The Actik Core is a conditional buy. It puts out 625 lumens at 88g, and even when the supplied rechargeable battery runs out, 3 AAA batteries still give up to 450 lumens. If you choose by price and waterproof rating alone, other makers have cheaper candidates.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
The rechargeable core takes brightness and AAA batteries take time. It's the same body, but in the official table high is 625 lumens on the core and 450 on AAA, while medium burn time swaps to 7 hours on the core and 10 on AAA. So I walk on the core and carry AAA as the spare in the pack.
Key points
- Adding medium (100 lumens) burn time and reserve, the core gives 9 hours and AAA 30 hours. That's a 21-hour gap
- Adding the separately sold core to the battery-powered Actik is ¥14,410. Buying the Actik Core from the start is ¥880 cheaper, and high is 25 lumens brighter too
- The price per 1 lumen is ¥21.6. That's about 1.9 times the LEDLENSER HF4R's ¥11.5, and waterproofing stays at IPX4 too. Price and waterproofing are the weak spot here
On the Actik Core, the rechargeable battery gets dark 3 hours sooner
The Actik Core's official page has two tables of lighting performance: one with the supplied rechargeable battery, the "core," and one with 3 AAA batteries.
Medium (100 lumens) burn time is 7 hours on the core and 10 hours on AAA. Conversely, high is 625 lumens on the core and 450 lumens on AAA.
How I judged it
The first thing I looked at was the lightness of putting out 625 lumens at 88g. That's 7.1 lumens per gram (625 ÷ 88). What I couldn't decide on was the price: the HF4R is the same 7.1, yet ¥6,050 more, and its waterproofing also stays at IPX4.
I still recommend it because the same standard's time is written for all of low, medium and high, and you can use high even on AAA. It suits people who usually just charge it and add AAA only on long trips.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Petzl Actik Core
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥11,787 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥19,800, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe Actik Core's official numbers
The official price is ¥13,530 including tax. Charging by USB Type-C takes 3 hours 30 minutes, and the body's warranty is 5 years.
Scroll the table sideways →
| Lighting level | Core: brightness · distance | Core: time (reserve) | AAA: brightness · distance | AAA: time (reserve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 7lm · 10m | 100 hours (none) | 7lm · 10m | 100 hours (none) |
| Medium | 100lm · 60m | 7 hours (2 hours) | 100lm · 60m | 10 hours (20 hours) |
| High | 625lm · 115m | 2 hours (2 hours) | 450lm · 100m | 2 hours (20 hours) |
Burn time is "until 10% of the starting brightness"
The ANSI/PLATO FL1 lighting time is the time from 30 seconds after switching on until the brightness reaches 10% of the maximum output. "2 hours on high" means 2 hours until it falls to 62.5 lumens (625 × 0.1).
The reserve is a number outside this standard: it gives the brightness you need to walk, but isn't enough for fast movement.
The core for brightness, AAA for time
Adding medium burn time and reserve, the core is 9 hours (7 + 2) and AAA 30 hours (10 + 20). The gap is 21 hours. High is the opposite: the core is 175 lumens brighter (625 − 450).
The same body changes its output depending on the battery you put in. It removes the weak point of a rechargeable on the body's side, and I praise that with some heat.
How it differs from the Actik, Swift RL and other makers
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Max brightness | Weight | Water resistance | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petzl Actik Core | 625lm | 88g | IPX4 | ¥13,530 |
| Petzl Actik | 450lm | 98g | IPX4 | ¥9,350 |
| Petzl Tikka | 350lm | 94g | IPX4 | ¥5,830 |
| Petzl Swift RL | 1200lm | 92g | IPX4 | ¥21,120 |
| LEDLENSER HF4R | 650lm | About 92g | IP67 | ¥7,480 |
| Black Diamond Storm | 550lm | 102g | IP67 | ¥10,450 |
| Black Diamond Spot | 450lm | 53g | IPX7 | ¥8,800 |
Difference from the Actik: the body is built the same, and the price gap is ¥4,180. The core alone is ¥5,060, so adding it later comes to ¥14,410 (9,350 + 5,060), and buying the Actik Core from the start is ¥880 cheaper. High is also 25 lumens brighter.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Petzl Actik
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥7,612 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥11,205, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanDifference from the Swift RL: it's ¥7,590 more and adds a sensor that changes brightness automatically. But the battery is only its dedicated 2250mAh, and AAA (Tan-4) doesn't fit. It's a tool for people who run all night.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Petzl Swift RL
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥18,861 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥21,120, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanDifference from the HF4R: the price per 1 lumen is ¥21.6 (13,530 ÷ 625), about 1.9 times the HF4R's ¥11.5. It's the same build that uses both a rechargeable and AAA (Tan-4), so this is the weak spot.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
LEDLENSER HF4R
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥5,936 (as of 10/13). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥6,984, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanDifference from the Storm: the Storm's medium (200 lumens, 13 hours) is 2,600 in brightness × time. That's about 3.7 times the Actik Core's 700, and the weight is 14g more. If you leave it on all night, I look at that one first.
Things to watch
A charging cable isn't included. Waterproofing is IPX4 (all-weather), and submerging it is outside the rating. It hasn't been certified for use on the road, so it's no substitute for a bicycle headlight.
Who is it for?
It suits best people who usually charge it by USB for day hikes up to hut stays, and carry AAA as a spare only for tent camping and long traverses. 625 lumens at 88g, and 10 hours on medium if you switch to AAA. Being able to swap "brightness" and "time" in one lamp is this light's biggest strength.
For stream-side trails where you might be submerged, an IP67 model is another way to choose.
The ranking lined up side by side is in headlamp rankings, and the small backup light is in the hiking sunglasses and small gear article.
If you already own an Actik, just add the core for 600 lumens on high; if you only use it at campsites and inside huts, the Tikka at ¥7,700 less is enough.
FAQ
Should I buy the Actik or the Actik Core?
If you'll use it once a month or more, the Actik Core. If only a few times a year, the battery-powered Actik is enough.
Can I use AAA nickel-metal hydride batteries in the Actik Core?
Yes. The compatible AAA types are alkaline, lithium and nickel-metal hydride.
How many hours does the Actik Core last?
High (625 lumens) is 2 hours, then there's a 2-hour reserve. Medium is 7 hours. For a long night walk, using medium as your base and high only to check the way fits the table's numbers.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- Petzl Japan Official: Actik Core
- Petzl Japan official: Actik
- Petzl Japan official: Tikka
- Petzl Japan official: Tikka Core
- Petzl Japan official: Swift RL
- Petzl Japan official: Rechargeable battery CORE
- Petzl Japan official: how lighting performance is measured under the ANSI/PLATO FL1 standard
- Petzl Japan Official: Water resistance and IP ratings
- Blue Sheep Online Store (Black Diamond) Spot
- Blue Sheep Online Store (Black Diamond) Storm
- LEDLENSER official: HF4R 2026
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ReviewsBlack Diamond Spot Review | 53 g, 450 lm, IPX7 for ¥8,800A review of the Black Diamond Spot, a new fall/winter 2026 headlamp. Buy it if you want light weight and waterproofing: 450 lumens, 53 g, IPX7, ¥8,800 with tax. High mode lasts only 2.6 hours on AAAs, so I compared it by the numbers with the Petzl Actik Core and the Black Diamond Storm.Oct 19, 2026
