Best LED Headlamps
The opening is worth keeping because it is true and easy to forget: headlamps were once heavy awkward things for cavers, and LEDs made them universal. A headlamp is still the most useful few ounces in any pack.
The big change since this was written is rechargeable. Lithium packs with USB charging are now standard, and they are brighter and lighter than the three-AAA lamps this post covered. The trade-off is real, though: a dead rechargeable is dead until you find power, whereas AAA cells can be bought in any village shop. The best answer for long trips is a lamp that takes either, and several do.
What to look for, in order of how much it matters:
- A usable low mode. Everyone shops on maximum lumens and then lives on low, which is what walking around camp and reading need. A lamp with a genuinely dim setting saves your night vision and its own battery.
- A red mode, which preserves dark adaptation and does not blind whoever you are talking to.
- Simple controls you can work in gloves, and a lock so it does not switch on in the pack and drain itself.
- Weight, because the light you actually carry beats the bright one you leave behind.
Ignore the headline lumen number. Maximum output is usually quoted for a few minutes before the lamp steps down to manage heat. Runtime at a useful brightness is the honest specification and the one brands bury.
And carry it even on day walks. The most common reason people need a headlamp is a walk that took longer than planned.
Part of the guide to backpacks and daypacks.