Reviews: Top rated 13 Best Headlamps for Trail Running

When you are participating in trail running at night, safety needs to be a top priority. However, if you do not have a vision aid, you will easily encounter obstacles.

Therefore, you need the best headlight for trail running. Let’s find out the top rated best quality products in the article below!

Top rated 13 Best Headlamps for Trail Running

1. Vont Spark LED Headlamp Flashlight

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The Vont Spark LED Headlamp is a great place to start in case you’re not sure exactly what you’ll need your headlights for.

For one thing, it’s flexible enough to work just as well during runtime as it does in a build environment.

Pros

• Extremely durable.
• Ultra bright headlamp.
• Different 7 lighting modes.
• Portable design.
• Affordable price.

Cons

• Some people think the light level could be better.

Bottom line

This best headlamp for trail running uses LED bulbs, which can provide up to 90 hours of light on the lowest setting.

Both the exterior components and the bulb are damage-resistant, making it a great headlamp to be carried around in any situation.

2. AVANTO Clip On Running Light Classic

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A simple yet effective solution for your nighttime adventures. For multipurpose use, the AVANTO Clip On Running Light Classic is designed.

This light frees your hands for other activities.

You can always carry it in your handbag, purse, trouser pocket, luggage, backpack, car, or motorbike, and always have a safety light with you.

Pros

• Let your hand free.
• Environmental friendly.
• USB rechargeable.
• Portable design.

Cons

• Not very good for distance lighting.

Bottom line

Works as headlights to illuminate the entire path. We recommend using this light as an accessory to the headlamp.

3. HOKOILN Outdoor Night Running Lights

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The HOKOILN Outdoor Night Running Lights are designed for running, hiking, walking, camping, and outdoor activities. It uses the RED LED flashing in an emergency.

This running light has 4 setting modes 100% Brightness, 50% Brightness, 30% Brightness, and 100% COB on, you can access them with one click.

Pros

• 150 lumens.
• Easy to use.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Portable design.
• Designed for outdoor activities.

Cons

• The clip is not very firm.

Bottom line

You’ll be able to clip it anywhere on hats, bags, running belts, work bag belts, running vests, and more. The working time lasts 4-8 hours.

Feel confident when trail running in the dark with this headlamp!

4. Fenix HL60R 950 Lumens Rechargeable LED Headlamp

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With a micro USB port to charge anywhere, the Fenix HL60R Rechargeable LED Headlamp offers a maximum output power of 950 L and a beam distance of up to 381 feet.

Performance is personified, especially with up to 100 hours of runtime from just one rechargeable 18650 li-ion battery.

Pros

• Super bright, up to 950 lumens.
• Lightweight, durable, comfortable, and easy to use.
• Great battery life.
• Round lamp base.

Cons

• Get very warm and reduce strength.

Bottom line

This best headlamp for ultra running is equipped with a neutral white LED for better color rendering, a side switch to activate five brightness levels, and a red night vision mode.

The HL60R is an all-season headlamp designed with an all-metal housing and is waterproof to 2 meters.

5. PETZL NAO+ 750 Lumen Headlamp

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PETZL NAO+ 750 Lumen Headlamp is part of PETZL’s exclusive REACT lighting line — headlights with forward-facing sensors that react in real-time to dim or brighten the beam depending on need.

This ultimately saves battery life, which should be the primary concern of any night runner.

Pros

• Customizable design.
• Automatic brightness.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Bluetooth connection.

Cons

• Short burn time.

Bottom line

While the Petzl NAO+ is certainly an amazingly bright headlight with excellent trail illumination. Battery life is poor unless kept at lower settings.

The Petzl app helps to reduce that by allowing pre-set profiles to be programmed. If you want the brightest headlights available, buy yourself a NAO+.

6. BioLite HeadLamp 330 Lumen Rechargeable Head Light

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The BioLite HeadLamp 330 Lumen Rechargeable Head Light has an extremely strong beam. This head torch emits 330 lumens of light up to a distance of 75m in a beautifully smooth circular pattern.

This brightest light setup is actually a focused beam and area beam fired simultaneously.

The beam in this mode has a broad light on nearby objects as well as a focused beam that shines further into the distance (75m).

Pros

• Ultrabright headlamp.
• Very light.
• Sit firmly on your head.
• Anti-abrasion.

Cons

• The control could be better.

Bottom line

The Biolite 330 headlight weighs only 69g, which is extremely light for a running headlight, which makes the whole experience of running with the headlights a lot more enjoyable.

