Foxelli MX500L USB Rechargeable Headlamp Reviewed

Marketing from Foxelli Outdoor Gear

Tired of spending time, energy and money on batteries, which can leak and ruin your device? Eliminate any safety worries once and for all when enjoying the great outdoors. Time to make a change today! Check out the ultimate solution!

Introducing the Foxelli MX500L – A high-tech, USB rechargeable headlamp that was specially designed for professional sports enthusiasts as well as everyday users to help in any complex environment.

 

Manufacturer: Foxelli Outdoor Gear, foxelli.com
Model: MX500L Headlamp

Dimensions (Packed): 4″ (7.62cm) x 3″ (10.16cm) x 2″ (5.08cm)
Weight: 4.65 oz. (132g)

Colors: Black, White

Battery: USB Rechargeable 1800 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery Pack

Modes:

    Ultra Bright – 280 lumen, up to 120 meters
    Bright – 200 lumen, up to 80 meters
    Average – 95 lumen, up to 40 meters
    Minimum – 12 lumen, up to 10 meters
    Emergency Strobe (SOS)

Water Resistance: IPX7 (immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter)

Included: Two Mini USB Charging Cables, Integrated Emergency Whistle
Warranty: 120-Day Money Back Guarantee + 1-Year Warranty Against Manufacturing Defects

MSRP: $71.97
 

The Review

I typically EDC multiple lights wherever I go… But the older I get, the lighter I like to keep my pack. To lighten my load, I attempt to narrowly target my gear around what I will be doing. For example, if I’m out hiking, I don’t really need a blindingly bright high-lumen flashlight when a lightweight low-lumen headlamp is much better suited for the task at hand. And the better your gear is, the fewer backups that you need to carry. Today, I’ll be checking out the budget-friendly MX500L USB Rechargeable Headlamp from Foxelli Outdoor Gear to see how well it fills my need for an ultra-reliable lightweight headlamp…

The Foxelli MX500L is a moderately-powered USB-rechargeable headlamp available in two colors, black and white.

It is lightweight and has many features that set it apart from many similarly priced headlamps… The most unique feature of this headlamp is the isolated Lithium-Ion battery pack which distributes the weight of the lamp and battery pack across the front and back of the headband. As a result, the headlamp feels much lighter than it actually is. A feature is commonly only found on higher-end headlamps with high-power lamps and extra-large battery packs.

The 1800 mAh Lithium-Ion Polymer battery pack encapsulated in a rugged impact-resistant ABS thermoplastic that can be charged from any powered USB port with any narrow-ended micro-USB cable so it can easily be charged on the go with a USB battery pack or solar charger. It takes about two-hours to charge fully, providing as much as 100 hours of constant light from a single charge.

On the side of the battery pack, there is a USB charging port with a tethered rubber cap to completely seal the port, preventing dirt and moisture from damaging the unit. On one end of the battery pack, there is an integrated battery-level indicator that is activated when the lamp is turned on. The light glows green from 30% to completely full, red from 15-30%, and it flashes red when it is below 15%. The light also flashes red while the battery pack is charging.

The MX500L is illuminated by a powerful Cree XLamp® XP-G2 LED with a long lifespan and a small 3.45mm-square footprint. The ultra-efficient XP-G2 LED emitter utilizes Cree’s new SC3 silicone carbide technology, providing 20% more output over Cree’s previous XP-G technology with the exact same power requirement. The LED is housed in the same rugged impact-resistant ABS as the battery pack so it can also withstand quite a lot of punishment without risk of damaging the unit.

The lamp housing can be tilted a full 90-degrees providing quite a lot of versatility for a headlamp. You can aim the light ahead of you when you need light in a specific direction, down at the ground ahead of you when you are walking on a trail, or straight down when you need the light source focussed on a task immediately in front of you. Additionally, the MX500L features a plastic light diffuser that turns the fine-focussed beam into a wide-area flood light simply by sliding the diffuser door down over the LED and reflector.

The rubberized power button/mode selector that is used to cycle through the unit’s 5 power levels is located on the left-side of the lamp housing. I found this location was easier to use as a right-handed operation than with the left hand. For this reason, I typically prefer it to be located on the top of the light housing where it is equally accessible. On the opposite side of the lamp housing is a flexible wire connector that connects the lamp housing to the battery pack along the right-side of the headband.

