Two headlamps worth lining up side by side. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Princeton Tec Vizz | Petzl Actik | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 71✓ | 70 |
| Max lumens | 550 lm✓ | 450 lm |
| Weight | 3.2 oz✓ | 3.5 oz |
| Beam distance | 85 m | 100 m✓ |
| Max runtime | 135 h | 100 h |
| Price | $52✓ | $65 |
| Battery | AAA | Hybrid |
| Water rating | IPX7 | IPX4 |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Vizz in blue, Actik in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. Runtime is shown for context and is not scored, since makers publish it at different brightness levels. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full headlamp comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
The Princeton Tec Vizz and Petzl Actik take different routes to the same job. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Vizz is brighter (550 vs 450 lm), 7 g lighter, and $13 cheaper. The Actik is a longer beam (100 vs 85 m). Their GearScores land within a couple of points (71 vs 70), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Vizz if you care most about brightness and low weight, which makes it the better call for your priorities. Pick the Actik if longer throw matter more to you, or you are focused on your priorities.
The Princeton Tec Vizz. It is brighter (550 vs 450 lm) than the Actik.
The Princeton Tec Vizz. It is 7 g lighter than the Actik.
They are nearly tied at 71 and 70 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Vizz for brightness, or the Actik for longer throw. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.