7. Nitecore NU25 360 Lumen Triple Output Headlamp

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The Nitecore NU25 360 Lumen Triple Output Headlamp has several different modes that allow for a large range of light depending on your needs.

It is advertised as having a 360 lumens wide beam that can send light almost 90 feet out in front of you.

Definitely far enough to see an approaching mountain lion or chase away a raccoon trying to eat your bag of chips.

Pros

• 360 lumens.
• Dedicated buttons for red or white.
• Multiple mounting methods.
• Small form factor.
• IP66 waterproof rating.

Cons

• Can’t use and charge at the same time.

Bottom line

For under $30, you can’t ignore the Nitecore NU25 at all. I can’t recommend it enough for any activity where you need a little extra light in a convenient little package.

This should be one of the best headlamps for trail running at night on the list.

8. Black Diamond Icon Headlamp

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The Black Diamond Icon Headlamp is the headlight that scored the highest on our trail test due to its unique combination of 90-meter beam distance and excellent battery life.

The Icon provides a wide beam with excellent optics that provide uniform illumination that is one of our favorites for trail finding and also a favorite in its low setting for pulses around the campsite.

Pros

• 90-meter beam distance.
• Excellent battery life.
• IP67 waterproof.
• Brightness memory.
• Three levels of power mode.

Cons

• Kinds of heavy and bulky.

Bottom line

Although heavy and bulky compared to most headlamps, and this limitation will rule it out for the ultra-light backpacker, it offers excellent battery life powered by 4 AA batteries in a durable waterproof package.

9. PETZL ACTIK CORE Headlamp

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The PETZL ACTIK CORE Headlamp is the perfect choice for backpacking, outdoor adventurers, and anyone who needs a headlamp with a charging option, both USB and battery.

It’s durable, easy to use, weighs under 3 ounces, as well as just slightly lighter than the Black Diamond Spot 350.

Pros

• Great optical quality.
• Versalite charging option.
• Easy-to-use.
• Quick to recharge.

Cons

• Not really weatherproof.

Bottom line

If you travel with a battery pack, rechargeable devices can be more convenient. You accumulate less battery over time and the charge lasts 16+ hours. The Actik Core is also versatile.

If you don’t have USB power available, you can run the headlights on three AAA batteries.

10. PETZL PIXA 3 Headlamp

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The PETZL PIXA 3 Headlamp offers three different lighting settings to help suit your working needs, which can be selected from a dial on the right side of the housing.

The first click of the dial puts the light in wide-angle mode. The second click of the dial sets the light to a wide/dot combination.

The third click sets the light to a high beam spotlight and turns off the wide beam.

Pros

• Adjustable headband.
• 3 modes of lighting.
• Including battery.
• 100 lumens.
• No black spots.

Cons 

• Quite heavy and bulky.

Bottom line

This is the best headlamp for trail running you want to use for seeing things at a distance, or for real lighting for good detail.

What really impressed me was how even the lighting was in all three settings. No real black spots.

11. Black Diamond Sprinter Rechargeable Headlamp

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The Black Diamond Sprinter Rechargeable Headlamp is our Top Pick for Runners, for its thoughtful design and performance for running or walking at night in urban or suburban environments.

This headlamp is rechargeable, and great for routine use like night runs. It also provides an even beam that illuminates the path and makes it easy to see potholes, cracks, steps, or rocks ahead.

Pros

• Rechargeable battery.
• Great for routine use.
• Multiple-setting.
• IPX4 waterproof.
• 200 lumens.

Cons

• Short battery life.

Bottom line

While the battery life is too short to be ideal for overseas use, the Sprinter can cutely serve around the house as a versatile light when needed.

We wouldn’t choose this as a regular headlight, but there’s nothing better for running at night or hiking in urban environments.

12. Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

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The Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is the light with which we have a love-hate relationship. For most practical purposes, the Spot is a great product that offers quality lighting at a good price.

This headlamp offers great optics, with a strong performance in outstanding light, and is one of our favorites for use around camp or around the house, with its beautiful uniform beam.

Pros

• Beautiful uniform beam.
• Easy to control.
• 300 lumens.
• Brightness memory.

Cons

• Not really waterproof.

Bottom line

Spot packs a lot of features into this little lamp, which is great, but they try to control them with a single button.

Accessing advanced features on Spot is not easy to use involving a complex combination of single, double, and triple clicks combined with button presses and holds.

13. Petzl Tikka Compact Headlamp

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The Petzl Tikka Compact Headlamp is clearly the best value in small floodlights. It delivers performance that meets or exceeds most people’s needs.

For a reasonable price, you get an extremely efficient headlight with an