This lightweight, bounce-free headlamp is the most comfortable I’ve tested

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BioLite’s HeadLamp 330 ingeniously carries its lithium-ion battery pack on the back so it’s balanced and not pulling your forehead down.
At less than 2.5 ounces, it weighs less than most (good) headlamps we’ve ever tested. It also might be the most compact.
Battery life can be an issue with a lot of headlamps, but BioLite’s seems to last forever (I still haven’t charged mine yet), and when you do run out, having a good power pack on hand solves any issues.

Headlamps may seem like lightweight, unrestrictive tools (or toys), but having those extra few ounces bobbing up and down on your forehead for, say, several hours at a time, takes its tolls. Not only are some of the heavier (if more powerful) options a literal drag, they’re annoying, even if you don’t realize it. I didn’t.

Then BioLite sent over a few units of the HeadLamp 330, which I tried to pass around the office, excitedly. My excitement didn’t carry, but that might be because most of my colleagues see about four trees on average per week (exact statistic), and tend to steer clear of the darker parts of the Big Apple at night. I maintain that they’re missing out, but then there might be some wisdom in their reservations. I may never learn.

The specs

330 lumens of output is a good balance between what most of us need to be able to see in the dark and how long the battery life lasts, which is a respectable 40 hours on the low setting and 3.5 hours on high, give or take.

As stated above, the most notable spec about this headlamp is that the light and battery are separate, which puts a lot less weight on your forehead, and the light itself. The whole kit, I might add, weighs only 69 grams, or less than 2.5 ounces. One common problem we see a lot with headlamps is that the joint where the light meets the base loses its threads or just breaks altogether, especially when the batteries are in the same pivoting unit as the light. BioLite does away with any such worry.

Speaking of pivoting, the light pivots up and down between four positions, which is, in my opinion, just enough. There’s also a red light, which makes it a lot easier for your eyes to readjust after you flick it off.

Lastly, it’s rechargeable with a micro USB cable, so while there’s no option to go for AA or AAA batteries, as long as you have a power pack with you, you’ll be fine (it doesn’t draw much power).

My field notes

So there I was in Central Park, late at night — no, no, this much I’ve learned not to do. You’re welcome, Mom.

I took the BioLite HeadLamp 330 fishing at night, hiking to camp, hiking just to hike, and generally just stumbling about in the dark behind my father’s woodshop, which is, for all intents and purposes, a treacherous deathtrap of wood and metal scraps. Yes, dearest reader, I take my job, and your safety, extremely seriously. I’m glad to report that, throughout the testing process, there was not a single visit to the emergency room.

In all seriousness, the best thing about the HeadLamp 330 is how well balanced it is. With the light in front and the battery pack in back, you don’t feel the strain of a light and a battery pack dragging your forehead down, which I’ll say, as someone who spends a lot of time outdoors both night and day, compounds over the course of a couple of hours. Add a strenuous activity, and many headlamps are bobbing up and down, giving you cramps in your neck, and headaches, too, in my experience.

The small on/off button (gray, left of center) can be a little hard to find at first, but you’ll learn to love it because you’ll find that you won’t accidentally activate the epileptic test strobe in your hiking partner’s face, and it’s actually positioned right where you want to be (at least, if you’re adjusting it with your right hand).

The bottom line

This is the headlamp for most people in most pursuits. I’ve tested some 15 headlamps in the last year, and while some have been more technical (and expensive), none of them have been anywhere near as comfortable as BioLite’s. It might not be the pick for search-and-rescue teams (look to Coast for something a little more powerful), but for most of us, it’s exactly what we need and nothing more.

Pros: Durable, moisture-wicking headband, balanced with light and battery in front and back, respectively

Cons: Doesn’t take AAA or AA batteries as backup, the lithium-ion battery is not removable (you can’t get a spare battery to take with you and swap out, but a power pack would fix that), 330 lumens is bright, but could be brighter (still, it saves on battery)

The specs

My field notes

The bottom line

BioLite Headlamp 330, available at BioLite, $49.95