10 Best Headlamps in 2023

Petzl Actik

The Petzl Actik is a great headlamp that comes with most of the qualities you might want or need whilst being in the outdoors at night.

The headlamp features multiple modes, from red-lighting so you keep your night vision to proximity, strobe, standard, max power, and max autonomy. There is an option for any situation and the intelligent modes give you a long battery burn time and performance lighting, so the beam won’t weaken as the batteries do.

The Petzl Actik runs on either three AAA’s or a rechargeable CORE battery that’s sold separately. This is really useful as if your rechargeable battery dies in the wilderness you can simply pop in some fresh AAA’s to keep you going. Or, you can grab it in one with the Petzl Actik Core, which is one I have in my go bag right now!

The only downsides are that there is no locking mechanism, so it could turn on by mistake in your backpack, and that it’s not fully waterproof, so be careful if using it in heavy rain or at sea.

Overall the Petzl Actik Core or Actik is a very rugged and dependable headlamp that’s great for any situation.

Black Diamond Spot 325

The Black Diamond Spot 325 is one of the most sophisticated headlamps around and has made a name for itself amongst outdoor enthusiasts. Its bright LED light and extremely long battery life make it super dependable and efficient.

This Black Diamond headlamp comes with a multitude of modes from red-light and strobe to proximity and distance. The great thing is that you can manually adjust the brightness in each mode, to get the exact lighting you need and it’ll also remember your last brightness setting, so you don’t get a night vision blowout when turning it on the next day.

The battery burn time is pretty amazing on the Black Diamond Spot 325. At full power, you’ll get 4hrs of extremely bright light, while at low power you’ll get 200hrs, all from just 3 AAA’s. We also like that the AAA’s give you the option to have some fresh backup batteries in your pack, in case your rechargeable AAA’s die out.

Outside of all of its amazing features, the Black Diamond Spot is also comfortable, light, waterproof, and has a locking mechanism to ensure it doesn’t turn on or off by mistake. We think it’s one of the best headlamps around and comes in at an amazing price.

Black Diamond Spot Lite 160

The Black Diamond Spot Lite 160 is made to be one of the lightest headlamps around. It’s very similar to the Spot 325, but almost half the weight.

The weight reduction does mean it uses fewer batteries, just two AAA batteries which in turn reduces the battery life and the power of the beam.

Like the Spot 325, the Black Diamond Spot Lite 160 has all the modes you might need, from red-light and proximity to distance, dimming and strobe. You can also use proximity and strobe in the red-light mode, super handy, and you can set it quickly without going through the white light modes and blinding everyone or attracting attention.

The Black Diamond Spot Lite 160 is also super comfy while on your forehead, is waterproof when submerged to 1.1m for 30 minutes, has a locking mechanism, and is overall very high quality and affordable.

If every gram matters to you on the trail, or you’re looking for something light, dependable, and affordable, this Black Diamond headlamp will cover most situations and is a great choice.

Petzl Tikkina

The Petzl Tikkina is a simpler more affordable option as far as headlamps go and is an ideal choice for kids or if you’re looking for something basic.

It has a few modes for proximity and distance which are changed through a single button and offer differing brightness but there is no red-light or strobe mode. This is enough for your basic needs and ideal as a backup too.

It runs on 3 AAA batteries or the CORE rechargeable that’s sold separately. The batteries can last up to 220 hours on the lowest light mode, which is a huge amount of lighting time.

You do sacrifice quite a lot for its simplicity though; it’s a bit dimmer than others, not waterproof, has no locking mechanism, and you sacrifice some mode as we discussed.

Overall it’s very affordable and great for kids thanks to its simple design but there are much better ones in the same price range.

BioLite HeadLamp

The BioLite HeadLamp is made for active users and is dubbed as being so comfortable that you’ll forget you’re wearing it. It’s ideal for runners and anyone who loves to be active in the dark, this is one of the lightest headlamps in the review.

It comes with four modes; white + dim, red + dim, white strobe, and red strobe. More than enough options for any occasion. The ‘bio’ part of the name may get you thinking it’s environmental and it is thanks to the in-built rechargeable battery. It’s charged via USB and the small battery used is what helps bring the weight down.

