Head lamp recommendations

I haven’t bought a new head lamp in close to 10 years. My old one was a higher quality model at the time but now it is just outdated. The clunker takes 4 AAA’s, the elastic on the second head band I’ve had is getting shot and to add insult to injury my friends cell phone produced as much (if not more) light on our recent excursion.

I’m not really sure what’s out there these days. Any recommendations? Ideally I want the compromise of medium size, weight and brightness since I use it for climbing (approaches and night climbing) and camping.  

My recommendation for something small, light, and powerful is this:
https://www.litesmith.com/nitecore-nu25-triple-output-usb-rechargeable-headlamp/
If you want something brighter, but heavier the higher end Petzl, BD headlamps work. If you want extra bright, light as possible for the light output, and are not afraid of recharging 18650 Li-ion batteries, Zebralight H600d (if you want a decent amount of range, spot + spill beam pattern), H600Fd (if you want a bit more flood due to a frosted lens), or H604d (if you want absolute pure very wide even flood with zero hotspot).

For general hiking, climbing and camp use, I've been happy with the Eveready unit I bought at Lowes. $20 or so. But it wouldn't be up to the challenge of, say, spotting the next rap anchors 100 ft below you.

Go with an 18650 battery headlamp, those are currently the best compromise in terms of weight, runtime and output for climbing.

The lightest 18650 headlamps are zebralight, and something called the D25S headlamp. They both weight around 4.25 oz battery and headstrap included. That light weight makes a huge difference balance wise on an ultralight helmet.

The D25S is a chinese brand headlamp which puts out an honest 1000+ lumens in tests. It is pretty reliable as its so simple. It also has usb charging.

You do need to use some plastic tie straps though to retain it in its plastic holder for climbing. And a bit of seam seal for the bezel.

The best part? It costs $20-25 dollars shipped with a battery to the USA!

Some people might question a cheap chinese headlamp, fair enough. But before you judge, check out the videos and reviews on it. Theres quite a few threads and videos on it by flashaholics.

Here's one:

https://youtu.be/8kYe4FI8Znk

Also realize that almost all these headlamps are made in china (or asia). Zebralight, fenix, nitecore, black diamond are all manufactured in Shenzhen. Only petzl makes them in eastern europe. And princeton tec which is made in USA.

In my experience the good made in china headlamps are just as, if not more reliable. Shenzhen has been a world class manufacturing hub for decades now, the chinese have consumer electronics dialed.

I like the Fenix HM50R.  Super simple, feels rugged.  USB chargeable but also you can replace the battery.  I have two 'cause I thought I'd lost mine and I bought another.  Super simple and very bright.  There are cheaper options, but I like these a lot.

can't we just get a headband to attach your phone to?  They are basically an electronic swiss army knife as it is.

bernard wolfe wrote:

can't we just get a headband to attach your phone to?  They are basically an electronic swiss army knife as it is.

Lol seriously 

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I doubt I would have found any of these if I hadn’t asked here.

Javinder what is the battery life in that head lamp? I have a $15 Chinese made backpacking stove that is smaller than the MSR one and it’s been going strong for about as long as my current head lamp. I’m not opposed to quality regardless of the country of origin. 

Energizer headlamps from Home Depot. About $20 for a 250-300 Lumen headlamp. 

Would not recommend actic core from petzl. Poor construction, overpriced junk. Wish I went with fenix 

With LED and battery technology advancing so much in recent years, there is a lot you can choose from these days.  Check out the offering by Nitecore and Fenix. As mentioned above, 18650 cells offer a lot of power without being extremely bulky. These are the same cells used in many electric cars, laptop, and industrial power tools. They are bigger and bulkier than integrated batteries, but they are also very cheap and swapping them is easy, so you can carry easy-to-change power on longer outings. 21700 cells are a newer standard: 50% more power, but also 40% heavier and noticeably bigger. I don't think you will want to get there unless you get into serious caving, but that's also one option to consider.

Petzl Swift RL. I've climbed/hiked/rapped hundreds of hours in the dark with this thing. It's basically daylight at 900L. Good battery life.  Rechargeable battery has its pros and cons, no red light option. My go-to for doing technical stuff, not for camping. 

Javinder Bains wrote:

The D25S is a chinese brand headlamp which puts out an honest 1000+ lumens in tests.

Some people might question a cheap chinese headlamp, fair enough. But before you judge, check out the videos and reviews on it. Theres quite a few threads and videos on it by flashaholics.

Sofirn isn't some cheap Chinese brand; they are Chinese flashlight enthusiasts who have been manufacturing lights aimed at other enthusiasts for over 6 years now. They constantly reach out to the enthusiast communities on the budget light forum (BLF) to get design input and feedback on their lights, and have gained quite a following for their high performing, reasonably priced lights and honest business practices. Most of their products have been independently reviewed and tested by other hobbyists with the means to do so, and Sofirn's lights live up to their claims. 

They aren't the most robust lights that money can buy; however, for the price, they are incredible value for money. A Zebralight H600 Fc/Fd (F for floody beam pattern and c/d for 4000k/5000k color temp) headlamp would be a decent step up but they will run you $90.

If you are looking for something smaller or a light that can also use conventional batteries, the Manker E03H II runs on 1xAA or 1x14500 lithium cell but the runtime is much lower than an 18650 light.

Also check out headlamps from other reputable brands like Skilhunt, ThruNite, and Nitecore to see if there is something that better suits your needs. 

