I’ve tested several torches produced by Brooklyn-based brand BioLite in the past, and I have found them to be among the best headlamps on the market, offering brilliant levels of brightness with minimal weight penalty. They also tend to be extremely well balanced, with the battery pack positioned at the back of your head and the low-profile light unit at the front, which makes them very good running headlamps.

In 2023, when it was first released, I trail tested the BioLite HeadLamp 425, which is – I discovered – absolutely excellent for running and fastpacking. Two years later it’s still going strong, and (so long as I’ve remembered to keep it charged) it’s the head torch I always reach for first if I’m heading out for an after-dark or pre-dawn run, or if I’m doing a quick two- or three-day skit along a trail.

The Biolite Dash 450 is the direct descendant of the 425 and I have been looking forward to seeing what it offers, besides (obviously) an extra 25 lumens of light.

Design and build

Visually, the Dash 450 looks exactly the same as the 425. But that’s not a criticism. I love this design – which features a small and very low-profile light unit positioned on the front of a comfortable headband, with a rechargeable battery pack on the back – and I think it’s a hard one to substantially improve on while keeping this product available at its very affordable price.

Tipping the scales at a svelte 78g (2.75oz) – just like the 425 – the Dash 450 is already light, but this division of light and power pack between the front and rear means the weight is nicely balanced on your head, and the wiring between the two is integrated into the headband, so it doesn’t get in your way or catch on anything.

The little light unit at the front packs a big punch for its size. Although not fully waterproof, it is encased in a protective plastic shell (the whole thing is still just 10mm thick) and the bulb housing can be pivoted downwards, enabling you to angle the beam at the upcoming trail while running or scrambling.

The light can be locked by holding the main on/off button down for a few seconds; once this lock is activated, it protects the rear red light from coming on also. On the rear unit, there is also a four-light display that reveals how much juice is left in the battery.

Functionality

As the name suggests, the Dash 450 has a little bit more oompf than the 425; it’s only packing 25 lumens more than its predecessor, but this gives the newer headlamp an improved range of 90 meters (295ft) on the highest setting. More importantly though, the newly redesigned lens on the Dash give the lamp higher lux – this means the lumens are more concentrated, casting a more revealing glow that enables you to spot trip hazards such as stones, roots and rocks when you’re running (or hiking) along trails.

The red rear light (excellent for safety) can be set to constant or strobe. For the main front light, you can select from five modes: white spot (a 325-lumen narrow light for casting a beam a long distance), white flood (a 125-lumen widely dispersed light for illuminating your immediate surrounds), white spot plus flood combination (for both distance and proximity, and maximum range and brightness), white strobe (good for signalling) and red flood (for reading a map or finding something without completely blowing your night vision or waking everyone else in the tent/dorm up).

On all of these settings (except the strobe), the light can be dimmed from the max setting to preserve and improve the battery life. To change between the modes, you press the single, easy to locate button on the top of the light and toggle through the options (although, if you pause too long, the next time you press the button, the torch will turn off). Cleverly, when you turn the light back on it ‘remembers’ what mode it was set to when turned off, and even what the brightness level of the beam was.

Aside from some additional light colors (which can be useful in some circumstances – such as when viewing wildlife, when green is ideal) the only mode really missing from this headlamp is a pre-programmed S.O.S. setting.

On the trails (after dark)

I have been testing the BioLite Dash 450 headlamp for the last couple of months, while night running, hiking after dark and during a couple of spring camping escapades. While it’s great in all of those scenarios, for me this is the perfect running head torch. The low-profile design of the light unit, and the way it’s housed, makes this an extremely stable headlamp that doesn’t budge, bounce, bobble or wobble even when you’re running very technical trails and jumping over obstacles, which suits me perfectly (because that’s my favorite kind of running).

While I have come across fancier headlamp harnesses, the headband on the Dash 450 (which is now available in several colors), is reasonably comfortable and breathable, and quite easy to adjust. With a few minor tweaks it’s essentially the same headband the Biolite used on the 425, which is still doing its job on the one I have here after a couple of years of consistent use, so I have no qualms about saying it’s very fit for purpose.

The band is also constructed with a moisture-wicking fabric, so when you work up a sweat while running, it effectively deals with the perspiration. Unlike the 425, the Dash 450 has some reflective flourishes on the side, to help make you as visible as possible from every angle when running on lanes and roads shared with vehicles.

I also love the way the battery and light units are balanced evenly on the front of my head, and the tilt function works very well when you are negotiating technical trails at night.

Being so small and light, you can easily pop the Dash 450 into the pocket of a running jacket, waterproof shell or fleece jacket, or stash it in the pouch of a day pack or larger hiking pack.

The single-button operating system makes it pretty easy to toggle through the settings, even when you’re wearing running gloves. That said, I do find myself very often turning the torch off when I only meant to change the mode, or doing the complete opposite and running all the way through the settings when all I wanted to do was turn the beam off.

On a full charge, but set to flood and dimmed significantly, the battery will last up to 60 hours. At the other end of the scale, when the torch is set to high with both bulbs blazing, the battery will run out in three hours. This range gives you the ability to get through a full night of running if you’re doing an ultra marathon or big night hike.

Aside from the fact that it could be a bit tougher (currently it’s not properly waterproof), my biggest criticism of the Dash 450 is that you can’t use standard batteries at all (which would be a handy back-up when doing longer expeditions and ultras – although many people carry portable powerbanks on the trail these days, so if you bring the USB cable you could top it up from one of those).

In conclusion, the Dash 450 punches well above its weight on all kinds of pre-dawn and after-dark trail escapades. Is there enough new here to justify getting one if your Biolite 425 Rechargeable Headlamp is still working perfectly well? No. The improvements are a quite small (25 extra lumens, a slightly more sophisticated lens to improve lux levels and better safety features with reflective flourishes on the side of the headband), but if you don’t already own a 425 and you’re looking for a versatile low-profile running head torch, this is an excellent choice.

Also consider

Comparison Table

• How Advnture tests products

Vango Volt Headtorch: first impressions

Scottish camping brand Vango is known for innovation, so it should come as no surprise that the Volt doesn't look like your average headlamp. Instead of having the flashlight and battery pack up front, Vango has divided those two components so the light is upfront and the battery pack sits at the back of your head.

This means that the weight is more balanced on your head and the headtorch part is much lighter, making it a bit more comfortable and less likely to slip down while you're on the move. The part of the headtorch that touches your skin is covered with a soft pad for increased comfort.

The light itself is only 100 lumens, but surprisingly bright and we've found it to be more than enough for winter hikes and runs. The brand explains this is due to the Collimator Lens, which transforms a divergent beam of light into a parallel beam essentially focusing the light and making it more efficient.

The headtorch has a high beam, low beam and strobe function that are easy to operate with the press of a button, you can tilt the light down to illuminate the trail in front of you.

Unusually, both the torch and battery pack can be removed from the headband and clipped onto the loop of your backpack strap, or potentially even clothing. In theory, we like this versatility, but in practice, we found that it was super fiddly to do on the trail and would be better set up before you leave the house. The external battery pack also means more wires which might mean there's more to break or wear out over time.

Like any low-budget headlamp, this one runs on AAA batteries which means it's less sustainable and you need to be sure to carry backup batteries. That said, we've found it to be comfortable enough to wear for an hour at a time and stable enough for trail running. For the price, it's excellent value.

Vango Volt Headtorch: in the field 

With only about seven hours of daylight in Scotland during the winter months, it's nearly impossible to get out on the trail without a headlamp (if you have a job and a family anyway), so I've been bringing this headlamp along with me on my hikes lately, and more recently on a couple of trail runs up in the Highlands, to see how it compares to my multitude of other Petzls and Black Diamonds.

Here’s how it performed:

Weight and comfort 

At just 90 grams, this headlamp is surprisingly light compared to other headlamps we've tested, both for hiking and running, considering it runs on AAA batteries and I've been able to wear it comfortably for an hour.

The comfort comes partly because the part that touches my forehead is a soft, velvety pad, but it's also because the battery pack sits on the back of my head, so there's less weight up front which sometimes gives me a headache.

Battery life and ease of use

Battery life is an important feature of any headlamp if you don't want to get caught out on the trail in the dark and this one is on the lower end in that regard, though in line with other budget headtorches. On high beam, I got around 10 hours out of it and more than double that on low beam, which is adequate for occasional use while camping, but you'll definitely want a stockpile of AAAs if this is going to be your main light source.

As for ease of use, because this headlamp looks really different to what I'm used to, when I first got it I thought it was much more complicated than it is and had to consult the instruction manual. In reality, it's a simple single-button operated head torch to turn it on and off.

In theory, I like that the light comes off the head strap and can go on my backpack strap a lot, but in practice, this feature has tripped me up on the trail. Twice, I've accidentally removed the light from the strap in the dark and then discovered that it's really fiddly to get it back on without a second light source so you can see what you're doing. The first time this happened, I ended up running for about 15 minutes down a dark trail with my light in my hand until the group I was with stopped long enough for me to sort it. It worked, but it wasn't ideal.

Brightness and beam

I recently brought this headlamp along as a backup for a group night run in Fort William where we were testing out some Petzl headlamps. I started out wearing the Petzl Iko Core which is meant for running, and you won't be surprised to hear that it was both lighter and more comfortable than this one (more of a "barely there" feel).

When the sun set about halfway through the run, however, I turned on the Petzl light and as it got darker, I realized that I couldn't see. Around me, other runners had a nice glow on the trail in front of them and I was really struggling. In the end I pulled my Vango headlamp out and it was, literally, like night and day. I cheerfully bounded down the trail with my chap headlamp and was very happy I'd brought it. I know it's only 100 lumens, but the technology really focuses that beam so I can see where I'm placing my feet and what's down the trail.

I was also pleased, and a little surprised, that the torch angles down and have been using it largely in that mode for trail running.

Durability and value

So far, this torch is in good condition but it's still early days, and I think having a spiral external wire between the battery pack and lamp is probably a recipe for disaster, especially with a piece of gear that's likely to spend more time rattling around in my backpack than anything else. It's purely speculation, but I can imagine the connections inside getting loose over time.

That said, for such a bright, comfortable, light and versatile headlamp, this one comes at an excellent price.

Vango Volt Headtorch: the bottom line

I'm on the fence with this headlamp. On the one hand, I can see how dividing the weight between the front and back makes for a more comfortable wear, but I think that has its disadvantages. If you want something really light and comfortable, a design like the Petzl I've been complaining about that goes over the top of your head is probably more reliable in the long term (just find a model that's actually bright).

That said, out of my pile of headlamps, it's the one I keep grabbing for my nocturnal adventures lately because it is light, comfortable and most importantly, bright. I'm not totally convinced this was a wheel that needs to be reinvented, but it works pretty well and I think that it's important to champion budget-friendly gear when it performs well.

• How Advnture tests products

Let me shed a little light on Nebo. The Texan brand strives to be the "wolf leading the pack" when it comes to cutting edge LED lighting. Its products range from flashlights, pocket lights and work lights to headlamps and lanterns. Nebo isn't solely focussed on the outdoor market – its torches serve workplaces and other urban use too. So, unlike lamps from the likes of Black Diamond, Petzl or Alpkit, this isn’t an outdoor brand dabbling in lighting systems, this is a lighting systems brand dabbling in the outdoors.

A glance at Nebo’s website or social media confirms this, with a patchwork of outdoorsy types alongside car mechanics and the like. There’s little sign of anyone running, so it seems the brand have yet to market themselves as creators of running headlamps. However, it’s clear that there’s strong hiking and camping potential within its range of headlamps, lanterns and flashlights.

Enter the Curvbeam 600 Flex Rechargable: a modestly priced headlamp powered by a USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery and featuring multiple spot and beam settings, and with an impressive max output of 600 lumens. The battery sits at the back, making it a nicely balanced unit and its main selling point is perhaps the ultra-wide flood setting. I was intrigued to try it out on the trails.

Nebo Curvbeam 600 Flex: First impressions

This is a smartly designed and good-looking headlamp that I was able to get to grips with immediately. The simple yet effective two button design allowed me to master the beam settings straight away. Plus, the unit is well-balanced, with the LEDs on the front and the battery pack on the rear. The ‘one-size-fits all’ headband is padded at the front, nicely elasticated and wide enough to distribute the pressure nicely. If it was a shoe, I’d be saying something along the lines of "out-of-the-box comfort".

I was also impressed with the intensity on max output, which was frankly startling for such a well-priced headlamp. This coupled with the coverage offered by the 180-degree flood beam makes it a really powerful unit when dialled up to the max. The light from the two strips of CoB LEDs (more on these in a mo) put me in mind of something from science fiction. Posing in the mirror, I looked as though I was about to grab my gamma cannon and dimension jump into to the Epsilon System to battle the Qaark Empire. As it turned out, I was just going for a short sunset hill walk.

Features

The Curvbeam is simple to use. The back-mounted battery pack has two buttons, one of the spot and one for the two strips of CoB LED flood lighting on either side. For the uninitiated, CoB stands for chip-on-board, with LED chips in contact with a substrate, such as silicon carbide or sapphire. This produces LED arrays that are cheap to produce, light, compact and deliver smooth, diffuse light. Anyway, back to the two buttons. Each press cycles through the intensities for either the spot or the beam, allowing the wearer to achieve the right light for the situation.

Nebo states that there are six light modes, but there are actually eleven different combinations here, as there are several possible intensity combos when both the spot and beam are activated. The spot cycles between three settings: high (500 lumens), medium (150 lumens) and low (30 lumens). Meanwhile, the beam has two settings: high (300 lumens) and low (100 lumens). Put both together on max intensity and you achieve an impressive 600 lumens, making this one of the brightest lamps we’ve tested. Not bad at all considering the modest price. It has a maximum beam distance of 96 meters on the highest spot mode, which compares favorably with most of the competition and points to a high level of usability in night hiking scenarios.

The downside of its max intensity is the relatively short runtime. However, despite a stated time of an-hour-and-a-half on max, I found that it actually kept running for three-and-a-half hours. Nevertheless, you won’t want to spend too long firing out photons like there’s no tomorrow if you’re heading anywhere remote. On the lowest intensity, you get ten hours, which is still less than many of the headlamps we’ve tested but probably enough for a standard camping trip.

The good news is that the Curvbeam is easily brought back to life with a USB cable and a power source so its shorter battery life is less of a worry if you’re got your power bank with you. Nevertheless, it’s not the headlamp we’d opt for if we were heading somewhere really remote. The battery pack features three little LED lights that indicate the battery level so you shouldn’t run out of juice unawares.

Unlike some, there’s just white light settings here, so no gentle red light for those instances when you don’t want to wake your camping mates in the dead of night. Plus, there’s no rear light either, unless you count the relatively dim LED battery display. The whole package weighs 124g (4.4 oz) which, while not overly heavy, does make it one of the weightier headlamps we’ve tested. This, coupled with the lack of a backlight to warn traffic of your presence, means that it’s not a headlamp for running.

When it comes to water resistance, the Curvebeam is IPX4 rated, which means splashproof rather than full-on submersion proof. This puts it on a par with the likes of the Petzl Actik Core 450 and the BioLite HeadLamp 425 and it’ll suffice for most uses. However, if you’re heading out into really dreich (Scottish for horrendously wet) conditions, something like the IP67-rated Black Diamond Storm 500R or the almost impenetrable, IPX8-rated Nitecore HC65 will provide more confidence. Water resistance ratings can be a bit of minefield but you can rest assured that the Curvbeam will be fine in most scenarios.

All of Nebo’s lighting systems come with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Nebo Curvbeam 600 Flex: In the field

Ease of use is a real strength. From the grippy buttons on the battery pack to the no-nonsense battery latch and clear labelling, it’s pretty foolproof. I like the little design touches, like the way the flood button is raised above the spot button, making turning the right light on nicely intuitive.

As mentioned, the intensity and beam distance of the spot-on full power is very impressive and it made finding my way along trails in the dark a doddle. However, the caveat here is the short burn time on this kind of setting. Realistically, I’d wouldn’t leave it this high for long, instead opting for the medium setting, which still gave me enough light to find my way and provide 50-odd meters of visibility.

The spot is tilted downwards by 20 degrees and is fixed in place, so it’s not ideal for scenarios where you’d want to shift the focus without having to move your head around to do so – such as rooting through a daypack for a specific item.

It's when camping that the diffuse light from the 180-degree beam comes into its own – great for reading at night or when preparing the campfire. Plus, when practising night navigation, it’s nice to have a softer light when reading the map.

The ‘one-size-fits-all’ elasticated strap held firm to my head throughout and I had no issues with comfort. It didn’t fit my daughter, however, so one size doesn’t fit all – though I’d imagine Nebo didn’t have toddlers in mind when they were designing it.

Running and hiking (and even skiing) at night can be a memorable experience, but it requires some special kit, not least of which is a good, reliable light source. BioLite’s newest “no bounce” headlamp is built to illuminate the trail at whatever speed you like to move at.

In terms of brightness, also known as lumens, the BioLite Dash 450 sits in between the New York brand’s existing models – the 800 Pro and the 325 – with an impressive 90-meter high beam to let you see down the trail or deeper into the woods.

It sports seven different lighting modes including red light mode, which saves battery and helps your eyes adjust to the dark without blinding your friends, and strobe light in case you want to make yourself visible in an emergency. It’s also got added visibility in the form of a rear red light and reflective details on the band which can be useful for racing at night or if you find yourself on the road.

If you’re using your headlamp for anything more than a quick toilet trip in the middle of the night, it needs to be comfortable and if you’re picking up the pace, it has to stay put, so BioLite has developed what it says is a “no-bounce, no slip design with weightless feel” that bodes well for longer adventures.

For longer adventures, you can expect up to 60 hours of run time from the Dash 450 if you use it on low power (just three hours on high) and recharge it on the go with a USB cord and charger.

From freeing up your hands to making yourself searchable if things go wrong, it would be crazy to head into the mountains without a headlamp – you can learn more in our articles on why you need a headlamp and how to decode the label on your headlamp.

The BioLite Dash 450 is available now for $59.95 in Midnight Grey, Ocean Teal, Ember Fade from BioLite.

• The best headlamps: tested and rated for camping and hiking
• The best running headlamps: tested on roads and trails

Claymore Heady+: first impressions

Perhaps more than any other category (besides GPS watches), the technology used in head torches seems to have progressed at light speed since I’ve been reviewing outdoor kit. But as they get cleverer, many of the best headlamps have become prohibitively expensive, with price tags drifting well north of $100 / £100, which puts them beyond the reach of many people who would love to go night hiking and camping.

How refreshing, then, to see what appears to be an innovative and robustly constructed headlamp like the Claymore Heady+ being released for half that price (and this is the brand’s top-end model, there are several more torches in the Claymore range that are much cheaper than the Heady+).

At least, it all looks good on paper. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been testing the Heady+ out in the wilds to see how it really performs in comparison to the very best headlamps available today, as well as assessing its performance next to the best flashlights on the market.

Claymore Heady+: design and inclusions

The Claymore Heady+ is a single-unit head torch, with an integrated rechargeable battery contained within the same housing as the optics. It’s water resistant (but not submergible) and is available in a couple of colors.

The Heady+ comes with a headband, and when it’s worn as a headlamp, the weight is all up the front. Also included is an integrated hinged clip (complete with a fold-out hang hook) that can be used with or without the headband (to stand the unit up on a camping table, or suspend it from a backpacking tent guy line for example), and a second crocodile clip, for extra attachment options.

There’s also a threaded quarter-inch screw socket on the bottom of the unit (which you’ll find next to the USB port), which enables you to mount the lamp on a tripod or even bike bars (if you have a suitable connector).

Besides the lighting unit, the headband and the clips, the Heady+ also comes with a handy storage pouch and a short charging cable (USB-C).

Meet the reviewer

Claymore Heady+: beam options

Featuring two main bulbs and ring of smaller LED lights, the Heady+ has five different main modes:

• Focused (8°), where the large bulb lights up and throws a narrow beam over a long distance (up to 90m)
• Focused (25°), where the smaller bulb is activated, spreading a wide beam and lighting up your immediate surrounds
• Turbo, when both main bulbs fire up, providing both long-range (up to 150m) and peripheral illumination
• Flood, where the smaller surround LEDs come on, providing a lantern-like glow
• A pre-programmed S.O.S. Strobe, which emits the globally recognized signal to indicate you need emergency assistance

It’s extremely easy to activate this headlamp and toggle between its modes, with two large, very locatable buttons on the top of the unit (an ON/OFF switch, and another one to change settings). On each of the settings you can control the brightness of the beam (from 35 to 400 lumens) by holding the ON/OFF button down.

On the maximum brightness level in either of the Focused settings you get six hours of light, but this can be increased to 70 hours by dialling the brightness right down. To activate the S.O.S. signal, you depress the mode-changing button on the left for two seconds. The Flood mode is available in three ‘warmth’ settings (measured in Kelvin): Cool White (6,200K), Natural White (4,200K) and Warm White (3,000K).

The lamp remembers what setting it was on when turned off, and will return to that mode when you switch it back on. You can also lock the light by holding the left (mode changing) button down for five seconds while the lamp is off. There is an indicator gauge on the top that tells you how much juice is left in the battery.

Claymore Heady+: in the field

I’ve been enjoying using the Claymore Heady+ in a range of outdoor scenarios over the last month. It has proven itself super useful during the long dark nights of late winter, and I’ve found it very easy to operate, even with hiking gloves on.

Before I get into what it’s best used for, I’ll quickly say what it doesn’t do well. All the weight is carried on the front of this lamp, and while it’s not as heavy or chunky as a handheld torch, neither is it a particularly a svelte piece of kit. And the headband isn’t breathable. Suffice to say, it’s not a great headlamp for night runners or for use during dynamic activities that will see you jigging up and down and working up a sweat – but that’s not what it’s been designed for.

Where the Claymore Heady+ excels is as a headlamp for hiking, backpacking and camping adventures. While it might not appear so at first glance, the range of light settings on this torch is actually brilliant and very well thought through.

