Maxxeon’s 2nd Gen WorkStar 620 Headlamp, by Pat Cascio

Today we’re taking a close look at the Maxxeon 2nd Gen WorkStar 620 Technician’s Rechargeable Headlamp. We have tested several other lighting products from Maxxeon for SurvivialBlog readers over the years. One still sits on my desk, and I use it all the time when I need extra illumination for a project or looking for a lost gun part.

Maxxeon Varied Intensity Levels

Not all headlamps are the same. With that said, the Maxxeon 620 is quite the light. It has several intensity levels, with the highest being 700 lumens, medium 400 lumens, and low is still a bright 150 lumens. It is powered by a Cree light bulb, which is top of the line, too.

On the high setting of 700 lumens, the light will operate for two hours. On medium, it operates two hours and on low for eight hours. I’m impressed. Recharge time is six hours, and you do get two included batteries with this unit. To help extend the operating time of the 620, you can purchase additional batteries/battery packs. Maxxeon sent me an additional battery back with two additional batteries. You can also zoom the lens from a spot to a flood light, lighting up quite a large area if needed. One outstanding feature is the light’s beam has no rings, shadows, or hot spots when zoomed to a narrow beam.

Pivoting Headlamp

Of course, as the name implies, this is a headlamp. You can wear on your head, so it is hands-free operation. The head of the lamp pivots down 90-degrees, too. I tested the lamp outside in my rural digs, and it lit up my entire huge front yard. In my office, I could zoom it; however, on the highest setting 700-lumens, it was actually too bright for up close work on firearms.

Oregon National Guard Test

A close friend of mine, who is in the Oregon National Guard, went on his yearly deployment over five weeks. I loaned him the 620 for him to use, evaluate, and give me feedback based upon a real world use situation. He is a Recon Scout. And during downtime at night, if there is such a thing, they would do maintenance on some vehicles. While everyone else was using a handheld flashlight, he was using the 620. Everyone was blown away by the brightness of this unit. It made working at night much less difficult for everyone involved. The 620 fit nicely on his helmet, too.

Recessed Button and Extension Cord

One nice feature of the 620 is the recessed button used to cycle through the brightness cycles. Because it is recessed, there are no worries about accidentally hitting the button. There is also a 3-foot extension cord that attaches to the battery pack, which you can wear on your belt or in your pocket instead of on the unit itself.

Micro USB Cord For Recharging

One feature that is easily overlooked is the Micro USB cord that is used for recharging the 620. It is the same type of set-up you use for your cell phone. You can even recharge the 620 from a vehicle outlet if need be. Another worthy feature is that the 620 doesn’t have to stay attached to the headband. You can disconnect it and use it handheld if you desire. You can even clip it to your belt. I have a number of hi-intensity flashlights around my house. They get used all the time. We live in a rural area. That means we do not have street lights, and we like it that way. However, when going outside at night, we need some kind of light. The brighter the better. Many of my expensive handheld flashlights don’t have 700-lumens, like the Maxxeon 620 2nd Gen light has. I was impressed, very impressed, with the brightness and with being able to dial-down the intensity all the way down to 150-lumens if that’s all I needed for a project. Don’t be mistaken; 150-lumens is still plenty bright, especially for some indoor projects that require additional lighting.

Bright Hands-Free Headlamp

The best feature, in my humble opinion, is that this is a headlamp for hands-free use. How many times have you seen your mechanic working on a vehicle, and they have a corded light hanging under the hood of that rig? Or, because that hanging light just isn’t giving them the light they need in a particular area? What do they do? They reach for a hand-held flashlight to help them see the work area. Just imagine how much nicer it would be to have the 620 on their head, aimed directly at their work space!

Many years ago, when working for a security alarm company on the night shift, I answered burglar alarms. It was quite an eye-opening experience. And, remember back then, in the 1970s, we didn’t have the super-powerful flashlights we have today. So it was tough to illuminate something as big as a huge warehouse at night. The 620 sure would have come in handy back then! Wearing it on my head would allow me a two-handed hold on my handgun. Today, there are all kinds of lights that you can attach to your handgun, and they are quite powerful. However, the Maxxeon 620 has them all beat, when it comes to lighting up a big area. Stop and think about it.

Search and Rescue

Here in rural Oregon, we are always seeing on the news where some hikers went missing, and more often than not they went off the marked trails. Local Search And Rescue (SAR) units are called into action. And, when I see these brave volunteers on TV, they are wearing some kind of headlamp. I bet they would sure love to have the Maxxeon 620 on their heads. It’s just not a good idea to go wandering in the woods at night. But if you do, you should at least have a flashlight, a good one. However, the Maxxeon WorkStar 620 Gen 2 is the way to go, for maximum convenience and for the most light you can have on-hand, too.

Artificial Light For Survival

In a genuine survival situation, depending on what circumstances brought you to that “survival”, you will surely at some point need artificial light of some type. Of course, there will be times, once again, depending on the circumstances, where you don’t want to make your presence known, and you won’t turn on a light at night. Still, more often than not, you will need some source of lighting at night, out in the wilderness or even in a city setting. Having a hands-free source of light is a darn good idea, if you ask me. Using the Maxxeon 620 on the lowest setting of 150-lumens will afford you eight hours of bright light and 150-lumens is pretty bright. You can purchase additional spare batteries, and it only takes a minute to swap out dead batteries for fresh ones, too.

The Best Saved For Last- Well Under $50

My friend in the Oregon National Guard fell in love with the 620 when he used it. I didn’t have the heart to take it back from him, so I donated it to him for use on military training exercises with his unit. I try to save the best for last in many of my articles, and that is the full retail price of a product. In the case of the Maxxeon WorkStar 620 2nd Gen unit, they have it listed on their website for well under $50.00. That’s a steal of a deal, if you ask me.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio