Petzl
Petzl Nao RL (1500 lumens)
- Brightness: 9/10 How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark.
- Runtime: 6/10 How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by.
- Weight: 3/10 How much it adds to your pack and your head.
Night running, fast hillwalking and ultra-distance events where you want the most light for the weight
- Brightness
- 900 lumens (FL1)
- Runtime
- 5 h at 250 lumens
- Weight
- 145 g
- Power
- Rechargeable
- Water rating
- IPX4
Where to buy
Rock+Run £136 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery from £100 (England and Wales).
View at shop: Rock+RunNeedle Sports £144 In stock. Free delivery. Shows 4 in stock. RRP is the £160 list price this shop shows, as Petzl publishes no UK price. Free delivery over £50.
View at shop: Needle SportsUltralight Outdoor Gear £144.99 In stock. Free delivery.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Brightness
From maker's figures 9/10How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark. 9: Among the best you can buy for this.
Petzl tests to ANSI/PLATO FL1. The 1500-lumen headline is the peak in Reactive Lighting; the highest steady output is 900 lumens (Standard Lighting, max power, 2 hours). Both are in the 800+ band.
Runtime
From maker's figures 6/10How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by. 6: A bit better than average.
Standard Lighting at 250 lumens runs 5 hours (FL1), in the 4–5.9 h band. The 900-lumen mode lasts 2 hours. Reactive Lighting times (up to 40 hours at 30 to 550 lumens) vary with the scene, so we don't count them.
Weight
From maker's figures 3/10How much it adds to your pack and your head. 3: Below average. Fine for some trips, not others.
145 g with the battery, in the 110–149 g band (UKC weighed 144 g and iRunFar 146 g).
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Comfort*
Reviewers' average 9/10How comfy and steady it sits on your head.
10 reviews on comfort, e.g. "Considering how minimalist the NAO RL's cradle is it's remarkably comfortable and extremely stable".
Reviewers disagree on this.
Ease of use*
Reviewers' average 5/10How easy the buttons, modes and lock are, with gloves too.
8 reviews on ease of use, e.g. "The button isn't the biggest, and it's recessed, which makes it tricky to press with cold hands or big gloves.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
In short
Good for
- Night running, fast hillwalking and ultra-distance events where you want the most light for the weight
- Navigating at night on open hill or mountain ground, with a long-reach spot beam
- Anyone who wants Reactive Lighting and a rear red light for being seen on lanes and roads
Strengths
- 900 lumens held for 2 hours (FL1), with a 1500-lumen peak in Reactive mode, at 145 g
- Rear battery balances the weight, and the 3200 mAh pack charges over USB-C
- Best spot beam of the three lamps in UKC's performance test, with 140 m reach at 900 lumens (200 m in Reactive mode)
- Rear red light, continuous or strobe, with its own button; a lock mode and a five-level battery gauge
- 5-year warranty on the lamp
Weaknesses
- 145 g, and only 5 hours at 250 lumens in steady modes: heavy and short-lived for a hillwalking lamp
- IPX4 only (splash-proof), so not for heavy rain or submersion
- The tall rear battery and elastic can catch a ponytail or long hair (iRunFar, Treeline)
- The light goes off between levels, and the button is small and recessed for thick gloves (Treeline, UKC)
- No AAA option, and no front red light
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (11)
- Petzl UK: Nao RL product page (specifications, ANSI/PLATO FL 1)
- UKC Gear: Performance Headtorches group test, Petzl Nao RL, Silva Free and Black Diamond Distance 1500 (Rob Greenwood; UKC says it gets free products from brands)
- Ultra Runner Magazine: Petzl NAO RL headtorch, test and review (Wayne Drinkwater; Brecon Beacons, Southern Upland Way, Lake District)
- iRunFar: Petzl Nao RL review (Alli Hartz; worn through two overnight ultramarathons in 2023)
- Treeline Review: Best (and Brightest) Headlamps of 2026 (Petzl Nao RL, group test)
- Switchback Travel: Best Headlamps of 2026 (Petzl Nao RL, best bright headlamp for high-performance use)
- TGO Magazine: Petzl NAO RL review (winter to summer in the Scottish Highlands)
- Live for the Outdoors: Best running head torches of 2026 (Petzl NAO RL, Best in Test)
- Active Gear Review: Petzl NAO RL headlamp review (ultra-running and ice climbing in Michigan)
- YouTube, Jeff Pelletier: Petzl Nao RL vs Petzl IKO Core Headlamp Review (Petzl sent both lamps, he keeps them; no payment, no input)
- YouTube, Active Ideas: Is Petzl Nao RL worth 150 euros? (ultra runner, about a month of trail testing; lamp was a Christmas present)