Head Torches Explained: Ledlenser HF and H Series Compared

The lumen figure sells a head torch. For work backstage, the red light, the beam control and where the battery sits on your head decide whether it is any good, and every figure quoted here is from Ledlenser’s own technical data.

~9 min read · Updated September 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: Short answer · HF vs H series · Lumens and runtime · Focus · Red light · Batteries · Mounts · IP rating · Shop the range · FAQ

A head torch goes wherever your hands go: under a desk, behind a rack, into the back of a truck at two in the morning. We stock nine Ledlenser models in two families, the compact HF series and the shift-length H series Pro, and they run from the 92g HF4R to the 403g H15R Pro.

The short answer

For most crew, the HF4R is the one to buy: 650 lumens, a red front light, a rechargeable battery that can be swapped for disposable cells, and 92g on your head. If you want a helmet connecting kit in the box, the HF4R Pro has identical light output and adds it. For long shifts and real throw, the H7R Pro reaches 350m and runs 120 hours on its lowest setting. If you need red light and serious power in one unit, look at the HF6R Pro, HF7R Pro or H9R Pro.

HF series and H series

The HF series are compact, lightweight units, from 92g to 134g, and every one we stock has a red front light and a transport lock. The HF4, HF4R and HF4R Pro have separate spot and flood beams in a polycarbonate housing. The HF6R Pro and HF7R Pro step up to aluminium housings and Ledlenser’s Adaptive Light Beam, and the HF7R Pro adds the Digital Advanced Focus System.

The H series Pro are built for shifts. Ledlenser put the battery at the back of the head to balance the weight, and the battery keeps powering the light while it charges over USB-C, so a torch on a charger is still a working torch. The controls are rubberised to work in gloves, and the light is flicker-free. The H5R Pro, H7R Pro and H15R Pro are white light only. The H9R Pro adds red, green and blue light and a red rear light.

The HF4 comes in black, forest green and smoky blue, and so does the HF4R, in black, forest green and smoky blue. The light inside is the same whichever colour you choose.

Reading lumens, beam and runtime

Every figure on the box is true, but they are not measured at the same time. Ledlenser measure to the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 standard, and they state that the headline output and beam distance refer to the brightest setting while the headline runtime refers to the lowest. On most models the brightest setting is Boost, which can be used repeatedly but only for a short time at once. The setting you will actually work in sits in between, and its runtime is the honest number for planning a show call.

Two things fall out of that table. First, more lumens does not always mean more throw: the H9R Pro puts out 2200 lumens and reaches 250m, while the H7R Pro reaches 350m on 1200 lumens. Throw depends on how tightly the optic gathers the light as well as on how much light there is. Second, most close work, reading a patch sheet or finding a screw in a rack, happens in the 100 to 400 lumen range, where the smaller torches run for many hours.

All these head torches use cool white LEDs at 6000K to 7500K with a colour rendering index of 70. That is fine for finding things. If judging colours accurately matters, such as gel colours or wire colours, see our explainer on colour temperature and CRI; the Pro versions of the P5R and P7R hand torches have a CRI of 80, covered in our torches and work lights guide.

Focus and Adaptive Light Beam

• Spot and flood (HF4, HF4R, HF4R Pro). Two separate beams, a spot for distance and a flood for close work, so there is nothing to twist.
• Advanced Focus System (H5R Pro, H7R Pro, H15R Pro). A focus ring gives a stepless change from a wide flood to a tight spot, and an encoder dims the output. The most direct control of the lot.
• Digital Advanced Focus System (HF7R Pro, H9R Pro). Turning a digital focus ring moves the beam from flood to spot.
• Adaptive Light Beam (HF6R Pro, HF7R Pro, H9R Pro). The torch dims and focuses automatically for hands-free use. Useful when you keep switching between reading something close and looking across a stage.

Red light backstage

Ledlenser fit red light because it helps preserve the eye’s natural night vision. Backstage, that is the whole point: a crew member who switches to red to read a cue sheet in the wings can still see into the dark a moment later, and a red glow draws far less attention than a white beam. Every HF series torch we stock has a red front light, as does the H9R Pro.

The H9R Pro goes further. Ledlenser intend its green light for observing wildlife without disturbing it, its blue light makes liquids easier to see, which helps when chasing a leak, and the red rear light on the battery makes you visible from behind when you are walking a dark loading route or a site road.

Batteries and charging

• HF4. Runs on the AAA alkaline cells supplied. Its Dual Power Source means it also takes Ledlenser’s rechargeable battery, which is not in the box.
• HF4R and HF4R Pro. A 1350mAh rechargeable polymer battery, full in 210 minutes over USB-C. Dual Power Source again, so disposable cells can stand in when the battery is flat.
• HF6R Pro and HF7R Pro. A 2400mAh rechargeable polymer battery, full in 180 minutes over USB-C.
• H series Pro. Charges while in use. The H5R Pro uses an 18650 cell and charges in 300 minutes, the H7R Pro a 21700 in 210 minutes, the H9R Pro a 21700 in 240 minutes, and the H15R Pro a pair of 21700 cells in 300 minutes.

Every head torch here has a transport lock. It is the feature a touring tech will thank you for: it stops the torch switching itself on in a bag or a flight case and arriving flat.

Helmets, mounts and what is in the box

This is where the HF4R and the HF4R Pro differ. Their light output, runtime, battery and weight are identical. The HF4R Pro adds a helmet connecting kit and fixing clips in the box, where the HF4R comes with Ledlenser’s Connect adapter and its charging cable. The HF6R Pro and HF7R Pro include the helmet connecting kit, fixing clips and a pouch. Every H series Pro model comes with an LL-Connect baseplate with 3M tape, fixing clips, a pouch and a USB-C charging cable.

Water, dust and drops

Every head torch in this guide is rated IP67, which means dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water, and is drop tested to 1.5m. Ledlenser give a working range of -20°C to +40°C across the range. A festival downpour is well within what they are built for.

The head torches we keep

Frequently asked questions

Which Ledlenser head torches have a red light?

The HF4, HF4R, HF4R Pro, HF6R Pro and HF7R Pro all have a red front light. The H9R Pro has red, green and blue light plus a red rear light. The H5R Pro, H7R Pro and H15R Pro are white light only.

Is the HF4R Pro brighter than the HF4R?

No. Both reach 650 lumens and 130m and run 45 hours on low, from the same 1350mAh battery. The Pro adds a helmet connecting kit and fixing clips.

Can I use disposable batteries?

The HF4 runs on AAA alkaline cells, which are supplied. The HF4R and HF4R Pro have Ledlenser’s Dual Power Source, so they can run on disposable batteries in place of their rechargeable pack. The other models run on their rechargeable batteries.

How many lumens do I need for backstage work?

Less than the box suggests. Close work such as reading paperwork, patching or finding fixings sits comfortably in the 100 to 400 lumen settings. The highest outputs are for throwing light a long way, and only last a short time.

Can I use the torch while it charges?

The H5R Pro, H7R Pro, H9R Pro and H15R Pro keep running while they charge over USB-C, so plugging one in does not take it out of use.

What warranty do Ledlenser head torches have?

Two years as standard, extended to seven years when you register the product with Ledlenser online.