A headlamp (or head torch in the UK) is arguably the most useful torch you can own. They’re useful for camping, fishing, walking and running but they’re also great for working on the bike or car and general DIY tasks, especially in winter with the shorter days.
I’ve hand picked 16 head torches from all the big brands. I have budget torches starting at under £20 to more specialised torches that cost over £150.
I’ve thoroughly tested all of them over the last 3 months and scored them in a number of categories to try and help you choose the right one for you. I’m scoring each head torch out of 10 in 8 categories for a total score out of 80 which I’ll convert to a percentage.
I’ll choose a winner in three categories: best budget head torch, best running head torch and best all round head torch.
I’ve got links at the bottom of this article to all the head torches in this roundup for current pricing and further information. You can also check out my two previous roundups on keychain torches and pocket torches. They might also be useful if you’re unfamiliar with any of the terms I use in this article.
1. Comfort
First off I scored comfort – probably the most underrated feature of a head torch. How comfortable is the strap – especially for longer periods of time? How easy is the strap to adjust? How balanced does the head torch feel on your head? Does it move around during more vigorous activities like running? I much prefer head torches without a top strap and I also found a wider strap more comfortable.
Some straps also come with silicone grippers that prevent the head torch slipping with vigorous activities like running, especially when your head gets sweaty.
I wore all the head torches for long periods of time on walks, household jobs inside and out and for running.
Overall I found the Fenix HM65R-T, and Petzl Nao RL the most comfortable. The Fenix is not the lightest head torch on test at 143g, and has all the weight at the front.
But it has a wide headband and an ingenious Boa-style ratcheting dial to quickly adjust for a perfect fit.
On a sweaty run I did find it slipped slightly sometimes – it doesn’t have any silicone grippers. But even with gloves on, you can easily tighten the strap if there’s any movement.
The Petzl Nao RL weighs about the same at 145g but has the battery at the back so feels lighter and better balanced on your head. You barely notice it and I found it the most comfortable for running out of all the head torches. Its adjustment is also very straightforward but not as easy as the Fenix to adjust whilst it’s on your head.
The Nitecore NU43 also deserves a mention. It too has a premium perforated wider strap and with silicone grippers is very comfortable when running and for general use. And although it uses the standard head strap adjustment it works a lot better than most.
The Olight Perun 2 was one of the most uncomfortable head torches. At 222g it’s by far the heaviest head torch, although its larger size does give it some advantages we’ll come back to. But as well as being heavy the strap is a little fiddly to adjust and the strap material feels cheap.
Because of its weight, the top strap does mean you don’t need the main strap so tight but I’d still prefer to remove this top strap for casual use and that’s not possible – it’s stitched in.
Since I like the Perun 2 in lots of other ways I actually used it in the Perun 2 Mini’s head strap on a few occasions. This strap does support it but it’s only really suitable for shorter stints.
The Thrunite TH30 V2 is another very good head torch let down by an uncomfortable head strap. This head strap also feels very cheap, with a non-removable top strap, and I actually found the rubber mount dug into my forehead – so even though it’s lighter at 169g it was probably even more uncomfortable to wear than the Perun 2. If you wear a cap these straps probably won’t be as much of an issue.
2. Ease of use
Next I scored the torches on ease of use. This is especially important for a head torch since you’re usually controlling it by feel. And if you’re using the torch for running, easy adjustment is even more important. The Olight Perun 2, Fenix WH23R, Thrunite TH30 V2, Petzl Nao RL and Silva Trail Speed 5R scored best in the category. The Perun 2 has a nice large side button and my favourite user interface – a single press to turn it on, and then a long press to cycle through low, medium and high.
But most importantly quick access to both an ultra-low moonlight mode with a long press of the power button with the torch off. Great when you don’t want to wake your partner up, or destroy your night vision. And quick access to the full brightness turbo mode with a double press of the power button with the torch on or off.
The Perun 2 and Perun 2 Mini also have Olight’s magnetic charging which is super convenient for a household torch – you only need to get it close to the charger and it snaps into position. It means I very rarely forget to charge my Olight torches with this feature. But, it is a proprietary connection so you’re stuck without the Olight cable.
