Product Review: Mila PLS 100 Headlamp
The Mila Headlamp is a high luminosity rechargeable headlamp designed for outdoor endurance athletes.
Summary: I have been testing the Mila PLS 100 for a full year now, using the lamp for a variety of activities in all types of conditions. Overall, the Mila is an excellent rechargeable headlamp and is highly recommended.
Pros: Extremely bright, dual lighting settings, headpiece is light and comfortable.
Cons: No charge indicator, price.
The Mila headlamp is designed for serious endurance athletes, but is suitable for anyone who wants to run, bike or ski safely after dark.
. In the past I have used a variety lamps — halogen, LED, rechargeable halogen. This is the first time I felt I could really open it up on downhills. It is easy to pick out obstacles in the trail and road — the light throws a beam well down the trail, providing plenty of reaction time. </p><p>Mila claims a 250 meter beam length, with a 30 degree beam width. I’m not sure how the length is measured, but that seems like an extremely long distance. What really matters for skiers, trail runners, and bikers is the area within 20 meters or so, and the Mila is exceptional in this area. The width of the beam is important as well, as it allows you to pick up potential obstacles on the edges of the trail. </p><p>On the snow, the lamp is just as good. Full speed downhills, attacking corners, there is no hesitation — I have skied on lit trails that are significantly darker than using this headlamp. Depending on the conditions and the trail, it is possible to use one lamp for two skiers — it really is that good.</p><p>As an added bonus, the Mila works great for all sorts of other uses — working in the garden, finishing the roofing project, fixing the sump pump — plenty of light for detailed work.</p><p>The lamp has two bulbs and a switch with two settings — the user can activate either a 10-watt bulb or a 20-watt bulb, allowing for longer battery life if maximum lighting is not needed. I often use the 10W bulb, and switch to the 20W on descents. It is rated at about 300 lumens. The 3.5 inch reflector provides an extremely wide beam, though it does mean that it is a little more difficult to stick the lamp in your pocket. It is worth noting that the switch is fairly small – given its location, it can be challenging to activate it when wearing heavy gloves.</p><p><center><img src=)
The front view. The lamp is a bit mis-shapen due to harsh treatment, but it still works great. Note the two bulbs.
 and quite comfortable, made of soft elastic with a plastic brace under the lamp. The lamp is extremely light as well, weighing in at 7 ounces. A majority of the weight is in the battery pack (22 ounces), which should be carried in a waist belt or back pocket. It can also be fitted on a helmet — I had no problem getting it on my Bell, and imagine it should be straightforward to fit it on other. I don’t think it was specifically designed to accommodate helmets, but I found it works great.</p><p><center><img src=)
The Mila PLS 100 on a helmet.
The battery.
The Mila is imported from Sweden, where it is a leading brand. Each lamp comes with a battery pack and charger. There is not a US specific model, so a plug adaptor (from Euro to US) is included. This works fine, and if you lose yours, you can pick up another for a couple of bucks at Radio Shack.
For a full charge, it is recommended that the 6V9ah NiMH battery be charged overnight. There is a small LED on the charger that is red during charging, and switches to green when the battery is fully charged. One drawback is that there is no charge indicator on the battery pack, meaning that you don’t know how much charge you have left. So be sure to fully charge the battery before extensive use. I would grab the lamp without charging when I knew I would only need it for the tail end of a run or ski — and fortunately never ran out of juice (A quick aside — several years ago I took my old rechargeable halogen out without charging — assuming it was full — it wasn’t, and I found myself on the top of the mountain in a sleet storm in the dark with no light. So charge your battery).
 and if it means you can get out and train as the days get shorter, it is worth every penny. As soon as October hits, my Mila is being charged almost daily for the afternoon’s workout.</p><p>For more information visit http://www.milausa.com<div class=)
