Lumens: 500 | Weight: 79 grams | Battery: Rechargeable or 3 AAA (2.5 hours on high, 100 hours on low), This is the most radical design for a headlamp weve seen yet. 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. 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. Its super handy to know how much battery your head torch has left so look for lights that display its charge status. Few things derail dawn-patrol mojo as abruptly as reaching for your headlamp and discovering that its rechargeable battery is dead. 
For road running, or a reserve mode, around the 100150 mark works well, too. Lumens: 280 | Weight: 266 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (4 hours on high, 8 hours on low). At its brightest it cranks out 1,200 lumens but wont burn for two hours at that intensity. 
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. Youll save money by getting a light with a single lamp that puts out a consistent beam. This sucker is blinding. It also makes solar and camp lighting products, so a headlamp was a natural additionone that runners will embrace. Oncoming car headlights and even reflective roadsigns also confuse it into dropping the light level too, suddenly leaving you in the dark. Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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). We love this sleek, compact headlamp for running because of its performance and features, combined with its comfortable fit. 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. 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. We measured the intensity at 15-minute intervals to see how quickly the light faded. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. 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. 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. The strobewhich glows on either side of the main beamshines red, blue, or green for fun color options. This is a wonderful touch and means that you can really quickly and easily tailor the beam to the road, path or trail youre running on. So check that it has an IPX4 rating or higher to make sure its rain resistant or even better, waterproof. 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. Out on the road, we noticed a weird halo in our peripheral vision where the spotlight abruptly ended, but it wasnt too bothersome when we were looking straight ahead. To do so, we turned each lamp on at its maximum setting and pointed it at a digital luxmeter on the ground roughly two strides awayabout as far as youd look ahead on technical trails. As long as youre okay with that, this is a fantastic piece of kit for a great price. Like the Sprinter 275, the 500 model still operates with a rechargeable battery pack or three AAA batteries. But when equipped with a quality headlamp (and reflective apparel, of course), logging miles in the dark can be a blast. Plus, the headband, made from a performance Lycra that wont rub or irritate, was one of the most comfortable weve ever worn. 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. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, BioLite sells outdoor kit so the founders can help families living in energy poverty across India and Africa. (Look up the BioLite HomeStove (opens in new tab), which reduces toxic emissions by 90% its fantastic.). Most of the best headlamps for running are water resistant, because, for obvious reasons, you dont want to wear them under a hood. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. At $275, the Neo X2 is easily the most expensive headlamp here. 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. 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. 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. 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. 
And, because it takes AAA batteries, Im almost never left in the dark.. 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 youre not left in the dark mid-stride. This helps create shadows, which serve to boost your depth perception and orient your vision to what lies in wait of tripping you up. Heres why you can trust us. Like the Icon, however, the weight is well-balanced, with the rechargeable battery pack located on the back of the thick, grippy headband. These lights are worn (obviously) on your knuckles, with an adjustable strap that fastens them tightly to a range of hand sizes. 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. 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. 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. Slim and sleek-looking, its very comfy and the large lamp button is easy to use with gloves on. There was a problem. 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). Lumens: 300 | Weight: 74 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (4 hours on high, 13 hours on low). There is even a great swivel bezel on the lamp to give you full control of the flood or spotlight beam. 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. 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 Radiant 300 is one of the bulkier models here, but its affordability and versatility make it a strong option for runners.
We like the versatile lighting configuration, however, with four settings, including a strobe and red night mode. The best way of turning a headlamp on or off is a two-second hold-down of the main button, or similar. See quick info below on some of the best lights from our testing, then scroll deeper for longer reviews of these and other top-performing models, plus buying advice. Beware the large figures claimed for burn time, however. The lamp has five lighting modes: low, medium, high, boost (which kicks up the beam to 200 lumens), and strobe. One for the most gnarly scramblers or extreme butterfingers amongst us then! Claire Maxted For some activities, thats no problem, but for running, extra weight and bulk can lead to annoying bounce. Naturally, batteries with more capacity have to be larger.
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. 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. We were able to repair it ourselves rather quickly, and we havent had any issues since. 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. 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. Others allow you more manual adjustability. A low battery warning flash or red light is also useful. Of course, all that power comes with a costliterally, too, as its one of the most expensive on this list. 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. Astoundingly this light (108g / 3.8oz), bright headlamp is packed full with all the features a runner needs including three light settings plus a red beam as well, all-accessible via simple button clicks. battery): 102g / 3.6oz | Max light output: 900 lumens (Boost) | Average run time: (Low) 50 hours / (High) 2 hours | Max beam distance: 150m / 492ft | Water resistance: IPX4 (water resistant). Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. 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). 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. It also means you need a massive, heavy battery.
Plus, you can swipe your hand in front of the light to turn it off or on quickly. 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! Lumens: 200 | Weight: 36 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (up to 25 hours). Lumens: 900 | Weight: 186 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2.5 hours on high, 50 hours on low).
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. Compared to most headlamps, the Lupine is a beast. 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). 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. That path youve trodden a million times becomes different, darker, unknown more exciting. 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? 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. 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. Its a neat feature that makes the lamp even more comfortable in use. 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. However, the split headband at the back is the definitely the comfiest fit for those with ponytails. 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.