The battery does give you a solid beam but it runs out a lot faster than others. It can only manage 40 hrs on low and 3 hrs on high which is adequate for most situations, but be sure to carry a battery pack or solar lantern or charger with you on camping expeditions.

Overall a great headlamp for active people.

Petzl Actik Core

The Petzl Actik Core is very similar to the Petzl Actik which was featured at the beginning of the review. The main differences are that this one weighs a bit less, comes with a rechargeable battery, is a lot brighter, and has shorter battery life.

It’s a great choice for those of us who need a strong flood or spotlight. The 450 lumens (light output) make this headlamp one of the brightest in the review with one of the longest beams. If you need to spot things at night or work in search and rescue, this may come in very handy.

It comes with all the modes you’d expect from red to strobe and they’re easy to navigate between. And like the Actik has performance lighting, so your beam doesn’t weaken with the batteries.

The only downsides of the Petzl Actik Core are the shorter battery life, it’s not waterproof, and that it’s a bit expensive.

Overall, if you need a brighter beam and want the choice of rechargeable or AAA batteries in one headlamp, the Petzl Actik is a great choice.

Princeton Tec Snap

The Princeton Tec Snap is one of the most versatile headlamps on the market and can be used for a lot more things than just having it strapped to your head.

The Snap has been designed so that you can remove the lamp from the head strap and use it for other things. It comes with a bike mount and a carabiner mount, so you can clip it on your handlebars or hang it to use as a lantern. It’s also magnetic at one end, so you can, for example, clip it to your car while changing a tire.

As a headlamp, the Princeton Tec is a bit bulky on your forehead but once you’re used to it, there are a few modes to choose from, but it does lack a red-light option. It comes with a good beam and a pretty good battery life too. It has the longest output on max lighting of 40 hours, so if you need full light for long periods of time, this is a good bet.

Overall, the Princeton Tec is a very versatile headlamp that’s ideal for cyclists or use as a backup.

Nitecore NU25

The Nitecore NU25 is feature-filled, super light, and very affordable. Weighing just over an ounce without the strap, it’s quite incredible what this little headlamp has packed inside it.

It comes with 10 modes across both red or white light and here are some of its most noticeable features. It comes with a high CRI auxiliary light for working closely in the dark, turbo mode to give 360 lumens of max output when you need it (also in SOS or beacon mode), high, medium, low white light modes, and two different red light modes. It’s got it all.

The NU25 is fully rechargeable via a micro USB port, is impact resistant, and waterproof. The only drawback is the battery life, which does down quite fast compared to others.

Overall an awesome, affordable headlamp with a lot to offer. Just be sure to bring your battery pack along too.

Fenix HM50R

If you’re looking for a super bright, durable headlamp that performs well in cold conditions, then the Fenix HM50R is a great choice.

It can produce a beam of 860ft with its 500 lumens, making it ideal for spotting and searching in the dark. Plus it’s made to survive pretty much anything thanks to its durable metal housing, impact resistance, and waterproof design.

It comes with a rechargeable battery but also accepts CR123A instead of AAA batteries.  This allows it to operate in temperatures down to minus 40 F. The big single button system also means it can be easily used with gloves on. If you love to camp in the winter, this might be the choice for you.

The only drawback is the lack of strobe and red-light settings and that the batteries can be hard to find. Overall though, an excellent heavy-duty headlamp for those who like to take the outdoors to the extreme.

Ledlenser MH10

If a powerful beam is what you need them the Ledlenser MH10 is a good place to start. It comes with 600 lumens of power that make it ideal for use in caves and the like and it has a great burn time – 120 hours of battery life.

The MH10 comes with some handy modes like low power, power, and defense strobe, but unfortunately no red light mode. When using each of the modes you simply charge the ring adjustment to focus in or widen the beam. A handy feature. It’s also very simple to navigate through all the different functions.

The MH10 is very bulky and the heaviest of all the headlamps at 5.6 oz, plus it’s not waterproof either. If you want something super bright, then this is a good choice, otherwise, we feel there are better and less expensive options in the review.