Looking for headlamp recommendations (the ones you wear)

While not necessarily a tool per se, was wondering if I could get any recommendations from members for a pair of headlamps that are bright, use rechargeable batteries, and are useful for doing work in dim/low light.

This is the current front runner complements of Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RZJ3JK4/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Thank you ...

Cheaper on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-bright-990000LM-5-X-XM-L-T6-LED-Headlamp-Headlight-Flashlight-Head-Torch/264392896619?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3d8f0b706b:g:9WkAAOSw6axdiwbq&enc=AQAEAAACQBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qXLe8ENCbfZkUNYhybKSi5wKDUPG4jVbBSm7RjZPZ3aF8sTP09mUpaploVbBXZBkPCLQeFVEKDhXwj%2BKTAp74I585ulIIWXP35BnFbT6JXMFGbrE1hlQYzEAIXKRLbyTwRU8FyGr9LPfOvSwhhyuRPiwNuA%2FOvy5zaJ22RKSyOn%2FUO91kiL6G47IznoU6eDRKn%2FbNvUydiyM31fSFaGFyrkNIJtvHsxrTa35yrKDr900nhJOWzq19LIOqr8nNeJxnhicrtnqZGbRMMi9l%2BOjn8WrGBNV%2FSSft8ISrbwK9vleN4aEowjn74uSnG%2FpnVcw5SWXlvz8aRlr%2BNdGtXmlg0hFBYZUyLNS%2BA9ZzbCRiM1yR7YA3pDRlKenk%2FMcTxfAyJHwKcnQXzY36tbcE0Il89tHf3JOajqUsPFSK89Ay6IrTqSLhmoye297sbOoYzti7EZS0191FSjCXJpG8w3T9Lxl4JzhQoj3PatvY4m3Fwfj00%2BVed3Bt1UeX8FWE6jM37IC9sY5oa6p%2FW0W2O2ldxE%2FliASbLWHWFbfpJRxfoV%2Bh6kS1mpf5wg27QWoGoSgctJtbhJ7D%2BchvBRigEMsdCZi3B2wAXUor5PlZemOhdDQ7voeTsQGBxDdJmXOe3McSzZDLJmJdk1DIPCvPAroofq9cdLcR0A3%2FyoEM%2FsBQ7fFpk4uE%2F8xzby7HzYVBQgisixBjV8jWeIYprYiL1Lw6OrgsqpeGlFRLOxUyfl2%2FXDPw%3D%3D&checksum=2643928966192bafe9e27c594e9797de26a897bbdee7&enc=AQAEAAACQBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qXLe8ENCbfZkUNYhybKSi5wKDUPG4jVbBSm7RjZPZ3aF8sTP09mUpaploVbBXZBkPCLQeFVEKDhXwj%2BKTAp74I585ulIIWXP35BnFbT6JXMFGbrE1hlQYzEAIXKRLbyTwRU8FyGr9LPfOvSwhhyuRPiwNuA%2FOvy5zaJ22RKSyOn%2FUO91kiL6G47IznoU6eDRKn%2FbNvUydiyM31fSFaGFyrkNIJtvHsxrTa35yrKDr900nhJOWzq19LIOqr8nNeJxnhicrtnqZGbRMMi9l%2BOjn8WrGBNV%2FSSft8ISrbwK9vleN4aEowjn74uSnG%2FpnVcw5SWXlvz8aRlr%2BNdGtXmlg0hFBYZUyLNS%2BA9ZzbCRiM1yR7YA3pDRlKenk%2FMcTxfAyJHwKcnQXzY36tbcE0Il89tHf3JOajqUsPFSK89Ay6IrTqSLhmoye297sbOoYzti7EZS0191FSjCXJpG8w3T9Lxl4JzhQoj3PatvY4m3Fwfj00%2BVed3Bt1UeX8FWE6jM37IC9sY5oa6p%2FW0W2O2ldxE%2FliASbLWHWFbfpJRxfoV%2Bh6kS1mpf5wg27QWoGoSgctJtbhJ7D%2BchvBRigEMsdCZi3B2wAXUor5PlZemOhdDQ7voeTsQGBxDdJmXOe3McSzZDLJmJdk1DIPCvPAroofq9cdLcR0A3%2FyoEM%2FsBQ7fFpk4uE%2F8xzby7HzYVBQgisixBjV8jWeIYprYiL1Lw6OrgsqpeGlFRLOxUyfl2%2FXDPw%3D%3D&checksum=2643928966192bafe9e27c594e9797de26a897bbdee7
at least it looks the same. I've bought a few a couple years ago on Ebay. I think they'll all be pretty comparable. That one you posted looks rather bulky and should be heavier than ones that just have 1 LED. The ones I have are too old so I can't link to them, but they are bright enough I don't think having that smaller LEDs on the side would have made them any brighter.

