The HM65R – Fenix’s “Most Extreme Headlamp”

Ambassador Jonathan K.

I recently purchased the HM65R headlamp to see if it would be a brighter upgrade to my current HL60R Fenix headlamp. The HL60R is a great light, but since the HM65R has 50% more lumens I was very curious to see how it performed.

I immediately noticed how the magnesium alloy frame significantly reduces the light’s weight! It feels very light and comfortable on my head! The inside of the headband has a silicone-like bead in the forehead area. This is a great addition to help keep the light in place when one sweats or is in wet environments! I really like the lock-out functions the new button design offers to help prevent the light from coming on accidentally while not in use. The buttons are not quite as “glove-friendly” as the HL60R, but I am still able to turn it on while wearing gloves without much difficulty. So no issue there.

After several months of use, I noticed that the light performs entirely as described on the website. The brightness of the lights is 50% more than the HL60R when both spot/flood lights are turned on, and the independent spot and floodlight beam patterns are very handy. When needing to see a long way away, the spot light at 1000 lumens really lights up the night and shines plenty far to see what is out there. This beam pattern seems more focused than that of the HL60R and therefore seems to reach farther. I have found the floodlight especially useful when needing to light up a broad area without blinding myself. It disperses the light very evenly in all directions and not much light is needed to see what I’m doing. This will be a huge battery saver!

The HL60R has been my go-to vertical caving headlight for some time now, and I was originally under the impression that this new HM65R dubbed as Fenix’s “Most Extreme Headlamp” would easily replace my go-to; however, after much use and comparison I’ve come to a slightly different conclusion.

The HL60R will remain as my primary vertical caving headlamp due to its 950 lumen output and seemingly perfectly balanced combination of a spot/flood light beam pattern. The larger, more glove-friendly button is also a huge factor as well. However, the HM65R will be along for the ride as a more-than-worthy backup!

Now don’t mistake me, the HM65R isn’t left out in the rain by any means (although it could more than handle it – pun intended) The HM65R is my NEW go-to, everyday, all-around, hiking/backing/camping, shark fishing, and night mechanic-ing headlight. Fenix’s “most extreme headlight” is also one of its most versatile. The different beam options are huge, and it’s lightweight design is perfect! What I thought would be a easy replacement, ended up just getting another well earned seat at the table!!!