Most headlamps just incorporate a lamp unit in the middle, which in some cases can be set to wide and spotlight output modes. The Multi-Beam is different, in that it sports both a central spotlight and a wide half-halo of LEDs.
Designed by US startup Optimal Ventures, the Multi-Beam is the successor to one of the company’s existing products, the Liteband. The latter takes the form of a headband with an integrated strip of LEDs that run from one side of the wearer’s forehead to the other. That setup produces a 210-degree horizontal arc of illumination in front of the wearer.
Inspired by Liteband-user feedback, the Multi-Beam retains the band of LEDs, but adds a more focused spotlight beneath them in the front. This arrangement allows users to choose between the broader but shorter-range illumination of the band, or the sharper, longer-distance beam of the spotlight – the two can also be used together.
In fact, by pressing a button on the device, users can choose between six output modes. These include High (band only), Low (band only), Pulse (band only), Red light (band only), Multi Beam (both the band and the spotlight) and Focus Beam (spotlight only). As an added bonus, the spotlight can be tilted down 15 degrees for better illuminating tasks being performed by hand.
The Multi-Beam is being offered in two models. The fancier 7-oz (198-g) Pro version puts out a combined 1,000 lumens from its band along with 500 from its spotlight, the latter of which has a claimed beam distance of 300 ft (91 m). Power is provided by a rear-mounted 3,400-mAh lithium-ion battery, which is reportedly good for up to 28 hours of runtime in the lowest-output setting.
The less-intense 5-oz (142-g) Activ model has a 520-lumen band and a 380-lumen spotlight, along with an 1,800-mAh battery that offers 22 hours of runtime. Both it and the Pro can withstand being sprayed with jets of water from any direction.
Should you be interested, the Multi-Beam is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. An early bird deal will get you a Pro (assuming it reaches production) for a pledge of US$60. After that deal is over, the Pro will go for $75 and the Active will go for $60 – their planned retail prices are $100 and $80, respectively.
Multi-Beam headlamp combines an arc of illumination with a spotlight [New Atlas]