The Thrunite TH30 V2 has an almost identical user interface and the side power button is also large and easy to locate.
The Petzl and Silva are dedicated running torches and have a simple interface with just 3 modes that you cycle through each time you press the power button. The Petzl cycles through to off, whereas the Silva needs a long press to turn it off which I prefer.
A few times I’ve ended up turning off the Petzl accidentally trying to change mode – typically on a technical trail where you really need to see where you’re going!
They do both have intelligent modes which complicate things slightly but are fairly well thought out. The Petzl has a Reactive mode that uses a proximity sensor to adjust the output and beam pattern based on your surroundings.
The Silva adjusts its output and beam pattern based on the manual tilt of the torch head – wider when tilted down and more focused when tilted up.
You can turn these modes off which are both on by default. A long press of the power button with the torch on with the Petzl and with the Silva you turn the torch on with a long press to disable the intelligent mode. The default mode is activated with a single press.
The Fenix WH23R has an interesting user interface with a knob that you twist to turn the torch on and move from the spotlight, to flood to turbo with both the spotlight and flood. The brightness level is then controlled with the side button which is memorised. It’s very easy to use and the knob is strangely satisfying with smooth positive clicks.
None of the torches in the roundup scored too badly in this category but I found the Nitecore HC68 and Cyansky HS6R a little over-complicated – even though this complexity does provide more customisation which we’ll come back to.
3. Output
Now we come to output – the mostly heavily marketed feature. But also the most misleading. Like with my previous torch roundups, I’ve measured their true output with my homebuilt calibrated lumen chamber. Although I had to make a few modifications to test these head torches.
I set them to their highest brightness level and measured their output over 10 minutes. I’ve plotted all these measurements so you can see for yourself how they compare. As I’ve covered in previous videos, manufacturers should use the ANSI FL1 standard for their brightness claims. This is the measured brightness in lumens 30 seconds after turning the torch on. I couldn’t measure the Nitecore NU43 or Olight Perun 2 since they have proximity sensors that lower the output when there is an obstruction and this can’t be disabled. The Petzl Nao RL also has a proximity sensor but you can disable this as we just discussed. Although in this “standard” mode the output is reduced from 1500 to 900 lumens so I couldn’t measure its theoretical highest output.
Nearly all the torches I could test, met their manufacturer’s claims, within the accuracy of my testing setup at least. Only the Cyansky HS6R came up a fair bit lower than its spec’d 1200 lumens at around 900 lumens.
It’s more interesting to see how their output drops off over time. Nearly all maximum outputs had dropped off considerably after a minute or two and even more after 5 minutes.
The best performer here was the Thrunite TH30 V2 which had the highest initial output, and held around 2600 lumens for 2 minutes which is impressive. Even then it only dropped to around 1800 lumens for another couple of minutes before dropping to still over 1000 lumens which is held for the remaining measurements – an excellent performance and even better than spec’d.
The Fenix HM65R-T also did well, exceeding its spec initially and then holding just under 900 lumens for the remaining measurements.
Most of the other torches ended up between 300 and 500 lumens after 10 minutes. For trail running I find I’d like at least 500 lumens – for road running you can get away with less.
One thing to note in these measurements is they were done indoors without any cooling. I measured all the head torches with a Flir thermal imaging camera and the Silva in particular got quite hot and no doubt dropped its output accordingly. In real use in cool conditions some of these torches may have held their higher outputs for longer. But we can still see how all these torches compare in a controlled environment.
Olight specs 2500 lumens for the Perun 2, dropping to 800 lumens after 2 minutes, and they are usually quite accurate in their marketing claims, so I’ve used these outputs for my scoring. The Perun 2’s proximity sensor is quite sensitive though and I found the output dimmed not just when it was raining, but even occasionally when there was moisture in the air. Another reason I’d like to be able to disable this sensor.
