There are several things to think about when shopping for the best LED headlamp for running, camping, hiking or backpacking. Lumens, bulbs and weight are the main things people think about, but there are a few lesser known topics and features that hikers and campers tend to forget about. These factors may be what really matters in their choice for a great headlamp light.
First, people are concerned about price. The more features a headlamp has the more expensive usually. The biggest deciding factor is the lumens or lumen rating. The higher the number the more powerful the light. This specification can be deceiving for a number of reasons.
Some things to remember is that even the best headlamp will have restrictions. These are beam distance and battery life. Your lumens only matter as long as it can stay on and if it can shine for as far as you need it to. If not, the LED headlamp from whatever brand will not serve your needs. Yes, it will the bright, but if you’re running and it doesn’t reach and illuminate the running trail or path as you need it to, then you need another headlamp that will.
This is an example of how some people go wrong by just choosing the highest lumen rating. If the beam distance is not far, then it’s not good for running or hiking. If you’re going to use it on the street and the light doesn’t have a blink feature, then this may be a deal breaker as well. Like any other purchase, you need to figure out your needs before buying.
If you’re going to need a static light for a campsite or base camp area, then the brightest light will work without needing to care too much about beam distance. Then, you may be worried about battery life instead. You’ll want to go for the highest level of power economy. Weight may not be as important as this type of light is not going to move too much.
Brands like Petzl and Black Diamond are top makers for LED headlamps that are the best for all sorts of uses and applications. There are models for trail running, hiking and backpacking as well as for camping and any other activity you can think of that needs a little light. Of course, these lights were made for caving and other recreational activities of that sort. The hands-free convenience does apply to other sports and uses as well.
Knowing the type of portable light you need is the first step. Thinking about lumens, bulbs and battery life is important when shopping for these types of lighting devices. If you need a great tool for lighting up an area which leaves your hands free to do other things, an LED headlamp may be just the thing you need.
