Buying Guide: How to Choose a Headlamp

Headlamps are one of the most universally useful pieces of gear you can own. They strap to your head, leaving your hands free to set up camp or hold trekking poles, and the light naturally follows your eyes. A headlamp is also one of the recommended Ten Essentials for hiking and camping, and it's handy at home during power outages. We'd recommend one to just about anyone who spends time outside.

With so many models on the market, start with one question: what will I be using this headlamp for? Skiing down Mount Hood at night calls for a very different light than finding the breaker box during a storm.

Headlamp brightness: how many lumens do you need?

Brightness is measured in lumens. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. Headlamps range from about 25 lumens to 1,000 or more. General guidelines:

• Indoor or emergency use (power outages, sleepovers, backyard camping): 100+ lumens
• Around camp (lighting up a campsite or unfamiliar area): 200+ lumens
• Active outdoor use (night hiking, backpacking): 250+ lumens
• Very active use (skiing, mountain biking, sledding, anything faster than a walk): 400+ lumens

Keep in mind that lumen ratings usually reflect fresh batteries. As batteries drain, brightness drops, so after a few hours a 250-lumen headlamp is no longer putting out 250 lumens. If you need a consistent level of light, buy a little brighter than you think you need or carry spare batteries.

Most headlamps are also dimmable. A 750-lumen lamp is far too bright in a tent, but it can be turned down to save battery and avoid blinding your friends. Packaging usually lists brightness settings and the battery life at each.

Headlamp features to consider

Spot vs. flood beam

Flood (proximity) lighting illuminates a wide area nearby, great around camp. Spot (distance) lighting throws a narrow beam farther, great for scanning the trail. Many headlamps offer both.

Light color

Red light preserves your night vision and is courteous around sleeping campers, perfect for reading in the tent. Some lamps add green light, useful for hunting, fishing or wildlife watching, and blue light, which makes red contour lines on maps easier to read.

Battery life vs. size

Longer battery life and higher output usually mean a bigger, heavier lamp. Compact lamps are more comfortable for trail running. Some higher-output models use an external battery pack on the back of the head or carried in a pocket.

Power source

Rechargeable lamps save money and waste, but you can't always recharge on a multi-day trip or during an outage. Hybrid models that accept both a rechargeable pack and standard batteries offer the most flexibility.

Waterproofing

Most headlamps resist some water, but not all will survive heavy rain or a drop in a puddle. Some are rated to work submerged up to 1 meter.

Extras worth having

Reactive lighting automatically adjusts brightness to your surroundings to save battery. A lockout mode keeps the lamp from turning on in your pack and draining the batteries, a feature we really like.

Staff favorites by use

• Petzl Bindi (about 200 lumens): lightweight and snug-fitting, great for joggers.
• BioLite 200 (about 200 lumens): rechargeable with an integrated padded strap, comfortable for general camp use.
• Black Diamond Spot 400-R (about 400 lumens): fully featured with multiple brightness and color settings, great for backpacking.
• Black Diamond Icon 700 (about 700 lumens): bright, with a rear battery pack, great for mountaineering and night ski trips.
• Petzl Swift RL (about 900 lumens): very bright, with reactive lighting to stretch battery life.

Headlamps are available in-store at our Grand Avenue store in Portland's Central Eastside. Current models and lumen ratings change often, so ask our staff what's in stock.

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