Light Up The Campsite, Trail And Beyond With The Best Headlamps

Weight: 2.7 ounces | Max lumens: 400 | Power source: AAA batteries

Pros:

• Superb run time at low-light output
• Completely waterproof
• Lockout feature prevents accidental activation

Cons:

• Requires batteries

I’ve trusted Black Diamond headlamps 15,000-plus feet up into snowy mountains and far down gloomy, wooded paths. I’ve worn one while bucketing water away from my house during a tropical storm deluge and I’ve trusted this brand when climbing sheer cliffs—and rappelling down through the darkness. It would be hard for me to calculate the hours I’ve spent trusting the light cast by a Black Diamond headlamp, of which I have owned three and tested even more, but I can easily count the times I’ve had one fail: zero.

The Spot 400 is simply a great headlamp all around. It’s lightweight at 2.7 ounces even with the batteries, it throws an impressive 300-foot beam in low-light conditions and it operates for up to 200 hours at its lowest six-lumen output. And while I mentioned using a Black Diamond headlamp in a downpour, you could even use this one fully submerged; Its IPX8 waterproof rating means it will keep on working just fine for up to a half hour underwater. While a rechargeable battery is ultimately ideal, I’ve always taken some comfort in knowing I can restore my favorite headlamp to full power in a matter of seconds by swapping in new batteries.

Weight: 6.7 ounces | Max lumens: 144 | Power source: AAA batteries

Pros:

• Great price point
• Long battery life in red light mode
• Backed by lifetime warranty

Cons:

• Heavy
• Modest max lumens
• Not dimmable

If you want a headlamp that costs less than $20 but is so reliable it’s backed by a lifetime warranty from its manufacturer, you’re going to want to go with a headlamp from Coast. The Coast 19291 HL4 Dual Color LED Headlamp is an affordable workhorse of a headlamp that won’t let you down, but that does have some shortcomings that are to be expected at this price point. First, at 6.7 ounces, this headlamp is heavier than most, and it’s rather bulky with its battery pack at the rear of the headband. Also, it only has a bright white light option and a dim red light option—there are no lower light settings for its main light. And the brightness output of the white light is a modest 144 lumens.

Those critiques aside, this is an impressive headlamp for its price, and it’s a great backup unit, or one to keep in the car or the night stand just for emergencies. There are better choices out there for camping headlamps and running headlamps, but it’s hard to beat the price of the 19291 HL4 when it comes to value.

Weight: 4.12 ounces | Max lumens: 1,000 | Power source: Rechargeable battery

Pros:

• Super bright at max output
• Good price point
• Good choice for work use

Cons:

• Bulkier than most headlamps
• Short beam throw

We’ll break down the whole lumen thing below, so you’ll understand this measurement of light soon enough, but suffice it to say that 1,000 lumens is a lot of light to come from a headlamp. This headlamp will light up a darkened room, it will ensure you are visible from far away and it will fully illuminate the path, sidewalk or roadway ahead of you.

This super bright lamp from Slonik is a great choice for use at a worksite (or as you get work done at home) especially because it comes with hooks that allow you to secure the light’s headband to a hardhat. The brightness can be adjusted to six different output levels and the beam can be set to a spotlight or broad throw, and it can be tilted up or down as needed across a 120-degree range. At 4.12 ounces, this is a heavier headlamp than most, and it’s also physically large, but man is it bright—and priced well, considering.

Weight: 3.3 ounces | Max lumens: 55 | Power source: AA or AAA battery

Pros:

• Multiple light color options
• Durable and water resistant
• Works with multiple battery types

Cons:

• Not bright enough for hiking or climbing

When you need a headlamp you can count on in an emergency, go for one built to military specs. Impact tested to nine-foot drops, rated IPX7 waterproof (which is more than good enough for a downpour and can even withstand brief submersion) and easy to operate even with gloves on, the Streamlight Sidewinder Compact II is a great headlamp to use when worrying about your headlamp’s reliability is the last thing you need to be focused on.

