The 4 Best Headlamps of 2025
BioLite Headlamp 325: You’ll need a long session with the manual to memorize the taps needed to get to each function. During our battery tests, this was the first light to go out (on its highest setting) after just three hours.
BioLite Headlamp 425: Like other BioLite options we’ve tested, the clicking configurations are complex. Compared to our top pick, you’ll get less overall battery life (although you will get longer on the brightest setting), plus it’s more expensive and you can’t use different kinds of batteries.
BioLite HeadLamp 750: The main downside to this headlamp (which appears to be discontinued as of March 2023) is the large battery pack on the back. The headlamp weighs 5 ounces, and some reviewers report that the battery pack gets hot after just a few hours of use. (This didn’t happen to us.)
Black Diamond Storm 450 and the USB-rechargeable Storm 500-R: Both have an IP67 rating—meaning they’re dustproof—but we still prefer the Spot, which is plenty bright and less expensive.
Coast FL78: Unlike the Spot, where you have to hold down a button to adjust the light’s focus, this headlamp uses a dial on the front for adjustments, from a wide diffuse flood to a concentrated spot. But we found the dial tight and awkward to turn, which twisted the lamp on our forehead and skin.
Coast FL85: This is a high-quality light, but more than most people reading this guide will need. It was also so heavy—4.5 ounces—that it slipped down our forehead during walks. The buttons were hard to find in the dark, especially when we were wearing gloves.
Coast RL35R: Released in 2024, this headlamp is voice activated, a novel but potentially interesting hands-free solution. It was surprisingly good at taking our commands, even in loud environments. However, it’s heavy, awkward, and uncomfortable because there is a big battery pack on the back of the headband. Unless you absolutely need a hands-free headlamp, we don’t think this is worth it, and even then, it’s not comfortable to wear.
Energizer Headlamp SMART LED with Voice Activation: We wanted to compare Coast’s RL35R headlamp’s voice-activated capabilities to other similar headlamps, and as of the time of publishing, this is the only other voice-activated headlamp. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do its job very well and is a classic case of a “feature” becoming a frustration.
Energizer LED Headlamp Pro: For the price, this headlamp is serviceable. It did well in the battery life test and survived the drop test without breaking. It feels cheaper than our budget pick, though, and it has no listed warranty.
Foxelli MX20: This headlamp offers only 165 lumens of light, and it’s much heavier (at 3.2 ounces) than our current budget pick, the Astro. For a few extra dollars, we think it’s worth the extra lightness and brightness the Astro has to offer.
LedLenser Neo 1R: This running headlamp was harder to operate than most of the other headlamps we tested. The headband doesn’t have much padding where the light meets your head and is uncomfortable.
Ledlenser MH5: We didn’t love that this otherwise good headlamp has a proprietary battery and comes with a custom charger. Having said that, it’s bright and has great battery life. You can also detach the lamp from its headband, and there is a clip to attach it to your shirt or a pocket (or you can hold it awkwardly to make it a tiny flashlight).
NiteCore NU25 400: Setting up this headlamp is complicated (you’ll need to attach the light to the headband yourself), and the learning curve to operate it is steep. Its battery ran out after four hours on high; the onboard battery requires access to a USB port.
Ozark Trail 500 Lumen Multi-Color LED Headlamp: This was the cheapest headlamp we tested—under $10 at the time of writing. Its light was greenish, and it fared second-worst in the battery test amongst the budget models. It also only comes with a 1-year warranty (our budget pick’s is three years).
Petzl IKO CORE: This unusually-designed headlamp uses a plastic, suspension-like headband instead of elastic, and the idea is to evenly distribute its weight on your head (especially if you’re running). At over $100 at the time of writing, it is very expensive. We think our current running pick offers a much better value, with a simpler headband design and half the weight.
Petzl Tikkid: This 20-lumen kids’ headlamp offers only red and white lights.
Petzl Tikkina: A budget option, this lasted only three hours during our battery test, and its adjustment process is a bit clunky. The headband felt cheap, and there’s no dim function or red light.
Princeton Tec Remix 450: The box didn’t come with a manual, which wasn’t a good start. This is a clunky headlamp that feels large on your head, despite weighing only 3 ounces, and its operation isn’t as smooth as our top pick.
Princeton Tec Snap: The 300-lumen Snap caught our attention for its multipurpose housing, but like the Remix, it was tough to operate out of the box without having to resort to the manual.
Yalumi Spark Dual: This light broke out of its housing during the durability test.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
