TOP 10 BEST RUNNING HEADLAMPS

Do you seem surprised by the fact that there are lights you can use to run in the night or early in the morning? You shouldn’t be because there are headlamps available for when the outside lighting condition is not that clear or favorable to runners.

A good tip for night running is to ensure that your trail is well lit, or you get your headlight to help illuminate your track.

A headlamp might not sound sensible enough to the average runner, but to a fitness enthusiast who prefers running early in the morning or late at night hours, it is an indispensable tool for safety. Running at night or early in the morning can spice up your routine.

While owning a headlamp that lights up your favorite running path well enough is a good headstart, you will also be needing one that is comfortable and fits properly.

Most have adjustable straps for a secure and personalized fit. Most headlamp models are weather resistant and durable enough to withstand harsh conditions such as rain and sleet.

The light’s brightness is in lumens, and many good models offer at least 100 lumens, which is ideal for road running.

On the other hand, if you’re a trail runner, you should purchase headlamps whose brightness are up to 200 lumens or more. The more the brightness, the better the visibility even on the darkest trails.

Check also for an adjustable light or a beam that can alternate between a broad and a narrow output. Some models have a convenient one touch feature that allows you to reach the maximum light settings, change modes or turn the headlamp off with ease.

BENEFITS OF RUNNING

Running has been an age long form of exercising the muscles and is one of the best ways to fortify your cardiovascular health.

You will have a reduced chance of suffering a heart attack if you make it a habit of doing some running exercises daily.
It is also one of the most efficient ways to lose weight.
Regular running increases your leg strength and doubles your stamina, eliminating all chances of having joint pains.
It is one of the main fitness activities that engages all your muscles and at the same time, also helping you to burn extra calories.
It is a real activity one can use to
strengthen the joints.
Running at night or early in the morning connotes a higher level of risk. If you enjoy running at these times of the day, you will have to prepare your mind for encountering dangers.

However, in response to encountering danger, we proffer defense as a solution; defend yourself in the face of imminent danger.

Well, there are three main forms of defense:

Alertness: Always be at alert while you run, for safety purposes.
Another is owning some high-quality reflective running gear for maximum protection.
Having a working headlamp: Owning a running light not only makes you clearly visible to others at night, it allows you to see where you’re going and also watch your track. If you carry out your running activity on well-lit streets, this is not a problem at all.
Otherwise, being unable to see your track and the pathway before you very well is another risk.

BUYER’S GUIDES ON CHOOSING HEADLAMPS

Whatever be your taste and style, make sure that the light must fit your purpose. It is a good thing to wear reflective clothing while running in poorly lit conditions, but it is also better that you wear a headlamp.

A good headlamp will light your path, which allows you to increase your strides just like in daylight.

Brightness:The brighter the projector, the better it serves you. However, mastering the environment, you run in will help you invest in the right headlamp. The maximum beam reach of the light is another crucial factor to consider when buying a good projector. Some people need to see fifteen meters before them compared to others who may need to see only a few feet in front of them. Pick a headlamp that has the right beam type for you. While flood or full typed headlamp beam is suitable for near situations, spot or focused or narrow copied headlamp is ideal for long distance because it is a light beam and is perfect for faint trail runs. It should be able to light up your running path apparently. Your choice of a Headlamp might be designed to use LED lights or incandescent bulbs. The essential thing that matter is the ability of the product to create daylight condition so you can see your running trail clearly.

Battery Life: This is a critical factor to consider when buying a running headlamp. The good thing about most models of lights is that they are rechargeable for maximum battery life. For the few models that are not rechargeable, packing a few extra batteries can quickly solve your lighting problems after an extended period. The power of the battery mostly determines the brightness of the light generated. Most of the best running headlamps are designed to use disposable batteries. On the other hand, it will be very inconveniencing for you to always stop in between runs to switch batteries. The more expensive and durable brands of headlamps might come with inbuilt rechargeable batteries that can be recharged using a USB port.

