Dental headlights
Short answer: HeliosX makes four headlights: Antares (45,000 lux, two batteries, $495), Arcturus (150,000 lux, up to 12 hours, $835), Canopus (198,000 lux, $695) and Canopus XL (the same light with a top strap, $815). Each works with any loupes or glasses, and is 10% off ordered with loupes.
HeliosX is the world standard in custom ergonomic loupes, supplied to clinicians, teaching hospitals and universities in more than 110 countries. Most people looking for a dental headlight want one of two things: light without mounting anything on their loupes, or one light that works across pairs and glasses. Here are the four HeliosX headlights, with brightness, weight, battery life and price for each. If you would rather have a light on the loupe frame, compare them at Best dental loupe lights.
Guidance from the HeliosX loupe specialists.
Canopus · $695 USD
A headlight sits on its own band, not on your loupes. Nothing is mounted on the frame, so it works with any loupes, with plain glasses, or with no eyewear at all, and you can move it between pairs.
The trade-off is weight on your head instead of on your nose: 164–231 g on a padded band, against 10–12 g for a light clipped to the frame. The chart below shows how bright each one is, how long it runs and what it costs.
From the least light to the most. Tap a headlight to jump to it.
| Headlight | Brightness | Weight | Battery | Spot size | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antares | 45,000 lux | 180 g | 5 hr, 2 batteries | 20–100 mm | $495 |
| Arcturus | 150,000 lux | 164 g | 5–12 hr | 20–95 mm | $835 |
| Canopus | 198,000 lux | 175 g | 4 hr | 10–90 mm | $695 |
| Canopus XL | 198,000 lux | 231 g, with top strap | 4 hr | 10–90 mm | $815 |
Every headlight has an adjustable spot and a 5-year limited warranty. 10% off any light ordered with a pair of loupes. All lights: Lights.
45,000 lux · 180 g · $495
Brightness
The lowest-cost HeliosX headlight, $495, with 45,000 lux. Two batteries ship with it, about 5 hours each, so one is always charging.
It is the least bright of the four, which suits exams, hygiene and general work, not deep surgical fields. At 180 g it uses a headband with a top strap.
Best forHygieneExamsTwo batteries
150,000 lux · 164 g · $835
Brightness
Our lightest headlight at 164 g, with 150,000 lux and 5 to 12 hours on a charge. It sits on a single padded band.
It costs more than Canopus and is less bright; you are paying for the lower weight and the longer battery.
Best forLong listsLightest headlight
Ordering loupes too? The headlight is 10% off with them. Build Galileo
198,000 lux · 175 g · $695
Brightness
The brightest light we make, 198,000 lux, with the tightest spot, down to 10 mm. It sits on a single padded band at 175 g, for $695.
The battery runs about 4 hours, so it suits procedures more than a full day. Its color temperature is cooler, 5,500–6,500 K.
Best forOral surgeryDeep fieldsMost light
198,000 lux · 231 g · $815
Brightness
The same light as Canopus, on a headband with a strap over the top, so it stays put on long cases.
The strap adds weight: 231 g against 175 g. It costs $815.
Best forLong casesSurgery
Why HeliosX
HeliosX is regarded as a leader and innovator in surgical and dental magnification, setting the standard for ergonomic prismatic and lightweight Galilean loupes. HeliosX loupes are built from the highest-grade optical glass and premium lightweight metals: bright, true-color optics in frames that stay light and form-fitting through the longest case.
Ask a HeliosX loupe specialist anything, from the right magnification for your specialty to weight, working distance and lighting. We have answered it at hundreds of expos.
A light clipped to the loupe frame weighs 10–12 g and always points where you look, but it needs a mount that fits your frame. A headlight needs no mount and works with any eyewear, but weighs 164–231 g on your head. If you wear HeliosX loupes all day, a frame light is usually the lighter choice; if you switch between pairs, or wear glasses, a headlight is simpler.
Non-prescription pairs can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a full refund; prescription pairs are fully refundable until production begins.
Yes. The headlight sits on its own band, so it works with any loupes, with glasses or with no eyewear.
Canopus and Canopus XL, at 198,000 lux.
Antares: 45,000 lux, two batteries of about 5 hours each, $495. If weight matters more, Arcturus is 164 g.
Antares about 5 hours per battery, with two batteries; Arcturus 5–12 hours; Canopus and Canopus XL about 4 hours.
Premium magnification. More accessible.
Tell us your specialty, typical procedures, current magnification, and budget. We can help you narrow the options before you order.
Email opens in your mail app: heliosxloupes@gmail.com · Limited lifetime warranty