You can choose to turn those red lights on or off, or to make them blink. 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 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.
For road running, or a reserve mode, around the 100150 mark works well, too. Lumens: 280 | Weight: 266 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (4 hours on high, 8 hours on low). At its brightest it cranks out 1,200 lumens but wont burn for two hours at that intensity. 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. Youll save money by getting a light with a single lamp that puts out a consistent beam. This sucker is blinding. It also makes solar and camp lighting products, so a headlamp was a natural additionone that runners will embrace. Oncoming car headlights and even reflective roadsigns also confuse it into dropping the light level too, suddenly leaving you in the dark. Advnture is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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). We love this sleek, compact headlamp for running because of its performance and features, combined with its comfortable fit. 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. 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. We measured the intensity at 15-minute intervals to see how quickly the light faded. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. 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. 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. The strobewhich glows on either side of the main beamshines red, blue, or green for fun color options. This is a wonderful touch and means that you can really quickly and easily tailor the beam to the road, path or trail youre running on. So check that it has an IPX4 rating or higher to make sure its rain resistant or even better, waterproof. 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. Out on the road, we noticed a weird halo in our peripheral vision where the spotlight abruptly ended, but it wasnt too bothersome when we were looking straight ahead. To do so, we turned each lamp on at its maximum setting and pointed it at a digital luxmeter on the ground roughly two strides awayabout as far as youd look ahead on technical trails. As long as youre okay with that, this is a fantastic piece of kit for a great price. Like the Sprinter 275, the 500 model still operates with a rechargeable battery pack or three AAA batteries. But when equipped with a quality headlamp (and reflective apparel, of course), logging miles in the dark can be a blast. Plus, the headband, made from a performance Lycra that wont rub or irritate, was one of the most comfortable weve ever worn. 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. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, BioLite sells outdoor kit so the founders can help families living in energy poverty across India and Africa. (Look up the BioLite HomeStove (opens in new tab), which reduces toxic emissions by 90% its fantastic.). Most of the best headlamps for running are water resistant, because, for obvious reasons, you dont want to wear them under a hood. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. At $275, the Neo X2 is easily the most expensive headlamp here. 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. 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. 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. 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. And, because it takes AAA batteries, Im almost never left in the dark.. 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 youre not left in the dark mid-stride. This helps create shadows, which serve to boost your depth perception and orient your vision to what lies in wait of tripping you up. Heres why you can trust us. Like the Icon, however, the weight is well-balanced, with the rechargeable battery pack located on the back of the thick, grippy headband. These lights are worn (obviously) on your knuckles, with an adjustable strap that fastens them tightly to a range of hand sizes. 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. 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. 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. Slim and sleek-looking, its very comfy and the large lamp button is easy to use with gloves on. There was a problem. 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). Lumens: 300 | Weight: 74 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (4 hours on high, 13 hours on low). There is even a great swivel bezel on the lamp to give you full control of the flood or spotlight beam. 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. 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 Radiant 300 is one of the bulkier models here, but its affordability and versatility make it a strong option for runners. We like the versatile lighting configuration, however, with four settings, including a strobe and red night mode. The best way of turning a headlamp on or off is a two-second hold-down of the main button, or similar. See quick info below on some of the best lights from our testing, then scroll deeper for longer reviews of these and other top-performing models, plus buying advice. Beware the large figures claimed for burn time, however. The lamp has five lighting modes: low, medium, high, boost (which kicks up the beam to 200 lumens), and strobe. One for the most gnarly scramblers or extreme butterfingers amongst us then! Claire Maxted For some activities, thats no problem, but for running, extra weight and bulk can lead to annoying bounce. Naturally, batteries with more capacity have to be larger.
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. 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. We were able to repair it ourselves rather quickly, and we havent had any issues since. 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. 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. Others allow you more manual adjustability. A low battery warning flash or red light is also useful. Of course, all that power comes with a costliterally, too, as its one of the most expensive on this list. 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. Astoundingly this light (108g / 3.8oz), bright headlamp is packed full with all the features a runner needs including three light settings plus a red beam as well, all-accessible via simple button clicks. battery): 102g / 3.6oz | Max light output: 900 lumens (Boost) | Average run time: (Low) 50 hours / (High) 2 hours | Max beam distance: 150m / 492ft | Water resistance: IPX4 (water resistant). Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. 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). 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. It also means you need a massive, heavy battery.
Plus, you can swipe your hand in front of the light to turn it off or on quickly. 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! Lumens: 200 | Weight: 36 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (up to 25 hours). Lumens: 900 | Weight: 186 grams | Battery: Rechargeable (2.5 hours on high, 50 hours on low).
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. Compared to most headlamps, the Lupine is a beast. 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). 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. That path youve trodden a million times becomes different, darker, unknown more exciting. 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? 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. 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. Its a neat feature that makes the lamp even more comfortable in use. 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. However, the split headband at the back is the definitely the comfiest fit for those with ponytails. 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.
You can choose to turn those red lights on or off, or to make them blink. 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 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.