That wont happen with the Icon, which runs on four AAs that seemingly never run out. Most of the best headlamps for running are water resistant, because, for obvious reasons, you dont want to wear them under a hood. There is even a great swivel bezel on the lamp to give you full control of the flood or spotlight beam. If you need the high-beam and drain it, swapping to disposable batteries is quick and easy. A tiny front light with seven white LEDs is thin and lightweight. But if you dial it back to one of the lower-output settings, itll get you through a full night. The high beam shines at 160 lumens, which was okay on neighborhood streets illuminated with lights, but not enough for trails that demanded technical footing. The really fantastic thing about night-running is that it refreshes your old, tired routes like a sip of cool cider on a rose-tinted evening. But the downside to rechargeables is that you could find the battery dead when youre headed out the door, when you dont have an hour or two to spare waiting for it to power up. Claire Maxted And, while its runtime isnt all that impressive on a spec sheet, weve found you can dial back the intensity to get through any overnight ultra outing. The major difference isyou guessed itan additional 225 lumens. 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. Some headlamps (see the Silva Trail Runner Free H and Black Diamond Sprinter 500 below) work with either AAA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. However this does also mean it should take a fair beating to break. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A submergible, shockproof, rechargeable headlamp for extreme sports with very good battery life and super-bright turbo mode, RRP: $75 (US) / 75 (UK) | Weight (incl. 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 youve forgotten yours. Our introduction was the Trail Speed 4XT, which has more power than youll ever need on trails and a spotlight that can compete with any cars low beams. Plus, the band has 360-degree reflective accents and a whistle built into one of the adjustment buckles. In addition to evaluating these headlamps for their adjustability and beam types, we tested the lights brightness over time to determine how long each shines at full power. Lumens: 225 | Weight: 51 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2 hours on high, 20 hours on low). No longer do you need to be hemmed in by daylight hours with a comfy, bright light beaming out from your forehead (when are they going to invent an app for that?) Lumens: 200 | Weight: 98 grams | Battery: 3 AAA (40 hours on high, 130 hours on low). 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 youre out longer than you expect to be, losing yourself in the beauty of a sunset. 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. As you swing your hands, you always have a light pointed out in front of you, and that swinging motion is extremely attention-grabbing for car drivers. A good one for children or teens, a little less so for running fast and light. It cranks out 600 lumens of intense white light, far outshining all but three here. Its not so bright, but lets me see busted up sidewalk and holes along the canal path., Lumens: 100 | Weight: 48 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2.5 hours on high, 25 hours on low). Its 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. Autumn Spirit field watch review: about as rugged and reliable as watch can be. 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. Some models cram the batteries into the lamp on your forehead, while others with exceptionally long burn times will separate the two components and place the power pack on the strap at the back of your head. You will receive a verification email shortly. The novel Snap is an all-in-one system that easily converts from a headlamp to a bike light or even as a multipurpose lamp around your campsite.
Climbing your favorite local hill by moonlight is magical; youll want to stop for a moment to look at the stars or admire the city lights below. All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! However, the split headband at the back is the definitely the comfiest fit for those with ponytails. Okay, so the Fenix HL60R headlamp may be slightly on the heavy side (178g / 6.3oz) for runners but the specs certainly explain why: this is the most bombproof head torch youll ever meet, and its fully waterproof down to 2m even with the micro-usb side-port housing open.
The five levels of brightness and their corresponding battery levels are excellent too with a high of 950 lumens (thats impressively bright!)
This sucker is blinding.
