Are you going for an evening dog walk, backpacking trip or a camp? You need a hands-free light as your favorite gadget for the activity. The wide range of head lamps available in the market makes it a challenge to decide on the best headlamp to buy. Here, you will get various headlamp features that you need to consider when you get to the market.
- Lumens
The term “Lumen” quantifies the amount of light emitted by a light source. Don’t confuse lumens with watts, as the latter is the energy required to power the light source. The lumen range starts from 15 to 500+. Low lumen headlamps are ideal for camping as they aren’t very bright to irritate people in the camp. If you need a headlamp that covers a wide range of space, go for ones with more than 200. The lumen intensity is directly proportional to the headlamp battery.
- Beam distance
Apart from the lumens, check how the beam goes concerning distance and up close. If you spend more time around the camping site, don’t go for headlamps beyond 1000 meters. The manufacturer guide is the only tool that will aid you to know the beam distance before buying it. Remember, the battery life also affects the beam distance.
- Battery life
Headlamps have different power sources that suit different users. Some operate on AA or AAA batteries. Other headlamps use a recharge option to recharge whenever the strength goes down. Analyze the camping region to know what kind of headlamp to buy. Some models have external battery packs that aid in the radio section.
- Durability
Headlamps need to be more challenging. They should withstand cracking as a result of any fall. It shouldn’t also stop functioning. It should be water-resistant to enable it to stand any water or moisture while in the wilderness.
- Weight
Headlamps vary in weight and size. If a headlamp has an external battery pack, then it may cause inconveniences.
- Headlamp modes
Headlamps have different modes. If going camping, there isn’t a need for many light beam modes. The high and low beams are enough for your lighting needs. The modes on a headlamp include Low, mid, strobe, high, and zoom.
- Price
Price varies from one headlamp to another. Cheap ones will not have many features that are evident in this article. The battery life, lumen, and distance will be below. Expensive headlamps that range from USD400 and above will have many different features. You will choose a headlamp depending on your budget and the type of job you need to do.
- Beam type
Headlamps have different types of beams. Always opt for the one with diverse beam options rather than choosing the one with only one. The type of beams include:
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- Wide/Flood beam
It’s ideal for any campsite as it gives a wide beam over an area. The beam is enough to assist in cooking meals and reading in tents. The wide beam will not allow you to see far away from the area you are using it. A good headlamp should have options to brighten or dim the wide beam to fit with what you are doing.
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- Narrow/Spot beam
A night walk or going far from a well-lit area, you need this type of beam to avoid tumbling over a rock or a branch. The focused beam helps to shine your headlamp over a long distance to enable a clear view of what is ahead.
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- Combined beams
A perfect headlamp will have a combination of narrow and wide beams. You will have more options with it than other headlamps.
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- Red light
It’s a feature that aids in night vision. The strobe action will enable people to locate you in case of an emergency. The red light also saves on the battery.
Conclusion
Many features and performance levels are available to choose from in the market. Understanding your intentions will aid in selecting a perfect headlamp for use. It makes the entire selection process more manageable.