For after-dark hiking, the narrow focus beam is superb for lighting up the trail far ahead; the wide beam is ace for seeing obstacles directly ahead; and the Turbo mode, when both of these settings are activated together, illuminates all of your surroundings, enabling you to see undulations and potential trip hazards near and far.

So far, so standard – most head torches offer this level of functionality, albeit with varying degrees of sophistication. However, you can then control the level of lighting on each of these settings, which empowers you to conserve battery life for an impressively long time (most headlamps have preset levels of brightness and claim each of these as a extra ‘mode’).

But what I really love about this torch is the Flood setting. To be completely honest, when I first activated it I was a bit confused, because it’s pretty useless when the unit is being worn on your forehead, but that was user error on my part: I should have taken it off the headband altogether. This function essentially transforms the Heady+ from a headlamp into a very effective lightweight camping lantern, perfect for use during backpacking escapades. With three ‘warmth’ levels – Cool White, Natural White and Warm White – the flood settings very capably and comfortably light up a whole tent or hut.

The integrated clip on this torch tilts, so you can direct the beam towards the trail in front of you. This versatile clip can also be used without the headband, and the inclusion of a fold-out hang hook, a crocodile clip and a screw socket means you can position the lamp in all kinds of very useful ways.

The Heady+ is quick to charge, and the burn times (even on pretty bright settings) are very impressive. The range of the various beams is excellent (up to 90m on the Focused settings, boosted to 150m when the Turbo mode is fired up).

My only serious criticism of the Claymore Heady+ is that it lacks any color beam options, such as green, red and blue, which can prove so useful in a whole range of scenarios, from reading a map or locating something without shattering your night vision to finding your way out of a tent or dorm without waking everyone else up.

In a perfect world I’d also like to see a small rear light for safety when night hiking on lanes shared with traffic, and the capability to use an extra battery pack for longer expeditions. But overall it’s an excellent headlamp, particularly considering its price point.

• How Advnture tests products

Nitecore HC65 UHE headlamp: first impressions

The Nitecore HC65 UHE is a solid choice, quite literally, for anyone who values versatility and dependable build quality in a headlamp.

It features a simple design with an eight LED array up front, power and mode buttons at the top, and a hidden charging port on the right-hand side. Right out of the box, the build quality is impressive, surpassing any headlamp I’ve personally tested to date. It feels durable with its machined angles and screw-together construction. The lamp is also detachable from the headband with a decently strong snap-in connection, which also offers good angle adjustment.

Weighing in at 155g with the battery and headband, the HC65 UHE is relatively light for a headlamp of this caliber, though thanks to the mounting design, this weight does sit further from your head than other lamps I’ve used. Any movement, however, was eliminated using the optional included overhead strap.

The primary beam is a fairly cool white color at 6,000k, and offers what I think is a pretty good balance between flood lighting and maintaining a long beam – 220m according to Nitecore. Alongside the main light, you also get high CRI (Color Rendering Index) and red LED options. The red light functionality is good, with two different brightness modes. However, the modes can be a little tricky to cycle through until you get used to the system.

The user interface is intuitive once you get the hang of it, though there is a slight learning curve. It’s a little slow to turn on and off, as you hold the buttons rather than click them, which can be annoying when switching modes frequently.

Meet the reviewer

Nitecore HC65 UHE headlamp: in the field

My testing for the Nitecore HC65 UHE was carried out over the course of ten-day trip to the Swiss and French Alps. With wild camping being the default sleeping circumstance, the Nitecore HC65 UHE was working overtime thanks to mostly pitching our tents in the dark.

I found the headlamp comfortable to wear, with a wide and secure headband that breathes well thanks to a perforated strap. The headband’s silicone grip kept it from slipping, even in the rain, which was particularly useful on one or two less than serene nights in the mountains. As you would expect from a headlamp rated IP68 waterproof, it handled heavy rain without a hiccup, though I did find that the buttons weren’t as responsive when they got wet. It’s not a dealbreaker, but something you’ll want to be aware of when operating it in damp conditions, or with thicker gloves on. Once you get used to it, though, it’s manageable.

I did find that the mode spacing was a little odd: there were a couple of occasions during the test when I felt I was looking for a power mode in between the brightest auxiliary light (40 lumens) and the lowest primary light (100 lumens). A minor gripe, but worth pointing out as it was something that I particularly noticed when camp cooking in the dark, for example.

Battery life is where this headlamp really shines. The included 4000mAh battery kept me going for days, especially when using the lower modes – very useful when spending days away from a wall socket. Back home I also performed a runtime test on the headlamps 1300 lumen setting. Nitecore claims five hours of runtime on this setting, and I recorded just over 6.5hrs in total – though around the five-hour mark there was a noticeable drop off in brightness.

• How Advnture tests products

 The first time I realised a headlamp was not just a handy bit of kit, but an essential way of maximising fun, I was on a ski season in Les Arcs, France.

It was on the kit list I was sent by the boss – and I thought it excessive. As if I wasn’t shelling out enough on gear for the privilege of working my fingers to the bone for €100 a week.

However, I relented and bought a basic Black Diamond, and come the first Thursday evening of my posting, I shoved it in my ski jacket pocket before taking the last lift with the guests up to a mountain bar.

After a beer, and no doubt a couple of Genepis, while watching the sun set, I pulled my head torch onto my helmet. The idea was to ski back down to the chalet in the dark. And while this probably wasn’t top of the ‘activities insurance providers cover’ list, it was thrilling, and the talk of the guests for the remaining nights.

Empty slopes, wildlife calls, a dark sky full of brilliant stars and the feeling of complete freedom as we sailed down a smooth piste in the quiet together – I couldn't have experienced it without my headlamp.

There are many reasons that you need a good headlamp – from illuminating the snow on a dark piste, to sending out an alert should you career over the edge – so let’s explore more…

What is a headlamp?

•  A light source that is secured on your head, freeing up your hands 
•  It has an adjustable strap or harness that keeps it in position
•  It illuminates the way you’re looking on trails 
•  Or it can be used for proximity work 

A headlamp is a small light source, worn on the front of your head to illuminate the direction you're looking. The main advantages are that, as the sun sets, it gives you more hours outdoors, more time to train, and more opportunity to have fun. 

As well as lighting up the dark, it’s there to help you be seen, and is an important piece of safety kit.

As with all lamps, brightness, measured in lumens, can vary. And, usually the more expensive the head lamp, the more powerful the light. Lots have different modes, from battery saving strobe to ultra-powerful spot.

They’re powered by batteries, most rechargeable these days, although you’ll still find some on the market that take the classic AAs.

The strap or harness is usually removable, meaning you can clean it. And they’re lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry with you on any kind of trip.

1. They free up your hands

• Use your hands for poles, map reading or scrambling
• Compact, lightweight design means you'll barely notice it

Headlamps are so freeing compared to a conventional flashlight – although, there are some brilliant flashlights to buy. But when it comes to practicality, nothing beats having two hands free rather than one.

You're not having to hold it, or worrying about dropping it, or putting it in a pocket only to forget which pocket that was.

For skiing or trekking with poles, using your hands to scramble down rocks at dusk, and for guiding little ones around the campsite at night, a good headlamp is invaluable.

Pop kids’ versions on your little ones and sit back with a bevvy knowing you can spot them wherever they are. 

Because headlamps are designed to be as lightweight as possible, after a while you’ll barely know you’re wearing it.

2. They’re more comfortable than you think

• Ergonomic design means they won't bounce around
• Cushioned straps means you can tighten them without irritation
• Different types suit different activities

Top of a lot of our lists for requisites in gear is comfort. If it doesn't feel good on, it’s going to live out a couple of years at the back of the cupboard.

Today, headlamps come super-compact with low profiles. The ergonomic designs mean they won't bounce around on your head, and you're not going to feel self-conscious, even on an inner-city jog.

Straps are soft, stretchy and adjustable, and you can wear different headtorches for different activities.

Sleek, lightweight designs with tensioned headbands are ideal for running. There are models with extra elasticated cords for a secure fit, and ones with splits in the bands to pop through your ponytail.

For wild conditions, or when you really can’t risk it falling off, choose a secure three-point headband. Wear it on top of a buff for added cushioning in the cold.

Ideally you won’t notice it, and just like a good rucksack or pair of boots, it becomes part of you.

3. You can choose the type of light you need

• Good headlamps have multiple beam settings
• Adjust the angle of tilt to spot close-up obstacles

It's not a case of one size fits all here. Whatever your need, there's a head torch for you. Are you looking for a cheap and cheerful model to wear around the campsite? Then you won’t want the brightest of beams dazzling friends and picking out their after-dark in-tent activity.

Runners, pushing their training into the evening hours, can pick up a lamp with a shorter beam – one that can be tilted down to highlight imminent obstacles. Winter climbers, however, can invest in a failsafe option with a long-beam.

Head torches with compatible helmet or handlebar mounts are ideal for biking through forest trails – you won't get caught out by that overhanging branch again. Choose bigger batteries for a brighter light and longer burn time. 

Many lamps have an easy-tap or slide setting to adjust the brightness, so you can save power.

When back at base camp, flick the setting to ambient lighting and dangle it from a tent loop to act as a makeshift lantern.

4. Be seen (if not heard)

• Be seen on a dark trail as you guide a group
• Use the light as a distress signal

My friends have named my hikes ‘wonky tours’, because more often than not they include unintended detours that lead us off path (or ‘to discover new sights you’d never have known about’ as I call it...). As the sun sets and they start to trail, worrying about whether the car park gates will shut when we get back) I don my headtorch so they can pick me out in the gloom as I march on to find the correct route.

The strobe option a lot of headlamps offer is good for emergency signaling if you need to call for help in the mountains. And if you fall, your headlamp won't roll away from you as a handheld flashlight would, hopefully signaling your location if you're inured.

I’ve even anchored mine to the dog’s harness to keep track of him as he runs amok in the park.

5. They help you keep fit over winter

• Opt for a waterproof head torch that can stand up to the elements
• Be seen in bad weather by traffic

There are turbo trainers, there are gyms, there are online classes, but it’s not the same as heading out into the wilds to get your physical gains.

Just like any other bit of winter gear – your base layers, lightweight waterproofs – a head torch can open up outdoor possibilities on otherwise short days.

Light the way on an early morning hike and you can bag a summit at sunrise. Keep on biking through the winter so you'll be fit enough to make the very best of the loamy spring trails.

Check out the waterproof credentials of your head torch so you'll be lit through torrential downpours as well as light showers.

And don't underestimate the power of how much better seen you'll be by cars and trucks in bad weather.

Invest in a powerful battery if you want to complete snowy hikes in low temperatures that'll deaden a regular battery quickly.

6. They’re good for confined spaces

• A headlamp takes the pain out of rummaging
• Turn down the beam and hang your lamp as a makeshift lantern

I once revealed to a colleague that I used a head torch at night for reading; she never let me live it down. My lamp was more than an arm-stretch from the bed, so to me it was a brilliantly practical solution – I didn't have to leave my snuggly comforter in the drafty apartment to turn out the light. To her it was a sad little scene - me, tucked up in bed alone, dressed in thermal PJs and a headtorch.

I’d perfected the art in a cold tent - where you want to keep your forearms tucked in the sleeping bag at all cost.

Similarly, passing through narrow cave tunnels - you want your elbows in. Although a flashlight gives you the versatility to throw light around and behind you easier than a headlamp, in tight spaces, you need to keep your limbs to your body.

And for the more ham-handed of us, it’s so much easier to rifle through your tent for that misplaced key with the light source firmly secured on your head.

7. You can geek out over special features

• Brightness memory, coloured light modes and waterproofing are all available

For those who want their headlamps high-performing, look out for these special features on pricier models.

There are built-in SOS setting that flash out a distress signal in morse code. Red and green light options helps maintain your night vision, while blue light aids map reading. Interchangeable battery packs can be added for distance adventures. Tap touchpoints that allow you to adjust the lamp while wearing gloves.

Other handy functions are an automatic lock to stop lamp turning on in your backpack, draining the battery) and a rear red light for safety while walking or running on roads at night.

• The best headlamps 2024: tested and rated for hiking, camping and running

Meet the reviewer

Nebo Mycro: first impressions

For starters, it’s very refreshing to see a headlamp from a decent brand that’s available at such an affordable price point. There are lots of excellent head torches out there on the market, but many of them are priced at the premium end of the wallet-emptying spectrum, and often the end users of these products could be equally well (or even better) served by a light that’s a little more basic, easy to use and accessible to those on a budget. The Nebo Mycro steps smartly into that place. 

This nifty little head torch from American outdoor tech brand Nebo is designed to be super small, extremely lightweight, very versatile and highly functional, and at first glance it quickly ticks all those boxes. These features make it an ideal headlamp for trail runners, overnight hikers, bikepackers and those looking for a reliable, easy-to-pack reserve light for longer escapades, whether they’re backpacking, thru-hiking, cycle touring or travelling overseas.

Because it’s so small, each charge does only last a relatively short amount of time, and you can’t use standard batteries with this headlamp, so it’s not great for longer trips unless you have access to electricity, or a portable power bank or solar charger to hand.

And, of course, being relatively cheap and very lightweight are only positive attributes if the product is fit for purpose, so I have been busy testing out the Nebo Mycro headlamp in a range of different adventure scenarios to see how it performs in the wild. 

Nebo Mycro: design and features

Designed in the Nebo headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, the Mycro comes mounted on a hinged plate that enables you to angle the beam virtually any way you want it (across a range of about 160 degrees). The light can be used on a head strap (supplied), or clipped to the peak of a cap (or other brimmed hiking hat) if you prefer to wear it that way.

With a tiny inbuilt rechargeable battery, the Nebo Mycra can be juiced-up quickly via a USB cable that goes into a port on side of the light unit. A plug cover protects this port when it’s not in use, and while it can’t be fully submerged, the Mycra has been lab-tested and certified as being water resistant to IPX4, which means it can be used in heavy rain with no dramas.

A single button on the opposite side of the unit enables you to activate the light and toggle through the settings, which range from high (which throws a beam from the main bulb 50m for one hour) through to low-light green or red LED options, courtesy of two mini LEDs positioned either side of the main bulb that will generate a gentle glow for up to 14 hours on a single charge. 

In between these settings you have Medium (18m for two hours) and Low (10m for 5 hours). And, if you hold the button down while on high, you get a Turbo blast that shoots a beam up to 80m for 30 seconds.

Nebo Mycro: in the field (and on the trails)

Barely bigger than a walnut, with a simple headband, a no-faff recharging port and a one-button operating system, it’s nice and easy to liberate the Mycro from its packaging and put it immediately to good use, which is exactly what I did during its maiden voyage on a camping and hiking trip along the Jurassic Coast in southern England. The battery arrives charged, and the light is so easy and intuitive to use, there’s no need to waste any time reading the instructions.

If you’re heading out for a night run for an hour or less, or a day hike that could easily keep you out on the trails for a while after dusk, the Mycro is the perfect light to have on your head or in your hydration vest or backpack. Even if you don’t end up using it, it weighs so little and takes up such a small amount of space, it really doesn’t matter – but if the night does catch up with you, this head lamp will light the way brilliantly. 

The cap clip makes it very versatile, enabling you to wear it on the brim of a hat, or to attach it to part of your tent or shelter so it acts as a tiny camping lantern. Detached from the headband, you can of course simply hold it in your hand and use it like a torch/flashlight.

The high beam setting (ideal for running technical trails in the dark) only lasts for 60 minutes, but the medium and low settings are perfectly sufficient for hiking along footpaths (tip: start on the low setting and let your eyes adjust). I especially love the red and green LED settings, which are perfect for checking a map or locating something in your backpack without shattering your hard-earned night vision.

Equally, these subtle settings are really useful for situations as varied as wildlife spotting and star gazing, getting up in the middle of the night in a shared tent or dorm without waking everyone else up, and organizing your site without drawing attention to yourself while wild camping.

For short bikepacking and fastpacking trips, the Nebo Mycro is an excellent option, that’s really easy to carry (so long as you conserve your light reserves for when you really need them) and ultralight enthusiasts will absolutely love it for the same reasons.

While the Mycro does have a much more limited run time per charge than headlamps such as the excellent Black Diamond Storm or the BioLite 425 (inevitable considering its diminutive size), it is ideal as a back-up light while you’re doing longer backpacking adventures, or when you’re doing some serious overseas travel, in case your main torch fails (or gets lost or broken) mid trip. 

• How Advnture tests products

Sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in the day for all the adventures you want to have, and that’s why you might find yourself hiking, trail running or even pitching your tent in the dark. Fortunately, the outdoors market is teeming with increasingly lightweight and high-powered headlamps for hiking and running these days that make it easy for you to travel or set up camp with both hands free.

If you’re choosing a headlamp for camping, nocturnal hiking and night running, there are some obvious things you’re going to want to consider such as weight, whether it requires batteries or is rechargeable and the price tag. Beyond that though, technical headlamps can have a whole host of other features that might leave you scratching your head.

What’s the difference between lumens and beam distance? How is run time measured? And do you need red light mode? In this article, we help you decode the label on your headlamp and illuminate what it all means, what you need and how to make the best choice.

Beam type 

Headlamps will provide either a flood (wide) beam, spot (focused) beam or both. The flood beam is best for general camping tasks and reading in your tent, while switching to spot is great if you want to be able to see farther into the distance and is usually advised for running headlamps or cycling in the dark. A headlamp with both options is obviously the most versatile, but if you know you just want something to aid you on those midnight bathroom breaks when you’re camping, you can probably save money with a flood beam only.

Red light mode 

The red light function doesn’t come on every headlamp, but it has some real benefits. First, it helps preserve your night vision so you don’t go blind the second you turn your headlamp off, which means you can better enjoy some stargazing. It also helps prevent you from dazzling your friends and attracting bugs to camp, so you’ll be a more popular camper. Finally, it uses less battery life, so if you do find yourself in an emergency, switch to red light mode and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust while you take a few deep breaths and make a plan. 

Lumens 

When you’re buying a headlamp for nocturnal adventures, you want to be sure that it’s going to be bright enough that you can see what you’re doing, whether you’re adding a little air to your sleeping pad after dark or you don’t quite make it to the trailhead by sunset and don’t want to turn an ankle on those tree roots. 

Brightness in headlamps is quoted in lumens and the higher the lumens, the brighter the beam. Anything above 200 lumens should be fine for those looking for a reliable light source for camping or setting out at night in their best hiking boots, though trail runners and anyone else picking up the pace may want more than 300 lumens.

That said, it’s important to know that the higher the lumens, the quicker your battery will run out (though LED technology has vastly improved this predicament) so your best option is a headlamp with multiple settings so that you can choose a good high lumen level when you really need it, but have several other settings to choose from if you want to preserve battery life.

Beam distance 

While lumens tell you how bright a light shines at its source, beam distance gives you an idea of how far your headlamp can project usable light. Beam distance is usually listed in meters. Most standard headlamps have a beam distance of 80 - 100 meters which should be more than enough for camping and hiking, but if you’re planning on doing a lot of night running, you might seek out a model with a longer beam distance, such as the Ledlenser MH8 which illuminates the path up to 200 meters in front of you. 

Run time (burn time) 

Run time gauges how long your headlamp will produce usable light, but this metric isn’t quite as straightforward as it sounds. The old measurement system listed run time as the point where a headlamp could no longer produce usable light at a beam distance of two meters, but the new system measures run time as the point where the headlamp reaches 10 percent of its original brightness. 

Run time also applies only to the maximum output of a headlamp, while lower settings and red light mode will add many hours to your battery life. It’s worth checking the run time of a headlamp before you buy to get a ballpark figure, especially if you’re planning on using it for a nocturnal trek or run, but be aware that they usually last much longer than the run time suggests (though we always recommend carrying backup batteries or a portable charger).

Strobe 

Sadly, this function isn’t for having a spontaneous dance party in the woods; rather, the strobe function on many headlamps is a good way to signal for help if you find yourself in an emergency situation. If you’re lost on a mountain, the strobe function can help rescuers locate you and can signal to other hikers that you’re in need of assistance. 

Regulated output 

Regulated output means that your headlamp won’t slowly dim as the battery runs down, which is great when you’re using it constantly. However, the downside is that it can suddenly go dark on your without warning, so always carry extra batteries. 

• Why you should try running with a headlamp

Meet the reviewer

Lifesystems Intensity 300 LED Head Torch: first impressions 

Everyone who's heading outdoors needs a headlamp in their pack, but not everyone needs to splurge on a high-tech head torch with 20 different light modes, 1000 lumens and 27 hours worth of battery time. Some of us just need a light source in case we end up not getting back to the trailhead until dusk or need a pee break during a night of camping. For those people among us, this headlamp will serve you well.

With a maximum output of 300 lumens, the Intensity 300 is bright enough for most nocturnal adventures and six lighting modes give you plenty of options. Among them are red light mode, which is enough for you to see where you're going without losing your night vision, and a strobe function for emergencies. Be careful when you're packing it away, however, as there's no lock mode to protect it in your pack.

This headlamp is easy to use  – just thread the lamp through the elasticated strap and you're ready to go. It's operated by a single button which allows you to switch through the various light modes, however you're not able to toggle back and forth between the spot and flood modes. Press and hold the button for the red light function.

It has up to two hours run time on continuous high beam setting, but you'll get at least 30 hours if you use it at the lower settings and when it runs out, just use the USB cord to charge it back up. It's pretty comfortable to wear for extended periods, and weatherproof enough to wear in the rain. The profile isn't the slimmest so it's not ideal for running, however you could wear it at a faster pace and the headband has reflective details.

All in, it's a practical and functional headlamp that's robust but lightweight and comes at a very reasonable price.

Lifesystems Intensity 300 LED Head Torch: in the field

Like many hikers, I like to have lots of headlamps kicking around. There's one that never leaves my backpack, one in my car, one packed with my camping gear and then a few others stashed around the joint for emergencies. For the past couple of months, I've been taking the Intensity 300 with me on my hikes. Since it's been winter in Scotland, night has been falling extremely early so there haven't been too many adventures where I haven't needed it towards the end.

