Check out our selection of the greatest headlamps. Using our buying advice, you’ll be able to choose the ideal option for your needs and budget.
A head torch, often known as a “head light” or a “head lamp,” is an extremely useful piece of equipment to have in your camera bag, even if it isn’t designed with photographers in mind. It’s a great method to find your way home after a nocturnal landscape shot in the countryside, as well as for painting with light and other types of nighttime photography.
If you’re going to try to clean your DSLR or mirrorless camera’s sensor on your own, a head lamp will come in handy. What makes this so great is that strapping a light on top of your head means that your hands are free to accomplish anything else you need to do.
In addition to all of the above, some head torches include a red light option that makes them ideal for astronomers. To put it another way, the modest head lamp may be used for so much more than just returning to your campsite at night or exploring caves.
What should you be looking for? For the most part, you will be looking for a flashlight that is light weight, waterproof, and has a beam power that can be maintained even when the temperature drops below freezing. Fortunately LED technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and most manufacturers will have already considered – and hopefully surmounted – such issue
As a result, here are our recommendations for what we think are the greatest all-purpose head torches…
Our Top 8 Favorite Head Torches for Camping
8. Vision Ultra Headlight by Energizer
The best headlamp on a budget
Energizer, a well-known brand in the field of household batteries, provides this low-cost, easy-to-use LED headband with three included AAA alkaline batteries. The lens is touted to be shatterproof and water resistant, able to withstand drops of up to a meter, while the rotating lamp head enables you to direct the light exactly where you need it. When the power goes off, an indication light flashes red to let you know you’re about to be left in the dark. There are six different light settings, including a red and green option for night vision preservation and a dimming mode for light intensity management. To sum it up, this is a low-cost, hassle-free headlamp alternative.
Specifications
- Red and green LED color options are among the six available.
- Wide or Spot or Spot/Wide Combination Adjustable beam type
- Amount of light (Lumens: 400)
- The lights can be dimmed.
- 3 x AAA batteries are needed.
- It has an IPX4 classification, which means it’s water-resistant, but not completely waterproof.
- Ten hours of use at its brightest setting.
- Weight: 120 grams
Why You Should Buy
- Affordable pricing
- Stargazing in +Red mode
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- The device is not re-usable
7. Core 450 Petzl Actik
The most well-known brand in the industry offers a high-quality head light
This extremely lightweight one-size-fits-all alternative weighs just 75 grams and contains a rechargeable battery that can be completely charged in three hours. The headband can be removed for convenience, and it can also be washed. The headband also has reflective parts for nighttime visibility and safety. If you’re going on a longer vacation, you may also use three AAA batteries to power it. Single-button operation and a five-year user warranty make this flashlight a breeze to operate, while many settings can be made to both the beam of light and its strength and color (including a red light option for night vision). Basically, this is an all-in-one solution that can be removed, washed, and recharged.
Specifications
- Red or white LEDs are available.
- Flood, mixed-brightness beam (450 lumens)
- It’s possible to modify the brightness of the light in three different ways: (Proximity, Movement & Distance)
- Rechargeable cell or 3 x AAA batteries may be used.
- It has an IPX4 classification, which means it’s water-resistant, but not completely waterproof.
- Maximum playtime: 140 hours.
- The weight is 75 grams.
Why You Should Buy
- A little footprint
- A high level of peak power output
- Batteries that can be recharged or that are only used once
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- It’s not the most affordable alternative
6. Cosmo 300 Black Diamond
Diamond Head Torch
Stargazers and astrophotographers employ red light to prevent losing their painstakingly developed visual sensitivity, since acclimating one’s vision to the dark takes some time and effort. Many headtorches require you to cycle through white light before allowing you to access the red light, making this near-vision mode essentially useless. Take note of Black Diamond Cosmo, which is known for its ability to switch the red light on and off with no danger of causing the white light to be activated – but also because it has a fully dimmable red lighting, so you only need to dial up the amount of illumination you need to adjust your observatory and recording equipment.
Specifications
- LEDs come in white and red, with the latter being the primary hue.
- Flood and spot beams are available.
- Luminance (Watts): 300
- The lights can be dimmed.
- a set of three AAA batteries is required.
- The IPX8 grade indicates that this item is completely waterproof.
- If you set the timer to the lowest level, it may run for up to 200 hours or 4.25 hours at the maximum setting.
- It is around 83 grams in weight
Why You Should Buy
- Totally impermeable
- Dimming the red light is possible.
- You don’t need to switch on white light to get red light.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- It is not possible to recharge a battery
5. BioLite HeadLamp 200
Portable Head Torch for Lengthy Periods of Time
This BioLite device looks like something a bad guy from a sci-fi movie would wear on his head. One of its selling points is that it’s so light (just 50g) that its user will forget they’re wearing it. The rechargeable battery can be charged through micro USB, and the front panel can be bent downward to train on whatever piece of camera equipment you’re adjusting. It has two light modes: a bright white spot beam for daytime use and a dim red spot beam for nighttime use. A ‘Stuffsack’ adapter allows you to use the headlamp as a hanging ambient light for your tent if you’re camping in the great outdoors, where its water resistance (but not waterproofness) will come in useful.
