Brightness, weight and beam distance are just a few of the many things to consider when choosing a headlamp. If you’re into nighttime bike riding, often hike into dark areas or love to camp, headlamps are crucial for your safety—but they won’t do much good if they’re too loose, don’t output enough light or burn out too soon. Here’s how to choose the right one for you.
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Lightweight Design
If you’re camping, look for a headlamp with a red light mode. That’s good for use in a tent so you will not disturb others, especially sleeping children! It’s also a great way to view wildlife or stars plus red light won’t cause your pupils to dilate, so you won’t lose your night vision.
Most headlamps feature two types of beams: a floodlight and a wide beam. And, typically the lights have different modes such as flash (to preserve battery life) or strobe (to signal in emergencies). Also look for boost or zoom modes for high-intensity beams you might need in short bursts.
Comes with Accessories
To know how heavy a headlamp you’ll need, it depends on how rigorous the activities are that you’ll be wearing it. As a general rule of thumb, the more jarring an activity, the lighter the headlamp. For example, if you’re a nighttime jogger, a headlamp that’s too heavy or bulky will bounce up and down with every movement. For a lightweight headlamp, look for one in the 2- to 3‑ounce range.
