I’ve been testing this Scangrip I-Match headlamp for quite some time now, at least 8-9 months, and I’m finally writing a bit about it.  This headlamp is the successor to the Scangrip I-View, so I would highly encourage anyone reading this to first read my review of the I-View headlamp.  Reason being, overall the headlamps are very similar, so in this article I will mainly focus on the differences and improvements.

The packaging again is very nice and everything is neatly placed into a small box.  It includes the charger and manual along with the headlamp.

Here are a few photos of the headlamp outside the box.  This time they went with red accents instead of blue…

As you can notice in the previous photo, there are now two light sources!  One is a warmer 4500K and the other a cooler 6500K.  This is definitely the biggest change/upgrade in the headlamp, but let’s check out a few other differences as well as the similarities…

As  you can see, the I-Match and the I-View (original) are practically identical in size and overall looks…

Aside from the light source difference, one major change I noticed is the strap and clamp.  Both of these are a big improvement in my opinion.  The strap on the old I-View is by no means harsh or hard to operate.  It’s very soft, easy to adjust and has plenty of strength to grip and stay on your head.  The new I-Match strap is simply better.  It’s softer, a bit stronger and thicker, all of which result in more comfort and less chance of slipping off your head.  (If you’re wondering why it would slip, I use it a lot for mechanical work or other work while laying on my back, so it tends to slip back on my bald head!  Others probably have little to no issue with this.)  The clamp is also a great upgrade.  Over time as you put on and take off the I-View, the clamp slips slightly and the strap becomes a bit loose.  This is not a big issue as you simply have to re-tighten it every so often.  The new I-Match clamp prevents this by actually clamping down on the strap…

Now, onto the main difference… the light sources…  As you can tell from the product descriptions, the light output is the same.  The new I-Match however has the addition of the warm light setting, which is great for showing defects and seeing your work on certain (usually lighter) colors.  This is also a great addition for simply seeing a certain paint color in a different light, which may be easier to tell if a repaint matches or if there are any other issues in the surface.  For comparison sake, here are the photos of each headlamp turned on…

First off is the original I-View on low setting…

Now the new I-Match low setting with the 6500k cooler color…

Original I-View on high setting…

New I-Match high setting (6500K again)…

Finally the I-Match high setting with warmer 4500K color…

I personally can’t notice much of a difference when wearing the two headlamps, but in these and other photos I took, the new I-Match seems to have a slightly more focused beam.  Both headlamps work really well and most importantly WORK.  We’ve used and abused three I-View lamps for almost two years now and this new I-Match lamp has seen its fair share of drops, bumps, throws, etc. over the last 8-9 months.  They still work like day one without skipping a beat and I encourage anyone in search for a headlamp to give these a shot.

Which one is better?  I hate to say it, but considering the price difference I value them equally.  You get a great headlamp with the I-View and you get a slightly improved lamp with more features when you choose the new I-Match.  For me it comes down to practical use… If you use headlamps a lot to polish, I’d choose the new I-Match for its color options.  If you us the headlamp for only certain tasks, especially those that simply require light and not necessarily have any color preference, the I-View is definitely a great option.

Hope you enjoyed this little review and comparison.  Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability.  Also keep an eye out for similar articles comparing the Scangrip Sunmatch and Multimatch to their respective successors.