I bet most of those reviews are fake. Let us know.

https://www.streamlight.com/docs/de...et/protachlusbheadlamp_datasheet.pdf?sfvrsn=6

I use it regularly and love it.

Fenix HL60R will be under my Christmas tree with my name on it.

-- Dave

I like my Wowtac A2

I personally like petzl brand. Look on their website for your specific needs. All styles, colors, lumens, features, etc.

X2 on the stream light.
Use the three brightness headlamp almost daily
Carry the small two A.A. battery stream light and use it multiple times daily.
I may be a Stream Light fan?

Coast FL75R has really impressed me...

Coast adjustable focus is great

Zebralight. I have three of them, for years, no issues. Available to run on rechargeable AA or 18650 batteries.

All I use anymore are headlamps, that way the light is always directed where I’m looking. My favorite is the LED Lenser h14, charges off the cigarette lighter and will last about 6-8hrs on low setting. My back up headlamp is the steel man pro I found on ebay. Not as bright or as long of battery life as the led lenser, but still a solid headlamp for the money.
https://www.ebay.com/c/12014569669

Citation said:

I like my Wowtac A2

Click to expand...

Doubling down on this recommendation. Comes with a micro USB rechargable cell, but also fully compatible with standard 18650s. Great run time and brightness.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZZFY3J/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Zebralight is the only way to go

I have a NiteCore rechargeable and it works fine. Many other great brands mentioned above.
I would get:
Over 500 Lumens. 900-1000 is quite good. For comparison a car headlight is 3000+
Lithium Ion USB rechargeable
Adjustable up-down angle
Waterproof
About 3 brightness levels. Some lights have too many modes and it's annoying.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0775FVML3/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Use daily at work

FSUwelder1212 said:

Zebralight is the only way to go

Click to expand...

I second this as well

The best testament is the fact I use my Wowtac A2S daily in a commercial environment for years no issues

Lights is an area where less ends up costing you more. Cheap ones don't last, churn out tons of heat, and are obnoxiously large and heavy. You may as well strap a hand held light to your head with Velcro.

Petzl has been around for a long time and has a rechargeable battery pack now that will go into any headlamp that accepts 3 AAA.

BioLite 330 is a nice option for a battery on back so the actual LED is super slim.

Going to disagree strongly with engineer2 above and say you don't need more than an honest 300-400 lumen rating. That's still exceptionally bright. 500+ on a headlamp is something you'd buy to blind a mugger but has little real world benefit other than acting like a furnace in the winter and ******* off anyone you happen to catch in the beam.

I like my Stream light bandit, light weight, floody, and usb rechargeable.

Petzl Pixa.

Not blindingly bright, but an honestly good head lamp with good controls and without stupid features I didn’t want, like blinking.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

I went for a Fenix HP15 and really like it. The battery is in the back and a bit heavy, but it uses 4 AA cells, and NiMH work just fine.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I just ordered the fenix HM65R and very impressed. You can sign up for email to receive 20% off first order. Its $94..with 20% off, work out to $75 shipped.
Its 18650 battery rechargeable, 3500 mah, key one is 22 hrs at 400 lumens, which is why i bought it. Plus its lighweight, flat band on back. Its capable of 1400 lumens for 2 hrs..i tested the hours rating and its about 18hrs at 400 lumens.. And its lumen ratings are pretty real, not overblown lumen ratings with weak light output thats found on Ebay and amazon.
But more specs can be read on fenix site.

https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-hm65r-rechargeable-headlamp-1400-lumens/

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

SuzukiGS750EZ said:

I second this as well

Click to expand...

