When it comes to head torches, Chris Townsend know what makes a good piece of gear. How did Vango’s stand up in his review?


The Corvus Duo consists of two lamp units, one with white LEDs, one with red. Either or both attach to a two-part Velcro-closed headband. The total weight is quite high for a basic headtorch. However if you remove the red LED unit the weight drops to a light 73g.

The white LED unit only has three settings – high power, low power, and flash. One, two and three button presses activate these. The brightness can’t be varied in any mode and there’s no spot, just a flood light. Vango doesn’t give a distance for the brightest mode. I reckon it’s around 40-50 metres. The headtorch pivots through 90°.

The top buttons can be used and the battery cover easily removed with gloves on. Adjusting the headband is not so easy though. Velcro can stick to gloves and getting the right length is a matter of trial and error. Headbands do need to be easily adjusted so they fit securely over hats and hoods as well as bare heads. Once it fits the headband is comfortable.

The Corvus Duo is low cost and seems quite durable. It’s not the best headtorch though, even in this price range.

www.vango.co.uk