Here’s how it performed:

Weight and comfort

This headlamp is definitely on the lightweight end which surprised me because it doesn't have the slimmest profile which fooled me into thinking it would be heavier. I wouldn't describe it as "barely there" exactly, but it's not cumbersome and doesn't slip down. 

It's actually pretty comfortable to wear over extended periods as it's the headband and not the plastic backing of the torch that sits against my skin and I could wear this for a couple of hours no problem.

Battery life and ease of use

The Intensity 300 is advertised as having two hours of run time, which frankly didn't sound like much, but this is with continuous use at high beam, which as I've mentioned I never use. I left it on all day and night at low beam as an experiment and got at least 30 hours out of it. Since I tend to use head torches for short bouts, this has more than enough battery life for me, though of course there's no option to use backup AAA batteries so it's a good idea to stay on top of your charging.

I also really like how easy it is to use. There's just one button and you press it until you get the beam you like. I don't want to have to think any more than that when it comes to night vision. Lock mode could come in handy when it's rattling around in my backpack, but so far I haven't pulled it out to discover it's accidentally switched on.

Brightness and beam

At 300 lumens, this headlamp is bright enough for my needs and in fact, I don't ever use the high beam on it. The beam travels up to 65 meters which isn't as far as some, but honestly for walking along a dark path, taking a midnight bathroom break at camp or rummaging around in my tent, it's absolutely ideal. I like having the different functions to choose from without feeling overwhelmed by all the options.

Durability and value

For such a lightweight headlamp, this one is obviously robust in design and has already survived a few drops by me, plus it can withstand the rain which is crucial in Scotland. All of this makes the very modest sticker price a really big selling point, and if like me you have kids, you'll understand the importance of having a headlamp that can get lost without too much financial sacrifice.

Lifesystems Intensity 300 LED Head Torch: the bottom line

This is a practical and functional approach to night vision that's easy to use, friendly on the wallet and provides enough output and functions for evening hikes and camping trips with the family. If you're looking for something in a similar budget range but want the rear light for running, check out the Evadict Ontrail 250.

• How Advnture tests products

Meet the reviewer

Silva Free 1200 XS headlamp: first impressions

This modular headlamp design of the Silva Free 1200 XS  is a very interesting new concept for Silva. Both the lamp and the battery can be unclipped from the headband, so that you can mount them instead on a helmet or on your bike frame. The headband is also compatible with other bigger batteries and brighter lights in the Silva Free range; just clip in the combination you want; there are three lights and four batteries that can be bought individually.

There’s also the option use a 40cm or 130cm extension cable for the battery, if you don’t want the battery weighing down the headband. The extension cable is a slim, flat ribbon of material that links into the rear of the headband so there’s no external plastic cable going directly  to the lamp. 

It’s a sleek design and everything clicks into place simply and easily.

The huge on/off button is unmissable even with thick hiking gloves on, but what stands out over all the other headlamps we’re testing this winter is the Intelligent Light. 

It’s more golden (like sunlight) than bright white which allows you to see more color and more clearly; and it combines a flood and spotlight to give you excellent light in the center of the trail which then feathers out either side. There’s no sharp cut-off line of light/dark around your peripheral vision that can bob up and down vexingly and make you feel sick after hour upon hour of ultra running. 

The 1,200 lumen setting is great for navigating and/or technical terrain; 500 lumens is plenty for regular trail running; and 80 lumens is good for roads, very easy trails or emergency use. The runtimes are comparable with similarly specced top-end headlamps and the easily accessible on/off button for the red and red flashing LED at the rear of the headband is a super nice touch.

Silva Free 1200 XS headlamp: on the trails

We took the Silva Free 1200 XS for a spin on a night run with two other headlamps, the Moonlight BAD 800 and Petzl Swift RL 1100 and this is where we really noticed and appreciated the Silva's Intelligent Lighting and sleek design. 

On changing to the Moonlight BAD 800 we really noticed the sharp cut-off between light and dark bobbing around in our peripheral vision compared to the more feathered edges of the Silva Free 1200 XS. The Moonlight extension cable also isn’t as neat around the head and the 1m length was cumbersome with a running pack (though a useful length for carrying in a jacket pocket). 

Although the Petzl Swift RL boasts a 1,100 lumen max, this is only possible in Reactive Lighting mode, so you don’t quite know when you’re going to get it (in standard mode max is 700 lumens). Also the light it kicked out was a harsher blue/white, which wasn’t as easy to see with (especially in the reflecting rain) as the soft, golden sunlight of the Silva. 

We’re now seriously thinking of using the Silva 1200 with a larger battery for the ARC of Attrition 50-miler this January which will have a good 6-7 hours of darkness over tricky terrain with navigation while tired. 

Downsides – the headband is a bit more complicated to adjust on-the-fly with a triple loop system going on and the 40cm cable seems slightly too short to dangle down into certain running packs – 50cm-60cm would be a better option, with the 130cm useful for popping into a jacket pocket.

• How Advnture tests products

Most keen runners will want to have a head torch, especially if they want to keep on running through the winter. A headlamp is essential for seeing your way on early morning or night runs. If you are looking for a new headlamp you might be wondering how much you need spend and whether it's possible to rely on a budget head torch, or if you should spend more?

In our best buy guide to headlamps for runners, the cheapest head torches are around £40, including Alpkit’s Qark and the Proviz LED 360 Antares, while the more expensive BioLite Headlamp 750 costs over £100. Prices are higher still for some other headlamps, such as certain models made by Petzl and Silva.

In this guide, we consider the differences across the price range of head torches for runners. 

What makes a headlamp more expensive?

It’s usually the components in a headlamp that push up the price due to the need for research, development and innovation, as well as the cost of manufacture. The beam brightness, especially if the lamp unit is still relatively small, can be more expensive to develop and make. 

A good example is Silva’s new range of Free headlamps, including the Silva Free 1200 XS, which offer high lumen output, from 1,200 to 3,000, and with batteries that are just about small enough to attach to the headband. The prices of this collection of head torches for runners ranges from around £135 to £325.

Other factors include overall size and weight of the headlamp, battery size and weight, battery life, usability and comfort. In addition, it’s a good idea to consider how waterproof the headlamp is if you know you will be using it in bad weather.

Do I need a more expensive headlamp?

The answer to the question: 'Do I need a more expensive headlamp' depends on what you will be using it for, where you will be running, the duration of your run and also perhaps, your eyesight. 

It is usually the beam brightness – measured in lumens – that accounts for higher prices with many headlamps. If you do not see well in the dark, maybe due to being short-sighted or because your night vision is relatively poor (this can happen as we age!), then it could be worth paying for a headlamp with a higher output of lumens. 

Then there are headlamps with a range of beams outputs. A headlamp that can be switched from dimmer to brighter to suit the conditions will most likely prove useful. 

Some headlamps also have the capacity to be switched between a wider or longer beam output and more focused spotlight. This can be useful when running in different places, such as trails, hills and road where you want the focus of light to be closer to your feet or further ahead.

With every extra asset, the price is likely to go up, yet these factors might be important to you. For example, a headlamp with a red safety alert beam could be a good idea if you are heading into more remote locations where you may need a red torch beam in an emergency.

Think about the battery life very carefully, too. It is often the case that batteries, especially rechargeable battery packs, that have a longer life for each charge will be  be pricier than batteries that offer a shorter duration of light. The technology of batteries has advanced a great deal in recent years but it does mean you tend to have to pay more for a good quality battery that is longer lasting but also small enough to wear on the headband or carry in a pocket or rucksack. 

If you hope to use the headlamp for long-distance runs or challenges, it may be worth buying a more expensive one with a good quality battery. Some headlamps can be used with a rechargeable battery or AAA batteries and this extra feature might make the headlamp pricier. It may be a good idea to buy an extra rechargeable battery pack if you know you will be using the headlamp for many hours during a race. 

A headlamp with casing that is robust and fully waterproof  could well be more expensive than a device that is less durable and only water resistant.

In conclusion, the more you run in the dark, the more you might want to pay for a headlamp because the more you will be using it. However, there are some budget headlamps that are worth thinking about.

Which brands can you recommend for budget headlamps?

When looking for a budget headlamp for running you should consider beam brightness. Some runners will be happy with a beam of 400 lumens, or even less, but many will prefer a higher lumens output. 

For brighter beams at a more budget-friendly price, Alpkit’s Qark, which boasts an output of 580 lumens, and the Proviz LED 360 Antares, with a 500 lumen beam, are worth considering.

The Alpkit Qark gained 4.5 stars from our reviewer and has a number of good points, such as being lightweight and comfortable; a rechargeable battery or three AAA batteries; a battery life indicator;  and both floodlight or spotlight beams. The Qark loses points for looking bulky and plasticky and not having a  rear red light or silicone grippers on the headband.

Proviz LED 360 Antares running headlamp scored three stars and while battery run time looks excellent with a claimed 73 hours on low beam and 20 hours on higher 500lm beam, in fact, the batteries (3  x AAAs rather than a rechargeable pack) cause the light brightness to diminish before the  20 hours. The headlamp is also splashproof not waterproof and has no rear red light.

Therefore it might be worth looking a a mid-price head torch for running, or keep an eye on sales and discounted last season models of pricier head-torches for a better budget buy. 

A four-star review of the Fenix HL60R with a price of around £80 might make you consider this headlamp, so long as you don't need to use the beam at its highest setting of 950 lumen (this only lasts 48 minutes according to our reviewer!).

The pros of the Fenix include its high levels of waterproofing and durability, a rechargeable battery, plus the ability to take two lithium batteries and a comfortable headband. You need to decide if the negatives, including weight and bulkiness, as well as having no rear red light, matter to you. 

The BioLite Headlamp 750, priced as low as £41.55 from some retailers although it can also cost up to £84.99,  also scores a four-star review and has a 500 lumen output that lasts about two hours. This can be boosted to 750 lumens for 30 seconds if you need it. 

The headlamp has the advantage of a rechargeable battery, a rear red light and a comfortable headband. If eco-credentials matter to you, BioLite funds renewable energy. You should consider the negatives, however, such as the weight of the headlamp, the complicated series of settings and the fact you can’t swap in AAA batteries.

Olight is another brand in the mid-price bracket. The Olight Array 2S, for example, has a maximum lumen output of 1000, with 10 different beam settings, including a red light and a flashing SOS beam. It is lightweight and water resistant and has a rechargeable battery attached to the headband. The RRP is round £80. 

A negative is build quality with a light switch button that is vulnerable to wear and the main unit is water resistant, rather than waterproof. 

Some brands offer a range of budgets across models. For example, Petzl has headlamps for runners with a lumen output of at least 400 and priced from around £43. 

While one of the most expensive headlamps is the Petzl Swift RL is around a RRP of £115 it is often sold at a discounted price of around £85. It has good lumen output, with a rechargeable battery pack and/or AAA batterie, plus a great comfort rating for lightness and fit. The RL (reactive light) feature is loved by some and loathed by others though.  

Likewise, Silva is another big name in headlamps and sells a range of models at different budgets. Shop around for headlamps with 300 lumen output for as little as £30. 

More tips for buying a running headlamp

The sales and last season’s models could provide a good source of more budget-friendly prices for headlamps for runners. 

Try a few head torches – borrow from friends – and see what lumen output suits you. Then try to find a headlamp that has this output as its maximum, rather than minimum setting.

If battery life is big consideration, choose one where you can use the rechargeable battery or AAA batteries, or you can buy a separate rechargeable battery and take that with you.

Think about whether you really need a headlamp that has extra features, such as a rear red light, a flashing SOS light, a strap that fits over the crown over your head. It could be that if you ditch some of the features, you'll find a simpler headlamp that is more budget friendly.

Moonlight Bright As Day 800: first impressions

The Moonlight Bright As Day 800 (available direct from Moonlight Mountain Gear) truly is the bright stuff. You can get away with 200 lumens of brightness from a running headlamp for exploring easy trails at night, but if you want to go faster, navigate more technical ground or compensate for poor eyesight (or a combination of any of these), you’ll find yourself reaching for a brighter light. 

In our experience 400-500 lumens is adequate for these activities, but 800 as provided by the Moonlight Bright As Day 800 provides that extra boost for scanning across a darkened field to find a stile or scrambling over a rocky section in the darkest hours without having to slow your pace. (Of course, some of you may be wondering, “Why not just run during the day like any sane and sensible normal person,” but there are some great reasons why you should try running with a headlamp).

There are four main lighting modes: emergency 40lm for 40hrs; low 200lm for 8hrs; med 400lm for 4hrs; high 800lm for 2hrs. There are also beacon and SOS modes available at a double-press of the on / off button.

At 248g this is not a weight you want on your head for any extended period of time, so that’s why the extension cable allows you to pop the battery in your running backpack. This is also great for keeping the battery warmer in cold conditions, and therefore working for longer. The Bright As Day 800 uses 1 cell type 21700 4,600mAh (3.7V) batteries. Moonlight's own batteries are available for €49. The battery indicator is also a very useful feature.

Moonlight Bright As Day 800: on the trails

This headlamp really does provide “Bright As Day” (BAD) lighting from the maximum 800 lumen setting, it’s a fantastically bright lamp for night running, especially for crossing tricky terrain and navigating. 

Apart from needing a magnifying glass to read the tiny-fonted but otherwise very straightforward user manual, the only downside to the Moonlight BAD 800 is that it’s quite heavy. We don’t like to run with much more than 100g on our head, so it’s great that the battery can go in our running pack via the extension cable (which adds a further 47g / 1.7oz). However, it’s still about 100g/3.5oz heavier than the Petzl Nao RL which kicks out a similar 900 lumens for two hours (the Moonlight BAD 800 will light you up at 800 lumens for the same amount of time).

So why go heavier? Well, there are some distinct advantages to the Moonlight for certain runners. If you need a bombproof headlamp that can survive extreme weather conditions, the BAD 800 can cope with temperatures down to -20°C; in contrast, the unique ribbed aluminum casing dissipates heat efficiently in hotter weather so it doesn’t overheat and reduce the light output.

I’ve worn super bright headtorches that I don’t want to touch without gloves on after a few minutes use, so this cooling design is a great feature. It’s also fully waterproof so it’s great for heavy rain or humid climates and should last a lifetime which is much better for the environment (and your wallet). And finally that GoPro QuickClip compatibility is a fantastic idea for anyone filming their activities.

• How Advnture tests products

AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp: first impressions

The lighting solutions we’ve been testing from Chinese brand AceBeam recently are anything but half-hearted, and the AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp is no exception. This unit came fully charged, and within seconds of playing around with it I was half-blinded and thoroughly blown away by the astonishing brightness of the beam on its highest settings. 

Although not particularly heavy, the AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp did feel a tad chunky in my hand, however, and somewhat clunky on my head when I first put it on. This is mainly down to the fact that the battery unit and the lighting system are all housed in the cylindrical-shaped main body of the torch, and the design means you have to carry everything slap bang in the middle of your forehead. 

This setup means the H50 can’t possibly be as low profile as head torches that split the power source and the light, like the Biolite 425, and as such, I don’t think the H50 2.0 is particularly well-suited to performing as a running headlamp. But the lumen output of the H50 is absolutely phenomenal, and it instantly looked like it could join the ranks of the best headlamps on the market for hiking and camping. 

AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp: in the field

To find out whether the H50 2.0 would live up to its high-performance promise, I’ve been putting this headlamp to the test over the past few months. I took it on camping and hiking trips in the south of England, including during some wild camping escapades on Dartmoor, and on some hikes along the South West Coast Path and Quantock Hills that spilled over into the hours of darkness.

The H50 2.0 boasts three neutral white 5,000k LED lights, arranged in a linear setup, and has five brightness settings, all of which combine to offer a highly impressive range of lighting options. And with the simple-to-use, single-button operating system, it’s genuinely easy to toggle through all the choices. 

By double-clicking the centrally located button, which is easy to find when the unit is on your head and can be operated with hiking gloves on, you can select ‘spot’ (just the middle light on), ‘flood’ (both the outside lights on) and ‘dual’ (all three lights on). From there you just long-hold the button (for a few seconds) to set the degree of brightness, which goes from ultra-low through five options, ending in something that is frankly blinding from several fields away.

On the flood or dual setting, the beam spreads across a 170° arc, giving you a really wide field of visibility. The maximum range of the headlamp when all three lights are blazing is over 140m (on the turbo setting), while on the spot setting you get a beam that stretches 103m (again, on turbo). The turbo setting only lasts for a few seconds, but it’s occasionally useful to be able to quickly blast a beam up along the trail to see what’s coming up, or perhaps to signal to someone across the valley.

The AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp is powered by a USB-C rechargeable battery that comes with the unit, but you can also use a couple of standard CR123 batteries, which is useful on multi-day adventures when you’re worried about the charge running out.

There are too many configurations to go into all the burn times, but they are available on the website, and to give you an idea: on the medium brightness setting the battery charge will last for three hours with all three lights on (dual), and nine hours with one light on (spot). On the low or ultra-low settings (which is still bright enough to read by) the burn time stretches from hours to days.

The H50 has a preprogrammed SOS setting, but there’s no red (or other colored) light, which is a shame because I find such settings useful for preserving my night vision, for example when I’m taking a look at a map, or getting up during the night while sharing a tent.

The AceBeam H50 2.0 has a comfortable and breathable headband, which has reflective features, but there is no rear light to alert vehicles to your presence when you’re hiking on roads.

It is also slightly fiddly to tilt the torch, because there’s a threaded cap on both ends of the cylindrical-shaped body (to house the battery), so it’s easy to accidentally loosen one of these rather than achieve the beam angle you’re looking for.

As already mentioned, it’s not an especially heavy unit, but it is chunky and you carry all the weight on the front. However, the AceBeam H50 2.0 Headlamp is a reassuringly robust torch that can be fully submerged in water (up to 2m) and will survive all kinds of drops and clouts. It’s also available for a pretty reasonable price considering its capabilities.

• How Advnture tests products

The best headlamps for hiking and camping aren’t just comfortable and bright – they usually come with a surprising number of functions these days. If you’ve been using the same old headlamp for years that has a single white beam in high and low and two different tilts, you might be surprised to try a newer model like the Lighthouse elite LED Multifunction Headlight which has three different beam settings plus a red light and flashing red light function.

A red light is becoming increasingly common on headlamps for running, cycling and camping, but what is it for? Does it add special effects when you’re up late scaring the kids with stories around the campfire? Is the flashing function for impromptu midnight raves? Well, yes, if you want, but it actually serves a number of other really useful purposes, from enhancing your nocturnal experiences outdoors to potentially saving your life. Read on to discover seven uses for the red light function on your headlamp.

1. Preserving night vision

The main reason for the red light function on your headlamp is that, compared to white light, it preserves your night vision. Basically, your eyes are less sensitive to red light than they are to white, so using a red light allows your eyes to better adjust to the dark while and after you’re using it. This means that, while a long beam white light on high mode might let you see further down the trail in front of you, your peripheral vision will be diminished and of course, when you turn your headlamp off, you’ll be temporarily blind. 

You could use a lower beam, but using a headlamp with a decent red light function instead and you’ll be able to see better peripherally, which could improve your safety when it comes to obstacles, wildlife and other other trail hazards, plus you won’t need time to adjust when you turn it off. 

There’s also some argument here that using a white light when you’re camping will inhibit the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, while using the red light before bed and for reading in your tent means that you’ll drop off faster – and we all want more ways to get a good night’s sleep at camp.

2. Not blinding your friends

You’ve probably been on the receiving end of getting a blinding blast of white light when an unthinking buddy is careening through the campsite on high beam late at night. The white light function on your headlamp doesn’t just impair your own vision, it can dazzle your friends which is annoying and temporarily dangerous.

When you’re on a late night hike, sitting round in your camping chairs chatting late into the night or moving around camp after your friends have gone to bed, turning your headlamp to red light is a much more sociable way to explore.

3. Deterring insects

Although mosquitos aren’t attracted to white light, other insects can be, including midges, flies and even spiders, who know that light attracts other insects they prey on. 

Keeping your campsite illuminated by your headlamp after dark may have the unwanted effect of drawing unwelcome visitors into your tent, which can result in lots of biting and scratching the following day. Keeping your headlamp switched to red can help reduce insects in your tent and campsite.

4. Stargazing

Because red light helps to preserve your night vision, it’s the best mode for stargazing. Of course, if it’s a very clear night and the moon is near full, you may not need any light at all for the actual gazing, but when you’re on your way to your stargazing spot and while you’re moving around, use only the red light function. I

It can take your eyes hours to totally adjust to the dark after being in bright light, so this can help them adapt faster and allow you a more beautiful stargazing experience.

5. Reducing light pollution

Light pollution is the term for excessive use of artificial light at night, which affects wildlife and the environment. While it’s mostly associated with densely populated areas, even using your headlamps excessively when you’re camping out in the backcountry could have an impact on the local insects, reptiles, mammals and birds. Keeping your white light to a minimum and relying more on red light can reduce the disruption caused by your presence to local wildlife.

6. Extending battery life

The red light function on your headlamp also preserves the battery life, so if you forgot to bring extra batteries or if you get lost, switch to red light as much as you safely can to keep your headlamp running longer.

7. Emergency scenarios

Speaking of getting lost, that red strobe light on your headlamp can seem a bit unnecessary, and hopefully you'll never have to use it, but it can provide an important safety function. If you are stranded or injured and awaiting rescue, a flashing red light function on your headlamp could be really useful to help mountain rescue or friends locate you in the dark. 

• The best camping flashlights

Lighthouse elite LED Multifunction Headlight: first impressions

Lighthouse originally made their headlamps and flashlights for construction workers, so they understand the architecture of a durable product. In this headlamp they’ve catered to those of us whose gear takes a lot of hard wear, whether that’s bashing around next your tent poles in your backpack, accidentally dropping it on a rocky climb or weathering a shower. We tested this lightweight, multi-function out on wet weather camping and backpacking trips and were impressed with how much we got for such a small investment.

With 300 lumens and up to 100 meters beam distance, we get all the light we need on a dark trail or when it comes time to put the campfire out and go to bed. Though the multiple functions are a bit fiddly to get the hang of at first, we liked having the various options and found the tilt effective and easy to use. The red light function doesn’t seem like it will be bright enough when you test it indoors, it’s actually plenty for reading in a dark tent. The plastic backing looks more uncomfortable than it is, but gets a little old with long term usage. 

