Choose a Headlamp from below to see the Best Headlamps for each type of activity:
- Auto Emergency – it’s a good idea to have headlamps in your vehicle for emergencies. Find out which ones we recommend.
- Biking – we cover 3 different headlamps for biking ranging from cheap ones for kids bikes to expensive adult bikes.
- Camping – general headlamps to use while camping in a tent in the wilderness or campground.
- Caving – when you need a headlamp you can absolutely rely on!
- Entomologists (bug scientists!) – Looking for bugs at night is a popular past time for some scientists, and hobbyists.
- Fishing – perfect headlamps to give you enough light to tie fishing line and find your way to the lake or stream.
- Herping – the best headlamps we’ve found for looking for reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife at night.
- Hunting – hunters will need a strong spotlight beam to see potential game or danger.
- Kids! 7 best headlamps for kids. You’ll love this one. Don’t miss #8 at the bottom.
- Reading – reading books in your tent or under your covers at night is fun with a headlamp. But, you need the right one.
- Running – short or long runs, even ultra running headlamps are covered here.
- Sailing – sailing yachts, catamarans, and trimarans is much safer with good quality headlamps. Find out which we recommend.
- Skiing – downhill skiing is very fast-paced and you need a headlamp that is tough and very bright. We recommend some!
- Ultra-Running – ultra-runners across the globe are wearing Petzl headlamps. You probably should too. Find out which are best.
- Trail Running – I compare 7 top headlamps on 21 criteria for trail running.
- Work – if you work in an explosive environment, or a non-explosive environment and you need the best headlamp you can buy… one you can rely on.
Hey, I love your site. It’s a really helpful guide, but I couldn’t find an article that might relate to a headlamp for water sports, so was I was wondering if you might be able to recommend the best headlamp for cold water surfing. The criteria is as follows:
-submersible
-cold proof *great lakes, Canada, January, nighttime. Beards of ice. Do regular AA/AAA batteries lose life in the cold?
-reliable attachment, sleek *most headlamp straps don’t look they would stay on my head if I wiped out and got drilled against the sandbar
-Red, Green, blue LOW LIGHT! AS DIM AS POSSIBLE!
Believe it or not, the last one is the most important to me. Surfing the lakes at night is something I already do, and I don’t want something to replace the night vision I’ve developed, or shock me out of the meditative practice. If there was a sleek, winter-water proof head lamp out there that had a lumen gradient of ‘astronomer-reading-charts-dim’ to ‘cheap flashlight’, that would be perfect.
It seems the more durable and waterproof a headlamp is, the more it also boasts being brighter, which also means a larger battery compartment that makes it easier for a wave to catch it and pull it off my head. I don’t want to pay extra for a better light if it works against me. Like I said, I barely want to see more than I do.
The closest I’ve to deciding was on a black diamond storm 400, but after seeing it in a video I had little faith that it would stay on my head, or be water proof enough. I’ve been at it for awhile and I’d love to hear your opinion on the matter.
Cheers!
Hi Randolph,
Wow, you’re hardcore! I don’t think the right headlamp has been made yet. I would suggest the following:
1.) Wrap a heavy vinyl plastic bag (see through, just tough) around your headlamp. Seal it by wrapping as much as possible and twisting the end. Use plastic locking ties to cinch the area as tight as possible.
2.) Add an elastic band around your neck – thick one – an inch. From there, tie a shoestring to it and tie your headlamp to that. You won’t lose it that way at least.
3.) Use a cheap headlamp because it’s likely going to succumb to the water eventually.
I haven’t heard about which batteries are better in ice-cold conditions. We’re in Thailand, so I couldn’t ever test that. Someone must have written something about it somewhere online!
Cheers man – best of luck. Thanks for reading here!
Vern
Hey Vern,
Thanks a ton for the advice. I ordered those storms and I’ll think they’ll do the trick with the extra bag and elastic band trick. They’re on clearance, apparently a lot of them have a defect of uneven power output/getting dim an hour into use, so it’s a cheap risk that may serve me perfectly, haha. And they have all the night vision colours, so I’ll get to see what’s most effective (and looks cooler) on the water. Stoked.
Thanks for the resources!
Randolph
Sure Randy. Hope it helps. The BD Storms use the store-bought batteries I think (don’t have one, I hate Black Diamond headlamps) But the BD Icon I have here has very weak beams after just 20 minutes. That might be just what you need! Funny that Black Diamond finally has a use-case.
Cheers!
hi, I am endlessly impressed by the amount of light modern torches pump out, however is it always useful? Not in my experience! Do you have any recommendations for a headlamp with adequate white light and a equal red light function. I find prolonged use at night far more comfortable with red light. Sadly most red light functions are more ornament rather than use.
Great question. I haven’t ever focused on that. I don’t think any that I Have put out a strong red beam. they’re usually for emergency lighting so they last for many hours/days. Let me know if you find a good one!
Hi Vern,
Great info in this post, thank you! I was wondering how I can get in touch to send you a headlamp to review. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Adrienne
I’m an American living in Thailand at the moment. You can send here. We recently had Acebeam and Nitecore send some headlamps we are reviewing. We’ll be happy to do it. Use the Contact page for reaching us. Cheers