I third this. Go with a Zebralight.

I use anything by Coast. I’ve used Led Lenser ones, but the Coast products are at Walmart and Home Boy Depot.

I bought a cool looking one from eBay and turned out to be junk. So my ears are open for alternatives. I appreciate posts like these, then I know I’m not taking a big risk getting junk. If others are using a particular product without issues, it’s probably ok.

Thanks to all who have posted.

I think cheap cob led lights are best for working on anything close as the beam is an even flood rather than a more focused spot. 900+ lumen headlights are more suited to walking, hunting, fishing etc where you need a beam to cover distance.

Zebralight with high CRI is great and it's all I use

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Prefer headlamps that keep it simple light-weight and inexpensive. Costco has the 3-pk Duracell for $19 that puts out 500 lumens. Perfect for jogging, walking, auto work, construction etc.

Several good recommendations.

My personal choice is zebralight.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

It really depends on what you are going to be doing and just how much light you want. I have a few different types of headlamps. I have a few simple units where the LED's and batteries are all contained in one housing on your forehead, held on with one strap. It is great for short use small tasks, and don't put out very much light.

My pride and joy is the Princeton Tec (linked below) that has the LED's in a housing on the front, and a (4) AA battery pack on the back of your head, with a second strap running up over your head. I prefer this light if I need to use it for a while when it's dark, cuz I can adjust it from very bright (550 lumens) down to less then 100 lumens. It also stays on my head better, cuz it doesn't rely on just one strap. It also has a light on the front that flashes to indicate the battery life. It is completely weather sealed and you never have to worry about the weather conditions you use it in.

https://princetontec.com/product/apex/

None of my lights have built in battery packs, I use Amazon or Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Reason is if I need light, I don't want to have wait for the battery pack to recharge. I keep recharged batteries on hand, so I swap them out and keep moving on.

Ohh, and I don't like the lights where you have to cycle through all the modes to turn them off. Just a push and hold to off is what I prefer.

Firefighter1406 said:

https://www.amazon.com/802100-Broadbeam-Headlamp-Ultra-Low-Illumination/dp/B07GT49F9C/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ovled+headlamp&qid=1576381934&sprefix=ovl&sr=8-3

Click to expand...

I like this one^^^

This is the brand that Maic Salazar uses in his videos:

https://www.ledlenserusa.com/collections/headlamps

i've used many over the last 17+ years, and here's my thoughts..

for such an important tool (i use it almost daily), i think there's no need to cheap out on a headlamp.

first of all, let's talk about battery. i strongly recommend that you go with an 18650-based light. i personally do not find a light useful if it has less battery capacity than that. forget those anemic headlamps!! they're a joke! maybe for a super tiny EDC light, i can understand some people wanting a little AA or AAA based light, but a headlamp is already going to be a bit bulky because of the head strap, so it's never going to fit in your shirt pocket anyway.

next, do you require built in charging?
my views have changed on this over the years. it used to be a requirement for me. but now that lights are so efficient, i get a lot of runtime out of a single 18650 battery, and if i need more, i just bring a spare with me. they're small and cheap ($6). not having a built-in charger cuts down on the size and complexity of the headlamp. also, i have several 18650-based flashlights, and it's nice to not have that machinery needlessly duplicated in every light. no charge port can also mean the light is waterproof. the only reason built-in charger still makes sense is if you're traveling for an extended period of time and don't want to waste luggage space on a standalone charger.

if you require built-in charging:

petzl nao (whatever the latest iteration of it is):

https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/PERFORMANCE-headlamps/NAO-PLUS

petzl makes great, high quality stuff. i started out on some of their bulky 4xAA battery pack models back before LEDs dominated. when it made sense, i transitioned to LED and 18650 batteries.