The first press of the power button/mode selector turns the headlamp on at the medium brightness level which is 95-lumen with a range of up to 40 meters. If you press the button again, the brightness will increase to 200-lumen with a range of up to 80 meters.

A third press will drop the power down to the lowest and most efficient mode providing 12-lumen, good for lighting a distance of 5-10 meters. An ideal mode for low-light conditions where you don’t need much light such as reading. One more press will increase the power to the highest Ultra-bright mode providing 280-lumen with a range of up to 120 meters, and one final press will turn the headlamp off.

After 3-minutes at either of the Bright or Ultra-bright modes, the light will automatically dim down to the medium mode to conserve energy. The light will last as long as 100 hours on the lowest mode, and approximately 8 hours on the medium setting.

The fifth mode is the Emergency Flasher (SOS) strobe. It is activated when you press and hold the button for two-or-more seconds. Perfect for emergency rescue situations when you need to be seen from great distances in the dark. If you happen to leave the light on any setting for more than 5 seconds on any mode, then you hit the button, the light will immediately be turned off, no matter which mode it is set to.

The entire unit weighs only 4.65 ounces, which is not ultralight by any means… But when you consider that it is rechargeable and can provide up to 100 hours of light on a single charge, it is not really not much heavier than a non-rechargeable light with a few extra batteries.

The headband is made from an extremely durable fine-woven elastic fabric just a little shy of 1″ wide for its strength and comfort. It is easily adjustable to accommodate a child’s head, and plenty long enough to expand to fit atop most safety helmets. The rugged plastic mounts that secure the lamp and battery pack to the headband are slightly curved to match the curvature of a typical head for added comfort. There are two wire guides that hold the power connector in place and keep it from getting tangled or caught on anything.

On the left-side of the headband, one of the plastic adjustment buckles doubles as an emergency alert whistle. A wonderful addition for times when you need to signal your location.

The 1/2″ removable top band is designed to aid in holding the headlamp in place. I found it completely unnecessary during my use. The headlamp just did not move around on my head, even though it was not overly tight. Although, I could see where it could be more useful if you were attaching the headlamp to a helmet or hard hat.

The MX500L’s battery and electronics are completely sealed providing this headlamp with a full IPX-7 rating. Basically, this means that the MX500L can be fully immersed in water to a depth of 1-meter for as much as 30 minutes without risk of failure. So whether it is raining like cats and dogs or you drop it in the stream as you are filling your water bottles, the headlamp will keep on trucking.

Foxelli is so confident with the reliability of their entire line of headlamps, they offer a 120-day, no questions asked, money back guarantee with a 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects. If you’re not 100% satisfied, they will give you your money back. How is that for standing behind your products? For more information related to their satisfaction guarantee and warranty policy, you can visit Foxelli’s website here.

Final Thoughts

When you need a headlamp, it must be rugged, reliable, and energy efficient… And the MX500L from Foxelli is just that. It was built to last from quality materials, consistently lights up when you press the power button, and the CREE XP-G2 LED emitter is extremely bright and efficient. I’ve been using this headlamp for quite some time now and it has never failed me. The battery life is exceptionally long, and the brightness of five light modes provided are plenty to suit my needs. Even sitting on the floor of my pool, 4-feet under the surface of the water.

The only feature really missing on this headlamp is a red light mode which is extremely helpful for hunting and other situations when maintaining night vision is imperative. Once your eyes have become accustomed to the dark, a red light will not interfere with your eyesight. The rods in your eyes are not sensitive to the red spectrum which has a long-wavelength from 620–750 nm so they do not become saturated like they do with blue and white light. Not everyone would ever utilize a red light, but for me, I do hope that future Foxelli headlamps will include this feature.

The MX500L is a capable budget-friendly headlamp, perfect for use as an EDC, or as a reliable backup during an emergency situation. I highly recommend considering this and other Foxelli headlamps for inclusion in your EDC, emergency preparedness stores and caches, and of course your outdoor gear.

 
You can always find this and other Foxelli products on Amazon.

About Foxelli Outdoor Gear

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