LED headlamps have changed the safety profile of outdoors activities and they are generally light, powerful and with good battery life of around 15hrs on a charge
aim for:
a beam distance of at least 80m (beam distance depends on the optical lens system which concentrates the light into a beam and the maximum output)
a maximum output of at least 200-300 lumens/m
10-25 lumens for reading
25-150 lumens is generally all that is needed for around the house, for hiking, backpacking, and camping
aim for 200+ if you need a navigational aid in complete darkness
aim for 250+ if you’ll be traveling at higher speeds, such as a night trail run or mountain bike ride
beam needs to be able to have a wide angle flood light for when working in close spaces
adjustable beam spot and ability to tilt the beam is essential
color of the main light can be important
many people prefer cool white
zero blue ray damage (RG0) reduces effects on your sleep cycle and fatigue
very warm/orange lighting is beneficial for reducing insect attraction as insects cannot see orange/red
if you are wanting to conserve your night vision or avoid attracting insects, a red mode is needed however this should not be too bright (eg. 5-10lumens), or, if brighter, it should be dimmable
most have a emergency strobe function
niche headlamps may have:
UV mode for detecting scorpions, urine, leaks etc eg. Armytek Wizard C2 WUV Dual 1100 lumen rechargeable UV and White LED headlamp
Green for observing wildlife
Blue for tracking and to differentiate between green foliage and the blood of their wounded prey (most do not have a blue light mode)
tri-color high lumen hunting beams eg. white/red/green
eg. Brinyte HL28 Artemis Tri-colour zoomable dimmable 2x 21700 5000mAh batteries rear mounted 200g excl. batt. 500g w batt $AU334
eg. AceBeam H30 4000lumen white (5000K or 6500K versions), 50lumen non-dimmable red (too bright for reading!), 70lumen green/CRI/UV options depending upon version; $AU174-189
runners may require a brighter flood light mode
water resistance to at least IPX 4 or preferably IPX 6 - it is going to rain on your head!
IPX-4 Can handle splashing water (10-litre/min) from any angle – that’s most rainy conditions.
IPX-6 Protected against splashed and pressurised water from any angle from a 12.5mm nozzle at 100-litre/min.
IPX-7 Full immersion in one metre of water for up to 30min.
IPX-8 Full and continuous immersion, up to and within the manufacturer’s specifications.
light weight - under 200g, and preferably under 100g - if only front mounted unit, even a little extra weight can make it awkward on the head, especially if you run
lithium ion battery USB chargeable plus option to use regular AAA alkaline batteries, or at least replaceable lithium batteries
some have the battery mounted at the rear of head but this generally means more weight and bulk