Weather resistance: There is a need for lights to be very durable and weatherproof. They need to be able to withstand a decent amount of wetness, at least around thirty minutes under water. Good headlamps have the ability to resist cold very well and don’t overheat in hot weather conditions. You enhance the performance of a projector by its impact and weatherproof construction.

Weight and Fit: The next most important factor to put into consideration after the brightness is the weight of the headlamp. The lighter the weight of the projector, the more comfortable your run will be. Headlights that feature an overhead strap always provide more stability, preferably if you’re running on an uneven trail. Most lights are designed to fit around the head, and the most durable models have an adjustable mechanism that makes the projector snugly while you run.

User Friendliness: Good headlights should be user-friendly with easy to press buttons and also provide simple navigation.

Self-adjusting brightness: It is not out of place to want your hands to be as free as possible while you are running. Some models of headlamps have self-dimming and self-brightening features, making them switch to dim or bright automatically when there is too much lighting or poor lighting in an area respectively.

Versatility: Most of the headlamp models have different modes attached to them, and they offer different colored blinking lights. The strobe or flash mode is an emergency blinker. While the low mode is the ideal method that is used for easier trails and saves battery life the most, the high style works perfectly in very dark areas. With tilt features in place, your headlamp can tilt up or down and comes in very handy in various situations.

Cost: There are many cheap models of projectors in the market that provides good quality as well as an array of features. The water resistant ones, however, should not have a discount because the price is worth it.

Warranty: Also put the length of the warranty should also be put into consideration. The average standard is at least one year coverage, but some highly rated brands come with longer warranty terms.You can pick from the excellent models of headlamps that we’ve outlined below:

Our Best Running Headlamps

1. PETZL TIKKA + HEADLAMP

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This headlamp is a solid choice with an output of 160 lumens for better visibility.

It provides continuous lighting; the light does not fade as the battery drains. It has an adjustable headband with a top strap that keeps the headlamp secure on the head and ensures a more personalized fit. It comes in a variety of colors and models.

Some of the featured modes include strobe and red lighting mode for extra safety, and boost mode for little access to maximum power.

It is ideal for runners that want a good headlamp which is affordable.

Pros:

It provides a high output of 160 lumens.
It has an adjustable headband for fitness and extra security.
Its brightness does not fade even when the battery drains.
It is relatively affordable.

Cons:

The headband cannot be removed for washing and does not fit those that have big heads.

2. BLACK DIAMOND SPRINTER HEADLAMP

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The Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp features a very weatherproof construction. It has a constant illumination on every brightness setting.

It also has a lithium polymer battery with a five hour USB charge time. The headlamp gives an output of 130 lumens on the highest setting.

The modes it comes with include strobe, dimming, and full strength settings. We especially appreciate the red taillight strobe with a regulatory switch for enhanced safety on the road.

Pros:

It is constructed to be weatherproof.
It gives a high output of 130 lumens.

Cons:

The power button is difficult to push when putting on gloves.
It does not have direct USB connectivity.

3. PRINCETON TEC REMIX HEADLAMP

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The Princeton Tec running headlamp is constructed to be water resistant and has an easily accessible battery door cover.

It uses three AAA batteries and has a burn time of approximately 150 hours. This headlamp comes in a variety of colors and 70, 100, 125 and 150 lumens to suit your needs. The large push-button switch is easy to press even with gloves on.

The Remix can be used as a long-distance light or for navigating the terrain just ahead. This running headlamp features a water-resistant construction along with an easily accessible battery door cover.

Pros:

It is available in different colors and lumen outputs.
It has an easy to use large push button switch.
It has approximately 150 hour burn time.

Cons:

It doesn’t have a strobe setting.
We discovered to our dismay that the battery cover door breaks easily.

4. COAST HL7 FOCUSING LED HEADLAMP

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Coast HL7 Headlamp is outstanding for its innovative pure beam focusing, which allows runners to quickly switch from a wide flood beam to a spot beam with just the twist of the bezel.

