Best Headlamps for Hiking, Camping and Power Outages

For most people, the best headlamp is a light one that charges by USB, reaches a few hundred lumens on its brightest setting, has a red mode and locks so it can't switch itself on in your pack. That one lamp covers a day hike that runs past sunset, a weekend at a campsite and a night without power. If it will live in an emergency kit or go out for several nights in a row, choose one that can also run on AAA batteries.

Below are five picks for different jobs, what the numbers on the package actually measure, and how to match a lamp to the trip, the kids in your group and the shelf by the back door.

Five picks for trails, campsites and outages

The first three are ordered by how many readers they suit: a hybrid lamp from a long-time climbing light maker, a lighter rechargeable that costs less, and an AAA lamp in a waterproof housing for wet trips and emergency kits.

Two more round out the list: a brighter rechargeable for camp chores and early starts, and a plain, sturdy rechargeable that works well as the second or third lamp in a household. We picked all five from makers' specifications, published reviews and what owners report after months of use. We did not take them on trips of our own, so the notes below come from those sources and from how each design works.

What the numbers on the package mean

Most established makers measure their lights to a voluntary standard called ANSI/PLATO FL 1 and print the results as small icons on the box. Knowing what those icons describe keeps you from paying for numbers you will never use.

Lumens

Lumens are the total light coming out of the lamp on a given setting. A rough guide:

• 50 to 150 lumens: reading in the tent, cooking, finding the restroom at a campground.
• 200 to 400 lumens: walking a trail after dark, spotting blazes and junction signs.
• 400 lumens and up: route finding in fog or on rocky, poorly marked ground.

Most people spend nearly all their time on low or medium. The top setting is for short bursts, and it empties the battery fastest. Many lamps also step down from their brightest mode after a short time to save power and limit heat.

Beam distance and run time

Beam distance is how far away the light falls to 0.25 lux, which is about the brightness of a full moon on open ground. Run time is measured from 30 seconds after you switch on until output drops to 10 percent of that starting level. So a lamp listed at two hours on high is not giving you full brightness for two hours. It may run bright for a while and much dimmer for the rest. Compare run times on the setting you will actually use, usually medium.

Water resistance

The IPX code tells you how much water the lamp can take. IPX4 means splashing from any direction, which covers rain. IPX7 means it survives a drop into water about 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep for 30 minutes. IPX8 goes beyond that, to a depth the maker states. For hiking and camping, IPX4 is enough. Paddlers, anglers and anyone who keeps a lamp in a car or a flood-prone basement may want IPX7 or better.

Weight

Small rechargeable headlamps commonly weigh 2 to 3 ounces (55 to 85 grams). A set of three AAA batteries adds a little over an ounce. On a day hike you will not notice either. On a long night walk, a heavy front unit bounces and presses on your forehead, and a lamp with its battery in a rear pack balances better.

Rechargeable, AAA or both

This is the biggest decision, and it depends on where the lamp will spend most of its life.

A rechargeable lamp costs less to run, tops up from a phone battery pack or a car's USB port, and never leaves you hunting for the right batteries. The catch is that you can't refill it on the trail without a power source, and lithium batteries give less in the cold. Charge it the night before every trip.

An AAA lamp runs on batteries sold at nearly every corner store and gas station, and you can swap in fresh ones in under a minute in the dark. That makes it the safer choice for an emergency kit, a car or a trip of several days without outlets. Lithium AAA batteries hold up better than alkalines in freezing weather and keep their charge for years on a shelf. Alkalines are fine for most uses, but take them out of a lamp you store for months, since they can leak and corrode the contacts.

A hybrid lamp such as the Actik Core does both. It comes with its own rechargeable pack and also accepts AAA batteries, so a dead battery on the third night of a trip is a nuisance instead of a problem.

When batteries wear out, the EPA's battery guidance says lithium-ion rechargeables should never go in household trash or curbside recycling, because they can start fires. Tape the terminals and take them to a drop-off; many hardware and electronics stores collect them. Single-use alkalines can go in the household trash in most communities, though recycling them is better where your city offers it.

Red light, lock and the details that matter

Red light earns its place. Your eyes take time to adjust to darkness, and the Park Service's night sky tips for Indiana Dunes put full adjustment at 20 to 30 minutes, with bright white light resetting the clock. A red mode lets you read a map or find the tent zipper without losing that. It is also good manners: at a campground, a white beam swung across the next site is the headlamp version of high beams.

A lock mode stops the lamp from switching on inside your pack and draining overnight. On some lamps you hold the button for a few seconds; on others you twist the battery cap a quarter turn. Learn yours at home.

A few smaller things make a lamp pleasant to live with. A head that tilts down lets you light your feet without craning your neck. A battery indicator tells you whether tonight's charge will last. Big, simple buttons work with gloves on, and a red mode you can reach without flashing white first spares everyone's eyes. The strap should adjust wide enough to fit over a winter hat, a headscarf or a hijab. If a headband is uncomfortable, for instance with hearing aids, many lamps clip onto a cap brim or a pack's shoulder strap instead.

