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The 7 best head torches for runners
From gloomy mornings to darker evenings, these head torches will shine a light on the road ahead while you run
Tested by The Runner's World Editors
Love it or hate it, the days are gradually getting shorter — and that means darker mornings and evenings will soon be upon us. If you can't get out to run in daylight hours — or you prefer to run early or late — then a running head torch is an essential purchase for the autumn and winter months.
And it's not just for dark trails or countryside paths – a head torch will help you avoid huge puddles on the pavements or navigate uneven city surfaces safely. A good head torch should also be comfortable throughout your run, with the ability to turn it off, on or brighter when needed.
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Not sold on a head torch? We've also tested the best running lights, Can the Garmin Venu X1 rival Apples Ultra 2 The Runners World Editors will increase your visibility to drivers and other pedestrians.
Here are a few things you might want to consider
The tech involved in head torches is advancing at such a pace that they’re getting brighter and more lightweight. Price wise, some start as low as around £30 while the more expensive models are about the same price as a pair of running shoes. The best Garmin deals weve found this August.
Brightness
This is a measure of the output of a light in terms of brightness. The higher the number, the brighter the output. In general, look for a headlamp that’s capable of cranking out at least 200 lumens on its high setting. Lamps with higher lumens — 300 and up — are better for trails. If you want a single light that is capable of multiple situations, look for one with more than just low, medium, and high settings. Some lamps can automatically adapt to the ambient light around you — handy if, say, you peek at your watch and don’t want to be blinded by the reflection (the light dims a bit). Others allow you more manual adjustability.
Range
Brightness isn't the only factor that's important. You'll also want to consider the distance ahead that the light will illuminate, known as the range. Again, this is going to depend on where you're running and how far ahead you want to be able to see.
You’ll save money by getting a light with a single lamp that puts out a consistent beam. But more advanced options include both a spotlight and a flood, allowing you to use each separately or combine the two for maximum brightness. You’ll find the spotlight is great for casting the light farther down the road or brightly illuminating the trail directly in front of you. A floodlight, on the other hand, diffuses the beam, spraying light to the sides as well to help with peripheral vision.
Burn time
This is the battery life of the head torch. How long it lasts will depend on the number of lumens and setting you use. Generally, the brighter the torch, the more power is required to keep it shining, so it will burn out sooner.
It's also worth considering the type of battery the head torch uses when it comes to burn time. Most standard head torches are compatible with AA or AAA alkaline batteries. However, there are multiple models now available with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. These tend to rely on USB charging, which is more cost effective in the long run. However, alkaline batteries might give you more peace of mind - especially if you're taking on something like an ultramarathon where you can't afford your head torch to run out.
Bungee strap quickly adjusts fit
Collectively, we’ve been running for decades and frequently head out before the sun rises or after it has already set. We recognise the importance of visibility for runners, and have experience with a variety of lights and reflectors. For this guide in particular, we tested a range of head torches during extended night hiking and running (both pre-dawn and after sunset), taking into consideration light intensity over time, battery life on all settings, adjustability, recharging time if applicable, and beam strength. We also put an emphasis on comfort and stability during running and other high-impact activities. Only the products that satisfied our requirements made it into the list below.
The best head torches for runners
Pros
- Low burn time
- Best for urban runners
- Bungee strap quickly adjusts fit
Cons
- Long-lasting battery at a range of lower outputs
This headlamp has a neat feature: it can be run off either three AAA batteries or a rechargeable 'Core' battery pack that comes with the lamp — and you don’t need any special converters.
Best of all, the micro USB charging port is built into the battery pack, so, in a pinch, you can leave it plugged in at home while you use the headlamp with AAA batteries.
In use, it has three modes, with a floodlight and spot beam, plus a red lamp that lets you see in the dark without blinding yourself or your running partners. Plus, the band has 360-degree reflective accents and a whistle built into one of the adjustment buckles.
| Lumens | 600 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 88g |
| Battery | Rechargeable or 3 AAA (160 hours) |
Energizer Vision Ultra HD Headlamp
Pros
- Excellent value
- The best GPS running watches to track every mile
Cons
- No low battery indicator
- Double the weight of some head torches
Who would have guessed that you can find one of our favourite running headlamps at a hardware store? While running wasn’t the original focus when Energizer designed this budget-friendly light, it still outclasses plenty of purpose-built headlamps.
