through gear.
One of the main differences between the Remix Pro and the older Remix is it uses a single CR123 battery instead of three AAAs. You
get about 40 hours of burn time on the lowest red light setting, but only four to seven hours of continuous run time on the two highest white light settings. CR123s are pricey, but I like carrying just one type of batteries for my headlamp and my Surefire Outdoorsman. Changing the batteries is a little tricky because you have to pry open the latch to the battery door. Take extra care on cold days or you’ll rake a little skin off a knuckle like I did. It’s no more complicated than any other headlamp though.
Early versions of the Remix line suffered a lot of critical reviews for accidentally turning on inside 
many hikers’ backpacks. Princeton Tec seems to have solved this problem by adding a raised fence around the power button. I have done everything I could think of to get the Remix Pro to turn on by itself inside my pack but never had that problem.
Holding the power button down for a little over one second switches the Remix Pro from its initial red light to the bright, white light.
The main reason I like the Remix Pro is it provides serious light when you need it. The large LED cuts through darkness with beam bright enough to light up the inside of a Stryker vehicle or reach the outer perimeter of your campsite. I know my pictures aren’t the best, but here is the brightest setting on the Remix Pro compared to the top setting on my old Petzl Tikka Plus.
My only ding on the Remix Pro is it doesn’t have a strobe setting. I’ve never needed the strobe on my Petzl, but it’s a nice-to-have.
The Remix Pro is a good piece of kit. It’s available in black or in tan/Multicam and well worth the (approximate) $55 price tag.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I have the civvy version (black/grey strap and housing, 3AAAs, 100 lumens) and have found that you can use the tension adjuster on the strap to open the door. Slide the lip of the battery door between the ladder lock and the strap, lift gently and “click,” you’re GTG.
Also, agreed, fantastic little light. Head and shoulders above my older Tikka XP and as good as the brightest pocket headlamps like the BD Storm and newer Petzl Tikka XP. Plus itsmade in the good ol’ USA!
I have the same one – and it’s been my favorite thus far. If I’m ever camping or hunting and somebody sees it they all comment on how great it is. It’s definitely worth spending $15-$25 bucks more than ‘lesser’ brands.
And as we all know, it’s Made in America! +50 points!
I have the civvy version (black/grey strap and housing, 3AAAs, 100 lumens) and have found that you can use the tension adjuster on the strap to open the door. Slide the lip of the battery door between the ladder lock and the strap, lift gently and “click,” you’re GTG.
Also, agreed, fantastic little light. Head and shoulders above my older Tikka XP and as good as the brightest pocket headlamps like the BD Storm and newer Petzl Tikka XP. Plus its made in the good ol’ USA!
Another thing they did to address accidentally turning the light on is that you can rotate the light as far up as it will go and the backplate will make a physical barrier to the button as well.
Only 70 lumens on high? Only 40hrs of run on low? And it’s $55?
I use these $35 Coleman headlamps for working outside around my property at night at 75 lumens high with 4 settings adjustment to 15 lumens. Plus 30 lumens and 15 lumens red, and 30 lumens blue. Runs on 3 AAA for around 11hrs on high and around 55 on low. I have drop them off roofs, run over them with tractors without them breaking. Oh and they work underwater.
I would think that if I was paying more than twice as much for a product that uses really expensive batteries I would get something that out preformed the cheap off the shelf camping equipment.
The Energizer/Coleman headlamps are cheap for a reason.
You find that out after running them hard. At Ranger School the Energizer headlamps what crap out…. Switches/buttons stopped working, water got into the lens area, they preformed poorly when used hard.
My Petzl Tikka XP, that I picked up on the thought that maybe I needed a better head lamp then a $15.00 Energizer. That thing made it through 4 months of Ranger School, FTX’s, and a deployment to AFG. Still running hard, submerged in water, cold and hot weather extremes. It eats through batteries fast, but that’s it.
You get what you pay for.
These guys make great lights. -BW
Nobody asked you, why do you have to chime in all the time? March 1 can’t come soon enough!
Whoa! Chill out! What happens March 1?
BW is out of here!
This is my ANGRY FACE!!!!!!!!!!!
***? BW is leaving????
Agree Brandon. While cheap, you do get what you pay for. Both Coleman lights I’ve had broke during either training or on deployment… which is not cool. Those POS Coleman lights are great in the rear, but once in a pocket or assault pack they always find a way to turn on. Also, a “tactical” headlamp doesn’t need to be 1,000000 lumens. One, you still need to maintain light discipline, and two, you need to strike a balance between seeing that map you are reading and carrying a fckload of batteries. Nobody wants to carry extra ****.
Made in the USA too which is always good.
Love mine, especially with the MPLS mounting options. I got it after I got super lost with the Quad Tactical at AP Hill during night land nav last year. The brightness of the red on high is at least twice that of the Quad, and I had no issues the other week when we went back to AP Hill.
To be honest I had never heard of Princeton until they recently featured on Kit Up!, Soldier Systems Daily etc.
I’ve been looking to buy something like this for a while now to use when out hunting and I had been looking at the Petzl range but I will now definitely check out the Princeton Remix Pro.
So far it doesn’t seem like it has arrived in the UK but you can get a Petzl Tikka for £28, a Tikka Plus for £34 and a Tikka XP for £45. If you guys take the time to figure out the exchange rate you will see how much extra we pay in the UK :(
However I have been left very disappointed several times now when it comes to these supposedly ‘high quality’ lights and like nraddin commented earlier, very often cheaper models do just as well, if not better.
Sure, if my life depended on it I would be buying the best I could afford but if I’m using a headlamp in combination with scope mounted light while knocking over a few rabbits in the Scottish countryside…
Anyway, it comes down to what you are using it for and what you can afford but I have definitely learnt that it is very easy to get caught up in the hype when it comes to this kind of thing.
Matt
Yeah, I received mine last week in multicam from OPtactical. It is phenomenal. Don’t know how I went without it for this long.
I’ve had this headlight for about a year now, and its pretty solid. It’s held up on this deployment so far (10 months in) getting stuffed into my assault pack/ruck ect. I’ve also never had a problem with it turning on incidentally. Also, battery life is decent considering the output. This thing is very bright (much brighter than my old Tikka XP), and the lower red lens setting is just right when your reading a map or radio stuff. The white setting is great for finding that **** trench in the dark ;). My only gripe, as stated above, is changing out the battery can be a pain when you’re wearing gloves or limited vis. Other than that, its solid. Good review Matt.
That was “****” trench not the other word haha