Best of all, the micro USB charging port is built into the battery pack, so, in a pinch, you can leave it plugged in at home while you use the headlamp with AAA batteries. At $275, the Neo X2 is easily the most expensive headlamp here. battery): 178g / 6.3oz | Max light output: 950 lumens | Average run time: (Low) 100 hours / (High) 48 mins | Max beam distance: 116m / 381ft | Water resistance: IPX8 (submersible to 2m). Its comfy, 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!) As long as youre okay with that, this is a fantastic piece of kit for a great price. 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. We also appreciated how easy it was to use, even while wearing gloves. There are many, varied reasons why you should try running with a headlamp, and the night is waiting for you so why not embrace the dark side with the best running headlamps. Still, well be keeping an eye on the continued durability of both headlamp and charging cord. Longer battery life typically comes at a cost: weight. A low battery warning flash or red light is also useful. 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! When a headlamps list of features boasts that it can last for 100-150 hours on its lowest setting, that can be a little misleading. For some activities, thats no problem, but for running, extra weight and bulk can lead to annoying bounce. Lumens: 330 | Weight: 69 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (3.5 hours on high, 40 hours on low). The button is large and easy to press, with a max spot beam, high-flood beam, low-flood beam, red beam and flashing modes. You can turn on just three, all seven, or hit seven on max brightness. Notch it down to a mellower 500-lumen setting during a full moon and to make it last through nearly any long run. Every headlamp on this list has been evaluated and used by our team of test editors. The H in the name stands for Hybrid battery. The Trail Runner Free H also benefits from Silvas 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. Of course, there are tradeoffs with a budget headlamp. The only minor downside is that the padding behind the lamp is only on one side, so its not quite as comfy as previous incarnations of this head torch. The battery pack is a slim hybrid unit mounted on the back of the headband and, rather than routing coiled cables through clips, the power passes through the headband itself. The plastic lamp housing and design arent as sleek or stylish and dont seem quite as durable as some of the others here, but who can argue with this price tag? 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. But the Swedish brand is new here in the States. We liked that it also stays on at full intensity until it dies, rather than automatically dipping in brightness after a few minutes like other models here. 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. So check that it has an IPX4 rating or higher to make sure its rain resistant or even better, waterproof. These lights are worn (obviously) on your knuckles, with an adjustable strap that fastens them tightly to a range of hand sizes. Slim and sleek-looking, its very comfy and the large lamp button is easy to use with gloves on. Ive been using the red to read in bed at night, to be honest, Dengate said. And, because it takes AAA batteries, Im almost never left in the dark.. And, amazingly, there is a wide variety of other beam configurations from such a budget-friendly headlamp: You can choose high, medium, low, or flash from the spotlight, floodlight, or a combo of the two. The co-founder and former editor of Trail Running magazine, Claire now runs the YouTube channel Wild Ginger Running, creating films packed with trail- and ultra-running content. The circular lamp casts a round light pattern with an intensely bright spot in the center, but it falls off quickly and has a pronounced dark ring at the edges of your vision. The unit turns out 330 lumens at its brightest, but, like we found with Black Diamonds lamps, the intensity dips within the first few minutes as your eyes adjust to the dark, so youre not really getting high for the full 3.5 hours. Lumens: 400 | Weight: 112 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2.5 hours on high) or 3 AAA (25 hours). But more advanced options include both a spotlight and a flood, allowing you to use each separately or combine the two for maximum brightness. It also makes solar and camp lighting products, so a headlamp was a natural additionone that runners will embrace.
