BD storm headlight

Purchased this headlight on a quick whim after I could not locate my lamp at home about a month or two ago. Now besides needing 3 AAA , a novel for instructions , this little thing seemed decent for what I needed (camp/climb).

So now I come off a descent , take my helmet off to switch my headlamp to my actual head & drop my light. This would seem rather unordinary, but on the drop I watch the batteries go flying all over the place. Turns out it landed perfectly on the keeper tab for the batteries!! Snapped clean right off! Beware!

this has happened to me just opening the hatch on a BD headlamp. ive had 3 BD headlamps fail now from various ways. get a petzl. the simpler the better imo.

Mine failed the same way after a couple outings without dropping it. Contacted BD and they accidentally send me 2 warranty replacements. Both broke within months, one again at the clip and the other just stopped turning on. I liked the lamp, but switched to other options due to these durability issues. 

reliability is the most important thing with a headlamp and bd ones could ruin your day very quickly. the last thing i want to worry about is epicing because my headlamp is malfunctioning...

Get better either of these two (first is lighter, I use it for night trail running):

https://1lumen.com/review/nitecore-nu25/

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/review-fenix-hm65r-rechargeable-headlamp/7715480

I have the Fenix HM65r and love it. I carry a Petzl bindi if I need a backup light, no issues with either yet. 

You can get a 3 pack of Duracell headlamps at Costco for cheap.  They are super bright and I don't care if they break.  Ive had several BD and Petzl over the years and have always been bummed WHEN they break or stop working.  Nevermore

I had a BD Storm years ago.  It was too complicated to operate and after a while stopped working.  I also had a Petzl Tactikka, and it was complicated and short-lived like the BD.  Now I have a Coast and an Energizer headlamp, which are simple to use, and they were much cheaper.  

JJ Burns wrote:

…Now I have a Coast and an Energizer headlamp, which are simple to use, and they were much cheaper.  

The Coast FL35 or FL65 (can’t recall which), the one they occasionally sell at Costco for $30/2-pack, is the best lamp I’ve found, all factors weighed equally. The primary issue is the lack of a lock button, which necessitates removal of one battery so that it doesn’t turn on inside the pack. Small price to pay for a 425 lumen light with adjustable beam, imo