i used the petzl nao for a long time as my main headlamp. the nao series features 'reactive lighting' -- there's a brightness sensor that senses how much light is being reflected back at your face, so if you're illuminating something very close to you, it will automatically dim the light. it's nice for outdoors stuff, but it makes no sense indoors. and yes, you can disable the reactive mode. so if that sounds cool at all, consider this light.

it has built in usb charging. the downsides? it's probably the most expensive light on this list, and reactive lighting may be just a gimmick for some people. also, although it is 18650-based, their batteries are proprietary and very expensive (around 10x the cost of a normal one) because they have some stupid mini-PCB attached to it. i've never bought spare batteries for mine, so in a way it doesn't matter, but if they were cheap, i probably would have.

armytek

https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/types/multi-flashlights-headlamps/

if you don't want a petzl nao because:

• too expensive
• don't care about its 'reactive lighting' feature
• want to be able to buy spare 18650 batteries for a reasonable price ($6)

probably the best headlamp with built in usb charging is the armytek. i don't own any myself, so i can't recommend a specific model.

if you do not require built-in charging:

pizza said:

everyone could benefit greatly from having:

a good headlamp: zebralight H600w Mk IV !

who wouldn't benefit from hands free light? i use this thing for everything. i sincerely believe that everyone should have one.

http://www.zebralight.com/H600w-Mk-IV-18650-XHP35-Neutral-White-Headlamp_p_215.html

zebralight is my favorite flashlight maker. a bit pricey, but excellent build quality, user interface, and LED driver efficiency. these thoughts mirror my own: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/59968
their headlamps are nice because they have insane battery life, high output, are not too bulky, and the light can be easily removed from the headband to keep in your pocket if you want.

and as for why the H600w specifically? i've played with most of their headlamps in person, and it's my favorite overall because of the narrower hotspot (less floody). i mostly use it to illuminate what i'm looking directly at, and having it more focused lets me use less battery.

Click to expand...

my top pick is the zebralight H600w IV. this is now my main headlamp. cheaper, smaller, and lighter than the petzl nao. it uses inexpensive, non-proprietary 18650 batteries ($6). very high quality and has industry-leading LED driver and tuning to give you top battery life. and you can remove the strap to use it as a small EDC light. and it's very water resistant (IPX8 rating: 2 meters, 30 minutes).

another huge thing is the user interface. it is very good and customizable. read up on it first! it's a little fiddly to program, but you only have to do it once. this is a huge part of why i prefer zebralight. there are 12 brightness settings, and you can program in 6 of them for easy access (at most a few clicks away). the lowest brightness levels are surprisingly super useful and last months (!!) on a single battery.

zebralight has many models. it's confusing and took me a long time to get familiar with their lineup. they should really make it easier to understand..

first, you have 3 general choices in optics:
spot-spill (reflector that focuses it into a hotspot), floody (spot-spill but with a frosted diffuser to spread it out some), and flood (no focusing reflector, just a pure bulb, maximum flood). all my recommendations are for spot-spill. floody and flood just waste too much energy illuminating stuff you're not even looking at. floodlamp is good for a stationary light, not something fixed to your head that automatically points at what you're looking at...

H600w Mk IV:

• overall their best headlamp imo
• imo the best tint
• not ultra high CRI, but plenty good
• 4500K color temp
• 12° hotspot. a little narrower than the others, but still plenty floody imo

if you want high CRI options, you can look at H600c (warmer light, 4000K) and H600d (cooler light, 5000K):

• 17° hotspot. a little wider than H600w. acceptable, but 12° is better for me

hope that helps and am happy to answer questions

Skin said:

Lights is an area where less ends up costing you more. Cheap ones don't last, churn out tons of heat, and are obnoxiously large and heavy. You may as well strap a hand held light to your head with Velcro.

Petzl has been around for a long time and has a rechargeable battery pack now that will go into any headlamp that accepts 3 AAA.

BioLite 330 is a nice option for a battery on back so the actual LED is super slim.