With IPX6 water resistance, it should be able to handle heavy rain, which we’ve verified on a long, rainy hike up a Munro. Though a rechargeable headlamp may be more eco-friendly, it’s easy to change the batteries and our informal lab test delivered nearly 11 hours of light, far more than advertised.

Lighthouse elite LED Multifunction Headlight: in the field 

I met the Lighthouse folks earlier this year at the Outdoor Trade Show and they explained that the company started out providing headlamps and torches to construction workers, so I was instantly intrigued as I figured they’d really understand the durability required for hikers and campers – and then some. Though our nights are fleeting here in Scotland in the summer, I’ve taken it with me on all my adventures this season.

Here’s how it performed:  

Weight and comfort 

This headlamp is one of the lighter headlamps we’ve tested at Advnture, and it’s even lighter than some of the best running headlamps. It’s exactly the same weight as my Petzl, and less bulky, so I’m happy to wear it all evening.

I was worried that it would be uncomfortable, since it has a plastic backing instead of the strap against my forehead, and it’s actually fine when I first put it on, though it's definitely not as comfortable as my more expensive headlamp and after a couple of hours it might start to rub a bit so I might wear a different one for a night hike or multi pitch climb. Obviously when I’m wearing it over a beanie I don't even think about it. The adjustable strap should fit all heads pretty comfortably.

Battery life and ease of use

This headlamp isn’t rechargeable, it’s dependent on three AAA batteries, which means I need to make sure to always carry extras. However, I left it on high beam at home as a test, and got nearly 11 hours out of it, even though it's advertised as having a five hour maximum battery life.

The batteries are easy to change, but I found all the light settings a little complicated at first. One button controls the high, medium and low main beam, while another button controls a smaller beam that seems to have a high, low, red and flashing red setting. You’re able to have both lights on at once, or just one.  I like all the functions for battery lifespan and not blinding my friends, but it all took me a few goes to get used to.

The tilt is easy to adjust and works well.

Brightness and beam

LED technology has really come a long way. For everything I want to do outdoors in the dark, 300 lumens is ample and this has a nice long beam for peering down the trail. I’m glad for the medium and low settings and tend to use them more, but it’s nice to know I can power up if I want to check out some rustling in the bushes.

Durability and value

As I said, the designers behind this headlamp are used to building gear meant for construction sites, and the rubberized casing means this bounces when dropped, even on hard rock surfaces, plus the waterproofing was ample for a long, wet climb up a mountain recently. Also, the folding hang hook seemed a little flimsy and unnecessary at first, but I can see how it will help to maintain the elasticity of the strap, which I usually use for hanging.

As for value, I can’t believe the price of this headlamp. They might not have the reputation among hikers and campers of other headlamp brands, but it’s an excellent product at a very reasonable price.

• How Advnture tests products

Unless you’re so rich and removed from society that you haven’t been paying attention, you’ll know that there’s a cost-of-living crisis on both sides of the Pond. Undoubtedly, millions of Americans and Europeans are looking to spend a little less on their summer vacation this year. While jetting off to exotic climes may be a bit of a stretch for some at the moment, there’s always the more affordable option of a camping vacation.

This might be good news for manufacturers of camping gear, particularly of the budget variety. However, buying cheap can often mean buying twice when it comes to kit that’s expected to perform in the often harsh conditions of the backcountry.

To help you to avoid falling into the trap of this kind of false economy, we’ve written this advice on which items of camping gear you can scrimp on and which you should really be investing in. From the best camping tents to travel pillows, we take you through the main essentials on the camping checklist, giving our recommendations on some of the products to look out for.

Looking for a bargain? We've hand-picked all this year's best Amazon Prime Day camping deals to guide you to the best offers on equipment from brands you can trust.

Tents

The tent is the foundation of any camping trip, unless you’re going ultralight and bivvying, of course. Even a one-person tent designed for lightweight backpacking can set you back a fair amount, let alone a palatial fortress of fabric for the whole family.

How much you end up spending on your tent will depend on how exacting your needs are. New, lightweight backpacking tents with cutting edge technology and freestanding structures can be very expensive, as can four-season tents. However, unless you’re a gram obsessed fastpacker or a serious winter camper, you can definitely save some money here.

For example, a brand spanking new 2-person tent can cost up to half a grand, whereas you can get some excellent 2-person tents at around the $250 mark. Do your research and try to find reputable older models that are still in production but that are no longer a given brand’s shiny new offering. We like the value of the Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 or the Wild Country Zephyros Compact 2. The Snugpak Journey 4 is a great value option for a small family

We’ve mostly used 2-person tents as the examples here, but the same applies across the size range, all the way up to large family tents. Do your research and find a reputable shelter that’s no longer brand new and see if you can bag a bargain.

Verdict: Invest, but not too much – unless you’re a winter camper or expeditioner.

Sleeping bag

With sleeping bags, it’s often the insulating fill that dictates how expensive a bag is. In the age-old battle of down vs synthetic insulation, both have their advantages and disadvantages. Down has the superior warmth to weight ratio and packs down small. This makes it ideal for campers looking to stay warm with a lightweight and expedition ready sleeping bag.

However, synthetic materials are cheaper and, while your bag is likely to be heavier, ask yourself whether or not it’s worth the price difference. We get on just fine with synthetic bags, even on wild camping expeditions. The caveat here is that synthetics are worse for the environment, so it’s worth doing your research to make sure you are getting a bag that is likely to last you a while.

Of course, this is all irrelevant if you’re a vegan, in which case you’ve got no choice, as down is harvested from ducks and geese.

Verdict: If money is tight, a quality synthetic-filled bag will do the job just fine.

Camping stove

When it comes to choosing a camping stove, the most popular kinds are screw-type stoves that use a fuel canister. These are your classic backpacking stoves, designed to be nicely light and portable. However, if you’re staying at a campsite with your tribe, the best camping stove for you will probably be a heavier double burner stove that gives you the option of multiple flames and better temperature regulation.

Backpacking stoves that feature an integrated pan have become very popular in recent years, offering an all-in-one solution for life in the backcountry. Models like the Jetboil Flash are very popular and also boast impressive boil times. However, they can be more expensive and less versatile than a more affordable stove. Where backpacking is concerned, we love the Soto Windmaster for its good price, performance and lightweight qualities.

Another factor to consider is whether or not your chosen camping stove has a regulator. This controls the flow of fuel to the stove and means that performance isn’t noticeably worse when your canister is low, or when the temperatures plummet.

As for double burner stoves, you can easily spend way over the odds if you’re not careful. We’d recommend looking for a reputable manufacturer that’s been around the block a few times, find a unit that fits your budget, read some reviews and then make a judgement. For us, the Vango Combi IR Grill Compact and the Coleman Triton Propane 2 Burner both represent good, budget conscious options from brands you can trust.

Verdict: avoid the cheapest stoves but you don’t need to spend a fortune.

Sleeping pad

Should you spend big on a sleeping pad? Do you even need a sleeping pad?

Well, first of all, yes you need a sleeping pad. As well as providing comfort, which is obviously important, a sleeping pad also insulates you from the cold ground beneath. This is very much a requirement in summer and shoulder seasons and absolutely vital in winter. 

Spend wise, we’d recommend forking out for more than one of those classic foam mats, as they’re not particularly packable or comfortable. However, once you get into the realms of self-inflating mats, there’s not going to be a great deal to choose between different brands. Again, choose a brand with a solid reputation. Mountain Equipment’s Helium 3.8 Warm Zone sleeping mat does everything required of it and it won’t empty your wallet.

Verdict: get one, but shop around for a good price.

Camping pillow

If you’re car camping and weight and space aren’t issues, there’s nothing wrong with bringing your pillow from home. If it’s soft and comfortable enough for your bed, bring it camping.

However, normal pillows are surprisingly massive, as you’ll know if you’ve ever tried to stuff one into a hiking backpack. So, for backpackers, a camping pillow might be a good idea for those who really value their comfort. We’ve recently been using the Nemo Elite Ultralight pillow, which packs down to almost nothing and is supremely cosy.

Big however here, though. The Nemo Elite does cost quite a bit and, actually, on a wild camping trip, you can often use your spare clothes to fashion a makeshift pillow for a night or two. We know we’ve spent plenty of nights like this in the backcountry. So, if the budget is tight, you can forego a camping pillow altogether.

Verdict: only get one if you’re backpacking and really value comfort – otherwise bring one from home.

Lighting

Do you really need a camping lantern, flashlight and a headlamp? Probably not.

Most decent headlamps these days have multiple beam settings, such as a focussed light for homing in on objects or a diffuse setting that fills a given space with soft light.

This diffuse setting really comes into its own around the campsite at night. You can pop your torch on your head when cooking and then hang it from your tent’s gear loft, creating a lantern like effect for bedtime stories.

What we’re getting at here is that a good headlamp with a few beam settings is well worth spending money on. Then, you can then probably forego bringing a lantern and a flashlight along too. The Black Diamond Storm 500R is among the best headlamps around and is worth the investment. While modern lithium-ion cell powered headlamps like these are easily rechargeable, we’d always recommend bringing a cheap spare along just in case too.

Verdict: Invest is a quality headlamp and buy a cheap spare for emergencies.

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AceBeam H16: first impressions

After taking the AceBeam H16 out of its box, I initially thought I was looking at a mini flashlight, rather than a headlamp. In a sense, I wasn’t wrong about that. The H16 is essentially a hand-held periscope-style torch that can be transformed into a headlamp by fitting it into a purpose-built harness on the supplied headband.

Aside from wearing it on your head, there are several other ways this cleverly designed torch can be securely positioned. A strong hairpin clip allows you to hang the light unit from any loop so that you can use it as, say, an overhead light in your tent; or you can fix it onto the breast pocket of a shirt / jacket; and a muscular magnet in the bottom of the torch means you can attach it to most metal objects, and position the beam in a variety of angles. 

These positioning options are excellent for occasions when you need to light an area but also keep both hands free to do some task or other. And, of course, you can also simply hold AceBeam H16 like a torch. So, really, this multipurpose lighting tool could compete for a place in advnture’s guide to the best flashlights on the market, as well as featuring in our best headlamps guide.

As well as being supremely versatile, the H16 is a high-performing little unit. Powered by a single AA battery, it comes with a USB-C rechargeable battery and a cable that can be plugged into any USB port, but you can swap this out for a standard AA battery. And the burn time is impressive, especially for a single-battery torch.

There are four white-light brightness options – ranging from a five-lumen Ultra Low mode that will last for up to 58 hours to a blindingly bright Turbo mode that blazes at 650 lumens for over 100 minutes.

With an ingress protection rating of IP68, the H16 is very tough and robust, and the whole unit is dust-, impact- and waterproof. It can be fully submerged in water to a depth of 2m for half an hour.

AceBeam H16: in the wild

After some initial misgivings about this little flashlight-come-head-torch (at first sight I feared it might be a bit gimmicky), the AceBeam H16 impressed the hell out of me during the testing process. After taking it camping once, I absolutely fell in love with it, and it now lives permanently either in my pocket or pack. If you’re into everyday carry (which I wasn’t, really, until I met the H16), you really should check out this little lighting unit.

There are so many different ways you can wear, hang or stand this torch up, that it lends itself perfectly to everyday use around the house, van or campsite. The AceBeam H16 has proven super useful in a myriad of ways, from the prosaic (finding things dropped into the dark cavities of my car that I’d long given up on ever retrieving) to the profound – searching for hidden treasure and observing the mesmerizing movement of insects after dark with my kids during a camping adventure. 

But it’s also ideal for more extreme escapades. Powered by a single battery, it’s incredibly light, so it makes the perfect product to carry as a primary or secondary light source on all kinds of multi-day missions, whether you’re backpacking, bikepacking or canoe camping (fully submergible, it’s ideal for water-based adventures, although it definitely doesn’t float, so don’t drop it). The rechargeable battery that comes with the AceBeam H16 can be replaced with a standard AA battery, so if you’re going to be out in the wild for a while, you just need to bring a few spares.

It does have its limitations, though. The lighting modes are easy to toggle through, but they’re arranged in a fixed series, so there’s no capability to switch between the flood and spot options. Another downside is the lack of a color beam such as red, which is always useful when you don’t want to lose your night vision.

However, the 519A LED light produces a 5,000K beam, which is soft and non-glaring, and has a Color Rendering Index (CRI) rating of over 90 (the highest possible is 100), so it reveals objects in almost the same level of color detail as sunlight. There’s also a pre-programmed S.O.S. setting that can be turned on at any time, and which lasts for 38 hours. No matter what mode you have the H16 set on, it will default to Ultra Low when the battery is running low on power.

All the weight sits on the front, which results in some minor bouncing when you’re running, the light is slightly off-center, because of the design, and it’s fiddly to adjust the angle of tilt once the unit is housed in the headband holster.

The fabric of the head harness is highly breathable, however, and it has an anti-slip strip of grippy silicon along the front, which minimizes movement. The headband is also high-viz, and has reflective features for safety while walking or running on roads at night.

But in terms of toughness and ingenious versatility, it boxes several divisions above its weight, and more than holds its own with far bigger and more expensive torches (available for under 50 bucks, I think the AceBeam H16 is an absolute bargain). It wouldn’t be my first choice for a running head torch, but for hiking, camping, climbing, caving and general use, it’s ace.

• How Advnture tests products

BioLite HeadLamp 425: first impressions

Available in several lively color options, the rechargeable BioLite HeadLamp 425 is attractively priced and designed to be very lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods of time, during a wide range of activities. From night running and hiking to camping and general use, the BioLite HeadLamp 425 proves to be one of the best headlamps available.

The super-slim front light attaches to a rechargeable battery unit on the back of the product via cabling that’s mostly integrated into the elasticated material of the headband. 

The BioLite 425 has a really rich range of functions, with flood, spot and strobe options at different levels of white brightness, up to a more-than-adequate 425 lumens. There’s also a red front flood mode that will allow you to find your feet in a pitch-black tent without waking everyone else up, or to check a map or telescope setting without blowing your night vision.

The back-mounted battery unit has a red safety light to make you visible from behind during night hikes or runs along lanes and roads shared with traffic, which can be set to strobe (better and more energy efficient) or flood.

The whole light unit can be locked to prevent it being accidentally turned on during transit, and there’s a low-power warning system.

The battery is recharged via a small USB–C cord, which can be plugged into any USB outlet. The burn time is impressive – up to 60 hours on low mode – but there is no capacity for using standard batteries. So if you’re on a multi-day backpacking adventure, you’ll need to take a powerbank to recharge it.

It is splashproof, but can’t be submerged in water, and you need to be careful to ensure the rubber plug is properly inserted in the recharging port on the battery unit.

BioLite HeadLamp 425: on test after dark

The first extended adventure I took the BioLite 425 on was a four-day fastpacking escapade along the West Highland Way in Scotland. I was taking this on in late October, when the evenings were rapidly shrinking, and nightfall caught up with me every day while I was still out on the trail, long before I’d reached a suitable overnight stopping place. So having a really reliable head torch was crucial to finding my way and setting up camp.

For two and a half of the four days I was on the trail, this was the perfect headlamp for the job. The low-profile, nicely balanced design of the BioLite 425, coupled with the comfortable and easy-to-adjust harness, meant that it didn’t bounce at all, even when I was running and jumping along the sometimes technical trail. The simple-to-use light can be angled up and down within its casing, which makes it ideal for night running and hiking, when you need to direct the beam closer to the ground, and I was able to use the red light to check my map without completely ruining my night vision.

Scotland in late October is a wet place to be, and the torrential rain I faced on the West Highland Way certainly tested the BioLite 425’s splashproof credentials. The unit passed the test; I didn’t experience any problems with it. At night, I was able to read with the torch on its low setting, to save juice.

On the evening of the third day, the BioLite 425 started warning me it was low on power, and then it died. Fortunately, I had a backup headlamp, but herein lies the major problem with this unit – it doesn’t take standard batteries, so you can’t carry spares. Arguably, of course, spare batteries would have weighed almost as much as my spare unit, but it would have been nice to know I could have bought spares at a shop and used them if need be. The other way around this issue is to carry a lightweight power unit and the small recharging cable.

In general, though, I’ve been using the BioLite 425 headlamp for evening trail runs, weekend camping trips and night-time dog walks – the sort of scenarios that it absolutely excels in. For its low price and light weight, it’s an excellent head torch.

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Lifesystems Intensity 280 LED Head Torch: first impressions

The Lifesystems Intensity 280 LED Head Torch is really good value at $35 / £30 and very light at 89g. Like all the best headlamps, it’s comfy on the forehead with the fabric of the strap against the skin, easy to adjust and impressively waterproof, with an IPX6 rating – good for torrential rain. 

The on/off button is large and easy to use with gloves and cold hands. The max setting is a very useable 280 lumens, projecting a beam over 90m for a nice, long 5.5 hours. It also has an 80-lumen medium setting, with a range of 47m and burn time of up to 11 hours, which is very useable for running slowly or walking on easy trails. The six-lumen emergency setting with 13m beam is not very bright, but lasts for nearly sixdays.

There’s also a red light and a strobe option too, handy for running safely at night on roads. The Intensity 280 has an SOS setting in morse code (so three long flashes, three short, three long), which could save your life one day.

The battery is rechargeable only and you can charge it while the light is on, using a portable charger and charging cable if needed. There’s also a handy charging status light on the side.

Lifesystems Intensity 280 LED Head Torch: on the trails

The Lifesystems Intensity 280 just very quietly does it all with no gimmicks or features you don’t need. It’s slightly less bright than other headlamps we’ve tested, but you don’t really notice that with its higher beam length of 90m, which sweeps nicely across the star-topped countryside to light up your way across the trails. 

The medium setting of 80 lumens is useful for dark pavements with intermittent street lighting too, and the six-lumen setting will do you for a spot of reading when you’re snuggled down in your sleeping bag. Let’s hope you don’t need to use that emergency SOS flashing setting but it’s a nice touch for peace of mind, available in both white and red lights.

It doesn’t matter how much it rains with that IPX6 waterproof rating and the whole headlamp feels pretty bombproof, good quality and easy to use. The only downside would be that you have to charge with USB and can’t swap in regular batteries. However, the light does stay on when you plug in a portable charger so that’s an option if you want the light to last all the way through the night. 

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Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp: first impressions

The Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp has a lightweight price tag, but physically it’s a little on the heavy side in comparison to some of the best headlamps, tipping scales at 107g. The headband is comfy and easy to adjust but it’s plastic against the forehead, which isn’t as comfy or sweat-absorbing as fabric. I thought the two strap holders would be uncomfortable but it actually feels fine.

It’s waterproof enough for moderate showers at IPX4 standard. Max power is 250 lumens, which projects a beam over 85m for up to 4.5 hours. There’s a medium setting of 120 lumens, which is good for easy paths and roads, and an emergency setting of 60 lumens.

On the downside, the tiny lamp has a limited range of motion through just three angles, and the small button makes it fiddly to operate – especially if you’re wearing hiking gloves or running gloves. The battery is rechargeable only and it is quite large on the back of the head.

There’s also a constant or flashing red LED on the back for road safety. You can turn it off, and it ingeniously doubles up as the charge status indicator when plugged in – a very nice touch. You can still use the head torch while charging it via a portable charger.

Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp: on the trails

The Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 delivers a lot of light for its price. You don’t notice that it’s slightly heavier than average, and I was expecting the two protrusions on the rear battery pack to dig in, but they didn’t bother me at all, even when running fast. 

However, when I was out with cold hands in the windswept fields of Lincolnshire it was hard to press the on/off button on top of the small lamp on my forehead without also altering the angle of the torch. It all felt a little bit small up there with numb fingers. 

Although I would prefer to have the whole lamp on my forehead with these budget head torches, having the battery pack on the back of the head is actually really useful for road running in the dark. 

I really appreciated how you can easily change the rear light from off to constant and also flashing, so this was a good touch and made that rear battery pack worthwhile. If the strap had some reflective details on it that would really complete the package as a great road running headlamp for dark nights. 

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As the camping season gets into full swing and runners enjoy the opportunity to head out in the late evening, the best headlamps are worth their weight in gold. Whether you're off on a family camping vacation or heading into the backcountry for a wild camping expedition, the handsfree light of one (or two – always good to have a spare) of the best head torches will be indispensable. 

A headlamp is a compact and durable little torch that straps around your head, giving you hands free vision whether you're trail running at night, wild camping or setting out on a pre-dawn summit bagging raid in the mountains. The best headlamps tend to boast multiple beam settings, colors and these days often feature a rechargeable lithium ion battery, while hybrid options boast this and standard AAA compatibility.

One of the main features to look out for is the lumen output of your chosen headlamp. The higher the lumens, the brighter the beam. Anything above 200 lumens should be fine for those setting out in their best hiking boots, though cyclists, trail runners and anyone else who is heading out at speed may want in excess of 300 lumens.

For more on what to look for when choosing the best head torch for your adventures, see our guide at the bottom of this page. We start our roundup of the best headlamps available in 2026. We think the Black Diamond Storm 500R is the finest headlamp money can buy for its versatility and impressive feature set.

The best headlamps

Best headlamps overall

The Black Diamond Storm 500R the most powerful and multi-featured product in the Utah brand’s new multi-purpose, rechargeable R series of headlamps. It’s designed for adventurers who value versatility and performance alongside the size and weight of a small unit. Featuring proximity, distance and night vision settings, as well as strobe and brightness memory, it's got plenty to shout about for such a compact package and we loved testing it out during our runs, hikes and camping trips.

At 100g, it's light enough to take trail running, yet its many features make it suitable for hiking, mountaineering, climbing, snow sports and camping too. We found its 500 lumens maximum brightness and beam distance of 120 metres gave it excellent trail finding ability and it will last seven hours on this setting. Cold conditions are no trouble for its lithium-ion battery, which recharges quickly via micro-USB, so there's no need to carry additional batteries.

