If you like outdoor activities year-round, arming yourself with the best headlamp is crucial. From autumn/fall through winter and into spring, when there are more hours of darkness than light in the day, headlamps are very helpful. This holds true whether you're camping, embarking on a multi-day journey, hiking or just taking the dog for a stroll before or after work.

The best handheld torch are great options in some situations, but having the best head torch shining out of the middle of your head makes things so much easier when you need to keep both hands free (to carry out tasks like using a camping stove, erecting a tent, lacing up hiking boots or searching through a backpack). 

1. Petzl Swift RL

At the moment, the superb Petzl Swift RL is our top option for the title of best head torch. Through a telescope, the maximum output of 900 lumens is brighter than the sun. Don't worry, Petzl hasn't focused solely on brightness and ignored performance. On the usual setting, you'll receive 2 hours of 550-lumen light, which is a respectable amount for a headlamp.

2. BIOLITE HEADLAMP 750

If you need a head torch that'll keep going for hours on end and can deliver a dazzling beam of light on demand, the BioLite HeadLamp 750 is an absolute must. It can kick out a whopping 750 lumens when you really need it, but you're more likely to keep it set to 500, which it can maintain for seven hours of impressive illumination. It has eight light modes that you can switch between at the tap of a well-positioned button, including a red LED for tactical operations, and it fits beautifully and comfortably whether you're wearing it straight on your head or over a beanie or helmet. We particularly like how the battery pack is situated around the back so as to distribute weight evenly.

3. PETZL IKO CORE HEAD TORCH

The lightweight Petzl Iko Core headlamp is an excellent choice for trail runners and hikers. Not only is it one of the very brightest head torches around, but the clever design makes it ideal for high-energy activities. The elastic tension strap thread keeps everything securely in place while you're on your way. Rather than having the batteries and light in one place, here, the weight is distributed differently, with the heavier battery pack sitting neatly on the back of the head while the LEDs are almost flush with the forehead. It's very comfortable to wear and will fit most heads (but not a helmet)

4. BLACK DIAMOND STORM 400 HEADLAMP

There are several great all-around features on the Black Diamond Storm 400 headlamp, some of which make it perfect for mountaineering. First off, it's simple to loop over a helmet in the dark thanks to a large, glove-friendly button and a very broad head strap. Brightness Memory allows users to quickly access their most recent brightness adjustment without having to cycle through several settings.

5. BIOLITE HEADLAMP 200

One of the best running head torches available is BioLite's newest headlamp, the Biolite HeadLamp 200, and for many good reasons. It is reasonably priced, bright, lightweight, comfy, adjustable, and has a respectable battery life.

6. BLACK DIAMOND FLARE

The Black Diamond Flare is an exception to this list because it is made for emergencies. To that purpose, it is incredibly light yet strong, dustproof, and able to endure 30 minutes of total submersion in water up to 1m. The bungee can be secured to just about anything, and the knurled aluminium ring around the bulbs allows you to change the lighting settings. A hinged backplate also allows the lens to rotate 180 degrees.

7. ALPKIT PRISM HEADLAMP

Alpkit has been perfecting its head torches for years, but this one is among the most durable, made of aluminium and equipped with a variety of tough features. The Prism's Li-ion rechargeable battery, which is dust-proof, drop-proof to two metres and water-proof to one metre, can be charged from any micro USB input and produces a 400 lumen beam when in boost mode.

8. EXPOSURE VERSO MK2 HEAD TORCH

EXPOSURE VERSO MK2 HEAD TORCH Due to its three-level power metre and multi-programmable beam pattern, this tough and lightweight headlamp for runners is appropriate for both cross-country and suburban jogging. This running head torch can run for an hour on full beam on a single battery, which is more than enough time to cover a few miles.

9. LED LENSER NEO LED HEAD TORCH

This LED Lenser head lamp is ideal if you run in suburban areas because it will help you be spotted and provide illumination in regions with poor street lighting. In addition, there are four different light settings, including White and Red blink. Although it is inexpensive and colourful, if you use it on one of the low-power settings, the battery life is respectable.

10. Birud Head Flashlight with Rechargeable Charger LED Lamp

The LED headlamp is perfect for camping, fishing, running, cycling, hiking, and trekking. The super-bright headlamp comes with an LED light bulb with 1800 lumens and a focusing disk that enables the beam range to be altered, emphasizing a narrow range of lighting and increasing the range to enhance the field of view cleaner and wider.

FAQ’s

1. How powerful should the beam of a headlamp be?

Lumens, a unit of measure for light intensity, have a wide range. Depending on the setting, less priced, basic variants start at roughly 20 lumens, while more expensive, specialised types can reach 600 lumens.

2. How can you tell if a torch is strong?

A torch's lumen rating, which is expressed in terms of power output, is frequently listed on the packaging of the light. A lumen, sometimes known as "brightness," is a unit of measurement for the total amount of visible light. The brightness of the light increases with the lumen count.

3. How heavy are head torches?

You might assume that all headlamp weights are similar to one another. However, I discovered that the weights are very well distributed, and the more you walk or run, the more you would notice those extra grammes.