Make sure the headband is easy to adjust, even when youre running, so that if you do need to make on trail alterations, you can do so without stopping. That battery pack has a blinking red light, too, so youre covered from both directions if youre a road runner. Wow the Black Diamond Sprint truly is ultralight. Plus, you can swipe your hand in front of the light to turn it off or on quickly. So the Alpkit Qark (no u, we did check) must win the best value award of any running headlamp test. In our tests, it held its max brightness consistently for the first two hours, but fell off a cliff by the end of the third hour; its light was so dim you couldnt find your way out of the woods on a moonless night. The entire unit is lightweight and well balanced. However, 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. The best running headlamps give you the freedom to spend more time out running. In use, it has three modes, with a floodlight and spot beam, plus a red lamp that lets you see in the dark without blinding yourself or your running partners. Advnture is supported by its audience. Lumens: 700 | Weight: 232 grams (with batteries) | Battery: 4 AA (70 hours on high, 175 hours on low). You might pick a super-light, just-in-case headlamp for running like the Black Diamond Sprint with 225 lumens of brightness, or you might plan to be out for hours and choose one with a longer battery life like the 400 lumen Silva Trail Runner Free Hybrid. Head to a European ultra and youll see Silva lamps on plenty of runners domes. Scrolling through the light settings needs to be intuitive too. If youre willing to spend an extra $40, Princeton Tecs Axis model more than doubles the lumens and a hybrid option to recharge with a micro USB cable. Beware the large figures claimed for burn time, however. Roughly speaking, the more technical your terrain the more lumens youll want, The comfy headband of the Proviz LED 360 Antares, The rear red light of the BioLite Headlamp 750, The rechargeable batteries of the LED Lenser HR7 Core, why you should try running with a headlamp, New Garmin watch update reveals how your body is handling life's daily demands, Best Garmin watch 2022: find your perfect training tool, Garmin Forerunner 945 vs Garmin Forerunner 955: find your perfect watch, Victorinox I.N.O.X. A fantastically versatile combination of light output, light weight and battery life for running and hiking, RRP: $120 (US) / 100 (UK) | Weight (incl battery): 113g / 4oz | Max light output: 400 lumens | Average run time: (Low) 12 hours / (High) 2.5 hours | Max beam distance: 80m / 262ft | Water resistance: IPX5 (waterproof). 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. When its illuminated, two red LEDs shine throughout the clear silicone headband, basically making it a halo so youre seen from all directions. Plus, additional batteries will set you back $80 to $120, and theres no option to throw in some AAs if youre traveling and the battery pack quits on you. As this torch only uses three AAA batteries, the light output drops off gradually over time, so you dont get 500 lumens on that highest setting the whole time, especially not towards the end of the battery life. 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. 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. The lamp offers only three brightness settings, and you cant select different lights (beam/flood). Without compromising on the brightness and battery life thats 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. Note: The angle adjusts with an almost too-forceful click. The two unique selling points of this otherwise much heavier head torch is that: first, its 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 research the market, survey user reviews, speak with product managers and designers, and rely on our own experience on roads and trails long after the sun has set (or before it comes up). Its 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? 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; and we love the large, textured side button just one button to rule all the light settings, simple and easy. Lumens: 450 | Weight: 75 grams | Battery: Rechargeable or 3 AAA (2 hours on high, 130 hours on low). That intensity comes with a bit of a costits among the heaviest headlamps we tested. Its powered by a small rechargeable battery mounted on the back of your head that can be swapped out for three AAA batteries in a pinch, boosting its versatility. For that reason alone we love this product, but how is it for runners? 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. Inside the battery case, a switch can be set to off, on, or blink. Lumens is a measure of the lights intensitybrightness. For technical trails and night navigation, 400-plus lumens fits the bill. However, its 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. version that runs on only three AAA batteries, Converts for use as a lantern or camp light, Uses AA batteries; great for ultrarunners, Assembly required: light does not come mounted to headband, External cable coil can be distracting while running, Multiple attachments for running, biking, camping. The omission of batteries makes it featherlight. Each light delivers 140 lumens, which may not sound impressive compared to some other models here, but you have two lamps and you can direct the beam wherever you want. The 4XT is really a purpose-built tool, with a massive battery, so look for something else if youre just lighting up your neighborhood loop at dawn. Its super handy to know how much battery your head torch has left so look for lights that display its charge status. Youll save money by getting a light with a single lamp that puts out a consistent beam. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. This headlamp has a neat feature: It can be run off either three AAA batteries or a rechargeable Core battery pack that comes with the lampand you dont need any special converters. battery:): 50g / 1.8oz | Max light output: 225 lumens | Average run time: (Low) 4 hours / (High) 1.5 hours | Max beam distance: 40m / 131ft | Water resistance: IPX4 (water-resistant). Light up the night. An award-winning journalist, writing for outdoor and adventure sports magazines and websites, her first book The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running 5k to 50k is out in January 2021. 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. That middle light level lasts an impressive five hours and the rechargeable lithium battery makes sure it doesnt gradually fade out, but should you need to recharge it you can swap in three AAAs, which is nice and versatile. But if youre gearing up for an ultramarathon that will have you up all night, go for the bigger battery.
