Headlamps and Waterproof Flashlights

LED Headlamps and Marine Flashlights Resources and Information

Boating at night can be dangerous without the proper marine lighting equipment. Fortunately, PartsVu carries a variety of LED headlamps and waterproof marine flashlights to fit your exact needs. For hands-free operation, LED headlamps are an ideal solution. For all-around, reliable operation, you can’t go wrong with our selection of waterproof flashlights.

Looking for more boating and marine products? Check out our complete selection of Products and Accessories. You can also shop our broader selection of Electrical and Lighting Accessories for Boats or Boat Lighting Products and Accessories. 

Headlamps and Waterproof Flashlights FAQs

How do I know which Princeton Tec light is best for me? 

Princeton Tec offers many different lights to choose from. The choices may seem a little overwhelming at first, but a few simple questions will help you narrow down the options.

1. Will you use the light for an activity that matches one of our four divisions? (Outdoor, Dive, Industrial, or Tactical)
2. Do you need hands-free (headlamp), hands-on (flashlight), area (lantern) or “be seen” (marker/strobe) lighting? Or do you need a helmet-mounted light (check Tactical or Industrial), a bike-mounted light (see Outdoor) or something else (check Accessories)?
3. What activities will you use the light for?
• Fast-moving and/or varied terrain activities (trail running, mountain biking, backcountry hunting, escaping yeti, etc.)?
• Higher lumens may be best for you – focus on lights with 200+ lumens.
• Not-as-fast-moving activities in less varied terrain (road running, hanging around camp, low-key hiking, fishing, etc.)?
• High-lumen lights with a low flood setting or dimmability will work, or lights under 200 lumens.

1. What are your fuel needs?
• Alkaline: The battery type that fuels most of your electronics. Do you carry other gear that uses a specific battery type? Sticking to one type of battery (e.g. AAA) makes it easier to stay prepared.
• Rechargeable: Feeling green? Have a regular power source to plug into? Shop rechargeable options.
• Lithium: Planning to spend a lot of time in extreme cold or heat? Lithium batteries are smaller and lighter than most alkaline batteries and can often withstand extreme temperatures.

What are lumens and how many do I need?

A lumen is a unit that measures light, as derived by the International System of Units (SI). It’s also how manufacturers measure the light output of their products. Lumens are important, but lumen count isn’t the only factor that affects brightness. The quality of the reflector and how long the light maintains its lumen count before the battery begins to drain will also influence brightness.

Lumen counts can be a matter of preference, but here’s our rule of thumb: if you’re doing a fast-paced activity, covering varied terrain, or you REALLY want to nail that starry Instagram photo, look for products with 200 lumens and higher. If your activities are more moderately paced, cover somewhat consistent terrain, or are focused around a campfire, for example, 200 lumens or less will do the job.

At Princeton Tec, we preach the gospel of light discipline: whenever possible, do what you need to do (safely), with as little light as possible – without giving yourself a headache. This approach helps to preserve the peace of the outdoors at night, while also preserving the integrity of your friends’ eyes when you look directly at them while wearing a headlamp (see also: why do I need a red LED?).

Why would I need a red LED? What other LED colors does Princeton Tec offer?

A red LED emits a different light wavelength than a white LED, making it a little easier on your eyes. The red light is helpful for a few reasons:

1. You won’t blind friends, relatives, and strangers when you look directly at them, headlamp blazing.
2. You can see the stars more clearly.
3. It guards against nighttime honey badger attacks. Seriously – red light enables you to focus on a close task, yet your eyes adjust much faster when you look up into the dark. Next time you’re whipping up mac ‘n cheese around the campfire and you hear rustling in the woods, you can see whether it’s a honey badger or a buddy carrying firewood. On a serious note, military and law enforcement personnel have long used red light to preserve night vision and decrease their overall light signature in many different situations.
4. It’s less disruptive to wildlife.

We also produce several other LED colors (green, blue, UV & IR), but they may not be available in all of our products. Some outdoor products do have various light color combinations, but most of our specialty light colors find their home in the Tactical product line.

My Princeton Tec product died; can I have it serviced or repaired?

Princeton Tec headlamps and flashlights are manufactured with high-quality, durable materials. But, from time to time you may encounter an issue with your Princeton Tec light – whether it’s due to general abuse that comes with the territory or due to an error on the manufacturer’s end. 

And sometimes, your boat sinks and when you bring it to the surface several months later, you discover that your sunken Princeton Tec flashlight still works – after you scrape the barnacles off the lens, of course.

First – have you tried turning it off and back on again? We’re mostly kidding. Try removing and then reinstalling the batteries. If that doesn’t work, try a fresh set.

Still having an issue? Contact Princeton Tec’s Customer Service team by phone (1-800-257-9080) or email (warranty@princetontec.com). Customer Service is located at Princeton Tec HQ, live and in person, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am through 5 pm EST.

To make the process a little easier, please be ready to provide your light model, date of purchase, and a brief description of the issue you’re encountering – or include those details in your email. Princeton Tec can often ship the parts you need to get your light up and running ASAP. For other issues, we may ask you to ship your light to us.

How does Princeton Tec’s warranty process work?

To file a warranty claim for your Princeton Tec product, call (1-800-257-9080) or email (warranty@princetontec.com) their Customer Service team for assistance.

If they determine that your light needs to be sent back to them for repairs or replacement, they will give you a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. Note: no warranty work can be completed without first obtaining an RMA number from Princeton Tec. 

Once you receive your RMA number, ship the defective product back to the Princeton Tec address provided.

If possible, Princeton Tec will repair the light. Otherwise, they will replace your light with an identical product or, if the product is no longer available, a comparable product. They will then ship the repaired or replaced light back to you. Average turnaround times during non-peak seasons are 2-3 weeks.

What makes the Navisafe headlamp unique? 

The new Navisafe Headlamp contains all functions needed to make it the Sailor’s first choice: a red light to preserve night vision, a white floodlight to light the whole sail, and an ultra-powerful distance light shining up to 70 m plus tilt function for exact and comfortable beam positioning. It weighs only 68 g including the single AA Battery. The Headlamp is IPX6 classified and withstands heavy splashing and rain.

Navisafe Smart Mode Switch:

• Press and hold for 0.5 s to activate the red light. If the red light is ON for more than 3 PRESS the switch again and the light turns OFF
• To activate the white light PRESS and HOLD for 0.5 s and activate the red light, PRESS again quickly and enter into white light mode
• PRESS again quickly to get to the next mode
• In ANY mode: PRESS and HOLD for 1.5 s to turn the light OFF