The Headlamp Guide - The Best Headlamp for Your Needs

Loyal Companion

Whether hiking, cycling, ski touring, camping, or extreme alpine tours – the headlamp is always useful and often necessary. Especially if you like to be out and about early in the morning, late in the evening, or all day long. To help you find your way through the headlamp jungle, we explain everything you need to know about headlamps here.

What matters

With the existing huge selection of headlamps, it is not easy to find the right headlamp for you. However, there are a few criteria that can help you find the right model. First, you should have in mind approximately for which activities you want to use your headlamp in the future. This determines the light output (lumens) you need, whether the lamp has to be waterproof or only splash-proof, how and where you can carry the lamp, and, above all, how the headlamp can be recharged. Depending on the area of application, you also have to pay attention to how tightly the lamp has to sit. For more movement-intensive sports, such as trail running or ski touring, the lamp should sit much tighter than when reading comfortably in the tent. At the end of this article, you will find a summarised list of points to consider when buying.

LUMINOUS POWER & Lumens

Basically, the higher the lumen value, the more light a lamp emits per unit of time. The power depends on two values, on the one hand, the luminous range, and on the other hand the lumen value. Roughly speaking, the lumen value indicates the brightness and the luminous range indicates the distance that can be illuminated by the headlamp. It does not only depend on how many LEDs are installed in the lamp but mainly on the type and quality of the LEDs. The luminous range, for example, also depends on the reflectors installed. Depending on the model, different light modes can be set, and in some cases, the headlamps can also adapt to the environment all by themselves and thus dim the light if necessary. A headlamp that has red light available is also worthwhile. Red light is not only a good emergency signal, but also does not interrupt the adaptation of the eyes to the dark.

In our range, you will find headlamps from 20 to 4,000 lumens. Whereby it can be said that the more lumens a headlamp offers, the higher the price. From children’s headlamps to headlamps for extreme sports, everything is included in our range.

Battery

Are you out and about for several days without power? Then a headlamp with a rechargeable battery is rather impractical unless it can be replaced with a second spare battery. Otherwise, a battery-powered headlamp is more suitable. There are also models that offer both charging options at the same time. If the headlamp is to shine for a long time, it will of course consume more power. So that you don’t have to walk around with a huge block on your forehead, many models move the battery compartment to the back of the head or even to the belt. An external battery compartment on the belt, for example, also has the advantage that it is kept warm by the jacket in very low temperatures and therefore has no loss of battery life.

WATERPROOF OR SPLASHPROOF?

Depending on the type of sport and area of application, it is also important to consider how waterproof your headlamp should be. Waterproofness can be measured by the IP value. The IP value ranges from 1 to 8, whereby the number 1 means that the lamp is protected against dripping water, i.e. splashing water. An IP value of 4 is sufficient for normal to heavy rainfall. The number 8 means that the headlamp can be used permanently underwater.

Who needs which headlamp?

In order to be able to answer for whom which headlamp is best suited, the headlamps can be divided into three categories. By the way, you can also find children’s headlamps in our store. So the way to school and kindergarten becomes “child’s play” :-).

Relaxed:

For a quick walk in the evening, cycling home from work in the dark, or reading a few pages in the tent, a headlamp with less power is sufficient. A headlamp with a lumen rating of up to 350 is suitable for this purpose. A bright, thinly dotted beam will be uncomfortable and tiring on the eyes when reading. Therefore, for leisurely activities, you should rather use a lamp that shines in the width and thus pleasantly illuminates your immediate surroundings. Lamps that provide red light are also suitable for this purpose. Red light is not only a good emergency signal, but also does not interrupt the adaptation of the eyes to the dark. For leisurely activities, the headlamp does not necessarily have to be waterproof. It is sufficient if it is splash-proof – IP value 1-4. If you expect rain on your tour, you should choose an IP value between 4-6.

Headlamps that are good for leisurely activities are the following:

-12%

Petzl

Tikkina 300 Headlamp Blue

MSRP 24,95 € 21,95 € You save 3,00 €

-10%

Petzl

E + Lite Headlamp Weiß / Schwarz

MSRP 29,95 € 26,95 € You save 3,00 €

-10%

Black Diamond

Deploy 325 Headlamp Alloy

MSRP 59,95 € 53,95 € You save 6,00 €

-10%

Petzl

Bindi Headlamp Orange

MSRP 49,95 € 44,95 € You save 5,00 €

Active:

For activities such as long hikes with early or late starts, bivouacking, high-altitude tours, trail running, ski touring, or bicycle tours, headlamps with more power are necessary. A lumen count of 400 to 600 is advisable here. More power here means a longer lighting time, more intense or brighter light, different lighting modes, and better grip. Here, too, you should think about the IP value; especially on longer hikes or high-altitude tours, rain clouds can quickly gather. Here you should take a headlamp with an IP rating of 4 or more so that you are on the safe side.

Headlamps that are good for faster activities are the following:

-17%

Petzl

Tikka Core Headlamp Yellow

MSRP 59,95 € 49,95 € You save 10,00 €

-14%

Black Diamond

Storm 500-R Headlamp Azul

MSRP 69,95 € 59,95 € You save 10,00 €

-13%

Petzl

Actik Core 600 Headlamp Red

MSRP 74,95 € 64,95 € You save 10,00 €

-10%

Silva

Trail Runner Free 2 Headlamp

MSRP 84,95 € 76,45 € You save 8,50 €

Extreme:

The extreme category includes sports such as high alpine tours, climbing, running, or expeditions. For strong use, the headlamp’s performance, weight, and grip are the most important factors. You will need a bright light that does not only illuminate a point in front of you but also does not only illuminate the nearest surroundings. Consequently, you need different modes that you can adjust. Preferably while you are wearing gloves. In an emergency, the lamp should also provide light for you and a companion in case their lamps fail. Here you should get a headlamp with a lumen count of 600 or more. A long runtime should be a given. You probably don’t want to have to lug around a lot of spare batteries for these sports. In addition, the light output should not diminish after a while but should remain the same until the end. Of course, you can extend the battery life yourself by always setting only the required light mode. It is an advantage if your headlamp has a battery indicator so that you can always see how you can best allocate the capacities. The IP value is just as important here as in the other categories. A leaking headlamp will not help you for long on the mountain in the rain. Here you should take at least an IP value of 4.

Headlamps that are good for extreme activities are the following:

-17%