Biolite HeadLamp 425

£64.99

You will never know how useful a headtorch is until you own one and then wonder how you lived without one for so many years. I use mine for so many things, whether walking the dogs in the morning, running, working on something tricky, or trying to find the loos at a festival in the middle of the night - it is always best to have both hands free in the dark. We have tested many BioLite head torches in the past, so I don’t feel I even need to question the build quality - these are highly durable and effective torches.

The new HeadLamp 425 is a professional-level head torch that will certainly brighten up your day. It is USB rechargeable and provides you with a maximum output of 425 lumens which is more than enough for most uses. As it isn’t ridiculously powerful, the battery life is good and on the low setting you will get around 60 hours. However, if you need it on full power, it will considerably reduce this time and burn through the power in as little as 4 hours. The battery pack at the back balances the weight well and makes for a good walking/running torch. I especially liked the new rear red light with solid or strobe options which was great for safety.

There are multiple beams to choose from, all controlled from one button which allows you to toggle through all the headlamps modes - so it’s worth taking a bit of time to get used to what’s available. The main button is small and maybe a little frustrating to press if you’re wearing gloves or have cold hands, although, compared to previous models, this wasn’t too much of an issue. By keeping pressure on the button, you can decide on how bright you want the beam. The direction of the light can also easily be changed with the one-hand tilting.

The headlamp also has a red night vision feature which is awesome. I went camping with my young grandsons and when they hit the hay early, I stayed up to read. I found that a white light kept them awake, but the low red light was perfect to read to and with the kids’ eyes closed they didn’t even know I had the torch on!

Weighing only 78g, the headlamp is lightweight and comfortable to wear thanks to the elasticated cloth strap which can be adjusted to fit over helmets, hats, or even just worn directly on the head. It is available in 4 different colours including, blue, grey, yellow/red and teal. In addition, I found the battery life indicator a great feature with 4 lights for maximum battery and a 1-hour reserve mode which alerts you when power is low.

Overall, this is a great piece of kit by BioLite and if you spend a lot of time wearing a headlamp, then the HeadLamp 425 is exactly what you require. Though the cost of this product is quite dear, its durability and range of uses (including safety) makes it all worth it.  

Pros:

• Comfortable to wear 
• HighQuality feel
• Range of different bean options
• Decent battery life for use