Looking for the best headlamps to jumpstart your next adventure? Here are the best headlamps on the market for backpacking, camping and more!

Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I’ve been working hands-on in the outdoors since 2018 as an outdoor guide. Today, I guide women’s overnight sea kayak adventures and organize women’s adventure trips across North America and work as a travel writer with a focus on adventure. This has given me a lot of opportunity to vet gear in real time on the trail, and I’m stoked to share what I know!

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Best Headlamps for camping

Headlamps are a necessity when camping for seeing where you’re headed when it’s dark out! There are a couple of key things to keep in mind when choosing a headlamp: brightness, light color, battery type and life, and if backpacking, weight. Here’s a quick look at some of the best headlamps on the market:

• Petzel Swift LT Headlamp
• BioLite Range 300 Headlamp
• Petzel Tikka Headlamp
• Black Diamond Astro 300 Headlamp
• Petzel Tikkina Headlamp
• Energizer Headlamp

Personally, I like to have a headlamp with batteries while car camping, and rechargeable headlamp while backpacking and I find it very important that the headlamp is red light capable — white light can be pretty offensive to other campers nearby!

1) Petzel Swift LT Headlamp

My primary note on the Petzel Swift LT Headlamp is to watch the how-to video before your trip or you’ll end up stuck in strobe mode on Sand Island trying to guide a sea kayaking trip.

On the real, the Petzel Swift LT Headlamp is one of the best (reasonably priced) ultralight headlamps on the market. The battery is rechargeable, making it so you don’t have to carry batteries, and it holds up reasonable well to mild water exposure. Anecdotally, I have long hair that snags easily and the thinner ponytail-style straps catch in my hair — this is not a big enough issue that I wouldn’t use the headlamp of course, but if you think this would bother you, keep reading for a better fit!

Headlamp vs tent lights:

A lot of campers wonder if a headlamp is really necessarily if you have tent lights or a flashlight. A headlamp lets you go hands-free as you navigate to the bathroom (hole?!) in the dark, gather firewood, or chase starry nights. You might be able to get away without a headlamp when the moon is full and the sky is clear or in late June Up North where it’s light late, but generally a headlamp is a good idea for safety.

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2) BioLite Range 300 Headlamp

Another rechargeable headlamp the BioLite Range 300 is a simple and user-friendly headlamp ready for most adventures. Recharge via UBS-C; claim to fame here is that just 8 minutes of charge can add an hour of light + water submersion. This is one of my favorite headlamps on the market.

Only notes on the BioLite Range 300: the headstrap is adjustable, but loosens as you walk. This isn’t of the end of the world for sure, but it’s a little frustrating to open up my drybag at the end of a long day of paddling to find that the headlamp is far too loose, again.

3) Petzel Tikka Headlamp

The Petzel Tikka was my go-to headlamp for around four years of guiding and I have only positive things to say. It’s lightweight, highly-adjustable, bright, comfortable and can now be powered both by AAA batteries of USB-C. It lasts a really long time and held up to two summers of frequent exposure to salt water between guiding sea kayaking overnight trips in the San Juan Islands and a thru-paddle of the Salish Sea.

This is a super solid headlamp and I highly recommend it! No real complaints, but I do think the Biolite might have a better battery life.

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4) Black Diamond Astro 300 Headlamp

The Black Diamond Astro 300 is extremely similar to the Biolite and Petzel Tikka in functionality but is a cheaper option at around $25 USD. I’ve only used this headlamp a few times, but it’s a really popular choice by participants on my women’s trips.

Some feedback I’ve heard on the Black Diamond Astro 300 is that it doesn’t hold up to the test of time. I haven’t experienced this myself, but it is often true that opting for a cheaper version of something corresponds to decreased longevity. When in doubt, you could always splurge for the Black Diamond Spot 400.

5) Petzel Tikkina Headlamp

The Petzel Tikkina is your ultimate barebones pocket and budget-friendly headlamp, but keep in mind this is a budget model. There are three lighting settings but no red light, and the light is more diffused than focused.

That said for most casual campers, this is a perfectly good headlamp. I would recommend this as an entry-level headlamp for car campers, or folks still figuring out if they like backpacking and other overnight style trips. If you know for sure you’re going on more trips, I would go ahead and get something with more features.

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6) Energizer Headlamp

Flaming hot take, I love my simple Energizer Headlamp. It’s battery powered and simple and works well. There are two lighting settings, low and high, and honestly I think this the best simple headlamp for the money.

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