Although I couldn’t measure the full 1500 lumen output of the Petzl Nao RL, in my tests it appeared less bright in its Reactive mode than in its 900 lumen Standard mode. I tested this several times outside, ensuring there were no obstructions or even rain that might mislead the proximity sensor. I did contact Petzl for a replacement unit to test but still haven’t received anything. If I do receive another unit I will update the written article at thetechnologyman.com accordingly.
For the scores I also took into account the beam pattern. Torches with separate flood and spot LEDs fared a little better here, allowing both near and far vision. When running, a soft edge to the beam is also very important. A hard edge to the beam gives you what feels like tunnel vision when it’s pitch dark, which I found quite unpleasant.
The running specific torches namely the Petzl, Silva and Fenix HM65R-T all did quite well here, and even though the Silva’s output was a little low they all scored well in this category, as well as the Thrunite TH30 V2, Olight Perun 2 and the Nitecore HC68.
I also had 3 head torches from Wuben – the H1, H3 and H5 – that arrived too late for the YouTube video. But I’ve fully tested them and scored them. You can see how they fared in the graph below. The H1 actually maintained a decent 600 lumens – brighter than its spec’d 500 lumens and one of the better performing head torches – even more impressive when you consider its price.
4. Battery life
Battery life is dependent on the efficiency of the electronics and size of the torch. The larger torches that take bigger batteries will of course perform better. But they are heavier, and often more expensive. I had to rely on manufacturer’s specs since it would take too long to try and confirm their claims. The quoted battery life from manufacturers can also be misleading. It’s again based on the ANSI standard but in this case it’s the amount of time it takes for the torch to reach 10% of its initial brightness. Most people would find 10% brightness too dim to be useful.
All the torches that run off an 18650 can last for many hours on even their medium and high modes and scored well here. The Olight Perun 2 is the only torch with an even larger 5000 mAh 21700 battery and can run for 18 hours at a still decent 120 lumens.
5. Build quality
Build quality was pretty good across the board. Even the budget Sofirn HS20 and HS10 feel well built with an all metal construction and have at least an IPX8 waterproof rating. The Wuben H3 is the cheapest head torch in this roundup and although it’s made entirely from plastic it’s still feels quite robust for its price.
The Petzl Nao RL feels very plasticky but that keeps the weight down and I’ve been using its predecessor the Nao+ for years and it’s fared very well. The soft rubber pads eventually failed but Petzl sent me replacement pads free of charge with the torch well outside of warranty.
The Fenix HM65R-T, HM50R V2 and Silva Trail Speed 5R probably have the best build quality, with the Olight Perun 2 and Perun 2 Mini and the Nitecore lights following very closely behind. The Cyansky head torches appear quite well built and they’re the only head torches with a metal mount. However this mount snapped on the HS3R trying to reinsert the torch into it . And it’s difficult not to scratch off the anodising even if it all goes to plan.
6. Quality of light
The quality of light can be important if you’re using the head torch for longer periods of time. I measured the colour temperature and accuracy of all the head torches with a spectrometer. Take a look at my article on keychain torches for an explanation on any terms I use here you’re not familiar with.
Most of these head torches were fairly mediocre in this category, with cool colour temperatures, often slightly green tints and poor colour accuracy. This sounds worse than it actually is – most people probably won’t care about this.
The best performers in this category were the Cyansky HS6R, Sofirn HS20 and Wuben H1. They all have a neutral white high CRI flood LED for excellent colour reproduction.
The Wuben H1’s high CRI flood isn’t very bright at around 10 lumens, but is one of the highest CRI, most neutral LEDs I’ve tested (4000K, CRI 98 (R9 96) and 0.0001 Duv). If you prefer a neutral white head torch but aren’t so concerned about colour accuracy, the Perun 2 Mini I’m testing is the neutral white version and measured around 5000K, warmer than most of the other head torches in this round up apart from the Cyansky and Sofirn.
7. Extra features
I also gave a score out of ten for any additional features of note. Some torches lost a point if they had USB-C charging but don’t support charging with a USB-C to USB-C cable like the Petzl Nao RL. And I had to mark the Wuben H1 down for its micro-USB charging – very disappointing for any torch in 2023.