Specifications
- Red or white LEDs are available
- Spot or strobe beams
- Luminance (Watts): 200
- There are dimmable light settings: White + Dim or Red + Dim
- Powered by a rechargeable battery
- It has an IPX4 classification, which means it’s water-resistant, but not completely waterproof
- The ‘Lo’ option has a runtime of up to 40 hours, whereas the ‘High’ level only has three hours
- Item’s Net Weight: 50 g
Why You Should Buy
- Sci-fi architecture
- Really flimsy
- Optional red-light indication
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- The list is empty
4. LED Head Torch from Vont Spark
This headlamp is an amazing bargain due to its two-pack packaging
In addition to being waterproof, drop-resistant, and of course portable, this 200 lumen affordable choice usually comes with two headlamps and batteries already included. The main light and its side lights may be adjusted from low to high power with a single switch, giving users a wide range of options depending on the viewing conditions. In order to prevent neck aches, the light is angled at a 45-degree angle, according to its maker. The Vont Spark is a wearable device that may help you sleep better at night. It is powered by three normal AAA batteries and is supposed to have a setup that is lighter than an egg. Additionally, it comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Specifications
- LEDs come in white.
- Type of beam: Unknown Intensity (Watts: 200)
- The lights can be dimmed
- A set of three AAA batteries is required.
- A grade of IPX5 indicates that the item is waterproof
- A 90-hour runtime is possible. Weight: 85 grams
Why You Should Buy
- Comes in twin packs
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- Empty list
3. Storm 400 Black Diamond
This is the choice for you when it comes to light power and weatherproofing
This ingenious 400 lumen strength gadget has a memory brightness feature, so that it will return to the previous power level after it has been switched off and on again. It is dustproof and waterproof for up to 30 minutes at a depth of one meter and quite strong in terms of its LED lights. It can run on its lowest level for up to 200 hours on the four supplied AAA batteries. The device is not rechargeable out of the box, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use our own rechargeable batteries in it. The light may be dimmed or strobed, and the color can be changed to green, blue, or red as well as green or blue for night vision. A second switch is provided for fine tuning.
Specifications
- Night vision LEDs can be white, plus red, green, or blue
- Proximity or distance beams are the two basic kinds of lasers
- 400 Lumens of brightness
- Modes of dimmer lighting
- Type of battery: 4 AA
- Rating for water resistance: IP67
- If you set the timer to the lowest level, it may run for up to 200 hours or five hours
- Weight: 120 grams
Why You Should Buy
- Totally impermeable
- The red light option
- 400 lumens of brilliant illumination
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- Some are heavier than this
- It is not possible to recharge it
2. Rechargeable Battery-Protected Flashlight
The most reliable handheld torch for frequent usage
One of the best features of this circular headlamp is that it can be left in your backpack for long periods of time while you’re out hiking or camping. There is a button that mechanically seperates the 3 As batteries from the illumination electronics, hence increasing cell and torch life by decreasing the likelihood of battery depletion or corrosion. The circular beam’s 250 lumen bulb has a stated maximum range of 125 meters when utilized at full power.
Specifications
- White LEDs with red, green, or blue for night vision, plus white
- Proximity or distance beams are the two basic kinds of lasers
- It has a brightness of 250 lumens
- Modes of dimmer lighting
- A set of 3As batteries is required
- Rating for water resistance: IPX4
- Running time: up to 200 hours (low setting) and 4 hours (hight setting)
- 105 grams is the approximate weight of this item.
Why You Should Buy
- When not in use, the BatteryGuard function totally shuts off the device’s power supply.
- Water-resistance rating of IPX4
- The red light option
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- Heavy compared to other things
- It is not possible to recharge it
1. Silva Trail Speed 4XT
The brightest possible headlamp
With a maximum output of 160 lumens and a run time of five hours at full power or up to 20 hours when dimmed to 80 lumens, this is a bright head-mounted aluminum built lamp that can illuminate a wide area.
If you wish to use the light on a bicycle or a helmet, you may remove the head strap and attach it to the handlebars. The recharge period for the battery is four hours. Make sure the light is level with the ground before tilting it to the desired angle. The drawback is that it is the most expensive and not the lightest option in our comparison. However, if your topic requires a great deal of illumination, this example from Silva might prove to be a trailblazer.
Specifications
- LEDs come in white
- Intelligent Light System’s beams are tuned to the way the human eye sees when it is dark
- 1200 Lumens of brightness
- Modes of dimmer lighting
- Rechargeable battery
- The IPX5 certification for waterproofness
- Max brightness: 5 hours; lowest brightness: 20 hours
- 600 grams is the approximate weight.
Why You Should Buy
- 1200 lumens of mind-blowing peak output
- Light painting is a breeze with this
Why You Shouldn’t Buy
- Power comes with a price, and this price is considerable
