Black Diamond Spot 350 Headlamp Outdoor Head Torch

Product Information

Let's take a closer look at the two Spot 350* and Storm 400* brand headlamps and see the differences. Avoid touching the lens with your fingers, as oils and residues from your skin can affect light output and clarity. Like the BioLite 330, the 800 has a four-point tilt. We found this tilt useful for angling the headlamp, but some media reviewers found it a fault. As an ultralight headlamp, we didn't expect the battery life to be on the same level as headlamps with batteries that are three times the weight.

You may need replace your strap, especially if you loaned your headlamp to a friend with a big head. If your headlamp uses replaceable batteries, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for replacement intervals. Self-discharge (the gradual loss of battery life even when the batteries are not in use) is low in the CORE rechargeable battery; it is negligible in standard batteries. Headlamps make you visible to others when you're out after dark. This can be beneficial if your group is separated or for safety when encountering others. This is useful whether you're hiking, running, cycling, or camping. This visibility enhances your safety, reducing the risk of accidents and ensures others can see you in low-light conditions. Precise illumination

The battery compartment isn’t sealed to prevent leaking- meaning that if submerged for any longer than a few seconds it’s very likely the battery storage compartment will get wet. Does it still work while wet? Our testers said yes, though all remarked that they weren’t happy with the idea of continuing to use the Spot 350 knowing they had soggy batteries strapped to their heads.

The Spot is one of our favorite lights, but it is not without some shortcomings, which we'll cover below. Lower cost competing lights have also improved significantly over the past few years, and the Spot now faces strong competition from lower cost lights like the Petzl Tikkina, which offers strong performance at a 33% lower cost, and is one of the other lights we recommend considering before buying the Spot (the other being the BD Storm). Below we'll take you through the Spot's performance, with ample comparison and contrast to other top contenders worth consideration. Trail Finding The Petzl Actik Core has 2 hours of battery life at max power (450 lumens), 8 hours at standard power (100 lumens), and 130 hours at low power (6 lumens). The red light is used for night vision among other things to see better. Also to not be seen by wildlife or when fishing and not to scare off is the red light advantageous. With long-lasting batteries or the option to use rechargeable ones, a headlamp means that you don't have to just be out for a few hours or a day—you'll have a reliable source of light for extended outdoor adventures, including multi-day hikes, or camping trips. Emergency preparednessThe Tikkina has 2 hours of battery life at max power (250 lumens), 9 hours of battery life at standard power (100 lumens), and 120 hours of battery life at low power (6 lumens). This is less than most of the other headlamps we considered, which is to be expected given the budget cost of the Tikkina. Still, it’s competitive with other headlamps in this price range and is good enough for casual use. The rechargeable CORE battery that comes with the Actik Core is a USB-rechargeable lithium battery that fits in the battery compartment. The CORE battery can be removed and replaced. This means if you carry an extra battery, you don’t have to worry about pass-through charging. You can charge one battery at night while using this Petzl headlamp with the other battery inside. It’s the convenience of AAA batteries without the weight or waste. Especially when hiking or climbing, ballast is undesirable. But also when running a lighter lamp is of course more comfortable. Always follow the manufacturer’s battery recommendation (e.g., alkaline, lithium). All of our recommended headlamps support alkaline and lithium batteries, but note that this isn’t true for all headlamps. Some headlamps, especially older models before the LED bulb, use bulbs that can't handle lithium batteries. However, all of our winners support lithium batteries.