Silva Ninox headlamp review
We tested the Silva Ninox’s beam, controls, adjustable lamp head and integrated storage pouch, and found one drawback when changing batteries.
We spent several days testing the Silva Ninox™, described as the most technically advanced headlamp in Silva’s Outdoor range. Designed for demanding conditions, this compact, waterproof lamp uses Silva’s Intelligent Light® technology to combine a focused distance beam with broad floodlighting close by.
The Ninox uses one power LED and two floodlight LEDs to illuminate both the ground at your feet and the trail ahead. Its 110-lumen beam reaches up to 50 meters. Six lighting modes offer flexibility and help extend battery life. The first mode is a powerful red LED for situations where preserving night vision matters.
Intelligent Light® combines wide floodlighting with a focused long-range beam. Three AAA batteries provide a quoted 30 hours on the highest setting, or up to 90 hours at reduced output. The large button on top is easy to operate with gloves on. The lamp weighs just 80 g including batteries and headband. When it is not needed, it fits inside the Silva Cocoon™ pouch integrated into the headband, keeping it from tangling in a pocket or backpack.
Our test
We tried the Ninox over several August evenings, focusing on ease of use, design details and light output. It takes little time to learn the controls, and switching between brightness levels is simple. The lamp housing tilts vertically, making it easy to direct the beam for the best view or lower it to avoid dazzling people coming the other way. Intelligent Light® works well, giving a wide field of view while retaining a strong distance beam. We had no reason to question the claimed 50-meter range.
The storage pouch built into the headband is a particularly clever detail. It makes the lamp easy to pack away in a small space. When you take it out again, the pouch resumes its shape as part of the headband without needing to be folded away.
Installing or replacing batteries is less convenient: opening and closing the compartment requires some sort of tool. With up to 90 hours of runtime, though, changes should not be frequent, and you can replace the batteries at home before a trip if they are getting low.
This is a pleasant, easy-to-use headlamp with a bright, broad beam and convenient storage. Along with the integrated pouch, its greatest strength is the ability to adjust the beam angle continuously to suit the situation.
The Ninox also came in a version called Camo.