The Storm is waterproof tested under one meter of water for 30 minutes, giving it a rating of IP67, so it will cope with a serious downpour no problem. We found that the recycled elastic headband was comfortable and kept our beam stable. A super little product that further enhances the already solid reputation Black Diamond's workhorse Storm series.

Read our full Black Diamond Storm 500R review

The multi-beam design of the Actik, combined with its muscular 450 lumen punch when it’s on full gas, make this model the standout performer for those in need of a headlamp for activities in more extreme environments, such as on mountainsides in the dark. 

Of course, you don’t have to be clinging to the eyebrows of the Eiger at midnight to appreciate this lovely lightweight head torch, which we found to be also ideal for trail runs, while cross country skiers and backpackers will get great use out of it too. Using accessories (sold separately), we were even able to mount the lamp on helmets and bikes. It boasts three white-light brightness options, two beam patterns (flood or mixed), a red light and strobe option, all of which can be toggled though by clicking a single button large and easily located button. 

It has a reflective headband (which we found to be good for safety on road) and red lighting to preserve night vision. The hybrid concept design enabled us to swap between the main rechargeable battery and three AAAs, so we never ran out of juice throughout our test period. It also has a lock function, which stopped us turning it on accidentally in our bag, a common feature among the best head torches.

Best rechargeable headlamps

Available in several color options, this attractively priced headlamp from Biolite is very lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods. The super slim front light attaches to a rechargeable battery unit on the back of the product via cabling that’s mostly integrated into the elasticated material of the headband. We found that the low-profile, nicely balanced design, coupled with the comfortable and easy to adjust harness means that this headlamp doesn’t bounce at all, even when we were running and jumping along technical trails. The simple-to-use light can be angled up and down within its casing for night running and hiking, when you might want to direct the beam closer to the ground. 

The BioLite 425 has a really rich range of functions, which we think makes it the perfect, versatile tool for dark nights, with flood, spot and strobe options at different levels of white brightness, up to a more-than-adequate 425 lumens. There’s also a red front flood mode that will allow you to find your feet in a pitch-black tent without waking everyone else up, or to check a map or telescope setting without blowing your night vision. The back-mounted battery unit has a red safety light, which made us visible from behind during night hikes or runs along lanes and roads shared with traffic. We were also able to set it to strobe (better and more energy efficient) or flood. 

The whole unit light can be locked to prevent accidental turn-on during transit, and there’s a low-power warning system. The burn time is impressive, up to 60 hours on low mode, but there is no capacity for using standard batteries, so if you’re on a multiday backpacking adventure, you’ll need to take a powerbank to recharge it. It’s splashproof, but can’t be submerged in water, and you need to be careful to ensure the rubber plug is properly inserted in the recharging port on the battery unit.

Read our full BioLite HeadLamp 425 review

Versatility is the major selling point of this innovative and brilliantly designed little torch, which is lighter than a tennis ball. We wore it as a headlamp, used it as a mini handheld flashlight, mounted it on our chests via a sturdy clip and positioned it on metal surfaces thanks to an integrated magnet in the tail. The build quality is very robust, too, and the whole unit is dust-, impact- and waterproof to 2 meters.

The lighting unit is powered by a single AA battery – the H16 comes with a USB-C rechargeable battery and cable that can be plugged into any USB port, but we found that ability to use standard AAs as back ups makes this a really useful torch for multiday adventures. The burn time is impressive, especially for a single-battery torch. 

There are various white-light brightness options. The modes are easy to toggle through, but all operate on a uniform basis, and there’s no capability to switch between flood and spot options. Another downside is the lack of a color beam such as red, which we think is always useful when you don’t want to lose your night vision. 

However, the 519A LED light produces a 5000K beam, which is soft and non-glaring, and has a Color Rendering Index (CRI) rating of over 90 (the highest possible is 100), so it reveals objects at almost the same level of color detail as sunlight.

All the weight sits on the front, which we found resulted in some minor bouncing when running, and it’s a little bit of a fiddle to adjust the angle of tilt once the unit is in the headband holster. The fabric of the head harness is highly breathable, however, and it has an anti-slip strip of grippy silicon along the front, which minimizes movement. The headband is also high-vis, and has reflective features for safety while running on roads at night. 

Read our full review of the AceBeam H16 headlamp here.

Headlamps for hiking

The Nitecore HC65 headlamp’s headline-grabbing specs include its ultra-bright max output of 1000 lumens and its impressive IPX8-rated waterproofing. But take one look at this beast and you can see it is built for serious outdoor use, with an anodised military-grade aluminium casing that feels extremely rugged. 

The headlamp itself boasts multiple light settings, ranging from turbo mode – which throws the 1000 lumen max output up to 110m, with a burn time of about an hour – through to ultralow, which restricts performance to just a single lumen but can keep this up for an impressive 800 hours. There is also auxiliary white and red-light illumination for proximity work, which we found was ideal for tent use. 

The HC65 is powered by a rechargeable 18650 lithium battery with a 3400mAh capacity, supplied with the headlamp. Handily, we were able to charge it in situ via a micro-USB port, which is hidden behind a screw-down metal cap at one end of the lamp unit. A similar cap at the other end reveals the battery compartment, which can also take 2 x CR123 batteries.

This isn’t the lightest headlamp around, but carried comfortably on our heads, helped by a secure three-point headband. The lamp unit swivels smoothly through a full 180 degrees of adjustment. It is also fully waterproof, which makes it a very practical headlamp for wet and wild conditions.

Read our full Nitecore HC65 review

If you need a versatile headlamp for a multitude of different uses and activities – say, one that offers proximity lighting for moving around in camp, plus dynamic settings for hiking on the move and a spotlight beam for picking out distant objectives – the LEDLenser MH8 is an ideal option. It features boost, high, medium and low power modes, as well as a strobe setting, plus red, green and blue ambient light modes. 

But the MH8 is also equipped with the brand’s patented focusing technology, which employs a rotating LED bezel housing that enabled us to instantly switch from an all-round flood beam to a pinpoint spotlight. Though the max output is an impressive 600 lumens, that only applies to boost mode, which provides 30 seconds of illumination and can throw a light up to 200 metres. At high power in energy-saving mode, we got 400 lumens. 

We also liked the fact that the MH8 uses a rechargeable battery pack, which can be charged via the supplied USB cable without needing to remove the battery or disassemble the headlamp in any way. The MH8 can also be used with two standard AA batteries as well.

Though it isn’t the lightest or most compact headlamp, it is very comfortable to use, thanks to a wide and easily adjustable headband with an additional over-the-top strap. Overall, this is an impressive unit with a range of practical light modes and excellent all-round illumination, one of the best headlamps around.

Budget headlamps

The excellent-value Alpkit Viper headtorch weighs slightly on the heavy side, tipping the scales at 106g (with batteries), but it has the addition of an overhead strap for extra security, which we found to be particularly good when using it for running. It’s comfortable to wear and easy to adjust, but we found that the plastic against our foreheads could get a bit sweaty on warmer evenings. The Viper is waterproof to IPX6 – so it can handle heavy rain. 

The maximum brightness is 240 lumens, casting a beam over 115 metres for up to 5 hours, which is impressive, and the medium setting of 105 lumens is a useful back up for walking and running on easier trails and roads. There’s also a low mode of 20 lumens and a strobe mode. The Alpkit Viper also boasts a light sensor mode which automatically adjusts the brightness level according to how light it is around you, so we were able to get the main beam in the dark and the side light in brighter conditions. This is great but the sensor doesn’t get it right 100% of the time, so in these situations you can simply turn it off. Power comes from three AAA batteries. Alpkit are B-Corp certified, Living Wage Employers and part of 1% percent for the Planet.

Read our full Alpkit Viper review

Really good value at $35/£30, the Intensity 280 is also very light, weighing just 89g. We found it was comfy on our foreheads, easy to adjust and impressively waterproof, with an IPX6 rating – good for torrential rain. The on/off button is large and easy to use with gloves and cold hands.

The max setting is a very useable 280 lumens, projecting a beam over 90 metres for a nice long 5.5 hours. It also has an 80-lumen medium setting, with a range of 47 metres and burn time of up to 11 hours, which is very useable for running slowly or walking on easy trails. The 6-lumen emergency setting with 13-metre beam is not very bright, but lasts for nearly 6 days. 

There’s also a red light and a strobe option too. The Intensity 280 has an SOS setting in morse code (so three long flashes, three short, three long), which could save your life one day. The battery is rechargeable only and we were able to charge it while the light was on, using a portable charger and charging cable if needed. There’s also a handy charging status light on the side. 

Read our full Lifesystems Intensity 280 review

Although its price tag is modest, the Evadict Ontrail 250 weighs a little on the heavier side (107g). The headband is comfy and easy to adjust but it’s plastic against the forehead, which we found wasn't as comfy or sweat-absorbing as fabric. It’s waterproof enough for moderate showers at IPX4 standard. Max power is 250 lumens, which projects a beam over 85 meters for up to 4.5 hours. There’s a medium setting of 120 lumens, which is good for easy paths and roads, and an emergency setting of 60 lumens. But the tiny lamp has a limited range of motion through just three angles, and we found the small button makes it trickier to operate – especially while wearing gloves. 

The battery is rechargeable only and it is quite large on the back of the head. We thought the two strap holders would be uncomfortable but it actually feels fine. There’s also a constant or flashing red LED on the back for road safety. You can also turn it off, and it ingeniously doubles up as the charge status indicator when plugged in – a very nice touch. You can also still use the head torch while charging it via a portable charger.

Read our full Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 review

Headlamps for trail running

Silva’s brand new head torch is designed specifically for runners – and we’d go so far as to say it’s the best headlamp we’ve ever run with. Extremely well balanced, it’s a low-weight light we almost forgot we were wearing, until we turned towards something reflective and got a blinding blast of the 400-lumen beam back at us. Comfort levels have been prioritized in the design of this super smart piece of kit, which boasts a broad harness band, with a silicone lining strip to keep it in firmly in place and extra textile padding where required to prevent rubbing or hotspots. The rear battery housing features a backward facing safety light (which can be constant or set to pulse), to alert vehicles to your presence on dark lanes. 

There are three models within the new range: the standard Trail Runner Free, the Trail Runner Free H and the Trail Runner Free Ultra. The difference lies in the battery pack, with the first only taking AAA batteries, the H working with a 1.15Ah Hybrid Battery, and the Ultra coming with a longlife 4Ah Hybrid Battery, which has a remaining-charge indicator.

All three models have the same maximum output (400 lumens) and, as well as being easy to swivel up and down, they all feature the Silva Intelligent Light system, which uses a double beam comprised of a long-reach spotlight to illuminate what awaits on the trail up ahead, and a wide-angle floodlight so you can see what’s going on immediately around your feet. All that’s missing is a colour tint option, which would allow you to check things without shattering your night vision – generally not a priority for trail runners. 

Read our full Silva Trail Runner Free review

Well known for their popular line of cycling accessories, Knog takes a new approach to headlamps. Powered by a removable Lithium Ion rechargeable battery, the Bilby pushes out an incredible 400-lumen beam. Using five LEDs, the headlamp offers a high beam (for long range use) and two elliptical beams for wide-beam illumination around your feet, and mid range illumination. 

On top of this the Bilby features six lighting modes (Boost, Mid, Wide, Spot, Red and Reading), each with four brightness settings (you can customize your settings via the Modemaker app). So many options sound complicated to use or adjust in the dark, but we found that the controls were intuitive and easy to operate. Unusually, the USB is integrated into the lighting pod, so there are no wires to tangle or lose. To recharge, we just popped the pod out and plugged it straight into a USB-A port. The Bilby was fully charged from zero to max in 4 hours. 

The light is durable, dustproof, lightweight and carries a 1P67 rating for weather resistance – translated in layman’s terms, this means the Bilby is waterproof up to 1 meter underwater. And the light isn’t the only innovative feature; instead of traditional webbing, the head strap is constructed from medical grade silicone that uses a toggle for fine-tuning fit. We found the strap was comfortable, durable and stable in use. Overall, it's simply one of the best head torches available for runners.

Headlamps comparison table

How we test the best headlamps

At Advnture we endeavor to test every product we feature extensively in the field. That means one of our team of reviewers and writers – all experienced outdoor specialists active across the US, UK, Europe and Australasia – taking it out into the terrain and climatic conditions that it’s designed for. If, for any reason, this isn’t possible, we’ll say so in our buying guides and reviews.

Our reviewers test headlamps in a range of outdoor scenarios – camping, hiking, trail running, caving and watersports (where appropriate) – assessing their value and performance against the claims of the brand in terms of illumination, comfort, beam strength, weight, battery consumption, robustness and features.

How to choose the best headlamp

The most important thing to consider when looking to invest in the best headlamp for your adventures is how and where you are most likely to use it. If you’re primarily looking for a handsfree torch for use around the campsite, then there’s no need to invest in a super lightweight model with a massive mega-lumen punch and a rock solid head harness. Best save those pennies for other trinkets.

When camping, you might also want more flexibility than a light attached to your head can give you. See our guide to the best flashlights for handheld alternatives to head torches.

But if you’re looking to stay out on the trails well past dark, while running, hiking, climbing or on a backpacking adventure (see: How to plan a backpacking trip), then of course weight, brightness and maintaining a level beam will be much more important factors. Where safety is concerned, particularly in winter, this becomes a big factor.

Oh, and another thing, don’t overlook the head strap. How you use the headlamp will influence how well the straps perform. For a runner, a powerful beam isn’t much use if the light unit is bouncing up and down every time your feet hit the ground.

Brightness

Obviously at the top of mind when considering the best headlamp is how bright the beam is. Brightness is quoted in lumens, which is a measurement of the total quantity of visible light emitted by a source per unit of time. But let’s not get caught up in the science – basically, the bigger the number, the brighter the light. Bright is good, of course, especially if you’re engaged in something like trail running with a headlamp along a technical route with potential drop offs, or negotiating a mountain. 

However, the brighter a light burn, the quicker the battery will run out. Having said this, LED (light-emitting diode) lights have completely changed the game in recent years, and headlamps and other torches can shine brightly much longer than they once could. The best thing to look for is a headlamp that offers a good top level lumen level for when you really need it, but has several other settings to choose from too. This way, you can preserve the life of your battery if you're simply going to go night walking, for example. In most use cases, it's fairly rare that you will really need that full-on beam.

Beam and strobe options

Wondering how to read a map at night? The best head torch options will offer at least two beam settings: 'flood' and 'spot'. The flood setting casts the light wide and is ideal for reading things like books or maps. Your adventurous buddies will thank you for the flood setting too, as it allows you to look at them in the tent or on the trail without burning their eyes out – always a bonus. The spot setting projects a concentrated and narrow beam, just like a spotlight on a singer at a concert. It's perfect for illuminating the trail up ahead, or zeroing in on something in the distance.  

Besides these settings, you should also look for a lamp with a strobe setting, which is a very visible blink or flash mode that can be sustained for ages by a battery and is useful for road safety and emergency signalling. 

Night vision

Camping and hiking technology have come on leaps and bounds in recent years and the best headlamps are no different. Most of the best headlamp options will have at least one colour setting, which is usually red but sometimes green and/or blue too. These allow you to turn the torch on while you’re out on the trail walking in the moonlight, or navigating by the stars, without completely blowing out your natural night vision. After all, your sensory ability to see in the semi dark is better than you might think, improves over time but is easily shattered by unnatural light. Again, this is something your friends will thank you for, as it is also a useful function for getting enough ambient light in a tent to find what you’re looking for in the middle of the night, without waking everyone else up. No one wants grumpy camp mates.

Rechargeability

Some of the best headlamps available today have bespoke battery packs – either completely integrated into the lamp, or removable – that can be recharged from a range or power sources, including USB ports. This is great, of course, but even better are the ones that allow you to also use standard AAAs as well, because then you can take back-up batteries and not fret about being left in the dark out on the trail on longer adventures.

If you're out in the wilderness and your headlamp or batteries need to be recharged, the best solar chargers allow you to harvest the sun's rays during the day, in order to charge up your devices ready for the night.

Head harness

Unsurprisingly, the head band is a crucially important element of the best head torches. No matter how good and bright a lamp is, you’re not going to wear it on your head if it’s brutally uncomfortable. If you find yourself carrying it around in your hand, then you have entirely missed the point of this tool. An easily adjustable head harness is ideal, and the option to have an over-the-top-of-the-head strap as well as one that goes around will allow you to get a more secure and less bouncy fit, which is especially important for trail running.

Another consideration is the headwear you may wear on any given adventure. If you're taking on a spicy scramble at dusk, you might want to don a helmet. If it's brutally cold, you're gonna grab that hiking hat. The best head torch should be able to adjust to all these situations.

Functionality

As is the case with all the best camping tech, you will want a lamp that doesn’t demand a degree in physics to operate. Myriad setting options are all well and good, but simplicity can be better, with one easily located button that allows you to toggle through the various modes, all of which should have an obvious function. 

Look for a lamp that swivels up and down, so you can point the beam at your toes, mid distance, or straight ahead at upcoming trails, depending on your requirements at any given time. Other functions that are handy are a lock out option (to stop the lamp getting accidentally activated in your backpack, draining the battery), a rear red light for safety while walking or running on roads and lanes at night, and a pre-programmed SOS flash option. 

Waterproofing

While you can keep your headlamp in a dry bag (see our best dry bags) during the day, if rain is still falling when the sun sets, you need to be able to rely on your headlamp to repel the worst of the weather.

Quality headlamps are given an Ingress Protection (IP) rating, awarded by certified, independent companies after substantial testing. The acronym IP is followed by two digits, the first ranges from 0-6 and refers to resilience to solid particles (dust) and the second ranges from 0-9 and shows how water resistant a gadget is. Most head torches score between IPX4 to IPX6, which means they are resistant to water (higher that second number the better), but not waterproof. You'll find more on this in our guide on waterproof vs. water-resistant products. 

The Black Diamond Storm, featured here, scores IP67, which means it is fully dust proof, and waterproof, submergible to 1 meter for up to half an hour. While this degree of robustness is reassuring – don’t dismiss lamps that score slightly lower. Unless you’re a caver or a kayaker, you shouldn’t need to submerge any of the best head torch brands, and so long as it can cope with a bit of weather, it’ll be fine.

What to do with your old headlamp

Headlamps can be hard to recycle due to all the different materials they contain, so if you're simply upgrading and your old one is still working, consider donating it to a thrift store, charity shop, scout group or outdoor gear exchange so someone else can enjoy spending time outdoors after dark. Just make sure that they accept electrical devices first.

If your old headlamp is broken, start by removing the battery and disposing of it safely. Most recycling centers have a place where you can leave lithium and alkaline batteries, and many supermarkets also have collection bins. Disposing of the rest pf the lamp is trickier. Some big-box stores like Best Buy have electrical recycling schemes, but these often don't take lights. Check your city or local authority's website to see your options. If you're in the UK, RecycleNow can show a map of recycling points near you.

Alpkit Viper headlamp: first impressions

With a list price of just $30 / £25, the Alpkit Viper headlamp is excellent value. At 106g it weighs slightly on the heavy side compared to most of the lamps in our best headlamps buying guide, but it has the addition of an overhead strap for extra security.

It’s comfortable to wear and easy to adjust, but the plastic against the forehead could get a bit sweaty in hot weather.

It’s waterproof to IPX6 – perfect for heavy rain. The max lumens is 240 lumens over 115m for five hours which is great, and the medium setting of 105 lumens is a useful backup for easier paths and roads. Then there’s a low mode of 20 lumens, plus a strobe mode.

The Alpkit Viper also boasts a light sensor mode which automatically adjusts the brightness level according to how dark your surroundings are; so you get the main beam in the very dark and this side light in brighter conditions. This is great, but the sensor might not get it right 100% of the time, so in these situations you can simply turn that feature off. 

Power comes from three AAA batteries. Alpkit are B-Corp certified, Living Wage Employers and part of 1% percent for the Planet.

Alpkit Viper headlamp: on the roads and trails

This is a good headlamp for running and walking in the dark, with 240 lumens being sufficient for longer night adventures on easy trails, tracks and roads and that 105-lumen middle setting a really great battery-saving option for roads with street lighting and clear nights with a full moon beaming extra light down on the world. (For more advice about nocturnal adventures see our full moon hiking and guide to running safely at night articles.) 

The automatic light sensor is also good for saving battery life, making the light brighter if your surroundings are darker, such as when you’re making your way through a moonlit forest and light levels vary. However, if you hike or run with others with brighter headlamps or near traffic, it thinks you need less light, which is not the case, so having the option to turn this mode on and off is welcome. 

The plastic headlamp backing against the forehead rather than strap material is also less comfortable and makes it sweatier than some other models. However, $30 / £25 is a very good price for a highly waterproof head torch from a brand with good ethical and environmental credentials. 

Alpkit have a good sense of their impact on the planet, urging people to take good care of this headlamp so they can pass it on or sell it when they’ve finished with it. In their stores they have a repair service and there are more ideas about extending the life of your outdoor kit with their Continuum Project.

• How Advnture tests products

BioLite HeadLamp 330: first impressions 

The BioLite HeadLamp 330 stands out as a comfortable and capable headlamp for outdoor enthusiasts who are spending a night in the woods, or on the move in dim light. It’s ultra-thin and lightweight, yet still offers four lighting modes with an impressive max output of 330 lumens. 

Headlamps with that kind of power are often cumbersome, but the BioLite HeadLamp 330 boasts a '3D Slim Fit Construction' that involves a flush front, balanced distribution of weight, and smart sweat-wicking fabrics for comfort. The light source is seamlessly integrated into the ultra-thin front, while the battery has been placed in the back to keep weight off your face.

The BioLite HeadLamp 330 has a front profile of only 9mm, and the full headlamp weighs only 69 grams. Heavy batteries aren’t necessary as the torch is recharged using micro USB. On low, the light is made to illuminate for 40 hours; on high, expect 3.5 hours. The four light modes also include a red night vision setting, and the light is mounted in a way that the angle of the light stream can be adjusted easily with one hand.