It has a variable light control technology for a customized output. This headlamp is weatherproof and gives an output of up to 285 lumens on the maximum setting.

It uses three AAA batteries.

Pros:

It gives an output of up to 285 lumens on maximum setting.
It features variable control technology.

Cons:

It has little battery life.
It is slightly heavy for its size.

5. SALUMI SPARK PRO

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This headlamp gives an output of 120 lumens on the full flood beam setting and 90 lumens on the focused spot beam. Its burn time is around 110 hours on the lower light setting.

It uses high-quality Cree LED bulbs for the beams. It also features an adjustable headband, an angle tilt for the light and a lock mode.

Pros:

It is relatively affordable.
It gives an output of up to 120 lumens
It has an angle tilt light

Cons:

There is not enough padding behind the light.
It doesn’t have a dimming function.

6. NATHAN NEUTRON FIRE HEADLAMP

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This headlamp model has a bright 115 spotlight and two side strobes that put out different colors of LED lights for additional safety and visibility on the road. It is rechargeable and features five distinct lighting modes. Combining the spotlight and floodlight makes visibility very easy.

Pros:

It has two side strobes with LED lights.
Its battery is rechargeable.
It has auto strobe feature that makes runners more visible to oncoming drivers.

Cons:

A brighter light will be appreciated.
You can’t disable the auto strobe feature.
The headlamp cannot be angled.

7. ULTRASPIRE – LUMEN ULTRAVIZ LIGHTED WAISTPACK

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The light of this running lamp is mounted at waist level and can either be rotated 180 degrees or adjusted 90 degrees up or down for better visibility.

It features a water and impact resistant aluminum housing and a hardened glass lens. You can recharge the light using a USB charging cord. The belt has a rear zippered back pocket with enough space for a phone.

Pros:

This light is perfect for trail runners
It can be rotated up to 180 degrees and 90 degrees up and down.
USB can recharge it.

Cons:

We recommend a thicker waistband since the material wears out quickly
The belt is not firm on the waist and so, bounces around when running.

8. VITCHELO V800 HEADLAMP

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This projector features a boost mode which turns on maximum light power on one touch together with a wide angle light for better visibility at close range.

It has rechargeable, and iOn rechargeable batteries, as well as a red, LED light for optimal night vision. It also has a lockout feature that keeps batteries from draining when the headlamp is not in use.

Pros:

It has a one touch boost mode.
It is constructed to be waterproof.
It has an emergency “SOS” red and white light.

Cons:

It has little battery life in maximum mode.
It is a bit heavyweight.

9. OLYMPIA EX550

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This headlamp features a large output of 550 lumens and has a waterproof construction. It has a total of five light settings which lets you choose between low, medium, high, and maximum light output.

It is impact resistant and corrosion proof. If switched on, the strobe setting and a lockout function keep the battery from draining if the headlamp is unintentional. It also has a pivoting head and a powerful Cree LED bulb.

Pros:

It has a high output of 550 lumens.
It has a pivoting head.
It is waterproof and impact resistant.

Cons:

It is heavyweight.
The replacement batteries are hard to see.
It has little battery life on the highest settings.

10. AMPHIPOD SWIFT-CLIP CAP LIGHT

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Just fasten the Swift-Clip directly to your cap Or visor to begin. This running light has a constant beam which offers precise visibility up front. It is very easy to use; just fasten the fast clip directly to your cap to begin.

It is lightweight and has an easy grip rubber housing. It features flashing strobe modes for extra safety as well as long lasting coin batteries. This light is available in a variety of colors.

Pros:

Clipping onto a cap or visor is easy.
It has the continuous beam and strobe illumination modes.
The coin batteries are durable.

Cons:

The light cannot be angled or adjusted.

CONCLUSION

You can now conveniently make a choice of the running headlamp, having gone through the features and types of projectors that we carefully handpicked just for you.

However, our number one pick is the Petzl Tikka + with its affordability, long battery life, adjustable headband and high output.