Exploding head mounted torch.

[EddiePJ]

I don't have the details of the make of light yet, but one of my wife's friends went walking a few nights ago with what was claimed to have been an expensive helmet/head torch, took it off and put it onto a bench at the end of the walk, and it exploded, burning the bench in process.

I do have a head torch for walking, but not riding use, but it did make me think a bit. That could of been one very nasty injury or even death.

I guess that it must pay to keep a careful eye on these lights in an off road situation where perhaps they are potentially getting wet. Scary stuff.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Or just choose one with AAA cells that don't explode as often? I have the really cheap Decathlon one and it does the job I need it for (putting sardines on hooks most of the time).

 

[Barrio Barranco]

Cheap Petzl Tikka that uses AAA....it's more of an emergency light I usually wear around my neck so quickly and easily accessed when road riding at night in case there's a mechanical/puncture.

 

[EddiePJ]

I have one of these that I wear for my night rides. Not as uncomfortable to wear as you might think, very cheap, and the angle doesn't seem to create too much of an issue. I suspected that it might just be a load of rubbish, but it has actually proved to be the opposite.

edit.. Now you have me thinking! It has rechargeable batteries of unknown type, and will probably now blow my hand off.

 

[GLJoe]

I don't have the details of the make of light yet, but one of my wife's friends went walking a few nights ago with what was claimed to have been an expensive helmet/head torch, took it off and put it onto a bench at the end of the walk, and it exploded, burning the bench in process.

It would be interesting to find out what exactly caused this. The make and model of the light would be good, but I'm guessing that more importantly, knowing what batteries used would be the key factor.
I actually bought a head torch for my wife a couple of years ago that used 18650 batteries in a holder at the rear of the head. I didn't cheap out and so bought Panasonic Cells, with the built in over-current protection, but in the end, the thought of what MIGHT happen meant I never fully trusted the torch and it never got used. I would never in a million years use cheap non protected batteries though. Wouldn't even consider the proposal!

 

[Fat Rat]

As already said it would be nice to know what happened in more detail and what make and model it was.

 

[georgehenry]

The worry is the fake stuff being branded as genuine.

Very much a case of "Caveat emptor".