Going to disagree strongly with engineer2 above and say you don't need more than an honest 300-400 lumen rating. That's still exceptionally bright. 500+ on a headlamp is something you'd buy to blind a mugger but has little real world benefit other than acting like a furnace in the winter and ******* off anyone you happen to catch in the beam.

Click to expand...

everyone has different needs. you're right, but just because a light can do 1000 lm doesn't mean you use it at its full brightness all the time. i usually use mine in the lower modes to medium modes (between 3 and 100 lm, which lasts a long time with a 18650 battery). still, sometimes you really need a bright light when you're outdoors. why not give yourself the option? i don't see any downside. especially since you're already onboard with not buying cheap lights.

that BioLite 330 looks nice, but still, i don't like these slim battery options.
like i said in previous post, imo because it has a headband, it's still bulkier than a small standalone light. all that slim battery does for you is increase the surface area to volume ratio, which means more of the volume is wasted (less energy storage density).

just for consideration...
that light weighs 69g. its battery has only 3.4Wh of energy.

compare that to the zebralight H600w i mention in previous post.
with battery, it weighs 127g (drops to 86g if you remove the headband).
a high quality 18650 battery like NCR18650GA will give you at least 11 Wh. that's over 3x the energy.

3.4Wh / 69g = 0.049 Wh/g
11Wh / 127g = 0.087 Wh/g

that's 1.76x the specific energy (energy per unit mass), and consider that the zebralight has a beefier headband style.

pizza said:

i've used many over the last 17+ years, and here's my thoughts..

for such an important tool (i use it almost daily), i think there's no need to cheap out on a headlamp.

first of all, let's talk about battery. i strongly recommend that you go with an 18650-based light. i personally do not find a light useful if it has less battery capacity than that. forget those anemic headlamps!! they're a joke! maybe for a super tiny EDC light, i can understand some people wanting a little AA or AAA based light, but a headlamp is already going to be a bit bulky because of the head strap, so it's never going to fit in your shirt pocket anyway.

next, do you require built in charging?
my views have changed on this over the years. it used to be a requirement for me. but now that lights are so efficient, i get a lot of runtime out of a single 18650 battery, and if i need more, i just bring a spare with me. they're small and cheap ($6). not having a built-in charger cuts down on the size and complexity of the headlamp. also, i have several 18650-based flashlights, and it's nice to not have that machinery needlessly duplicated in every light. no charge port can also mean the light is waterproof. the only reason built-in charger still makes sense is if you're traveling for an extended period of time and don't want to waste luggage space on a standalone charger.

if you require built-in charging:

petzl nao (whatever the latest iteration of it is):

https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/PERFORMANCE-headlamps/NAO-PLUS

petzl makes great, high quality stuff. i started out on some of their bulky 4xAA battery pack models back before LEDs dominated. when it made sense, i transitioned to LED and 18650 batteries.

i used the petzl nao for a long time as my main headlamp. the nao series features 'reactive lighting' -- there's a brightness sensor that senses how much light is being reflected back at your face, so if you're illuminating something very close to you, it will automatically dim the light. it's nice for outdoors stuff, but it makes no sense indoors. and yes, you can disable the reactive mode. so if that sounds cool at all, consider this light.

it has built in usb charging. the downsides? it's probably the most expensive light on this list, and reactive lighting may be just a gimmick for some people. also, although it is 18650-based, their batteries are proprietary and very expensive (around 10x the cost of a normal one) because they have some stupid mini-PCB attached to it. i've never bought spare batteries for mine, so in a way it doesn't matter, but if they were cheap, i probably would have.

armytek

https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/types/multi-flashlights-headlamps/

if you don't want a petzl nao because:

• too expensive
• don't care about its 'reactive lighting' feature
• want to be able to buy spare 18650 batteries for a reasonable price

probably the best headlamp with built in usb charging is the armytek. i don't own any myself, so i can't recommend a specific model.