The picks, one by one

Petzl Actik Core: the all-rounder

The Petzl Actik Core comes from a company that has made climbing and caving lights for decades, and its main strength is flexibility. It runs on its own rechargeable pack, and if that pack runs down far from an outlet, three AAA batteries slot in instead. It has a red mode, a beam that mixes a wide flood with a focused center, and a top setting bright enough for route finding. Petzl builds it to handle rain. It costs more than the others here, so it makes the most sense for regular hikers and campers, or for anyone who wants one lamp for everything.

Lepro rechargeable: lower cost, light and simple

The Lepro rechargeable headlamp weighs about 2.7 ounces, charges by USB and has a red mode. That combination covers what most people do with a headlamp: an evening walk, a campground bathroom run, a power outage. It suits kids, first-time campers, the kitchen drawer and the glove box. Because it costs less, it is easy to buy one per person, which matters more on a family trip than any single feature. Charge it before you go.

Black Diamond Spot 400: wet trips and emergency kits

The Black Diamond Spot 400 runs on AAA batteries in a waterproof housing (listed as IPX8), so rain, a stream crossing or a soggy car trunk won't trouble it. Its red mode comes on without a flash of white first, and a tap on the side of the housing jumps straight to full brightness when you need to see far. Black Diamond sells an optional rechargeable pack separately. Out of the box it is a battery lamp, which is exactly what you want in an emergency kit: store fresh lithium AAAs beside it and it will be ready years from now.

Blukar rechargeable: more light for camp chores

The Blukar rechargeable headlamp is the pick for people who want a stronger beam for close-range work: pitching a tent after dark, cooking, packing up before dawn. It charges by USB. Brighter settings empty any battery faster, so check the run times listed for the mode you'll use most and bring a battery pack on longer trips.

Energizer PRO-400: the household spare

The Energizer PRO-400 is a plain, sturdy rechargeable lamp with a water-resistant body. It fills the role a lot of homes need covered: the second or third headlamp, the one that lives by the breaker box, rides in the car or goes to the teenager who keeps borrowing yours.

Side by side

Matching a lamp to the trip

Day hikes

Light is one of the Ten Essentials, and the National Park Service calls headlamps the recommended light source because they leave your hands free. Even on a noon start, carry one; a wrong turn or a slow descent is how a three-hour hike ends in the dark. Our day hike packing list covers the rest of the kit, and the hiking time calculator estimates how long your route will take so you can compare it with sunset.

If your hike ends at a bus or train stop, the walk from the trailhead is often along a road shoulder. Keep the lamp on, wear something light-colored or reflective, and walk facing traffic.

Car camping

Bring one lamp per person plus a lantern for the picnic table. Whoever cooks will appreciate a stronger beam like the Blukar's over the stove and cutting board. Red mode after dark keeps the peace with neighbors and lets everyone see the night sky. A small USB battery pack recharges most lamps overnight, or plug them in during the drive.

Power outages

Ready.gov's power outage page tells households to keep flashlights for every member. Headlamps do the same job while leaving both hands free for carrying a child, a pot or a laundry basket down dark stairs, and they are far safer than candles. An AAA lamp like the Spot 400 with a pack of lithium batteries beside it is the simplest kit light there is. A rechargeable spare such as the Energizer, kept charged by the breaker box, covers a second person. Our home emergency kit guide lists what to store with them.

Kids

Kids want their own lamp, and they will use it constantly, so choose something light with one button. A small rechargeable like the Lepro is plenty. Teach them to point it at the ground when they talk to someone, and pair it with a whistle for hikes.

Low vision and balance

A light on your forehead points the same way as your eyes, which flattens shadows and can make roots and rocks hard to read. Holding a second light low, or clipping one to a waist belt, throws longer shadows that show the shape of the ground. Many people with low vision do better with a wide, even flood beam, and some find a warmer tint easier on the eyes in fog or rain. A headlamp also keeps both hands free for a cane, trekking poles or a companion's arm.

Care, charging and borrowing

Charge rechargeable lamps after every trip so they're ready for the next one, and top up any lamp in storage every few months. In cold weather, keep the lamp in an inside pocket by day and in your sleeping bag at night; a cold battery can look dead and come back once it warms. Wash the headband by hand with mild soap now and then, and let it dry before you put it away.

If you are not sure what you need, borrow before buying. Many gear libraries at public libraries and parks departments lend headlamps along with tents and stoves, and a weekend with a borrowed lamp tells you quickly whether you want more brightness, a lighter unit or a red mode that's easier to find.

Whatever you choose, try it at home first. Switch off the lights, put the lamp on and walk from your bedroom to the front door. You'll know right away whether the beam, the buttons and the strap work for you.

Next: try the Hiking Time Calculator or browse the full Pack list.