What are the best headlamps for road and trail running?

Question

ElectronicsFitness

What are the best headlamps for road and trail running?

6

Options
Considered

9

User
Recs.

Oct 20, 2018

Last
Updated

6 Options Considered

Best headlamps for road and trail running	Price	Last Updated
-- Black Diamond Spot	-	Aug 12, 2018
-- Black Diamond Icon	-	Feb 12, 2015
-- Petzl Tikka 2 Core	-	Feb 12, 2015
-- Coast HL7	-	Feb 12, 2015
-- Petzl Tikka RXP	-	Oct 29, 2014

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score 4 · Answer 1

Black Diamond Spot

Top Pro

Ideal beam shape

The shape of the lens on the Black Diamond Spot is shaped to offer the ideal spread of light to see far down a path. See More

Top Con

Not rechargeable

The Black Diamond Spot's battery life is about 15 hours, but new AAA batteries must be used each time it runs out of juice. See More

Top Pro

Comes with two sets of proximity lights

In a situation where the user doesn't want to lose night vision, dim red or white LED lights can be used instead of the main light. See More

Top Pro

Strobe mode

In order to increase visibility, the Black Diamond Spot is equipped with a strobe mode. The secondary lights are also equipped with strobe mode. See More

Top Pro

Equipped with lockout mode

The Black Diamond Spot has a feature called lockout mode that prevents the devices from accidentally being activated. See More

Top Pro

Touch sensitive housing

All features of the Black Diamond Spot can be accessed through one touch sensitive button. These features include strobe, proximity lights, and dimmer. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 2

Black Diamond Icon

Top Pro

Strobe mode

Black Diamond Icon comes with strobe mode so users can be more visible to drivers. See More

Top Con

Heavy

With the weight of four AA batteries on the back of the unit is reported to become annoying after long periods of time. See More

Top Pro

Red light mode

The Black Diamond Icon is equipped with red LED lights that allow users to preserve their night vision. See More

Top Con

Not rechargeable

The Black Diamond Icon requires 4 AA batteries, which could be one of the contributing factors to why it has such a long battery life. See More

Top Pro

Extremely long battery life

One set of batteries can last about 175 hours on the lowest setting, or 75 hours on the highest setting. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 3

Petzl Tikka 2 Core

Top Pro

Water resistant

This headlamp will be okay for use in the rain, but it wouldn't be a good idea to submerge it. See More

Top Con

Not very bright

The max output for Petzl Tikka 2 Core is 40 lumens, leaving it out-shined by the competition. See More

Top Pro

Programmable

The Petzl Tikka 2 Core comes with a computer program that lets users regulate the device's behavior. See More

Top Pro

Multiple lighting modes

The Petzl Tikka 2 Core is equipped with three different modes: strobe, maximum, and economic. See More

Top Pro

Rechargeable battery

Instead of having to buy new batteries for each charge, the battery can be recharged via USB, potentially saving users a lot of money. When charging isn't available, the battery can be replaced by AAA batteries. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 4

Coast HL7

Top Pro

Equipped with auto-focus mechanism

Depending on the light's distance from detected objects, the Coast HL7 can automatically adjust brightness. See More

Top Con

Not rechargeable

The Coast HL7 takes AAA batteries instead of rechargeable batteries. Coupled with its short battery life, users can end up paying a fortune to keep it running. See More

Top Pro

Very cheap

Most comparable lights cost about $80, but the Coast HL7 only costs $36. See More

Top Con

Short battery life

The Coast HL7's battery only lasts 3.3 hours on bright mode. See More

Top Pro

Easily adjustable brightness

Instead of clicking one button to cycle through different modes, the Coast HL7 has a nob for adjusting brightness. This feature makes the headlamp much more user friendly, especially on the go. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 5

Petzl Tikka RXP

Top Pro

Reactive beam width

Depending on what the user is doing, the beam will adjust its width to adapt to the situation. A trail will have a wider beam width than a close quarters environment. See More

Top Pro

Automatically adjusts brightness

The Petzl Tikka RXP comes equipped with a sensor that adjusts brightness based on what you are doing. For example, the Tikka RXP will shine brighter on a trail than when the user is reading a map or talking to another individual. This feature makes also increases the device's battery life. If the auto brightness isn't needed, it can be temporarily turned off. See More

Top Pro

On/off can be locked

When the Petzl Tikka RXP is going to be in a bag, a lock feature can be activated which blocks the device from being turned on or off. See More

Top Pro

Rechargeable

This device doesn't require fresh batteries, it can be recharged via USB drive. This battery can be charged up to 300 times. See More

See All

score 1 · Answer 6

Black Diamond Sprinter

Top Pro

Created specifically for runners

Many other headlamps are intended for a variety of purposes, but Sprinter is meant to be ideal for runners. See More

Top Pro

Four light modes

The Black Diamond Sprinter lets users choose from high steady, high strobe, low steady, or low strobe. See More

Top Pro

Has a rear-facing light

The sprinter is equipped with a rear-facing flashing red light in order to make runners more visible. See More

Top Pro

Waterproof

The Sprinter is waterproof to 1 meter, protecting users from ruining their equipment in the rain. See More

See All

What are the best headlamps for road and trail running?

6 Options Considered

Black Diamond Spot

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Spot

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Spot

Ideal beam shape

Not rechargeable

Comes with two sets of proximity lights

Strobe mode

Equipped with lockout mode

Touch sensitive housing

Black Diamond Icon

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Icon

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Icon

Strobe mode

Heavy

Red light mode

Not rechargeable

Extremely long battery life

Petzl Tikka 2 Core

My Recommendation for Petzl Tikka 2 Core

My Recommendation for Petzl Tikka 2 Core

Water resistant

Not very bright

Programmable

Multiple lighting modes

Rechargeable battery

Coast HL7

My Recommendation for Coast HL7

My Recommendation for Coast HL7

Equipped with auto-focus mechanism

Not rechargeable

Very cheap

Short battery life

Easily adjustable brightness

Petzl Tikka RXP

My Recommendation for Petzl Tikka RXP

My Recommendation for Petzl Tikka RXP

Reactive beam width

Automatically adjusts brightness

On/off can be locked

Rechargeable

Black Diamond Sprinter

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Sprinter

My Recommendation for Black Diamond Sprinter

Created specifically for runners

Four light modes

Has a rear-facing light

Waterproof

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