BioLite HeadLamp 330: in the field

Once I opened the packaging and pulled out the BioLite HeadLamp 330, it became quite obvious how distinct this head torch is from most others that I’ve tested. The most noticeable quality of this headlamp is how light it is. Most others weigh at least 100g, but the BioLite HeadLamp 330 is just 69g, and you can feel the difference in your hand and on your head. 

My husband Bobby and I both tested this headlamp on a spring camping and mountain bike trip in Fruita, Colorado. The weekend also included an overnight team bike race called 18 Hours of Fruita — the perfect opportunity to test the 330 lumen light. While 100 to 150 lumens are often adequate for most needs in the dark, more intensive activities like scrambling, route-finding at night and mountain biking singletrack in the dead of night require a more powerful headlamp like the BioLite HeadLamp 330. 

Even after Bobby’s bike bar light went out in the middle of the race, this headlamp was enough to illuminate the way on his two darkest laps. Even on the brightest of the four light settings, the battery didn’t waver for three full hours of use during the night. Bobby didn’t notice the addition on his helmet because it really is that light, and if he had to change the angle of the illumination it was easy to reach up and articulate the shift with just one hand. 

The following evening after the race concluded and the evening light started to wane, I wore the BioLite HeadLamp330 to move around our campsite and clean up after dinner. I jogged over to the campsite restrooms and the light didn’t bounce at all – a testament to the balance of the headlamp with the battery in the back and a flush front that sits snugly on the forehead.

At camp, I was able to use a less bright setting on the lamp, at which it could last for hours, and I could adjust the brightness as needed with the press of a button. 

• How Advnture tests products

Petzl, maker of some of the best headlamps, has unveiled a series of new lights just in time for the winter season, including three specially designed for outdoor adventures like camping and hiking. The Tikkina, Tikka, and Actik headlamps are all ideal for nights under canvas and walks before sunrise, and the Actik is also lightweight enough for trail running.

All lights come with washable bands, and can be used with three AAA batteries (supplied) or Petzl's new Core rechargeable battery pack. Using the Core battery results in significant performance gains, and the lamp detects the power source and adjusts lighting performance automatically.

The Actik (shown below) has a wide, uniform beam that allows you to easily see what's in front of you, and below your feet. There are three white lighting levels to choose from: max burn time (for the longest battery life), standard (to balance battery life and brightness), and max power.

There's also a continuous red beam option, which lets you see where you're going without spoiling your night vision or dazzling your friends, plus a strobe mode for attracting attention in an emergency. The Actik has a single button for selecting brightness or light color. The light can be easily adjusted to chance the angle of the beam.

In addition to the standard Petzl Actik, there's also an Actik Core model that includes the Core battery pack.

The Tikka headlamp (below) also has a wide beam that lets you see exactly where you're putting your feet without sacrificing forward visibility, and is best suited to hiking and camping. Like the Actik, it offers three power modes, plus a continuous red light option and strobe for emergencies.

Both the Tikka and Actik are supplied with a handy storage pouch that let them do double duty as a camping lantern.

The Tikka is available in two versions: the standard model and the Tikka Core, which includes the rechargeable battery pack.

The Tikkina headlamp (below) is most affordable of the three. It still offers three brightness options, but has a maximum brightness of 300 lumens compared to 350 for the Tikka, and doesn't have the red or strobe modes.

You can check out the full range of Petzl headlamps online.

• Best trail running shoes: for protection, grip, and agility on tough terrain

Rescuers saved a man who had become stuck attempting to descend a Colorado mountain without proper equipment last week. The man had become stuck hundreds of meters above the trail he should have been following after accidentally wandering off track, and his headtorch wasn't providing enough light for him to see the way down.

As the Sacramento Bee reports, the man (who hasn't been named) found himself 'cliffed out' and unable to move up or down while trying to descend Mount Princeton, which is generally regarded as one of Colorado's easiest 14ers (mountains at least 14,000ft above sea level).

“He reported that he had gotten off route while descending from the saddle, and quickly became uncomfortable with the terrain," said rescuers "Additionally, his headlamp was not providing enough light for him to safely move any further."

Be prepared

When the man decided to call 911, his GPS co-ordinates revealed that he was 250ft above the hiking trail, stranded in "steep and loose" terrain. Rescuers reached him after around two hours, gave him a better headlamp, and led him safely down the mountain. Although cold, he was uninjured.

"We’d like to remind people that even the most straightforward fourteeners can become significantly more difficult in the dark, especially without a good light," said the team of rescuers. "Routefinding certainly becomes more difficult."

• Best headlamps: find your way safely when hiking or running after dark

The best headlamps make essential kit for any outdoor adventure. Even if you have no intention of hiking after dark or running at night, sometimes you run out of daylight before you’re finished with your exploits and if you don’t have a good light source, your possibility of getting injured or lost increases significantly. For such a small piece of gear, however, you might be surprised to see the range of features – and sometimes, big price tag – that accompany a headlamp. What is a lumen anyway, and do you need red or Reactive Lighting? In this article, we shed some light on what all those features mean and how to choose a headlamp according to your desired activity.

How to choose a headlamp: understanding the features

First, let’s run through what all those features actually mean. Here are some common terms you’ll see in a headlamp description:

• Lumens: A lumen is a unit of measure that gauges how much light is emitted by a lightsource. A headlamp might have anywhere from 50 to 750 lumens and generally speaking, the more lumens, the brighter the light, however brightness is also affected by beam.
• Beam: A flood or wide beam doesn’t illuminate a long distance, but lights up a wider area, while a spotlight beam throws out better light for long distance viewing.
• Run time: This refers to how many hours you can expect your headlamp to work before you need to change or charge the batteries. There are different ways to measure this, however, so know that a headlamp that boasts something like 40 hours of light might be doing so at significantly lower quality for the final 20 or even 30 hours. More lumens often means that the battery will drain quicker, however technological advances are changing this.
• Brightness: Most good headlamps will offer low, medium and high brightness settings, which are handy for different activities. The higher the brightness, the more battery power you’re using. Some headlamps offer a Boost mode which gives you a short burst of extra brightness for a few seconds.
• Tilt: The ability to tilt your headlamp up or down is almost always helpful for activities like running and climbing at night.
• Reactive Lighting: Reactive Lighting, now called RL, was developed by Petzl and uses a sensor to analyze reflected light (the amount of light coming back to it) and automatically adjusts as needed.
• Red light mode: Just as it sounds, this mode can be a little easier on your eyes (and other people’s eyes) in the dark.

How to choose a headlamp for camping

For moving around your campsite without tripping over guy lines, fetching a drink from your camping cooler and pitching a tent after dark, you don’t need anything too high tech or expensive and should prioritize the following features in your headlamp:

• Wide beam: You don’t need to be able to see very far but it is helpful to be able to see around your campsite.
• Red light setting: This can be really nice if you are changing or even reading in your tent, where a white light might disturb your fellow campers.
• Brightness: For most camping activities 50-200 lumens is plenty.

How to choose a headlamp for hiking

Much like camping, you can get away with a fairly basic headlamp for hiking in the dark since you’ll be moving relatively slowly. Look for these features:

• Spotlight beam: A beam that helps you see down the trail is more helpful than a wide beam, though a wide beam will usually be ok.
• Waterproofing: Hiking tends to happen in all weathers, and your headlamp might spend a lot of time packed in a wet backpack when you're not using it, so look for a water resistant headlamp.
• Brightness: 50 - 200 lumens.

How to choose a headlamp for running

If you’re running with a headlamp, you need to be able to see down the trail as well as directly in front of you, and you need a headlamp that will stay on, so prioritize the following:

• Secure fit: Try your headlamp on before you set off and make sure it stays in place once you start bouncing around.
• Spotlight beam: While a flood beam isn’t all that important, you’ll want to have a good spotlight and a bright light to pick up any rocks or tree roots under your feet.
• Reactive Lighting: For trail running, consider reactive lighting which is useful when you’re moving fast between shadowy and open areas.
• Weight: Honestly, headlamps aren’t particularly heavy anyway, but the lighter, the better for running.
• Waterproofing: Since running tends to be an all-weather activity, a water resistant headlamp is a good idea.
• Brightness: 200 - 400 lumens.

How to choose a headlamp for climbing

For rock climbing, you’re going to want really good visibility and probably want a high-end technical headlamp so look for these specific features:

• Helmet compatible: Your headlamp needs to fit over your climbing helmet and you’ll need to ensure that your helmet is headlamp compatible. If it’s not, make sure you can comfortably wear it, and tilt it up, underneath your helmet.
• Beam: A headlamp with both wide beam for scouting out your next move and spotlight beam for planning your line is required.
• Reactive lighting: This can be super helpful for when you’re alternating between looking directly at light-colored rock in front of your face and looking up.
• Good run time: the last thing you want is to be messing around changing batteries while you’re hanging onto the side of a cliff, so get a headlamp with a long battery life.
• Lumens: More is better as you need to see detail so look for 400 lumens or higher.

• Best camping lantern: safely illuminate your whole campsite

The best running headlamps have revolutionized running for those of us that live in northern climes, do shift work or like to go out on epically long runs. Sun setting at 3 p.m.? Stuck at the office until 8pm? Racing in the Leadville 100? No problem. Just pull on your headlamp and you can light up the trail, avoid any tripping hazards and be visible to others at any hour – running at night has never been easier.

But as with any technology, headlamps have their limitations. First, they require either batteries or a solar charge to function in the first place, which means if you misjudge things, forget to charge it or leave your extra batteries in the car, you might be looking at a long walk home in the dark.

Secondly, headlamps come with a vast array of different ranges and beam strengths. It might seem like the obvious solution is to get the brightest lamp with the widest range so that you’ve always got the entire path ahead of you in your sights, but that usually drains the battery faster. And if you get a more economical one, the battery life will usually be much more robust, but on a really dark night and technical trail, you might just not be getting the illumination you need. That’s not only a safety issue – it can mean you’re running much more slowly and cautiously than usual, which is no good if you’re training for a race.

Now of course, most headlamps these days come with at least two – and sometimes three – brightness settings, but when you’ve just found your rhythm, the last thing you want to do is interrupt your focus by adjusting the beam strength every time you switch between downhill and uphill. What would be really helpful is if you had a headlamp that adjusted to your needs. Kind of like photochromic lenses on eyeglasses that darken when you go out into the sun, what if you had a headlamp that adjusted according to how dark it was, and what you’re looking at? Turns out it already exists. Meet Reactive Lighting.

What is Reactive Lighting?

Reactive Lighting, now called RL, was developed by French climbing company Petzl and doesn’t just reflect light out and hope that it picks up every tree root, low hanging branch or snake on the trail. RL uses a sensor to analyze reflected light (the amount of light coming back to it) and automatically adjusts as needed. If it’s finding that there’s a lot of light coming back – say, there’s a lot of light pollution or you’re running in the summer months where it never gets fully dark – it dims a bit, saving you battery power. If it’s hardly detecting any reflected light, it sends out more light so you don’t have to slow down. Remember, this is all happening without you having to lift a finger, which means that you can focus on what you love – running.

Petzl has incorporated RL into its NAO, NAO+, SWIFT RL and DUO headlamps. A Pertzl headlamp with RL has three automatic settings:

• Proximity lighting: this is for seeing objects at close range – this is great for when you need to stop to look at your map, or tie the laces on your best trail running shoes.
• Movement lighting: a mixed beam for walking and running, wide to see your feet and focused to illuminate what’s coming up ahead.
• Distance visions: when you raise your head to look up the trail or road, the brightness increases which is great for when you’re on a steep incline or looking for trail markers.

The result is a longer battery life, and customized light source tailored to suit your needs. Petzl’s headlamps with RL technology also come with both manual and automatic settings, so you can turn the sensor off when you don’t want it brightening and dimming on you. With RL technology, running with a headlamp has never been easier.

Do you need Reactive Lighting for running?

Petzl launched the technology back in 2010, and like all technologies it’s been a bit of a work in progress. Since then, they’ve improved it with more lumens for better light quality and it's definitely improved. We recently took the Petzl Swift RL out on the trails, and we found it worked really well, with a couple of drawbacks. 

The first was that we found that it dimmed whenever we got into the light of oncoming car headlights, which obviously isn’t ideal if you’re a road runner and you’ll want to either switch it to manual mode or make sure you’re well decked out in high viz gear. Clearly for trail running, this isn’t an issue at all. 

The other snag we experienced with it was that when we went out running with other people, the light from other runners’ headlamps caused ours to dim. So again, if you're in a night race or just running with a partner, you might want to opt for the manual mode.

All of that said, we love Petzl’s RL technology for solo trail running at night, as much for its ability to adapt to our surroundings as the extra long battery life. If you like to hit the trails after dusk, we think you’ll love the versatility and longevity of this technology.

Whether you're camping, night walking or running on the trail, when the sun goes down, you're going to need a good light source. Most importantly, you need to be able to illuminate the trail ahead of you and pick up any obstacles around the campfire, and for years, the trusty flashlight was the best option. However, you also want to be able to use both hands when you're rummaging through your camping cooler looking for a cold one, and if you're running, you need to be able to move your arms, which is where the newer headlamp comes in awfully handy (see our guide to the best headlamps for some good options).

But does it render the flashlight obsolete? Which is best for your nocturnal escapades?  We take on the battle of the beams, as it were, and shed some light on the pros and cons of the headlamp vs flashlight, and find it’s not quite as clear-cut as you might think.

We’ve all misjudged the time or got lost while on a trail at some point, and if nightfall catches you out, having a source of light makes it a whole lot easier to find your way home. If things really go wrong, you can use a light to signal for help. Plus you never know when you might find a cave to explore. There's no question that carrying a headlamp or flashlight on an adventure is good common sense, the only question is: which one do you need?

Headlamp vs flashlight: practicality

This round would seem to be a pretty easy win for the headlamp – chance for a quick KO, even. With a source of illumination secured on a head strap, you have not one but two hands at your disposal to find or do whatever it is you’re seeking to achieve in the dark. No need to try and hold the torch between your teeth, or under your arm. From full moon hiking with trekking poles and scrambling up steep stony slopes in the gloom, to reading a map on a dark trail or a book in your tent, the positives of a hands-free light source are endless. 

Flashlights, of course, need to be carried, leaving you with just one hand free for tasks. However, they can also be shone in any direction, not just the way you are looking, and directed more accurately, and both of these features are useful for signaling. Some people find constantly wearing a headlamp a little uncomfortable, and hate being blinded by their friends who insist on wearing them set to high beam during conversations around the campfire. Handheld flashlights can be easily positioned on a rock or in a tree to illuminate something, or placed under a bottle as a makeshift camping lamp in your tent. 

As a side note, it’s worth remembering that if you're camping with kids, they will lose handheld stuff at the drop of a hat, whereas having a headlamp attached to them means you have a fighting chance of finding them in the dark, and not having to buy a new flashlight for every outing.

Headlamp vs flashlight: weight and packability

Headlamps are designed to be as lightweight and low profile as possible, because carrying around too much bulk and heft on your head quickly becomes, quite literally, a pain in the neck. This means they’re also small and light to stick in a backpack.

High-power flashlights are heavy and bulky, but versions for outdoor adventures come in all sorts of sizes, including very small, lightweight versions such as the Olight S1R II Baton and the Ledlenser PX4 Pen Torch, which are even more packable than a headlamp (devoid of the head strap and any external battery casing).

These are perfect to have in a pack or in the pocket of your down jacket as an easy-to-locate emergency light. It’s always a good idea to have a torch of some sort with you when you’re out adventuring, even if you expect to be back well before dark.

Headlamp vs flashlight: functionality and versatility 

Most decent headtorches have a range of beam options these days, including the ability to toggle between different levels of brightness (to conserve battery power) and switch from flood (wide, for reading something close to your face and casting light broadly around your feet) to spot (narrow, for picking out details of the trail ahead or illuminating something specific in the mid distance).

They will also have colored light options (usually red) so you can check a map or locate something without completely shattering your night vision or waking up everyone else in the tent, and a pulse feature (a flashing light), which lasts for ages and can be used to alert people to your presence. Some – for example the Lifesystems Intensity 235 – even have a pre-programmed SOS signal setting.

An option offered by many headlamps is a rear red light (predominantly set to pulse), positioned on the back of the head strap, that enables people behind you (especially those driving vehicles) to see you in the dark – a really good safety feature for runners and walkers who venture out on country lanes after dark. 

Many (but not all) flashlights also boast most of the beam options above – the Life Systems Intensity 370 Hand Torch is a good example of a versatile highly featured flashlight – but some also have a fully focusable beam, which can be trained on something very specific.

It can also be easier to use a handheld torch for signaling. Some designs, for example the Duronic Hurricane LED torch, are specifically designed so you can quickly turn your flashlight into one of the best camping lanterns around. Larger Night at the Museum-style flashlights can be used for self-defense if required.

Headlamp vs flashlight: range and burn time

With the evolution of ever-brighter and increasingly high-performing LEDs, the best headlamps on the market now have an astonishing range, but this reach does typically come at a higher cost.

Generally speaking, in terms of bang for buck, a flashlight will be capable of packing more battery power and will outshine a headtorch in a comparable price bracket, both in terms of distance and usable time – but it will, of course, be a bulkier beast to carry.

The Ledlenser MT6, for example, has a range of 260 meters, and when switched to low power mode will last for 192 hours, while the more expensive and bigger Ledlenser i18R has a range of 540 meters and a burn time (on low power) of up to 96 hours. Bulkier still, but incredibly bright and very affordable, the Alflash Rechargeable LED Floodlight Torch has a stellar range of up to 800 meters.

Both headlamps and handheld flashlights are available in models that can either be plugged in and recharged, or which take standard batteries – the best permit both, as this allows you to carry spare batteries during multi-day adventures.

Headlamp vs flashlight: durability

Headlamps at the top end of the market are increasingly robust, with some boasting really impressive Ingress Protection (IP) ratings in terms of water and dust proofing, and shock resistance – the Black Diamond Storm, for example, is fully dust and waterproof, and is submergible to 1 meter for up to half an hour, and other models by specialist brands such as Petzl and intended for use by cavers or underground/underwater professionals are even more sturdy (and considerably more expensive).

However, some very affordable flashlights, like the Baton family produced by Olight, are even tougher still, and can put up with even more extended periods of submersion in water, and worse falls, without failing.

It’s another hard round to score, because different brands and models offer very different levels of durability, but the more solid build of handhelds mean that they generally outperform the slightly more delicate design of a headlamp in terms of robustness and longevity – certainly at the more affordable end of the scale.

Headlamp vs flashlight: price

You can spend very little, or an awful lot, on both headlamps and handheld torches – and in both cases you will get what you pay for. If you just want something cheap but dependable to keep in the car, or for occasional use during high summer backyard camping experiences, then a bargain-end flashlight might be your best option.

However, if you do a lot of after dark or underground adventuring, and/or any autumn-winter-spring camping, then it’s really worth investing in the best torch or headlamp you can afford, whether you wear it on your head or hold it in your hand.

Headlamp vs flashlight: the verdict

By virtue of the high-functionality most models now boast, and the fact that it keeps both hands free during use, we’re big fans of the headlamp, but making a choice between a handheld or a headtorch very much comes down to personal preference and the kind of things you do in the outdoors.

For outdoor active types – night hikers, trail runners, climbers, canoeists, cavers, skiers – it really feels like a no-brainer to go for a head-mounted model that allows you to retain the full use of all your limbs and not have one hand held out in front of you at all times, but there are definitely occasions when a good handheld torch can really shine – during nocturnal wildlife watching for example.

In terms of carrying an emergency, or second, light source, a small handheld torch can be a great option, and you get a lot of glow for your dough with a flashlight.

• Full moon hiking: why hiking at night should be your next adventure

Black Diamond Storm 500R: First impressions

The Black Diamond Storm 500R is the most powerful product in the Utah brand’s new multi-purpose, rechargeable R series of headlamps. It’s designed for adventurers who value versatility and performance alongside the size and weight of a small unit. In essence, it’s one of the best headlamps around: tiny, mighty and with a sprinkling of magic to assist you in a variety of scenarios. 

Boasting a maximum brightness of 500 lumens and a beam distance of 120 meters, the 500R packs a powerful punch for something so diminutive. Add three colored night vision modes into the equation, and you soon realize you’re dealing with a clever little product.

Burntime on its maximum setting is an impressive seven hours – long enough for any pre-dawn alpine start – while its medium mode gives you 250 lumens for 19 hours. You can flick between proximity and distance modes, as well as red, green and blue night vision.

The Storm 500R contains a built-in Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery so, as with many of the best headlamps these days, there’s no messing around with Duracells in your backpack. Mountaineers and skiers take heed: lithium-ion cells perform better than their alkaline counterparts in the cold, making this a great option for those who like to venture above the snow line. Recharging is easy and takes just three hours with a micro-USB cable. Black Diamond say that its R series headlamps can be recharged up to 1,000 times, so this is a headlamp that will serve you over many adventures. It also comes with a three-year warranty.

There are a few handy features, such as Brightness Memory, which remembers the intensity you had the lamp set to before turning it off. Intensity can be subtly adjusted by holding down the main button, while a double tap activates strobe mode. A battery meter on the bottom of the unit lets you know how much juice you’ve got left. The Storm 500R shouldn’t let you down in wet conditions, as it has been waterproof tested under a meter of water for 30 minutes, giving it a rating of IP67. The headband is crafted from recycled elastic and is easily adjustable.

A micro-USB cable is included in the package, but it is only 10cm long, which is fine for connecting to a power bank while on expedition but not great for plugging in to a wall socket at home. You could argue that it represents a weight saving on ultralight missions in the backcountry. However, I’d say that if you’re worried about the weight of a USB cable, you’re spending too long thinking about minor details and not enough time enjoying the great outdoors!

In the field

I tested the Storm in a range of settings and found it performed well throughout. Whether running trails at sunset, backpacking in the early hours or pottering around the campsite, the Storm 500R’s all-round performance and different light modes make it a gloriously versatile little headlamp. Its trail finding ability in distance mode is excellent thanks to its impressive brightness and range, while the evenly lit wide beam of proximity mode is well suited to campsite life.