Nick K wrote:

Sofirn isn't some cheap Chinese brand; they are Chinese flashlight enthusiasts who have been manufacturing lights aimed at other enthusiasts for over 6 years now. They constantly reach out to the enthusiast communities on the budget light forum (BLF) to get design input and feedback on their lights, and have gained quite a following for their high performing, reasonably priced lights and honest business practices. Most of their products have been independently reviewed and tested by other hobbyists with the means to do so, and Sofirn's lights live up to their claims. 

They aren't the most robust lights that money can buy; however, for the price, they are incredible value for money. A Zebralight H600 Fc/Fd (F for floody beam pattern and c/d for 4000k/5000k color temp) headlamp would be a decent step up but they will run you $90.

If you are looking for something smaller or a light that can also use conventional batteries, the Manker E03H II runs on 1xAA or 1x14500 lithium cell but the runtime is much lower than an 18650 light.

Also check out headlamps from other reputable brands like Skilhunt, ThruNite, and Nitecore to see if there is something that better suits your needs. 

The D25 series headlamps is not produced by Sofirn. The Sofirn D25S/D25L is simply a Boruit D25 with an emitter swap and a UI change. And Boruit IS a cheap chinese brand. Sofirn slaps their name on cheap chinese brand lights all the time.

Compared to Fenix, Sofirn is a cheap chinese brand. You can see this when comparing the warranty (5 years vs. a good luck for getting a response 2 years). The fit and finish on sone of their lights is also hit or miss, I have had a SP36 with loose screws inside (which you cannot tighten).

We won't even talk about a quality comparison with Zebralight.

HOWEVER. The Boruit/Sofirn D25S series is so simple that there is not much to go wrong. And with a slight bit of work makes a better rock climbing headlamp than most other more expensive ones. 

And it is 1/4 to 1/3 the cost.

Phil Sakievich wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I doubt I would have found any of these if I hadn’t asked here.

Javinder what is the battery life in that head lamp? I have a $15 Chinese made backpacking stove that is smaller than the MSR one and it’s been going strong for about as long as my current head lamp. I’m not opposed to quality regardless of the country of origin. 

With the 3000 mAh battery that you can package the D25S with on Amazon. It will last close to a full day non-stop at its lowest ~70 lumens, 7-8 hours at the second lowest ~150 lumens setting and ~3 hours at its middle ~300 lumens setting. The highest 2 settings should only be used for short bursts for route finding.

The above table is for the original Boruit D25. You can calculate the rough runtime knowing the battery capacity.

Note that these are unregulated headlamps, which means the light output will slowly decrease as the battery voltage draws down.

You can see this in this graph of the original Boruit D25 where the turbo steps down quickly and then slowly comes down over time.

Note that some Fenix headlamps do this as well by design.

If you buy from Aliexpress it is a bit cheaper but it only includes a 2200 mAh battery. You also won't have Amazon's generous 30 day return policy.

And make sure you know how to handle the unprotected lithium ion battery it comes with. Never short the battery, never leave it around metal objects, and always store it in its own seperate little bag if taking it out from the light.

The D25S is likely the best value climbing headlamp, but it does require a small bit of work and education.

If you want something which is higher quality and has the best warranty in the business, then get a Fenix from an AUTHORIZED retailer in your country for the full warranty (do not buy Fenix off Amazon). For the USA one would be:

https://www.fenixlighting.com

Link for the Sofirn D25S Amazon listing:

https://www.amazon.com/Headlamp-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Inserted-Upgraded/dp/B07NJ9PCJC

I’ve been very happy with my Sofirn SP40. Like someone said above, it’s similar performance (though a bit more of a spotlight, rather than floody) as a $90 zebra light for just $30. No red mode though, so I’ve shifted my BD and Petzl headlamps to use around the campsite or tent when I need a red mode. Oh, and you can find extra 18650 batteries for really cheap. It’s also nice being able to top off the charge before each outing - something you can’t do with regular AAAs

Desert Rock Sports wrote:

If you want extra bright, light as possible for the light output, and are not afraid of recharging 18650 Li-ion batteries, Zebralight H600d (if you want a decent amount of range, spot + spill beam pattern), H600Fd (if you want a bit more flood due to a frosted lens), or H604d (if you want absolute pure very wide even flood with zero hotspot).

+1 to this. If you're wanting a headlamp primarily for climbing, the flood from the H604d is incredible! The entire wall in front of you is light up like day time. It's amazing how big a difference it makes to be able to see all the features on a wall without having to point your head directly at the location you're trying to place your hand/foot. 

If you're mostly hiking by headlamp, it will leave a lot to be desired; anything beyond ~30 feet gets pretty dim. I imagine it wouldn't be the greatest for trying to rappel down a climb you were unfamiliar with either, for the same reasons. Get a lamp with a more concentrated beam if that's your primary use. But, for actually climbing by headlamp, the H604d has been a total game changer for me.  

Is zebra light still around? Website zebralight.com/ points to generic commerce page...

Energizer from the Depot or auto zone. brighter than my Petzle and cheap . Carry at least two of them if you are in a situation where you might really need it. Changing batteries in the dark is pointless, just whip out the spare and keep rocking. 

JaNinja B wrote:

Is zebra light still around? Website zebralight.com/ points to generic commerce page...

I think they just have an unimpressive website. That's where I bought mine. d

ZT G wrote:

Would not recommend actic core from petzl. Poor construction, overpriced junk. Wish I went with fenix 

I’ve had the opposite experience and own two actic core headlamps. Both a few years old. Rugged, versatile, and no issues with rechargeable battery life.