REVIEW: Princeton Tec Remix Pro R + G + IR

Tactical headlamps - there are actually only two companies that have extensively dealt with this type of lighting: Petzl and Princeton Tec. Both manufacturers have headlamps with NSNs (NATO Stock Number) in their product range, which are often seen in images and videos of US military personnel. We have taken a look at and tested the Princeton Tec Remix Pro R + G + IR.

If you want to purchase the Remix Pro, you first need to determine which version to choose. The different models have a Maxbright LED and three small Ultralight LEDs. The small LEDs come in different color combinations, but finding information about them is harder than you think, starting on the Princeton website. There, you won't find any clues about the available LED color combinations. However, if you look under the menu item MPLS, you will at least find information about this model. For the Remix Pro we tested, it seems that there are versions in White/Red, White/Green, White/Infrared, and our combination of White/Red/Green/Infrared, as far as we could research.

But once you have found the desired variant and hold the lamp in your hands, the initial annoyance quickly dissipates because the lamp is really good. At just 66 grams including headband and battery, it is a true lightweight, and it is also very compact.

As mentioned, the Remix Pro has 4 LEDs: 1 large Maxbright LED™ with an output of 125 lumens (according to the packaging - The website states 150 lumens) and three 5mm small and colored Ultralight LEDs. These are well protected behind a plastic shield. Princeton Tec offers a 5-year warranty on the lamp. The package includes a CR123 Energizer, headband, and instructions in German/French/English.

The battery compartment is opened from the right side (in the direction of the light) via a clip. There is no sealing ring for the battery compartment to achieve absolute water resistance.The lamp is operated via a single button with an "intelligent" circuit (more on that later). The light angle can be adjusted by about 45° up and down while wearing it and has enough resistance to not adjust by itself.

The housing is made of robust plastic and offers protection against shocks and splashes (according to the manufacturer: Waterproof - Level 1 à Level 1 is assigned to lights that offer a degree of water protection equivalent to IPX4 in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. Lights rated at Level 1 are designed for water resistance to splashing and quick dunkings. If a light with a Level 1 rating is accidentally submerged for a longer period of time, the batteries should be removed and the cabinets should be carefully inspected for signs of battery leakage. If water has entered the housing, the light should be dried and batteries replaced). We tested the lamp in shallow water and shook it: it works. However, if you open the battery compartment, you will see small water droplets that have infiltrated. The plastic lens is also slightly moist from the inside. Not a big deal, but you definitely should not dive with this lamp. Various online reviews report that the battery cover breaks quickly, but we could not find any defects - if there are any, there is the 5-year manufacturer's warranty.

The headband is completely detachable from the housing and can be adjusted in length using a slide.

Here in Multicam, it is also available in Tan (other colors are then matched to the lamp housing - for a Tan-colored housing, these are the only two options).

The slots for the headband can also be attached to MOLLE.

When it comes to operating the lamp, it should be noted that the single-button operation is great. A large button on the top of the housing is easily pressed with a finger (with or without gloves) and initially turns on the lamp (regardless of the version) with one of the small LEDs. In our model, it's Red, which makes sense.

You now have 1.5 seconds to select the next color, otherwise the lamp will turn off on the next click. In the test model, the next color is Green, then it goes back to Red.

Infrared is activated separately to avoid unintentionally giving away your position. Simply hold down the button: this automatically activates Infrared. For the Maxbright LED™, you need to hold the button for 1-2 seconds when using red or green light, and the large LED will turn on.

Once you have figured that out intuitively without looking at the packaging or the instruction manual, everything is fine. But if you did look at them, questions arise. Both state that the lamp has 4 modes:

• 1x High Maxbright LED
• 1x Low Maxbright LED
• 1x High Ultrabright LEDs
• 1x Low Ultrabright LEDs

So, you can adjust the two light sources in High and Low levels, according to the instructions, with a double-click. Hmm, when you click quickly, the lamp switches from red to green. After hours of internet searching, nothing conclusive was found, so we can only assume that our version with red, green, and infrared does not have a High/Low setting (unless we were too dumb to figure it out, let us know!). The instruction manual and packaging are therefore universal for all models and are simply incorrect. This could definitely be improved.

The light output of the Remix Pro is very balanced. According to the packaging, you can light up to 28 meters with Red and 72 meters with white light. In practice, it looks somewhat different, as you can see in the pictures.

The lamp does not shine as far, but it provides a nice close-range illumination, which is what you would expect from a headlamp. The light beam is not focused, but rather wide. The packaging shows the ranges again for the High/Low setting: It indicates 72m on High and 52m on Low for the large LED. For Red, it's 28m on High and 10m on Low. Considering the illumination, it can be said that our model tends to operate in Low mode.

The Princeton Tec is powered by a CR123, which is convenient if you have other devices using the same batteries. It is expected to deliver 4-7 hours (depending on modes) with the Maxbright LED™ and 5-40 hours with the Ultrabright LEDs per battery.

In daily use, the Remix Pro is very enjoyable, as it is barely noticeable to wear. The illumination is completely adequate for a headlamp in all color modes. The operation is brilliant, especially as you don't go half-blind trying to switch to the Red mode, as is the case with some other lamps.

CONCLUSION: The model we tested with multiple colors and infrared is a versatile all-rounder, although some compromises must be made in terms of effective range. Considering the price, weight, and size of the headlamp, it clearly belongs in the top choices if you are looking to purchase a new lamp. If the light output is too low for you, you can opt for the White Light/Monochrome (Red OR Green) version, which should shine significantly further based on our experience with this lamp. However, this did not bother us; as mentioned, a headlamp should cover the close range and not necessarily be able to throw light 100 meters away - the only flaw from our end is the inadequate instruction manual and misleading packaging, which Princeton should urgently improve. We hope this review has provided some clarity.

The Princeton Tec Remix Pro is available in Black, Multicam, Tan, and Olive for €60 at Marines Shop. You can also find other models from Princeton Tec and, of course, from Petzl.

Princeton Tec online: http://www.princetontec.com