Finally, we considered comfort. Black Diamond has also updated our favorite runners headlamp, the Sprinter 275, with a stronger version, the Sprinter 500. The headlamp has two buttons: The one on the right clicks through four settings of white light (High, Medium, Low, and Strobe) and then off, while the one on the left clicks through two settings of red light (Solid and Strobe) and then off. The Actik Core charges quickly via USB. BioLite HeadLamp 200: We previously tested BioLites standard headlamp option, the 330, and found it to be very lightweight but not intuitive to set up. As with the BioLite 200, with the 750 you have to press and hold the power button for 8 seconds to turn on the headlamp. Strap this contraption to your chest and you'll have a powerful, hands-free beam to lead the charge plus eight red LEDs on the back to alert those approaching you from behind. But even this standard isnt perfect. Coast FL85: This is a high-quality light, but its more than most people need. The Wiz has just 30 lumens, but with three AAA batteries, those 30 lumens last a long time. Weve been testing headlamps since 2012, and after subjecting them to years of late-night hikes, evening runs, and stargazing sessions, we still think the Black Diamond Spotthe latest version being the Spot 350is the best headlamp. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. One of the major issues with handheld torches is that the light bounces all over the place while you run. We wore them when searching for items in the back of a dark closet and when reorganizing a small space under the sink. Whether you enjoy ending your day with a late-night run or live in an area where it gets too hot by noon so the earlier the better, a comfortable running light is a genius accessory to have. And it offers a feature that prompted our testers to place it above all of its competitors: rainbow lights. The sleek design also fits snugly on your head so there's no light bouncing around. They worked well even while we were wearing gloves, in the rain, in the darkanywhere, reallyand its about as easy to learn as the Spot, no manual required. Ashley Mateo is a writer, editor, and UESCA- and RRCA-certified running coach who has contributed to Runners World, Bicycling, Women's Health, Health, Shape, Self, and more. Stay Grounded With These Nonslip Yoga Mats, 7 Best Wi-Fi Hotspots for Fast, Reliable Internet, Back-to-School Outfits for the Fashionable Teen, 7 All-in-One Desktop Computers for Home Offices, 11 Adorable Baby Dolls for Your Little One, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. And, as youll see in this guide, the advertised run times seem to differ greatly from the run times we observed during testing. This model also has a red-light option (good for when youre switching the lamp on and off at night), a proximity flood-light option (which gives you a wider beam and more peripheral lighting, so its great for camping), and strobe options (perfect for throwing an emergency signal in the dark). Led Lenser NEO, SEO 5, MH6: These three models are now mostly out of stock; when we tested them in 2019 and previous years, we found that they were expensive, fairly counterintuitive to use, and heavy.
Compared with the Spot 350, which can withstand being submerged underwater, this model can only handle splashes. But youre likely to notice that the Spot doesnt feel highly technical when you need a light that casts far into the distance (such as on trail runs or midnight trips to the bathroom while camping; for this, we recommend the Petzl model). The main downside to this headlamp is the large battery pack on the back. The updated 350 model includes the same features weve always liked. If you're more of a minimalist and prefer streamlined running gear, these one-touch wearable LED reflectors are the best option for you. Although they aren't rechargeable, the coin-cell battery is inexpensive and easily replaced. The Spot 350 is intuitive to use straight out of the box, and its battery housing (the same as on the 325) is simple to open. The company also improved its setup strategy (press and hold the power button for 8 seconds to unlock). *At the time of publishing, the price was $16.
Clicking through the options is also tricky (you never really know which one youre going to get), but the kid testers seemed excited by this, rather than frustrated.
The newest iteration, the 350 (named for the number of lumens), has the high-quality construction weve come to expect, and it offers some improvements over the previous model.