While its max brightness isn’t going to fill a trail or cliffside with light, it’s more than bright enough to light up the area you need as you change a tire, board up a window or administer first aid. And this headlamp can be used in multiple light colors, including the standard white and red, but it also has a blue light setting which can help make you visible and an IR setting that can help illuminate things when you use night vision technology.

Weight: 3.1 ounces | Max lumens: 600 | Power source: Rechargeable battery or AAA batteries

Pros:

• Excellent long-throw beam
• Good variety of brightness options
• Works with two types of battery

Cons:

• Hard to open battery compartment
• Headband adjustment is painstaking

If you’re trekking in the dark, the farther you can see down the trail ahead of you—and into the woods or over the hills on either side of you—the better. At its maximum 600-lumen output, this headlamp from Petzl, an update to one of the brand’s longtime core products, throws a beam an amazing 375 feet ahead of you in truly dark conditions. That lets you keep an eye on any obstacles or animals long before you stumble across them.

Even its medium 100-lumen setting lights up a good 180 feet ahead, and at the lowest seven-lumen output, the headlamp will glow for up to 100 hours. That glow comes courtesy of an included 1,250 mAh CORE rechargeable battery, or from three AAA batteries, so you’ll never be without light if you plan ahead when packing for your hike. And at just 3.1 ounces with its battery (or batteries), the Actik Core is light enough for use even on a long thru-hike.

Weight: 2.9 ounces | Max lumens: 40 | Power rource: Rechargeable battery

Pros:

• Very easy to use
• Three light colors
• Safety release headband

Cons:

• Short battery life

My kids both have one of these Ledlenser headlamps and they love using them whether playing in the backyard, woods or basement. I love knowing that we have these little but reliable headlamps for the campsite or for when the power goes out, especially in summer storm season. While this headlamp is not very bright at the 40-lumen max output, that’s kind of the point; There’s no risk to ocular health and not even much loss of night vision when your kid shines the beam right in your face.

The Kidled4R can be set to a red light mode, which is good for use in the tent at night or for when they're reading in bed, and a blue light mode (which kids just think is a lot of fun). On the safety front, the headbands are designed to release under any serious load, so if the band were to slip down around a neck, for example, it will pop open instead of pulling tight if snagged.

Weight: 3.8 ounces | Max lumens: 1,100 | Power source: Rechargeable battery

Pros:

• Multiple light output options
• IP67 submersible
• Extra long throw in boost mode

Cons:

• Expensive
• Heavier than many options

The Black Diamond Distance LT isn’t kidding when it says distance—in its maximum boosted 1,100-lumen output mode, the beam reaches out more than 135 yards. But what’s actually the coolest thing about this headlamp isn’t its crazy bright light, but its range of dimmer lights. It can glow in a green, red or blue light, each of which is great for different uses around the campsite. Red light is ideal for preserving your night vision and for not awakening other campers as you read after dark or search the tent for your toothbrush. Green light, on the other hand, can help keep you more alert and focused after dark while not being as visible from far away. Both red and green lighting are also harder for animals to see, so they help you not disturb wildlife after dark.

Blue light makes it easier to read or to pour over a map after dark, but then again, so does using a dimmer white light, which can certainly be created by this headlamp. It can glow as dimly as seven lumens, in fact, which is just enough light to illuminate the area right in front of you without bother anyone (or any thing) just a few feet beyond.

Weight: 2.8 ounces | Max lumens: 425 | Power source: Rechargeable battery

Pros:

• Superb run-time at low light output
• Completely waterproof
• Lockout feature prevents accidental activation

Cons:

• Low water-resistance rating

The 425 from BioLite is going to stay right where you want it even as you bound up and down trails mile after mile, and that place is right there on your head. The band has dual adjustment points so you can get a secure but comfortable fit, and the moisture-wicking properties will help keep you cooler and drier even as your body heat starts to build up.

I’ve used my BioLite on many trails and during neighborhood nighttime jogs, too, and it has never slipped off or even out of place. You can place its beam where you want as it can be tilted downward at an angle, and a light on the back of the band can glow red or flash red, making it easier to see and be seen at night. Don't wear the BioLite Headlamp 425 to run in heavy rains though, because it has a low IPX4 water-resistance rating which could ruin this headlamp in a more severe storm.