But in its defence you can use the detachable battery pack to charge other gadgets.
And it comes with a storage pouch that can also turn the light into a lantern.
Plus it has a red LED on the battery pack that sits at the back of your head – a very useful safety feature if you’re using the torch for road running. The Olight Array 2 Pro also has this feature, but it’s not as bright and you can’t turn it off on the Olight like you can on the Petzl.
The Cyansky HS6R also did quite well in this category with a flood, spot and red light configurable with two separate buttons. I gave an extra point to all the torches that came with a red light mode, useful when you want to preserve your night vision. I also gave an extra point to any torch that can be removed from the head strap and used as a handheld torch which makes them more versatile.
Most of them also came with a pocket clip and some also had a magnetic base to use them as a worklight.
The Nitecore HC68 has an interesting if a little complex feature that lets you set the exact balance between the spot and flood beam.
The Wuben H5 did well here. It supports multiple battery chemistries – Alkaline, NiMH and the included USB-C rechargeable Li-ion 14500 battery. It also rotates in both a horizontal and vertical direction, and can be used as a handheld torch. It doesn’t have a pocket clip but does have both a strong magnetic base and the headband mount is also magnetic.
8. Value
Finally I scored the head torches on value, taking into account all their features and build quality and their price. This was an easy win for the two Sofirn lights which are excellent value if you purchase them directly from Sofirn’s website. Although be prepared to wait a couple of weeks for delivery. The Thrunite TH30 V2 is also excellent value and readily available on Amazon. The Wuben H1 isn’t that easy to get hold of but is ridiculously well priced – it’s just hard to recommend with its micro-USB charging.
Best budget head lamp
Which leads me conveniently onto my overall picks. The best overall budget torch is the Sofirn HS20 which scored 73%. If you order this directly from China it costs just $38 or £31. It’s one of the brightest head torches I tested, has the high CRI flood LED, charges off USB-C and takes a standard 18650 battery. It does have a fairly basic head strap and it can’t be used as a handheld torch, but overall it’s a worthy winner. As previously mentioned, the late arrival Wuben H1 came close to winning this title but I’d like to see USB-C charging, a brighter flood (still high CRI) LED and perhaps an improved headband.
Best running head lamp
The best running torch was the Petzl Nao RL with a score of 78%. It was the most comfortable head torch – you really do forget it’s on your head. In its high mode it was able to maintain enough brightness for pitch dark trail runs. It’s simple to operate which is crucial for running. And I do like having a built-in rear red LED for running. It’s certainly not perfect though. It does feel very plasticky, but more importantly in the reactive mode it doesn’t seem to get close to its claimed 1500 lumen output. And it doesn’t support charging with a USB-C to USB-C cable. The Silva and Fenix HM65R-T both came in a close second. The Silva feels premium and has an excellent range of accessories available. You can get bigger batteries and helmet and handlebar mounts for cycling. I just found its output a little lacking considering its price. The Fenix I’ll discuss shortly. The best option if you don’t want to spend over £100 on a running head torch is the Nitecore NU43. It also has a very comfortable headband, a simple user interface and enough output for most runs. If you’re into long running events or night hikes you’ll either have to run or walk with less light for extended runtimes, or carry spare batteries. Here the Fenix is by far the cheapest option – it takes standard 18650 batteries which also don’t weigh much.
Best all-round head lamp
Which brings me to the overall winner – the Fenix HM65R-T came out as the best all round head torch with a score of 79%.
It’s an excellent torch for running coming in just behind the Petzl, but it’s also great as a general purpose head torch for just about anything. If you want one head torch that does it all, this is the one. It has the best head strap – I’d love to see this ratcheting system on other head straps. It has a simple interface – a separate button for each LED. For general use around the house the flood LED is very useful. The spot LED is useful for walking, hiking and running.