For instance, what if the 200-lumen light started outputting just 100 lumens after being on for only five minutes, yet the 150-lumen light remained constant for 10 or 20 minutes? A sleek headlamp is ideal for early-morning hikes, while adjustable body reflectors and clip-on lights are perfect for street runs. The Sprinter notched a few wins over the other running models we tested. Like its competitors, the Tikkid turned off automatically after a few hours to protect its battery life. She used a headlamp for nearly everything, since her laundry, gear shed, and most of her storage were all outside. Princeton Tec Remix: The latest version of this model now has 300 lumens but still no red LED. It has the same PowerTap button as the Spot 350, as well as a similar beam distance and caliber of light. The MX20 is less expensive, but we think the separate buttons on the V800 are worth a few extra bucks. Some headlamp companies use a burst mode, which provides a bright flash of light. The rear light on the Sprinter is an important safety feature, especially for city runners. They are not appropriate for tactical use or search-and-rescue efforts (which require something with colored LED lights, and maybe color temperature, too). First, we researched headlamp reviews and recommendations from reputable online sources. The light looked just as bright at hour 12 as it had at hour one, and it lasted for several runs after that, too (this was longer than Black Diamonds advertised specs of a four-hour run time on high). (We also liked the double-button setup of the Black Diamond Spot and Vitchelo V800 a bit better than the Actik Cores single button.). Petzl Tikkid: A popular kids headlamp, this 20-lumen light is another good option for early explorers, but it offers only red and white lights. When you hold down the larger button, you can toggle through light settings (ranging from 350 lumens on high to 6 lumens on low). Does it cinch down easily? This lightweight vest has really taken running lights to a new level. Well test both soon; meanwhile, the previous versions (the Spot 350 and Sprinter 275) remain available. Some customers have received models that stop working after one use; the company does offer a one-year warranty. We received some complaints about the durability of our picks, so in 2020, we even popped our top picks into a dryer for 15 minutes and then dropped them into a bowl of water for 30 minutes, to see how theyd handle a week of very hard treatment in the backcountry. At hour 12, the light was still as bright and strong as it had been at hour one. This was a slight improvement over the performance of older models but still not as far as what the company boasts on its website (86 meters, or 282 feet, on high). And the price is high for its light quality, which we found to be comparable to that of the Petzl Actik Core. But they are fun to look at and likely safer for children, who might not know they should avoid staring directly into the light.
The Vitchelo V800s control buttons were some of the best we tested because they were easy to use and find, even with mittens on. Although Petzl says you should expect a three-hour charge time, we found that this model charged from empty to full within two hoursfaster than its competitors. The control mechanism on the Wiz is a bit complicated, but we dont think kids will mind clicking through the rainbow colors as they figure out which setting to choose. Ive been writing about headlamps for several years, and I often use them for around-the-house tasks (like walking my dog or fixing a broken sink), as well as on camping trips and night hikes in the Pacific Northwest. This result is far longer than the run times listed on the Black Diamond website (just under four hours on high, and 200 hours on low), and its better than the run times of most other models we tested. Throughout all of this, we ventured to use the headlamps without reading the instructions, determining whether the lamps were intuitive and easy to use straight out of the box. Strap this torch around either hand and hit the trail. But once we dried everything out, the headlamp worked as well as it had before the water test. Andrew has been contributing to the outdoors and fitness content on BestProducts.com since 2017; he's a nature lover, peak-bagger, skier, and general good-time haver who lives in Colorado, knows where all the fresh snow is, and what gear you should be wearing for staying warm or looking fresh. Its 2-ounce weight is definitely a selling point for runners because its barely noticeable on your head. In 2016, a new standard called ANSI/PLATO FL1 was implemented with the hope of normalizing lumen count a bit (or at least providing a sense of how much light you can expect and for how long). Good paint tools make your work look better with less efforthere's what it takes to improve what you can do. The rating is kind of a disappointment compared with that of the Spot; though youre unlikely to need full-on weatherproofing (especially for dust and water) in a headlamp, its nice to have if youre headed outdoors. Yalumi Spark Dual: This light broke out of its housing during the tumble-dry test. Its comfortable, easily adjustable strap keeps the lamp secured to your head while you run, and it weighs 4 ounces (a little more than the Spot 350, but not enough to feel heavy). (The V800 is only 168 lumens, less than half of the Spots 350.) Since theres just one button to click, this headlamp is intuitive to use while youre in motion. A headlamp can be useful for car camping, completing a DIY home-improvement project, taking your dog on late-night walks, and digging in the back of a dark closet, among other things. Well also continue to check run times and to observe how much a light dims over time when were using it.