At 100g, this is hardly a heavy headlamp, and is perfectly suitable for runners. I found it handled my favourite local trails with aplomb. The elastic headband was comfortable and held the light securely in place throughout.

It’s the heaviest model in the R series so racers serious about shaving off every last gram might want to look at lighter, albeit less powerful, models in the range or Black Diamond’s Sprinter 500, which boasts a rear light for road runners. However, for hiking, mountaineering, camping and snow sports, the additional power and features of the Storm make it the obvious choice for those who want an uncomplicated, rechargeable, yet powerful headlamp.

As a new father, I found its colored night vision modes a real help while transferring baby from sitting room to bedroom in the dead of night without waking mother or child. I’m sure this kind of use wasn’t at the top of Black Diamond’s thoughts during the design stage, yet it underlines the versatility of the product. Many a camp mate has been woken in the night by a bright headlamp; the Storm's night vision options make such an occurrence far less likely.

Despite having only two buttons, cycling between its various functions is relatively intuitive and doesn’t take long to master. A single tap of the main on/off button activates the beam, while a double tap activates the strobe. Holding down the main button gradually dims and then brightens the beam until you arrive at your desired intensity. The smaller button is tapped to cycle between modes and held down to change the night vision color. To ensure your headlamp isn’t accidentally switched on in your best daypack, the Digital Lock Out function is a real boon. It is activated by holding down both buttons for a couple of seconds.

• How Advnture tests products

Silva Trail Runner Free H: first impressions

The Silva Trail Runner Free H is one of our favorite running headlamp because, at 113g / 4oz, it’s light enough to sling in your pack just in case things don’t go to plan, yet kicks out enough light (max 400 lumens for max 2.5 hours) to be useful on testing mountain terrain. 

The H stands for Hybrid – it has a rechargeable battery interchangeable with three AAAs, making it doubly useful if you want to take or buy spares on a long race or remote trip. The cable to the battery pack is cleverly encased within the headband so there are no wires to catch around the head. Plus, there’s a neat red light or strobe in the back, button-accessed within the battery pack housing, great for staying visible on dark roads. 

The Trail Runner Free H also benefits from Silva’s Intelligent Lighting system: a flood light combined with a longer, more diffused spot light in one beam so you can see the terrain under your feet and surrounding features for navigating. The only minor downside is the padding behind the lamp is only on one side, so it’s not quite as comfy as previous incarnations of this head torch. It’s still hard to beat though and definitely one of the best headlamps on test.

Silva Trail Runner Free H: on the trails

Although initially we were a little surprised at the one-sided padding behind the lamp in this head torch, its light weight, brightness and battery life do mean that we frequently reach for this over others for a short, nighttime trail running sessions. 

It may be slightly less comfy on a bare forehead than previous incarnations of the Trail Runner range but the high-quality 400 lumen brightness, packability and 2.5 hour run time makes it well worth it.

We also found that the Silva light was more golden in hue, more like sunlight, which made the nighttime world seem more colorful and seemed to yield a greater depth of field than head torches with a blue light.

Having used it in anger on a very wet, windy night where we most definitely did not want to get the navigation wrong, we even found the 200 lumen setting to be perfectly good enough to find stiles across windswept, muddy fields and tracks on a new night-run from Belton-in-Rutland, East Midlands. 

It’s equally at home scrambling over Peak District gritstone, lighting up hand and footholds as quick as you can move across them. Versatile, light, bright and long-lasting; a winning combination.

Proviz LED 360 Antares: first impressions

If you need a running headlamp but you don’t have much cash to splash, consider the Proviz LED 360 Antares. It’s nice and bright at 500 lumens (when the 3 x AAA batteries are new), the headband is very easy to adjust, and it sits very comfortably on your head. The button is large and easy to press, giving you access to a max spot beam, a high flood beam, a low flood beam, a red beam and a flashing mode. 

Beware the large figures for burn time, however. As this torch only uses three x AAA batteries, the light output drops off gradually over time, so you don’t get 500 lumens on that highest setting the whole time, especially not towards the end of the battery life. In contrast, a rechargeable lithium battery (as used by some of the other best headlamps we tested) will kick out the same level of brightness until its very limit, at which point it will either conk out altogether or (as with the high-quality brands) fall back to a safety reserve mode lower-light setting that usually lasts a few hours. As long as you’re OK with that, this is a fantastic piece of kit for a great price. 

Proviz LED 360 Antares: on the trails

This is a nice headlamp, super simple, inexpensive and we enjoyed using it, especially through the muddy fields of the East Midlands. 

During the test period we definitely noticed that, after roughly five hours use, the light level on max had faded noticeably from the 500 lumens stated. This is the difference between using rechargeable lithium batteries and triple As mentioned above, and will affect all headlamps with traditional battery setups similarly. But it is worth mentioning as you might want to take a spare set of batteries with you should you notice max power isn’t performing for as long as the stats stated when out and about. 

The different light settings are pitched nicely, and the flashing mode and red light are also useful touches. 

At IPX2 it’s not as waterproof as some others in the test (the IPX ratings run from 0, which means giving no protection, to 8, which means submersible) but should be OK for sweat and light drizzle. If you want a nice, simple head torch that won’t break the bank and gives a nice, wide, bright, white beam for a two-to-three hours of road and trail running or hiking, this is an option for you.

Petzl Swift RL: first impressions

The Petzl Swift RL is one of the best headlamps we've tested for trail runners. It's lightweight at just 102g/3.6oz, but gives out 550 lumens on max power for two hours. 

The maximum output is 900 lumens for 2–30 hours (but that is on Petzl’s Reactive Lighting mode, hence the RL in the name). Turn this mode on and suddenly the torch detects what brightness it thinks you need, which in some situations works perfectly, saving and prolonging your precious battery and allowing you to focus on your running, climbing or hiking without having to reach up and press a button. 

However, we found that running with other people who were wearing very bright headlamps reduced the lighting from ours when we really did still need to light up lumpy ground underfoot. Oncoming car headlights and even reflective roadsigns also confused it into dropping the light levels too, suddenly leaving you in the dark. 

This head torch is light, but the weight is all up front, which makes it seem a bit top heavy. Also, there’s no rear safety light unless you clip on a small additional light. However, the split headband at the back is the definitely the comfiest fit for those with ponytails.

Petzl Swift RL: on the trails

The main difference between this Petzl head torch and all the others on test is the Reactive Lighting mode, which – if it works for you – is absolutely fantastic for prolonging the battery life of an already efficient headlamp. 

We really like wearing this headlamp, first tested in Chamonix following the UTMB 2019 (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) courtesy of Petzl. Our fully charged Swift RLs saw our team of journalists through a whole night bobbing around this epic 100+ mile race via mini-bus, running and mountain biking. 

However, that was also when we realized that in Reactive Lighting (RL) mode, it dropped its light levels when other people using headlamps were nearby, and even dimmed suddenly on encountering the reflection of light from road signs, casting ankle-turning curbs into shadow. So possibly the best time to use the RL mode is when you’re running alone in the mountains. 

We prefer to use it on Standard Lighting mode so there are no surprises! That makes for a brilliantly comfy, long-lasting and bright head torch suitable for testing mountain terrain and rocky trails. We often reach for this head torch because of its comfort. And if you have a ponytail, the split headband wraps above and below it very nicely. 

Fenix HL60R: first impressions

The impressive specs of the Fenix HL60R certainly explain why it’s slightly on the heavy side for runners – this is the most bombproof running headlamps you’ll ever meet, and it’s fully waterproof down to two metres, even with the micro-USB side-port housing open. This is one for the most gnarly scramblers or extreme butterfingers amongst us, then! 

The five levels of brightness are excellent too, with a high of 950 lumens (that’s impressively bright!) lasting 48 mins, while the one you’re most likely to use for trail running, the 400 lumen mode, lasts an impressive three hours. This combination of brightness, battery life and ruggedness and will see you for many mountain miles on tough multi-day ultras. 

For road running you’ll be content with 150 lumens no problems and that’s 10 hours of run time. It casts a neutral white beam which lights the way very clearly for running (116m / 381ft long in 150 lumen mode) and makes it easy to pick out navigational features quickly. We also love the large, textured side button – just one button to rule all the light settings; simple and easy. If you like to run a long way in the dark and rain, then this headlamp is your perfect match.

Fenix HL60R: on the trails

Having thrown this headlamp down the toilet to check it really is waterproof (yes, it still works), run with it in pouring Welsh rain and dropped it by accident (honest) on a Peak District boulder, we can confirm that this head torch is indeed one tough critter. It just Will. Not. Die. Which is pretty darned good for only £75 and a multitude of very well-selected, bright, white lighting levels for emergency reserve, campsite pottering, road running, trail running and night navigation. 

It’s a runner’s dream, apart from the heavier weight – but if you want this kind of performance and durability, you’ve got to accept that it comes with a tad more on the scales. You’d be better to eat one less pie instead. 

Although having said that, it’s more to do with the fact that the whole 178g / 6.3oz sits right on your forehead. A rear battery pack might be more comfortable for runners, which Fenix do use for their higher-powered models of 1,200+ lumens. 

The only other downside (apart from the utilitarian design if you’re at all bothered about aesthetics) seems to be that the rechargeable battery, although interchangeable, requires the less readily available CR123A lithium batteries rather than the easily-sourced triple As like many other headlamps take.

Black Diamond Sprint: first impressions

At almost half the weight of other running headlamps we tested, the robust little Black Diamond Sprint is definitely one to pop in your pack in case you’re out longer than you expected to be, happily snapping that beautiful sunset and forgetting what comes next.

In fact, you could take the Sprint as a spare lamp instead of spare batteries for a heavier, brighter head torch so that you don’t have to worry about changing batteries in the dark. Which is a right faff, let’s face it.

And, for such a tiny, light headlamp, the Sprint packs a serious punch with 225 lumens on max power for at least 1.5 hours, or 120 lumens for four hours on the medium setting. This is plenty bright enough to run happily at night on roads and easy trails, but for more technical terrain, faster off-road running and night navigation most people will want a brighter light. 

It’s comfortable to wear, very water resistant, has a rechargeable lithium battery, and a battery life indicator on the side, but annoyingly you have to read the instructions (and even worse, remember them!) to be able to operate all the brightness modes; the dimmer function is a little tricky and the genius quick-power-boost side-tap only works with tech-compatible gloves.

Black Diamond Sprint: on the roads

There’s a lot to like about the Sprint, but you really do have to read the instructions. Maybe some people like a techy product, and this has a lot of good features packed into it, but when you’re in the dark (and possibly the cold and wet) this super-light, otherwise brilliant piece of kit also needs to be super-simple to operate. What’s wrong with just one click to scroll through three preset brightness modes and a hold down for strobe?

Instead, max power is hold the nice large button down for one second; dimmer switch is hold it down until it dims to the level you want (a nice touch, granted, but it’s tricky to hold your hand to your head while trail running); strobe is double-click; power-tap is at the side (but only works with bare fingertips or tech-compatible gloves on). 

We know this all sounds a bit ungrateful, but when you’re on a chilly, dank, dark hillside in the Lake District all you really want is a simple head torch that turns on, goes a bit brighter, and then a bit brighter still, all with the press of one nice big glove-compatible button… 

However, if you’ve got more brain-power than we have, this is the perfect just-pop-it-in-the-pack-in-case companion for you. 

LED Lenser HR7 Core: first impressions

The LED Lenser HR7 Core may be heavier than most other running headlamps, but it has two great selling points. First, it’s completely waterproof. Second, it boasts a swivelling bezel around the lamp, with floodlight mode at one extreme and spotlight mode at the other, or you can choose any of the graduations in-between. This is a wonderful touch and means you can really quickly and easily tailor the beam to the road, path or trail you’re running on. 

And yes, you can drop the HR7 Core headlamp into a puddle, lake or toilet bowl, and it’s safe for 30 mins from 15cm to 1m depth – fantastic news for clumsy runners! As such, it has its own magnetic, waterproof charger connection to USB rather than the more common Micro USB seen in many of the other best headlamps. 

The only real downside is that the HR7 is not sleek and it’s a bit of a beast at over twice the weight of most other head torches we tested. Hence the nice, wide comfy headband and overhead strap too. However, this does also mean it should take a fair beating before you break it. A good one for your kids or teens on their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards or Summer Camp perhaps, less so for running fast and light

LED Lenser HR7 Core: on the trails

It was great to be in control of the floodlight or spotlight out on the trails. Sometimes you want that little bit more focus through the dark woods, jumping over tree roots and picking your way across ankle-biting rocks, but widening your beam and popping it into 1,000 lumen boost mode to search gaps through walls or that stile you need to cross. 

However, its chunky weight means this one wouldn’t be our first choice for trail running – more for camping, backpacking and hiking when you know it’s going to be raining a lot. It’s also great for exciting nighttime SUPing and kayaking adventures, being completely waterproof. 

It’s a shame as the swivel bezel is a great innovation, the light output is brilliant and the beam length excellent. It’s very comfortable on the head too. It’s just a little too bulky to carry in a small race vest or bumbag and much more top heavy for runners than the other headlamps available for the same price and brightness.

Alpkit Qark Headlamp: first impressions

The best value award for any of the products we tested for out best running headlamps buying guide must go to the Alpkit Qark (no q, we checked). Astoundingly this light (108g / 3.8oz), bright headlamp is packed full with all the features a runner needs, including three white light settings and a red beam as well, all accessible via simple button clicks that you should be able to operate even while wearing running gloves.

The light levels are pitched well for running; 580 lumens of bright, white, oval-shaped light or a spotlight beam for 2.5 hours is great for navigating under cloudy skies while the medium setting of 270 lumens still delivers plenty of light over its 100m-length beam to be useful as your main setting if the ground isn’t too technical and you’re not sprinting like a mad hare. 

That middle light level lasts an impressive five hours and the rechargeable lithium battery makes sure it doesn’t gradually fade out, buts stays bright throughout. Should you need to recharge it you can swap in 3 x AAAs, which is nice and versatile. 

The 30 lumen minimum setting is good for 18 hours in an emergency or reading in your tent. 

There is even a great swivel bezel on the lamp to give you full control of the flood or spotlight beam. The plastic lamp housing and design aren’t as sleek or stylish as some of the others on test, and don’t seem quite as durable, either. But who can argue with £35?

Alpkit Qark Headlamp: on the trails

When it comes to running safely at night the Alpkit Qark is a great companion. It was fantastic to see how carefully Alpkit has listened to the feedback from its users in creating this headlamp. It really is hard to fault the Qark, which for a £35 headlamp is really surprising, as you usually get what you pay for. 

We really enjoyed using the super-bright white Qark-light for night running through forests; the 580 lumen max light setting was powerful, and the focus bezel to change from spotlight to floodlight was great for allowing even more control depending on how rocky or difficult it was underfoot. 

At 108g (they say 95g but this is what our scales say) we don’t think the overhead strap is needed – they could have silicone grippers around the headband to keep it from slipping. And the lamp housing did feel a bit plasticky, less stylish and less durable than the more expensive headlamps on test. It would also be good if you could buy a spare Alpkit rechargeable battery as you can with the Silva Trail Runner Free H. 

The only other thing is that to access the red beam you have to first scroll through all three white light settings which, if you’re trying to use it to save your night vision, rather defeats the object. But for £35 we can turn the other way for that…

The best running headlamps extend your potential training window beyond the daylight hours. This is particularly important through the winter and into early spring, when most people are unable to get out onto the roads and trails before dark. They're also great for hiking and camping trips too, so you're bound to get plenty of use out of one.

Designed to fit comfortably for a barely there feel, the best running headlamps are more minimal than standard head torches. Zero bounce is what runners demand, and the finest headlamps here go a long way towards achieving this. They also boast excellent battery life, waterproof qualities, multiple beam settings and often come with a backlight to warn road traffic of your presence.

If you haven't tried it, lacing up your trail running shoes and heading off into the night is a wonderful experience, breathing new life into your tried and tested routes. Our testers have certainly enjoying donning these excellent head torches and venturing outdoors to bring you this guide.

We rate the Silva Trail Runner Free H as the best running headlamp around in 2026. Budget conscious runners should take a look at the superb Alpkit Qark and, for a light option, you simply can't beat the Black Diamond Sprint's astonishing 50g / 1.8oz weight.

The quick list

This is the quick list, a snapshot of the best running headlamps available in 2026. To delve deeper into the features and qualities of each featured headlamp, see our more detailed reviews further down the page in this guide.

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The best running headlamps 2026

The best running headlamp overall

The Silva Trail Runner Free H is one of our favorite head torches for running because, at 113g / 4oz, it’s light enough to sling in your pack just in case things don’t go to plan; but it also kicks out enough light (max 400 lumens for max 2.5 hours) to be useful on testing mountain terrain. 

The H stands for Hybrid – it has a rechargeable battery interchangeable with three AAAs, making it doubly useful if you want to take or buy spares on a long race or remote trip. There’s a neat red light or strobe in the back, button-accessed within the battery pack housing – great for staying visible on dark roads. The Trail Runner Free H also benefits from Silva’s Intelligent Lighting system: a floodlight combined with a longer, more diffused spotlight in one beam, which means you can see the terrain under your feet while at the same time also getting an impression of your surrounding features for navigation. 

According to our expert reviewer, "the only minor downside is that the padding behind the lamp is only on one side," so it’s not quite as comfy as previous incarnations of this head torch. It’s still hard to beat, though.

Read our full Silva Trail Runner Free H review

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The best lightweight running headlamp

Wow… the Black Diamond Sprint truly is ultralight. At almost half the weight of the other headlamps on test (50g / 1.8oz), this is definitely one to pop in your pack in case you’re out longer than you expect to be, losing yourself in the beauty of a sunset.

For such a tiny, light headlamp the Sprint packs a serious punch with 225 lumens on max power for at least 1.5 hours, or 120 lumens for four hours on the medium setting. On test, we found that this was plenty bright enough to run happily at night on roads and easy trails, but for more technical terrain, faster off-road running and night navigation most people will want a brighter light. 

It’s comfy, very water resistant, has a rechargeable lithium battery and a battery life indicator on the side, but we didn't find the brightness modes intuitive to use, and had to dig out the instruction manual. Our expert goes on to report that "the dimmer function is a little tricky too", while the genius quick-power boost side-tap only works with tech-compatible gloves.

Read our full Black Diamond Sprint review

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The best running headlamp with automatic intensity

Petzl have made a great headlamp with the Swift RL, which is lightweight (just 102g / 3.6oz) but gives out 550 lumens of brightness on max power for two hours. 

The maximum output is 900 lumens for 2-30 hours (but that is on Petzl’s Reactive Lighting mode, hence RL in the name). Turn this mode on and suddenly the torch detects what brightness it thinks you need, which in some situations works perfectly, saving and prolonging your precious battery and allowing you to focus on your running, climbing or hiking without having to reach up and press a button. However, on test we found that running with other people who were wearing very bright head torches reduced the light coming from the Swift RL when we really did still need it to light up lumpy ground underfoot. Oncoming car headlights and even reflective roadsigns also confuse it into dropping the light level too, suddenly leaving you in the dark. 

The lamp is light, but it’s all up-front, which makes it seem a bit top heavy and there’s no rear safety light unless you clip on a small additional light. However, our tester did asser that "the split headband at the back is the definitely the comfiest fit for those with ponytails".

Read our full Petzl Swift RL review

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The best running headlamp for sustainability

Slim and sleek-looking, we found that the BioLite HeadLamp 750 is also very comfy, and the large lamp button is easy to use with gloves on. There are eight light settings in total including red, flood and spotlights up front, while at the back are two buttons, one for the rear red beam and strobe while the other controls the 30-second 750 lumen burst from the front of the headlamp. This is a great brightness boost but our expert thinks that "a button up front would be easier for runners to use."

The main high setting then is 500 lumens, which lasts for two hours on what they call Constant Runtime – aka, definitely 500 lumens the whole time, which is what every headlamp brand should really be quoting here. It then lasts seven hours in Regulated Runtime where it auto-dims gradually on the theory that your eyes adjust to the darkness. It’s a nice battery-saving feature, and if you notice it’s not bright enough, you can always switch back to Constant. 

The BioLite Headlamp 750 also has solid ethical credentials, with the company using its profits to help families living in energy poverty across India and Africa. Another point firmly in its favour

Read our full BioLite Headlamp 750 review

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The best running headlamp for robustness

The two unique selling points of this otherwise much heavier head torch is that: first, it’s completely waterproof; and second, it boasts an innovative swiveling bezel around the lamp, so you can switch from floodlight to spotlight and everything in between – great for personalizing your illumination. 

We think this is a wonderful touch and means that you can really quickly and easily tailor the beam to the road, path or trail you’re running on. And yes, you can drop the HR7 Core headlamp into a lake, a puddle or even down a toilet, and it will survive for 30 minutes at up to a depth of one meter. "Fantastic news for clumsy runners!" says our expert tester. As such, it has its own magnetic, waterproof charger connection to USB rather than the more common Micro USB seen in the others here. 

The only real downside is that the HR7 is not sleek-looking and is a bit of a heavy beast, at over twice the weight of most of the others here (259g), hence the nice, wide, comfy headband and overhead strap. However this does also mean it should take a fair beating to break. A good one for children or teens, a little less so for running fast and light.

Read our full Ledlenser HR7 Core review

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The best cheap running headlamp

If you need to be careful with your cash, consider the Proviz LED 360 Antares headlamp. It’s nice and bright at 500 lumens (when the three x AAA batteries are new), the headband is very easy to adjust, and we found that it sat very comfortably on our heads. 

The button is large and easy to press, with a max spot beam, high-flood beam, low-flood beam, red beam and flashing modes. Beware the large figures claimed for burn time, however. As this torch only uses three AAA batteries, the light output drops off gradually over time, so you don’t get 500 lumens on that highest setting the whole time, especially not towards the end of the battery life. 

In contrast, a rechargeable lithium battery (as some of the other head torches in this test use) will kick out the same level of brightness until its very limit, at which point it will either conk out altogether or (as with the high quality brands) fall back to a safety reserve-mode lower light setting that usually lasts a few hours to get you out of a sticky situation. As long as you’re okay with that, our expert tester reckons "this is a fantastic piece of kit for a great price."