By And it needs to be able to take a beating, as Lupine designed it to work for cycling as well. battery): 98g / 3.45oz | Max light output: 500 lumens | Average run time: (Low) 73 hours / (High) 20 hours | Max beam distance: 100m / 328ft | Water resistance: IPX2 (Splash proof). Another really cool feature is the ability to toggle a rear red light for road running. You can choose to turn those red lights on or off, or to make them blink. A surprisingly versatile headlamp at a dirt cheap price, Energizers Vision Ultra HD shocked us with how much light it puts outa claimed 400 lumens. A favorite feature of ours is the lamps memory feature, so the beam is the same brightness every time you turn it on . The charging cable for our sample had been crimped in the packaging or damaged before being sealed up, because the insulation around the wires was damaged. Lumens: 280 | Weight: 266 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (4 hours on high, 8 hours on low). We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Most models gradually dimmed over time, though a few fell off quicklyBlack Diamond and BioLite say its an industry standard to drop intensity as your eyes adjust to the darkness so they can extend run time. Its a cool feature you dont typically see on lamps at this price, and using it can make it easier to conserve some battery life. In this case, you get just one white LED that has two brightness settings (plus a very dim red LED), and neither is all that bright. The trick: It uses a magnetic attachment to, yes, snap the LED light into multiple mountsincluded are the head strap, handlebar attachment, and a carabiner clip. I keep a Byte in my travel bag, so I know I always have a headlamp wherever I go, Dengate says. There was a problem. Because of that dependability, Pat Heine, Runners Worlds video producer and resident ultrarunner, packed the Icon as his light of choice for 2019 UTMBand kept it burning brightly throughout the 100-mile race in cold and wet weather. Push the single, large button on the side to switch the beam between its four modes, and twist the buttons outer dial to adjust the brightness. This simple little model pulls a neat trick. Compared to most headlamps, the Lupine is a beast. To put that into context, a single candle measures in at 12 lumens; so youll have half a candle come any emergency, albeit for a lot, lot longer than a candle would last for! Its still hard to beat, though. Black Diamond smartly positions the battery pack on the back of the head strap for a more balanced load, so youre more comfortable. Plus, it has both red and green night vision LEDs. Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. The lamp didnt put out its brightest light for a full 70 hourswe found it dips to medium intensity after the first 30 minutes. Running on an open road under a full moon is a completely different experience than running singletrack trails beneath heavy tree coverand both require different lighting. lasting 48 mins, while the one youre most likely to use for trail running the 400 lumen mode lasts an impressive three hours. Its a neat feature that makes the lamp even more comfortable in use. But it has a combination that works well at running speedsa flood light hits the ground nearest you while a sharper beam is cast farther ahead. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. If you want a budget light for laps around your neighborhood, the former will suffice. Like the Icon, however, the weight is well-balanced, with the rechargeable battery pack located on the back of the thick, grippy headband. It then lasts seven hours in Regulated Runtime where it auto-dims gradually on the theory that your eyes adjust to the darkness. 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. It eschews the usual stretchy straps for a plastic halo that wraps your heada bungee strap pulls it tight from the back side. Instead of clicking a small button to dim or brighten the lamp, simply swipe up or down past sensors on the side of the housing to change intensityit even works with gloves and sweaty hands. A bright headlamp with a nifty automatic lighting adjustment feature that you may or may not be a fan of, RRP: $125 (US) / 100 (UK) | Weight (incl. A floodlight, on the other hand, diffuses the beam, spraying light to the sides as well to help with peripheral vision. battery): 259g / 9oz | Max light output: 1,000 lumens (boost) | Average run time: (Low) 65 hours / (High) 4 hours | Max beam distance: 250m / 820ft | Water resistance: IP67 (waterproof for 30mins up to 1m submerged). For actual usefulness, dial it back and itll run all night long, throwing enough light to see halfway down a football field. Oncoming car headlights and even reflective roadsigns also confuse it into dropping the light level too, suddenly leaving you in the dark. Both components are exceptionally