if you do not require built-in charging:



my top pick is the zebralight H600w IV. this is now my main headlamp. cheaper, smaller, and lighter than the petzl nao. it uses inexpensive, non-proprietary 18650 batteries. very high quality and has industry-leading LED driver and tuning to give you top battery life. and you can remove the strap to use it as a small EDC light. and it's very water resistant (IPX8 rating: 2 meters, 30 minutes).

another huge thing is the user interface. it is very good and customizable. read up on it first! it's a little fiddly to program, but you only have to do it once. this is a huge part of why i prefer zebralight. there are 12 brightness settings, and you can program in 6 of them for easy access (at most a few clicks away). the lowest brightness levels are surprisingly super useful and last months (!!) on a single battery.

zebralight has many models. it's confusing and took me a long time to get familiar with their lineup. they should really make it easier to understand..

first, you have 3 general choices in optics:
spot-spill (reflector that focuses it into a hotspot), floody (spot-spill but with a frosted diffuser to spread it out some), and flood (no focusing reflector, just a pure bulb, maximum flood). all my recommendations are for spot-spill. floody and flood just waste too much energy illuminating stuff you're not even looking at. floodlamp is good for a stationary light, not something fixed to your head that automatically points at what you're looking at...

H600w Mk IV:

• overall their best headlamp imo
• imo the best tint
• not ultra high CRI, but plenty good
• 4500K color temp
• 12° hotspot. a little narrower than the others, but still plenty floody imo

if you want high CRI options, you can look at H600c (warmer light, 4000K) and H600d (cooler light, 5000K):

• 17° hotspot. a little wider than H600w. acceptable, but 12° is better for me

hope that helps and am happy to answer questions

Click to expand...

Curious does the H600 still have the dramatic low battery ramp down feature when the voltage drops to around 3.6v? At first I loved the feature on my SC62 but when it decides to go from 1000 lumens to its low/battery preservation setting it’s dangerous if you are using it mountain biking or something where you are moving. Walking the dog or using it in the garage it is more of a minor inconvenience. I went and got some Thrunites as a result but miss the more intuitive interface of the Zebralights.

Odd-job said:

Curious does the H600 still have the dramatic low battery ramp down feature when the voltage drops to around 3.6v? At first I loved the feature on my SC62 but when it decides to go from 1000 lumens to its low/battery preservation setting it’s dangerous if you are using it mountain biking or something where you are moving. Walking the dog or using it in the garage it is more of a minor inconvenience. I went and got some Thrunites as a result but miss the more intuitive interface of the Zebralights.

Click to expand...

sorry, i don't have an answer for you. i haven't run out of battery in a long time because i keep it topped up or swap out before that, so i can't remember the behavior.

i'm not sure i understand your concern though.

what is your preferred low-battery behavior? would you prefer it to just abruptly turn off altogether a few minutes later or something? that sounds even worse to me than automatically ramping down and lasting longer.

the more interesting question i think is if you want it to have low battery protection. as you may know, undervoltage for almost any amount of time is terrible for lithium batteries. really quickly ruins them. fortunately, i believe ZL protects against this by not letting you run the battery down to that point. i prefer this. however, in a rare survival situation, i could see someone wanting to squeeze every last joule out of the battery. who cares if it loses capacity or is ruined. maybe another hour of dim light could save your life or something.

SuzukiGS750EZ said:

I personally like petzl brand. Look on their website for your specific needs. All styles, colors, lumens, features, etc.

Click to expand...

+1 on Petzl

Led Lenser H14R.2 Rechargeable x3

It comes with a 4400mah, lithium-ion battery that has a run time of up to 40 hours. 850 Lumens, the latest version has 1,000 Lumens. Zoom feature (widen or narrow the beam by moving the light in or out). The 'wheel' on the back is a dimmer, you can dial down the brightness from full to next to nothing, it can be set to display a red light to the rear (solid or flashing, for bicyclists, etc) and shows the battery level. 7 year warranty.

