Frequently Asked Questions

Do you really make headlamps in the Czech Republic?

Yes, we do! We manufacture every headlamp in our workshop in Prague. We even manufacture many of the parts ourselves so that we can control the quality, be flexible and develop new things quickly. For example, all aluminium parts are milled on our CNC machining centre.

Many other parts - prototype PCBs, production PCBs including fittings, all plastic parts, anodizing, stainless steel screws, elastic straps, carrying bags, neoprene sleeves, small plastic haberdashery - are manufactured and supplied to us by Czech companies from all over the Czech Republic.

We buy electronic components wholesale and they are manufactured in different countries, we always prefer European and established suppliers. Cree LEDs come from the USA, Panasonic and Samsung batteries from Japan, South Korea or the USA. TIR optics come from Finland. DC cable connectors are made in the USA.

How long does it take to make one headlamp?

As a rough guide, it takes 3-5 hours. We do many parts and activities in-house.

Approximately we need 1h for machining all the aluminum parts (there are 3 pieces on the headlamp - body, bezel, grommet), 1h for scoring and completing the battery and wiring (preparation, spraying the cable) and 1h for assembling the headlamp, testing it and packaging it. Larger L+ and X headlamps then take longer due to longer assembly and CNC machining. It also takes some time to clean, dull and prepare the parts for anodizing.

How many headlamps do you sell per year?

We sell upwards of hundreds of headlamps a year and that number is growing every year. The best selling model is definitely the M6, it is our first model and also the most versatile. Still around 90-95% of the headlamps are going to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. So far we have sold several thousand headlamps.

Where can you buy Lucifer headlamps?

We sell 95% of Lucifer headlamps in our shop. The L and M models are sold by a few smaller shops in the Czech Republic and Europe.

Is there somewhere to test the headlamps?

The headlamps can be tested in Prague in person or sent for testing. Rentals are free, but against a refundable deposit by ordering the item "Headlamp Testing - Reservation" on our e-shop in the section "HEADLAMPS & BIKE LIGHTS".

What is the warranty on Lucifer headlamps?

Headlamps have an extended warranty of 4 years and are valid internationally for both individuals and corporations. We have been working for a long time to keep the failure rate of our headlamps as low as possible, ideally zero, and we are getting close to that.

Why do you sometimes not have all the headlamps in stock?

We do not have the manpower, machinery, equipment and finances to have all of our headlamps in all colours and variants at all times. Of course we try to keep the delays between stocking as small as possible, but especially in the season (autumn,winter,Christmas) partial or temporary sell-outs can occur.

Why are Lucifer headlamps so expensive?

In short, because there is no other way. You can't sell such quality products cheaper. In 2014, we started with a price of 2300kč for the first M1 headlamps and it quickly became clear that the price had to be much higher to make a living. The price increased over time, but the quality of the headlamp itself also increased a lot.

We strive to make headlamps of such quality that they last long and trouble-free while being the best in the world in terms of parameters and features. Unfortunately, this is not matched by a low price.

On the other hand, it often happens that our customers buy our headlamp as a second or third headlamp, so they buy two cheaper headlamps unnecessarily. If he bought our headlamp straight away, it would be cheaper. We try our best to convince our customers that our quality headlamp will be cheaper in the long run.

How are Lucifer headlamps better than cheap (Chinese) headlamps?

Practically everything. We use the best components and materials in our headlamps. Chinese headlamps generally use cheap no-name batteries with low capacity, low quality Chinese copies of LEDs and cheap electronics with lower efficiency.

A cheap Chinese headlamp also usually has no advanced features (constant regulation, charge signaling, discharge, etc.), so it will suddenly go out when completely discharged. The optical elements are often reflectors whose light cone is bad with many artifacts. The color of the LED light is usually quite high, 5700K or more, so the light has an unnatural blue tint and poor color quality.

LED cooling tends to be poor, the contact surfaces for heat transfer are small, so under no circumstances does the headlamp cool to maximum permanently and the LEDs overheat and reduce their lifetime. Generally headlamps also have lower reliability due to poor design, higher operating temperature and because the manufacturer usually has no direct contact with the customer and does not know what has broken. In fact, the customer often does not even advertise such cheap goods or the goods are exchanged for other goods without the fault being detected.

Such headlamps are also unnecessarily large, heavy and bulky, and cannot be easily attached to a helmet or bicycle. In addition, usually such manufacturers do not use the headlamps themselves, so user control is poor, often having to strobe through strobe modes or cycle the headlamp through shutdown. We've used ours for years both recreationally and competitively, in running, ultras, orienteering, cycling, canoeing, skating, climbing or daily commuting, so we know exactly what such a headlamp should look like.

Are all headlamp parameters realistic?

Yes, the parameters are true and realistically achieved. We never exaggerate lumen counts or endurance values. The number of lumens is not a laboratory measured figure, but precisely calculated. Laboratory measurement is an expensive affair for which we do not currently have the funds. However, the lumen count can be calculated quite well - we know what current is going through the led, we know the type of led and the exact power bin and therefore how many lumens the led produces at a given current. Losses due to heating of the headlamp and losses on the optical elements are also taken into account.

The endurance is primarily calculated according to the power consumption and stored energy in the batteries and confirmed by real light measurement and logging in our own spherical integrator.