I found the best combination for my trail runs was high flood and medium spot. If I needed to see the trail far ahead I activated the high spot mode briefly. I do wish there was at least quick access to a turbo mode – having to cycle through two buttons to enter the brightest mode is awkward especially when running. And then you have to cycle back through the lower modes to get back to where you were. So not as easy to use as a running torch compared to the Petzl and Silva. I also would have liked it to tilt up a little more to make full use of the spot beam without having to tilt up my head. It’s also only a head torch – you can’t remove it from the headband and use it as a handheld torch.
If you want that flexibility and don’t need it for running, I do like the Olight Perun 2 as a general purpose head torch – it scored 74% overall. It has one of the best user interfaces, good output and battery life, and the convenient magnetic charging ensures it is always ready to go. It is a little big for a head torch though – although a better head strap could transform it. The Thrunite TH30 V2 is a cheaper option and weighs a little less but with similar output levels to the Perun 2. It also takes a standard 18650 battery unlike the Perun 2 and has standard USB-C charging. The Nitecore HC68 is another great option, but at its RRP is quite pricey. On sale it’d definitely be worth considering.
If you don’t need a super bright turbo mode and are ok with its very cool white LED, the Wuben H5 has a lot going for it. It’s nicely made, supports multiple battery chemistries and has some rather unique mounting options.
Don’t forget to take a look at my YouTube video at the top of the page, and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’m releasing videos every week on the latest technology and how to get the most out of it. If you tap the bell icon when you subscribe you’ll get a notification as soon as I release a video, and there’ll be a link to my site here for the written article. YouTube is also the best place to leave a comment. I read all of them and respond to as many as I can!
Company offers (I’ll try and keep this updated). Please try and use these links if you’re ordering any torches. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and really helps support the site and YouTube channel.
Olight: https://www.olightstore.uk/ – please use this link – it helps support the site and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Plus I have some discount codes below.
Olight has one of their flash sales with up to 40% off from 15th-17th March 2023. And you can use my code TTM8 for an extra 8% off.
Outside of the sale you can get 10% off using my code TTM10 at checkout which helps support this site and my YouTube channel. For the Perun 2 Mini (and Marauder Mini, Seeker 3 Pro, Baton 3 Pro, and i5R) use TOP20 for 20% off (the TOP20 code is valid until June 2023).
Wuben: https://www.wubenlight.com please use this link – it helps support the site and doesn’t cost you anything extra. And if you use the discount code THETECHNOLOGYMAN you’ll get an extra 10% off.
Wuben also have their 3rd Anniversary sale running until April 2023:
1. Buy one get one free on some torches (including the Wuben H1 head torch)
2. Up to 70% discount on the G2
3. 25% discount coupon code: wuben25
As an Amazon affiliate, I get a small commission from purchases made via any of the international Amazon links below:
Petzl NAO RL: https://amzn.to/3ZY9EGp
Silva Trail Speed 5R: https://amzn.to/3FiZbNs
Fenix HM65R-T: https://amzn.to/3FjFu7Q
Fenix HM50R: https://amzn.to/3LjTF0S
Fenix WH23R: https://amzn.to/3Lnhq82
Olight Perun 2: https://amzn.to/3LiPD8I
Olight Perun 2 Mini: https://amzn.to/3YGDq0Q
Olight Array 2 Pro: https://amzn.to/3YGDsWw
Nitecore HC68: https://amzn.to/403sUSh
Nitecore NU43: https://amzn.to/3LjcHV5
Thrunite TH30 V2: https://amzn.to/3LATOgz
Cyansky HS6R: https://amzn.to/3T9ZG1I
Cyansky HS3R: https://amzn.to/3Lk100f
Sofirn HS20: https://amzn.to/3Le1xRo
Sofirn HS10: https://amzn.to/3l7aUHN
Lumintop BR1: https://amzn.to/3ZKdJO2
Wuben H1: https://amzn.to/4051rzJ
Wuben H3: https://amzn.to/429EkG2
Wuben H5: https://amzn.to/3yzzG6J
In the UK Fenix can be purchased from https://www.myfenix.co.uk/
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