thin and lightweight, so theres no bouncing no matter how fast you run. Silva has done an excellent job of balancing that load on the back of the headband, though youll definitely need the top strap to stabilize it. Some lamps can automatically adapt to the ambient light around youhandy if, say, you peek at your watch and dont want to be blinded by the reflection (the light dims a bit). Lumens: 1,200 | Weight: 268 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2 hours on high, 20 hours on low). Ultrarunners will appreciate the ability to lock the lighthold the spot button for five seconds to prevent the headlamp from turning on inadvertently as it bounces around in your pack. It, too, uses the rear-mounted battery pack and over-the-head stabilizing strap, but the battery pack and lamp unit both are smaller and lighter so they wont wiggle a bit when youre bounding down a dark road. We like the versatile lighting configuration, however, with four settings, including a strobe and red night mode. Maybe you need a brighter boost output like the 950 lumens max power of the Petzl Swift RL on Reactive Lighting mode, or perhaps supporting ethical businesses is important to you via the BioLite Headlamp 750. We dont 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.
Do some digging, read some reviews (oh good, youre already doing that sweet). Lumens: 200 | Weight: 36 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (up to 25 hours). The 30 lumen minimum is good for 18 hours in an emergency or reading in your tent. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Use that power sparingly, however, because we found that the lamp sputters out after almost exactly two hours when burning at full power. One downside: If you need to tie your shoe in the dark, you need to get creative with how you hold the light so you can actually see what youre doing. Claire also speaks and presents at events and races. Plus, the headband, made from a performance Lycra that wont rub or irritate, was one of the most comfortable weve ever worn. Lumens: 900 | Weight: 186 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2.5 hours on high, 50 hours on low). 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. Following up on Silvas tank-like ultrarunning headlamp, the Trail Speed 4XT (below), this lighter, slimmer model works on short trail and road runs. The Radiant 300 is one of the bulkier models here, but its affordability and versatility make it a strong option for runners. This helps create shadows, which serve to boost your depth perception and orient your vision to what lies in wait of tripping you up. The small and sleek Neutron Fire has been around a while, but new to the market is the RX version, which is rechargeable via a USB cord. Runner's World participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. 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. During our testing, we found the bulkier profile protrudes slightly, but didnt bounce around. Well, theres a good chance your next headlamp will come with one as well.
Like the Sprinter 275, the 500 model still operates with a rechargeable battery pack or three AAA batteries. If you need to be careful with your cash, consider the Proviz LED 360 Antares headlamp. Youll find the spotlight is great for casting the light farther down the road or brightly illuminating the trail directly in front of you. An anti-slip silicone gripper inside is brilliant for preventing the headlamp travelling southwards towards your precious nose area! Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. If that sounds like you, opt for a light that runs off AA or AAA batteries, and stock up. 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. published 13 March 22, For running at dusk, dawn or through the night, the best running headlamps offer lightweight comfort and plenty of battery life. Its nice and bright at 500 lumens (when the three x AAA batteries are new), the headband is very easy to adjust, and it sits very comfortably on your head.
Its a nice battery-saving feature, and if you notice its not bright enough, you can always switch back to Constant. A single button turns on the light, dims it, or sets it to flash, and you can even work it with lightweight running gloves. A low-priced headlamp with three light settings, a strobe and a red beam that runs on three AAA batteries, RRP: $70 (US) / 40 (UK) | Weight (incl. For such lamps, the max lumens and battery life are a bit misleading, since youll never be able to keep the lamp at 100 percent for more than a few minutes. Please refresh the page and try again. That path youve trodden a million times becomes different, darker, unknown more exciting. This is the headlamp I reach for most often for my dawn patrol runs on streets with poor lighting, Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate says.