We ran the following tests with each headlamp: The light and battery specs on headlamp boxes are highly misleading, so we wanted to test the lights ourselves to see how they behaved during their marketed run times. We think this simple-to-use setup should be required for all headlamps. The Petzl Actik Core is the best choice for backpackers, outdoor adventurers, and anyone who needs a headlamp with charging options (both USB and batteries). Whether you're a night owl and love a good nighttime run, genuinely prefer to hit the quiet streets before the sun rises, or just gotta get your miles in somewhere, low-light conditions require different running gear. For the price, you can get something a bit more functional, especially if all youre looking for is a light to use around the house or on basic adventures. Right out of the box, the Petzl Actik Core was easy to use. And at less than 3 ounces per unit, you'll barely notice you're wearing them. We also took the running headlamps on early morning and evening runs during the winter months, when daylight was limited. The lights are brighter than those in previous versions, but they are still not as strong as those on our top pick. As with the Black Diamond Spot 350, we liked that the V800 offered red- and white-strobe options for night use and safety, respectively. You can certainly find stronger lights with better optics, but this one occupies the part of the Venn diagram where price, reliability, performance, and ease of use overlap. Although the Wiz has only 30 lumens, that should be good enough for most kids (plus, they wont be able to blind each otheror youwith the light). (All of our picks except the Vitchelo V800 use the new standard.).
That said, the light quality isnt as good as the Petzl Actik Cores, and the headlamp took a long time to charge via USB. Want a running light that youll truly forget is even there? And a PowerTap button on the side takes the Spot from full power to dimmed with one touch. The Vitchelo V800 is a solid choice for a few reasons. But we found that the headlamp did dim: Although the light stayed on for 12 hours, the brightness was visibly reduced after the first six.
Not up for wearing a bulky vest? A lumen is not the obvious indicator of performance it may seem to be. If you plan to use the Actik Core in another setting, the included mounting accessories allow you to attach it to a helmet or bicycle. We tested two rechargeable headlamps in 2019 (and weve evaluated nine others for previous iterations of this guide), and we think this light is the best for outdoor adventures. This headlamp also has fewer features, and it lacks the memory and locking modes we liked in our top pick. When we removed the Spot from the water, the battery casing was filled with moisture (something Black Diamond mentions in the headlamps description, and an issue that several of this guides commenters noticed, too). The Actik Core beat out our old pick due to its 450-lumen light, long battery life (it charges quickly via USB and also takes regular AAA batteries), and intuitive controls. Also, the learning-to-use-it curve is quick and easy. Remember those slap-on bracelets that were so fun as a kid? We did like the head strap, which was easily adjustable, soft, and comfortable; we also liked that the headlamp weighs 4 ounces, only an ounce more than the Spot. We took all of the headlamps into a dark closet and compared their beams against one another on a white wall to check out hot spots, light quality, and beam size. Its perfect for backpacking trips. And the adjustability is better; now, you can position the light to hit the ground about 8 to 10 feet in front of you, which is useful for night runs and hikes. Well keep using ours over the course of the year to see how it handles during outdoor adventures. This headlamp is also missing a flood setting, and theres no lockout mode, if you leave the headlamp in your bag during the day. The Black Diamond Spot has been our pick for nine years because it provides a reasonably high-quality light in a variety of beam shapes. Essentially, the new standard sets rules and procedures for measurement, including setting the clock-stopping point for run time at the moment the light reaches 10% of its original brightness.
Well be testing those soon; meanwhile, the previous versions of both remain available. But the battery life was still an issue (it lasted for only 6 hours this time before needing to be recharged, compared with competitorss 12-plus-hour run time). But by that point, the light is likely to be a lot dimmer than it was when you originally turned it on.