Headlamp Buyers Guide - How to Select the Best Headlamp

 

Headlamps can come in great handy during hunting, fishing and other outdoor (or underground) activities because they provide convenient, hands free, focused lighting. Because headlamps vary in feature, here are a few things to consider when purchasing a headlamp.

 

Comfort

Headlamps come with adjustable straps, but it’s important to find the one that fits you best. Headlamps with straps that run around the head and also from the front to the back of the head tend to be more comfortable, especially if wearing a bulkier headlamp or for wearing it long periods of time.  The lower powered headlamps tend to me smaller and typically just have the one strap that goes around the head.

 

Brightness

We carry headlamps that range in brightness from 12 lumens up to 145 lumens. For projects around the house or for simple camping trips, a lower powered headlamp might suffice like the Brinkmann 6 LED Headlamp. However, if you are into overnight hiking and backpacking trips or other nighttime outdoor activities, you might be better served with one of the higher powered headlamps like the Black Diamond Icon. Of course high brightness must be sustained with high energy. Most headlamps take multiple AA or AAA batteries and can run up to 23 straight hours on low settings. All of our headlamps utilize LED bulbs so that you get a bright light, but low energy consumption (longer battery life).  Plus, LED bulbs virtually never need replacing which means they are reliable and require very little maintenance. We even carry headlamps with red LED bulbs for enhanced night vision.

 

Durability

Make sure the headlamp you select is durable enough for you. Consider the conditions the headlamp will be used under like the weather and make sure the headlamp you choose will hold up in rain, high wind, snow or whatever the case is. It’s going on your head, so it goes wherever you go, whether that’s outdoors to set up a tent or down into a canyon. For a solid, durable headlamp check out the Dorcy Metal Gear Headlamp with aluminum construction of 45 lumens of light output.

 

Distance of light

Along with brightness goes distance of light. Do you need a light that projects beams of up to 150 feet? Do you need the headlamp to illuminate items up close? Brighter and farther reaching light tends to be more expensive than not, so consider what you’ll use the headlamp for before purchasing. The Dorcy 3AA Led Headlamp has a light output of up to 100 ft and is a good option for long range headlamp beam, but for up close lighting something less bright like a Black Diamond Gizmo should do the trick.

 

By considering the points above and determining what your requirements are for your headlamp, you are on your way to making a smart purchase that you will be  happy with for years to come.