If something happened to mine, I would order the exact same thing the next day, I really depend on this line. It's not cheap, but keep in mind that Li-on battery is about $50

pizza said:

i've used many over the last 17+ years, and here's my thoughts..

for such an important tool (i use it almost daily), i think there's no need to cheap out on a headlamp.

first of all, let's talk about battery. i strongly recommend that you go with an 18650-based light. i personally do not find a light useful if it has less battery capacity than that. forget those anemic headlamps!! they're a joke! maybe for a super tiny EDC light, i can understand some people wanting a little AA or AAA based light, but a headlamp is already going to be a bit bulky because of the head strap, so it's never going to fit in your shirt pocket anyway.

next, do you require built in charging?
my views have changed on this over the years. it used to be a requirement for me. but now that lights are so efficient, i get a lot of runtime out of a single 18650 battery, and if i need more, i just bring a spare with me. they're small and cheap ($6). not having a built-in charger cuts down on the size and complexity of the headlamp. also, i have several 18650-based flashlights, and it's nice to not have that machinery needlessly duplicated in every light. no charge port can also mean the light is waterproof. the only reason built-in charger still makes sense is if you're traveling for an extended period of time and don't want to waste luggage space on a standalone charger.

if you require built-in charging:

petzl nao (whatever the latest iteration of it is):

https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/PERFORMANCE-headlamps/NAO-PLUS

petzl makes great, high quality stuff. i started out on some of their bulky 4xAA battery pack models back before LEDs dominated. when it made sense, i transitioned to LED and 18650 batteries.

i used the petzl nao for a long time as my main headlamp. the nao series features 'reactive lighting' -- there's a brightness sensor that senses how much light is being reflected back at your face, so if you're illuminating something very close to you, it will automatically dim the light. it's nice for outdoors stuff, but it makes no sense indoors. and yes, you can disable the reactive mode. so if that sounds cool at all, consider this light.

it has built in usb charging. the downsides? it's probably the most expensive light on this list, and reactive lighting may be just a gimmick for some people. also, although it is 18650-based, their batteries are proprietary and very expensive (around 10x the cost of a normal one) because they have some stupid mini-PCB attached to it. i've never bought spare batteries for mine, so in a way it doesn't matter, but if they were cheap, i probably would have.

armytek

https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/types/multi-flashlights-headlamps/

if you don't want a petzl nao because:

• too expensive
• don't care about its 'reactive lighting' feature
• want to be able to buy spare 18650 batteries for a reasonable price

probably the best headlamp with built in usb charging is the armytek. i don't own any myself, so i can't recommend a specific model.

if you do not require built-in charging:



my top pick is the zebralight H600w IV. this is now my main headlamp. cheaper, smaller, and lighter than the petzl nao. it uses inexpensive, non-proprietary 18650 batteries. very high quality and has industry-leading LED driver and tuning to give you top battery life. and you can remove the strap to use it as a small EDC light. and it's very water resistant (IPX8 rating: 2 meters, 30 minutes).

another huge thing is the user interface. it is very good and customizable. read up on it first! it's a little fiddly to program, but you only have to do it once. this is a huge part of why i prefer zebralight. there are 12 brightness settings, and you can program in 6 of them for easy access (at most a few clicks away). the lowest brightness levels are surprisingly super useful and last months (!!) on a single battery.

zebralight has many models. it's confusing and took me a long time to get familiar with their lineup. they should really make it easier to understand..

first, you have 3 general choices in optics:
spot-spill (reflector that focuses it into a hotspot), floody (spot-spill but with a frosted diffuser to spread it out some), and flood (no focusing reflector, just a pure bulb, maximum flood). all my recommendations are for spot-spill. floody and flood just waste too much energy illuminating stuff you're not even looking at. floodlamp is good for a stationary light, not something fixed to your head that automatically points at what you're looking at...

H600w Mk IV:

• overall their best headlamp imo
• imo the best tint
• not ultra high CRI, but plenty good
• 4500K color temp
• 12° hotspot. a little narrower than the others, but still plenty floody imo

if you want high CRI options, you can look at H600c (warmer light, 4000K) and H600d (cooler light, 5000K):

• 17° hotspot. a little wider than H600w. acceptable, but 12° is better for me

hope that helps and am happy to answer questions

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^^^^Excellent post!!!!!