Read our full Proviz LED 360 Antares headlamp review

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The best running headlamps comparison table

Meet the expert

How we test the best running headlamps

All of the best running head torches were put to the test by our trail running expert on dark trails and unlit roads and country lanes during winter training runs. She timed how long each one kept running on a full charge on each of its brightness settings, and practiced using each lamp's controls with bare hands and while wearing gloves.

For more details, see how Advnture tests products.

How to choose the best running headlamp

The best headlamps for running can be expensive, so before you make an investment, consider the following important factors…

What brightness do I need for a trail running headlamp?

It’s all very well having a superbright head torch that whacks out 1,000 lumens on a boost setting, but what about its other lighting modes – are they useful too? 

For technical trails and night navigation, 400-plus lumens fits the bill. But for easier, slower, less technical trail running, 200 lumens is fine. For road running, or a reserve mode, around the 100–150 mark works well, too.

How much battery life does a trail running headlamp need?

Battery weight is the limiting factor in beam life – the lighter you go, the less time and less bright you can expect your lamp to burn. And be aware that regular AAA and AA batteries drop off gradually in power soon after use, whereas rechargeable lithium batteries hold a more consistent level until almost exhausted. 

How heavy should a trail running headlamp be?

As above, longer-lasting batteries are unfortunately heavier but there are different designs to offset heavier batteries, like placing the battery pack at the rear of the head for better balance, or even an extension cable so you can pop it in your running pack. 

How big should a trail running headlamp be?

Without compromising on the brightness and battery life that’s right for you, the smaller the better in terms of both the lamp and the battery, so that you can easily stow it away in a running pack pocket. 

What other features should I look for in a trail running headlamp?

One thing that is better off being larger is the on / off button, which needs to be nice and big so that you can find it easily in the dark and use it with running gloves on. Scrolling through the light settings needs to be intuitive too.

Headband

Make sure the headband is easy to adjust, even when you’re running, so that if you do need to make on trail alterations, you can do so without stopping. An anti-slip silicone gripper inside is brilliant for preventing the headlamp travelling southwards towards your precious nose area!

Rear light

For road running especially, having a small red light on the back of the headband is an excellent safety feature, allowing cars to see you.

No darkness!

Ideally the head torch should cycle through all the brightness modes click-by-click and then repeat them rather than TURN OFF as the last option, so you’re not left in the dark mid-stride. The best way of turning a headlamp on or off is a two-second hold-down of the main button, or similar. 

Emergency lighting modes

When a headlamp’s list of features boasts that it can last for 100-150 hours on its lowest setting, that can be a little misleading. What isn’t mentioned is that the lumen output of the lowest setting is probably around five to seven for that length of time. To put that into context, a single candle measures in at 12 lumens; so you’ll have half a candle come any emergency, albeit for a lot, lot longer than a candle would last for! A super-light backup headlamp (like the Black Diamond Sprint) can be a better option than faffing with spare batteries or a charger in the dark, too.

Flood and spotlights

It’s handy to have more control over whether the headlamp emits a flood or spotlight beam so some head torches facilitate this with a swivel bezel or extra button clicking. However, it’s just one more thing to think about and do, so going for a head torch you trust to combine both in one beam is also a good shout. 

Water resistance

Most of the best headlamps for running are water resistant, because, for obvious reasons, you don’t want to wear them under a hood. So check that it has an IPX4 rating or higher to make sure it’s rain resistant or even better, waterproof. 

Battery charging

The quicker the better, obviously, and many of the best running headlamps have micro-USB to USB connectors so you have a good chance of finding a spare if you’ve forgotten yours. It’s super handy to know how much battery your head torch has left so look for lights that display its charge status. A low battery warning flash or red light is also useful.

Pass-through charging

This is when the headlamp stays on while you charge it – not common as of March 2022, but hopefully it will be one day as it’s a super-useful feature and saves you money on buying a spare rechargeable battery and / or landfill from not using regular batteries.

Quality

The blurb for a lot of running headlamps leads with the high lumens of their boost mode, then boast about the longest burn time for their lowest mode next – this can be misleading. Some actually claim the impossible, like 500 lumens for 20 hours for example. Look at the leading brands’ outputs as the most-trustworthy reporting on lumens output vs battery life and if cheaper versions seem to offer way more, grow suspicious. Do some digging, read some reviews (oh good, you’re already doing that – sweet). We don’t need to tell you that avoiding hypothermia and a possibly even a mountain rescue call-out on a cold, wet night is worth more than money can buy. 

BioLite Headlamp 750: first impressions

First and foremost, the innovative BioLite Headlamp 750 is incredible because of the environmental and societal ethics of the brand behind it. BioLite sell outdoor gear so the founders can help “families living in energy poverty across India and Africa.” (Look up the BioLite HomeStove that reduces toxic emissions by 90%, it’s fantastic; and here are a few more of the best eco-friendly outdoor brands).

For that reason alone we love this product, but how is when it comes to the best running headlamps league table? Slim and sleek-looking, it’s very comfy and the large lamp button is easy to use with running gloves on. 

There are eight light settings in total including red, flood and spotlights up front, while at the back are two buttons, one for the rear red beam and strobe, while the other controls the 30-second 750 lumen burst from the front of the headlamp. This is a great brightness boost but a button up front would be easier for runners to use. 

The main high setting then is 500 lumens which lasts for two hours on what they call Constant Runtime – in other words, definitely 500 lumens the whole time, which is what every headlamp brand should really be quoting, surely? It then lasts seven hours in Regulated Runtime where it auto-dims gradually on the theory that your eyes adjust to the darkness. We did find this a nice battery-saving feature, and if you notice it’s not bright enough you can always switch back to Constant.

BioLite Headlamp 750: on the trails

There’s a definite feel-good factor to wearing this super-comfy, bright head torch knowing that your purchase has contributed to reducing energy poverty in India and Africa. 

Plus, the innovative features are really neat for runners both road and trail. On the roads we appreciated the rear red strobe with its own, easily-reached on / off button, a real bonus when it comes to running safely at night.

We did have to get the instructions out even to turn the headlamp on (of course it arrives on lock mode and you have to hold the on/off button for 8 secs to bring it to life!) and then it took some time to absorb all the lighting modes and the difference between Constant and Regulated Runtime. 

We also appreciated its built-in memory, so that when you turn it on, it’s still in the mode you last had it on – neat! It’s also one of the few headlamps that has pass-thru charging, which allows you to use the light even when it’s charging – genius! 

The only thing we weren’t sure about was the position of the 750 lumen burst light button on the rear battery pack; it seemed awkward to have to reach round and press one of two buttons back there when we needed a stronger beam to tackle some more challenging terrain or find a gap in a drystone wall. 

First impressions

The Nitecore HC65 headlamp is a compact and solid unit that is clearly built for serious outdoor use, with an anodized military-grade aluminium casing that feels extremely rugged. In fact, it’s the sort of lamp you might expect to see mounted to the helmet of a clandestine special forces soldier, with a low-profile black matte finish.

In terms of construction, the swivelling unit is permanently mounted on a flexible bracket, which rotates through 180º for an excellent range of adjustment. The power button is located at one end of a barrel-type casing. It has a camera shutter-type function, operated by either a full press or a half press, depending on which light modes you want to select. A threaded metal cap unscrews at this end to reveal a micro-USB port for recharging the internal 18650 lithium battery. 

A similar cap at the opposite end reveals the battery compartment, which in addition to the rechargeable 3400mAh battery that is supplied with the headlamp, can also take two x CR123 batteries – not as easy to find as your standard AAs or AAAs, but still relatively inexpensive and not too tricky to source.

• Explore all the best headlamps in our buying guide
• Discover the joys of night running with a headlamp
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The main light output comes from a single centrally positioned high-quality Cree LED, with a secondary offset LED providing auxiliary white light and red-light modes.

It all makes for a neat little unit that isn’t too bulky. Admittedly, this isn’t the lightest headlamp around, but it is comfortable and secure in use, aided by a three-point headband that helps to balance the weight and stop it moving around during dynamic activity.

In the field

We were excited to test that 1,000-lumen turbo mode, and we weren’t disappointed. It is incredibly bright, and unlike many other high-powered headlamps, you aren’t restricted to using it just for a short ‘boost’ period – it has a max claimed burn time of up to an hour. In terms of overall max beam projection, the rated distance of 110m seems accurate, and though this isn’t quite class-leading, it’s still competitive and more than adequate for most outdoor scenarios.

For general use you’re more likely to stick with the high and medium settings, which are still suitable for trail-finding and night navigation. In camp, the low beam and auxiliary beam are both good options, with the latter also offering a red-light mode for night vision. There are also SOS, beacon and strobe modes for emergency use, and an ultralow setting, which restricts performance to just a single lumen but can keep this up for an impressive 800 hours. A flashing blue position indicator can also be activated, which has minimal battery drain (it’ll stay on for up to six months with a fully charged battery) and should make the HC65 pretty much impossible to lose. Handily, all of the standard light modes have a memory function, so if you turn the lamp off and on again it will return to your last-used setting.

The HC65’s other stand-out feature is the fact that it is also fully waterproof, with an impressive IPX8 rating, which makes it a very practical headlamp for wet and wild weather. This is definitely a headlamp we’d trust even in sustained downpours. Since it’s also impact resistant, it could even take on caving and canyoning adventures. It’s probably a little too heavy for the ultralight brigade, or for trail and road runners – particularly since it lacks a rear red light – but it really comes into its own for all-season hiking, mountaineering and backpacking, as well as any sort of nights out camping or bivvying.

In terms of drawbacks, other than the inevitable extra weight that comes with such high performance and a bombproof build, our only complaints are the slightly complicated sequences of presses and half-presses required to cycle through the different functions. Even after a test period of a few weeks, with regular nightly use, we struggled a little to remember exactly how to get to, say, the red-light mode straight away. But that minor niggle aside, there was little to fault. It was impossible not to be impressed with the build quality and performance of this tough and reliable headlamp.

First impressions

The Ledlenser MH8 is a sturdy-looking headlamp with a chunky build and a robust three-point strap. It immediately feels comfortable when you slip it over your head, and it is easy to adjust for a secure fit. It isn’t the lightest head torch, and all the weight is at the front, but it doesn’t feel particularly unbalanced. It has a single main white light LED and a secondary, colored LED positioned slightly off to the side, with a large, rubberised button on top that controls all operations.

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You access the battery compartment by unsnapping the main lamp unit from its plastic bracket; a plastic pull-tab cover protects the batteries. It can take either two standard AA batteries or the Ledlenser rechargeable battery pack, which is supplied with the headlamp. Once fitted, the latter does not need to be removed to be recharged – instead, a USB cable snaps easily on to the magnetic terminals located on the underside of the lamp unit. This is a great feature for minimum fuss in the field, with no fiddly micro-USB port to get bunged up with dirt or damaged by moisture.

In the field

The single-button operation controls multiple light modes and cycling through them all takes a little getting used to – particularly since switching between RGB and white light modes requires you to press and hold for three seconds. Similarly, to lock the head torch (to prevent, for example, accidentally switching it on when it is kept in the lid of your rucksack) you need to press and hold for five seconds. 

Once you’ve mastered how it all works, however, you have plenty of illumination at your fingertips. This includes a 600-lumen boost mode that throws an extremely bright beam up to a claimed 200m for 30 seconds, plus high, medium and low power modes, as well as a strobe setting. Unusually there are also green and blue ambient light modes in addition to a red night-vision mode. These could be used for tracking wildlife or signalling, though they also make your tent look cool at night. Our favourite feature, however, is the MH8’s focusing bezel, which enables you to instantly switch from an all-round flood beam to a pinpoint spotlight. Impressively, the flood beam also offers a perfect circle of white light, with virtually no edge drop-off. That makes this a headlamp that really stands out from its rivals.

The lamp also features a regulated output, meaning you can set the light to a constant level, rather than the headlamp gradually dimming as the battery runs down. There is also an energy saving mode to give you maximum burn time on all power settings. Our only real niggle was that despite all the different light modes, you can’t dim the beam, as you can with many other lamps, even entry-level models. Basically, with the Ledlenser MH8 you can have high, medium or low light, but nothing in between. Similarly, unlike other headlamps that remember your last light setting, the MH8 always defaults back to the start of the cycling light functions. Still, the profusion of different settings makes up for that slight shortcoming, as do the impressive flood beam and searchlight options. Its sheer power as well as the practical recharging system are both superior to the equivalent offerings from many other rival brands.

We tested the Ledlenser MH8 in Snowdonia’s hills and mountains, which included a few hours spent underground, exploring the old slate caverns and mine shafts of the Moelwynion range. It performed admirably and is a head torch we’d be happy to take on all sorts of adventures. It is only rated IP54, which makes it splash-proof, but not submersible, so for full-on caving or canyoning we’d look elsewhere. And though it is very secure, it still isn’t the lightest or most compact unit. It also lacks any rear red light, so it probably isn’t the best option for trail or road running. However, for technical hiking, hillwalking, wild camping, backpacking and mountaineering, as well as general outdoor use, this is one of the best headlamps we’ve tested.

Shining its beam where you’re looking while keeping your hands free, the headlamp can be even more useful than the flashlight if you’re outdoors and active at night. That’s why it has in recent years become a firm favorite of hikers, runners, dog walkers and campers. Anyone in fact, who wants to throw light on what they’re doing unencumbered by holding a flashlight. 

Headlamps are simply lights you wear around your head with an elasticated strap. One key attribute to look out for when buying yours is how bright the beam is (usually measured in lumens). Water-resistance is important as you can’t protect it from the rain as easily as something you hold. You also need to be aware of whether it takes batteries or is rechargeable and the pros and cons of each approach. Headlamps often have different lighting modes with varying brightness and use red LEDs for improved night vision. Here are the best headlamps that you’ll want to strap on when it gets dark.

Bottom line

A good headlamp will quickly become one of your most essential pieces of kit particularly if you do any sort of regular nighttime activity. For anything where you need to keep your hands free, from holding the dog’s lead to beating your running personal best, they are invaluable. For a good entry-level model that does everything you’d expect at a fair price, we suggest you light your way with the Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight. It’s durable, has all the modes you could want and is good and bright.

Running with a headlamp opens a whole new world of trail running joy and eliminates the barrier of fading light. After all, a lot of runners struggle for motivation in the winter, when daylight hours are limited, conditions can be wet, cold and generally grim, and a lot of your favorite trails can seem sodden or out of reach. 

But it doesn’t need to be like this. Running with a headlamp strapped to your bonce offers you the ability to see your trails in a new light (literally), and to inject some much-needed fun and a sense of adventure into your winter running. The best headlamps give more than enough light that you need not worry you'll make any missteps in your trail running shoes. 

Running with a headlamp: why run at night?

Road running is fine for fitness, but to reconnect with nature and to enjoy some quality running, head for the trails. Your senses have to work harder when you're night running with a headlamp off-road, but in a more pleasurable way than when you are playing chicken with cars and pedestrians during a busy rush hour run on the roads or sidewalks. 

You will hear the squelch of the mud a lot more acutely and the noises of wildlife much clearly. Different wildlife too – the beasts working the nightshift will vary depending on where you’re running, but you might hear owls calling, badgers and foxes snuffling, and maybe you’ll even feel the flutter of bats as they swoop and seeking out prey among the trees by the trail.

The best headlamps will enable you to see directly in front, and perhaps offer some ambient lighting on either side too, depending on the model and the settings it offers. However, your eyes will be much more focussed straight ahead – on that narrow field of vision – than they typically would be during a day run.

As a result, you'll notice other senses will come into play much more when night running with a headlamp because you are not so focused on visual stimuli. This in itself makes for a very rewarding and engaging run.

Listening to animal life is one enjoyable aspect of night running with a headlamp, however, when you see animals it can be a little different. Animals' eyes reflect the torchlight so you can suddenly find yourself being observed by a rabbit or deer, but should you enter a field of sheep, hundreds of glowing eyes focused on you can make it feel like you are in a horror movie for a brief moment. There is, of course, no need to be concerned, animals are far more worried about you than you are of them, so pass them with a wide berth and they will soon lose interest. Fields full of curious cows are, perhaps, best avoided however. 

Running with a headlamp: how to get started

When running with a headlamp, start on a trail you know well. Navigating in the dark is a whole new skill set entirely, so you should resist the temptation to go exploring too far and too wide. You will soon see how less obvious routes on your well-known trails will start to tempt you down the wrong path. 

It is also a good idea to start your night running forays with a friend or two, so you have a bit of companionship and extra reassurance. If you start your run at dusk it will allow you time to acclimatise to running at lower light levels – this is also the best time to see wildlife moving about. 

As with all trail runs, it is a good idea to let someone know the area you are going to be running in, and roughly what time you expect to be back. If you’re venturing a long way from the beaten track, be sure to wear and/or take enough layers to keep you warm. 

We'd recommend bringing along what you usually take trail running, perhaps with an extra spare due to the colder temperatures. Ideally, you should wear a decent base layer and running leggings under your shorts, and carry a spare fleece jacket and waterproof jacket in your hydration pack. Running gloves and mittens are also a good idea. In the event of a mishap, such as a fall or a badly twisted ankle, you will be significantly slowed down or even immobilized, which is why spare layers are so important. For this same reason, it’s a good idea to take a phone, particularly if you’re night running solo. 

Running with a headlamp: what to look for

Running with a headlamp is no fun if you've got a light that is designed for campsites, caves or trekking. With this in mind, it is definitely worth investing in a running-specific head lamp (Advnture's favourite is the Silva Trail Runner Free), rather than a cheap all-purpose camping or working light. You definitely don’t want to be worried about the longevity of your light supply, and you should choose a head lamp that has been designed to be out in all the elements, and which doesn’t weigh too much. 

Running-specific headlamps often come with a red light on the back, this is very useful if your route is going to involve an element of running on roads, no matter for how brief a duration. 

The total amount of visible light, measured in lumens, is another consideration. Many head lamps have two or more settings, with the more powerful light lasting for far fewer hours than the low light setting, so be sure to check the specs carefully. 

It’s a good idea to start running on the lower setting – often your eyes will adjust and this amount of light is sufficient for some time, but you may need to go up to full beam when the darkness thickens amid trees or when the moon goes behind clouds. If, however, you go the other way and start with the brightest setting, you’ll have to stick with that for the whole run because your night vision won't kick in at all, and your batteries might be exhausted before you are. 

Weight is another consideration, but, particularly if it has been distributed across the headband (with the battery pack at the back and the lamp at the front) this probably won’t be as big a consideration as the brightness and comfort. A few grams here or there may sound like a lot, but if you are looking at purchasing a head lamp specifically for night running then they will all have been designed and tested with portability in mind. (The Silva Trail Runner Free is particularly good for night runners.)

There are myriad other considerations, and many excellent models to choose from, which you can peruse in our buying guide to all the best head lamps. So, don’t be stuck at home this winter when you could be out exploring the trails – running with a head lamp will reinvigorate your winter night running and offer some great adventures and experiences close to home.

First impressions

Everything about the Silva Trail Runner Free head lamp has been designed with night runners in mind. It’s lightweight and extremely well balanced, with the battery pack on the back and a tiny but powerful lamp unit on the front. Comfort levels have been prioritized in the broad head harness, which features a silicone strip to keep it in firmly in place, and extra textile padding where required to prevent rubbing or hotspots. Power cables between the battery pack and the lamp run neatly and invisibly through the headband (an upgrade on the Silva Trail Runner 4), and the rear housing features a backward-facing safety light (which can be constant or set to pulse), to alert vehicles to your presence on dark lanes.

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There are three models within the range: the standard Trail Runner Free, the Trail Runner Free H and the Trail Runner Free Ultra. The difference lies in the battery pack, with the first only taking AAA batteries, the H working with a 1.15Ah Hybrid Battery, and the Ultra coming with a longlife 4Ah Hybrid Battery, which has a remaining-charge indicator. (The H and the Ultra can also be powered with 3 AAA batteries, so you can carry spares). It also comes with a 0.5-metre extension cord, so if you don’t want to carry the battery pack on the back of your head, you can tuck it in a breast pocket (which will have the added benefit of keeping batteries warm so they’ll last slightly longer) or a backpack/running vest/hydration pack.

All three models have the same 400-lumen output, and as well as being easy to swivel up and down, they all feature the Silva Intelligent Light system, which utilizes a double beam comprised of a long-reach spotlight to illuminate what awaits on the trail up ahead, and a wide-angle floodlight so you can see what’s going on immediately around your feet.

In the field

We have been running along some of the more technical sections of the South West Coast Path, through the woodlands of East Devon and out on Exmoor and Dartmoor with the Silva Trail Runner Free H (the middle model of this triplet family) guiding the way.

The headlamp is so light and comfortable you truly almost forget you’re wearing it, until you stare into something reflective and get a blinding blast of the 400-lumen light beaming right back at you. The integrated cabling that runs from the power pack to the lamp is big improvement on Silva’s previous headlamps – it makes the unit so much neater and keeps wires well out the way of snagging branches when you’re running through trees.

The Silva Intelligent Light system, which simultaneously lights up the ground at your feet and also the trail much further ahead, is superb. Out on the trails this translates into less head movement (you don’t need to look up or down to see what’s happening, you can just run like you do during daylight hours) and more confidence, which means lower levels of fatigue, less trips and slips, and better performance. There are three brightness settings (max, medium, minimum), plus a flashing mode, and an innovative short-burst rapid-flash indicator lets you know when you’re on full beam. Unlike some other headlamps, the medium and minimum settings are still bright enough to be useful. The on-off button (also used to toggle between modes), is large and easy to operate, even if you’re wearing gloves.

Our only real criticism of this headlamp is that it lacks the colour option found on many other models (typically red), that allows you to quickly check maps or locate something without shattering your night vision, or waking everyone else up if you’re in a tent. However, this is a function used more by hikers and campers, and this headlamp is very specifically designed for trail runners, so in the most part it would be a superfluous addition (except, perhaps, for ultra runners).