On paper these are very similar torches, and at a fleeting glance you'd probably not favour one over the other, but a more detailed look shows that one has the edge- so which will it be?
Both torches run on two AAA batteries, and have nothing between them in weight with the Eco Star tipping the scales at 61g and the Gizmo at 58g, both including batteries. But lets call that +1 to the Gizmo.
Both sport two white LED's, with maximum/minimum outputs rated at 35/4 lumens and 30/5 lumens for the Gizmo and Eco Star respectively. Another +1 for the Gizmo- or is it?
Despite having a marginally higher output, the claimed beam range of 15 meters for the Gizmo is exactly half that of its counterpart. Then look at the run times; The Nextorch trounces the Gizmo's respectable 6 hours/75 hours run time in high/low modes with a whopping 9 hours/105 hours. That's an extra full day and them some.
And it doesn't stop there- the Eco Star also features a red LED for preserving night vision. While both torches can tilt, the Gizmo is limited to approximately 45 degrees of downward movement; the Eco Star swivels 90 degrees up AND down, giving a full 180 degree range. And if that's not enough, it also detaches from the headband mount to use as a hand-held torch.
Both offer water resistance to IPX4 standards, which is more splash-proof than waterproof, and while the Gizmo features a dimming mode allowing you to dim the light anywhere between high and low outputs, neither torch features a memory function so the torch will always turn on full whack. More annoyingly in the case of the Eco Star, it always turns on in white light, having to cycle through high mode then low mode to get to red.
While Black Diamond added a flashing mode (they call it strobe, but its more like a steady beacon) for emergencies, Nextorch went one better and incorporated an SOS mode- hold the power button for 5 seconds and the light will flash out the SOS signal. In addition, the SOS mode can easily be accessed at any time, i.e. whether the torch is on or off, where the Gizmo's "strobe" mode requires an on/off/on sequence of presses; not ideal for moments of panic in an emergency.
Changing batteries is an altogether less-fiddly affair with the Eco Star, with a simple hinged cover allowing the batteries to be slotted into the end, where as the Gizmo effectively splits into two halves, held together with a flimsy-looking piece of plastic tape.
Talking of flimsy plastic, the Gizmo certainly has a "cheaper" feel to it, and well it should as the Eco Star claims to be made of glass-reinforced nylon (GRN), a polymer often used for knife handles and firearms. This enables the Nextorch to withstand drops of up to a metre (official rating- I haven't been throwing it on the floor to test this).
Aesthetically the Gizmo follows the conventions of head torch design, and while it doesn't push any boundaries it does seem more pleasing to the eye than its rival. It also features an auto power-off after two hours, but even this handy feature isn't enough to save it from an Eco Star battering.
The Black Diamond Gizmo is by no means a bad head torch, in fact for its meager price tag it packs a lot in- two light modes plus flashing and dimming function, a tilting head, long run times, water resistance and a very low weight.
But the Nextorch Eco Star goes that one step further- several steps in fact. The devil is in the details, so they say, and its when you start to look at the details that the Eco Star emerges as the clear winner.
Nextorch Eco Star
Black Diamond Gizmo
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