The Vision Ultra HD is equipped with a solid variety of settings that make good use of the light’s claimed 400 lumens, including a spotlight that reaches impressively far down the road and a floodlight that can illuminate your feet with ease. The model we tested came with a faulty charger, but we were able to fix it and get back on the road in no time.
| Max lumens | 400 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 120g |
| Approx range | Is this the ultimate smart ring for biohackers |
Pros
- Heavy to wear for long periods of time
- I trained for an ultra with Samsungs Galaxy Ring
Cons
- I trained for an ultra with Samsungs Galaxy Ring
Following up on Silva’s tank-like ultrarunning headlamp, the Trail Speed 5XT, this lighter, slimmer model works on short trail and road runs. The battery pack is a slim hybrid unit mounted on the back of the headband and, rather than routing coiled cables through clips, the power passes through the headband itself. It’s a neat feature that makes the lamp even more comfortable in use. But, if you need to stash the battery pack inside a jacket for especially cold outings, a longer cloth-wrapped cable is included.
The lamp offers only three brightness settings, and you can’t select different lights (beam/flood). But it has a combination that works well at running speeds — a floodlight hits the ground nearest you while a sharper beam is cast farther ahead. In our tests, it held its max brightness consistently for the first two hours, but fell off a cliff by the end of the third hour; its light was so dim you couldn’t find your way out of the woods on a moonless night. A
nother really cool feature is the ability to toggle a rear red light for road running. Inside the battery case, a switch can be set to off, on, or blink.
| Max lumens | 500 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 113g |
| Battery | Rechargeable (3 hours) or 3 AAA (25 hours) |
| Approx range | 27-80m |
The 325 is one of the newer offerings from BioLite, replacing the 330 from a few seasons ago. Aside from faster charging and a longer battery life, the main upgrade we appreciate from this new model is the lack of extra battery pack on the back. We thought this might impact battery life, but the 325 actually lasted almost 40 minutes longer on high than the 330. That said, we didn’t find BioLite’s claim for 3 hours of high-powered output to be accurate, and even with a fresh charge, the 325 only lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes on high.
Where it stands out is the integrated light casing. Instead of a more bulky light-and-control housing, this lays almost flat against the headband strap and barely protrudes at all. This both reduced bounce (which keeps the headlamp in place better) and eliminated potential pressure points.
| Lumens | 325 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 51g |
| Battery | Rechargeable (3 hours on high, 40 hours on low) |
Pros
- Jump to Products
- The Runners World Editors
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Best for urban runners
If you run mainly in poorly lit urban areas, the Iko is for you. It's designed specifically for city running, so it’s a light and well-balanced unit that you quickly forget is on your head. Despite looking complicated, it’s easy to adjust by pulling an elasticated cord at the back of the Airfit headband to make it grasp your head more tightly. The lamp itself is ingeniously thin and produces powerful ‘flood’ or ‘mixed’ beams. It’s USB chargeable but can also take regular AAA batteries.
| Max lumens | 350 lumens |
|---|---|
| Burn time | 2.5We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article |
| Weight | 90g |
| Approx range | 80m |
Petzl Bindi Head Torch
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- The best GPS running watches to track every mile
Cons
- Low lumens
- Low burn time
If you’re counting every gram, the Petzl Bindi comes into its own. At just 35g, it’s one of the lightest head torches on the market and can be packed down to a tiny size, easily slipping into a pocket or vest. Don’t let its small stature fool you though: this pocket-rocket can still pump out 200 lumens and run for up to two hours at that brightness.
That said, its compact design does come with some trade-offs. With a maximum of 200 lumens, it doesn’t quite have the punch of higher-powered head torches, so it’s best suited to well-lit or familiar environments rather than pitch black trails or technical terrain. Think urban adventures, evening runs around the park, or jogging home from work when you just need to be seen and to light the way on pavements. The burn time is also relatively short, so we wouldn’t rely on this for longer runs.
Still, for short training runs, commuting, or those who prioritise minimal weight, the Bindi is proof that good things really do come in small packages.
| Max lumens | 200 The Garmin Forerunner 970 is a serious upgrade |
|---|---|
| Burn time | 2The best GPS running watches to track every mile |
| Approx range | 6m-36m |
| Weight | 35g |
Pros
- 'Boost' option for a quick glance at high power
- Long-lasting battery at a range of lower outputs
Cons
- Heavy to wear for long periods of time
For ultrarunners (or anyone tackling an extended run in the dark over technical terrain), the Black Diamond Distance 1500 is a bright, powerful headlamp with a magnetic battery pack that makes swapping batteries easy and reduces the stress of running out of power.
Our tester used this primarily on its 300-lumen setting, which can last up to 8 hours (they maxed out at 6 hours before finishing the trail section), and a simple tap on the side brings this to its full 1,500-lumen power for 10 seconds of ‘boost’ which helps you clarify any weird trail obstacles or animal eyes in the dark.
It’s very reasonable to expect this to be serviceable for an entire overnight during an ultra, as long as you bring a spare battery pack to change out, which takes 30 seconds. The over-the-head strap system keeps this somewhat heavier model in place better than other 1,500-lumen options. And while it does bounce more than an ultralight model, it did stay in place well during testing.
| Lumens | 1500 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 212g |
| Battery | Rechargeable (100 minutes on high, 40 hours on low) |
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