If you were an outdoor enthusiast, then you might be quite familiar with our topic today —— yep, headlamp.
Not the kind of lamp that was attached to the front of a vehicle.
Though the headlamp we're talking about here, is also a kind of illumination tool.
Only worn by human, not vehicles.
In this article, we'll discuss important features to look for in a headlamp.
Content List
Definition: what is a headlamp?
Use: when do you need a headlamp?
A General Guide: how to choose a headlamp for camping & running?
Lumens
Beam type
Battery
Red light mode
Water resistance
Material
Olight's headlamp series
Definition: what is a headlamp?
In this article, headlamp refers to the light source affixed to the head.
Though suitable for both indoor and outdoor activities, it's applied to the latter condition more often.
Use: when do you need a headlamp?
The easy answer to this question is, when you require a hands-free operation with your illumination tool.
That's also why you will see people using headlamps under the following circumstances:
Outdoor activities at night, like running, hiking, camping, biking, fishing...
In dark conditions, like underground mining, search and rescue, repairing, operating surgery...
A General Guide: how to choose a headlamp for camping & running?
Headlamp's primary function still is to provide illumination.
Many other types of flashlights would do the job as well.
Therefore, you need to consider: why do you need a headlamp in the first place?
If you were an outdoor enthusiast, a headlamp is kind of a must-have.
Wearing a headlamp, instead of holding it, frees your hands.
So that you could focus on more important tasks.
Lumen
If you do need a headlamp, then maybe you should start thinking about "lumen".
To put it in simple terms, "lumen" is a unit often used to measure the total amount of visible light from a light source.
For many people, 300 lumens should do the trick.
A headlamp that could produce an output of 300 lumens, is sufficient for these nighttime activities:
searching around your backpack or tent, campsite illumination, even doing some trail-finding...
Are higher lumens equal to brighter output? Yes.
A headlamp with 1000 lumens of output or above certainly can provide better illumination.
But you need to choose more wisely, there're other factors to consider as well.
Beam type
Another factor to look for in headlamps is beam type.
Floodlight or spotlight?
Floodlight is wider, it can illuminate a larger area.
It's better for overall safety and visibility.
Spotlight is more focused and narrow, it can highlight a specific area.
It's better for up-close examination, for aiming and adjusting at night.
Of course, it's even better if you could find a headlamp having both floodlight and spotlight.
Battery
Battery type is also very important.
Make sure you've always got a spare battery, or the battery of your headlamp is rechargeable.
In case of emergency, the longer runtime, the better.
Red light mode
Many headlamps not only provide several white light modes, but also red light mode.
Why is that?
That's because red light helps people to navigate in the dark better.
It's more friendly to the eyes, great for preserving night vision.
For rescue crews, a flashing red light could be seen at a great distance.
At the same time, the red light mode also ensures longer runtime.
For hunters, using red light mode won't scare the animals off.
Water resistance
Generally, people use "IP" ratings to measure the degree of protection against intrusion.
"IP" here means ingress protection.
The higher the IP rating is, the stronger protection a headlamp could provide against solid objects(dust, dirt, etc.) and liquids.
You would never know when the weather suddenly turns bad.
A headlamp with an IPX4 rating means it is operational even under a rainstorm.
Material
Last but not least, don't overlook the material of a headlamp.
It should be lightweight and solid.
Lightweight, so that you can wear it comfortably.
Solid, so that you can use it longer.
Olight's headlamp series
Olight's headlamp series started with H1R/H2R.
Then came Perun/Perun 2/Perun Mini.
They were right-angle torches, could be used both as pocket lights and headlamps(with headband).
Only with the release of Array/Array 2/Array 2S, marks we finally have our own professional headlamps.
Array 2S not only meets all the criteria we mentioned above:
1000 lumens ✔
Floodlight+spotlight ✔
USB-C rechargeable 2600mAh battery pack ✔
Max runtime of 30 hours ✔
Red light mode+SOS mode ✔
IPX4 water resistance ✔
Weighs only 4.62 oz+Swearproof elastic headband ✔
But has something extra to offer:
Smart operation
when you want to switch modes and brightness levels, you could use the side switch or simply wave your hand.
Left/right to switch modes.
Up/down to change brightness.
60-degree adjustable
So that you could change it to any angle you like.
Therefore, you can trust Array 2S when you're night jogging, camping, mountaineering, working & repairing, or in need of emergency lighting.
If you are interested in buying one at a more affordable price, please stay tuned for our latest flash sale info.
By subscribing to our newsletter or following our Facebook group, you'll be the first one to know.
Different people may have different ideas about the best headlamp.
In the end, whatever suits your needs(budget-wise or performance-wise) is the best.
