Best head torch in 2023: head lamps to see in the dark and keep hands free

Looking for the best head torch? Our guide will help you choose the best one, and find the one with the right features for you at the best price.

Although not specifically aimed at photographers, a head torch – also commonly referred to as a ‘head light’ or ‘head lamp’ – is one of the handiest bits of kit you can stash in your gadget bag. Useful for any type of nighttime photography and indeed painting with light, it’s also an ideal tool for helping navigate your way home through the countryside after a golden hour landscape shoot. 

A head torch can also be a great help for looking  the innards of your DSLR or mirrorless camera, if you’re confident enough to attempt to clean its sensor yourself. The beauty is that strapping a light to your head enables you to remain usefully ‘hands free’ for whatever you’re doing.

On top of the above, some head torches are also useful for astronomers, thanks to their specialist red light setting. So there are many more uses for that humble head torch than simply finding your way back to your tent at night, exploring cave systems, or even digging through boxes in the attic.

So what to look for? Well, inevitable budget consideration aside, you’ll be wanting something that is lightweight, ideally waterproof and that maintains its beam power for as long as possible, even in the cold. Fortunately LED technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and most manufacturers will have already considered – and hopefully surmounted – such issue

So without further ado, let’s illuminate what we consider the best head torches for all-round use…

Best head torch in 2023

A very familiar name in the world of domestic batteries, Energizer offers up this very affordable and simple strap-on-and-go LED equipped headband type option, with a trio of AAA alkaline batteries very much included. A pivoting lamp head allows the light to be directed where you want it, leaving you hands free, while the lens is said to be water resistant and shatterproof, resisting damage from drops of up to a metre. So you don’t get left in the dark without warning, a red low battery indicator lamp starts flashing when power is failing. Six modes, including a red and green option, allow users to cleverly preserve night vision, while there is also a dimming option to control light intensity. In conclusion, this is an inexpensive and fuss free entry-level headlamp option.

With a usefully detachable and washable headband that has reflective elements for night time visibility and safety, this very lightweight one-size-fits-all option at just 75g features a rechargeable battery that is fully charged in three hours. Alternatively it can be used in conjunction with three optional AAA batteries for those embarking on longer trips. Operated via a handily placed single button, with various adjustments being able to made to both the beam of light and its intensity and color – including a red light mode for night vision – use is said to be intuitive, while further peace of mind comes via a five year user guarantee. In a nutshell, in being detachable, washable and rechargeable, this is a simple yet comprehensive all in one solution.

Getting your eyesight accustomed to the dark takes time - and therefore stargazers and astrophotographers use red light to avoid losing this hard-earned visual sensitivity. The trouble is that lots of headtorches force you to toggle through the white light to get to the red light - negating the advantage of this nigh vision mode. Note so the Black Diamond Cosmo, which has a great reputation amongst astronomers for being to not only switch the red light on and off with no danger of turning on the white light - but also as it has a fully dimmable red illumination, so you only need to dial up as much light as you actually need to adjust your telescope and camera equipment. 

Looking like something that would adorn the bonce of a sci-fi movie villain, part of the pitch for this BioLite contraption is that it is so lightweight at just 50g its user will forget they’re wearing it. Convenience further comes in the shape of micro USB charging of its rechargeable battery, and the fact that its front panel can be tilted downward to train on whatever bit of camera kit it is you’re adjusting. Its light modes are versatile, in that a classic white spot beam can be swapped for a dimmable red for night time activity. Furthermore an optional accessory in the light diffusing ‘Stuffsack’ lets the headlamp also work as hanging ambient light for your tent, should you be camping in the great outdoors, whereupon the fact that it is water resistant (but not waterproof) will come in handy.

Usefully dust proof and waterproof - for up to 30 minutes at a one-metre depth – as well as relatively powerful in terms of its LED lights, this clever 400 lumen strength device has a memory brightness function, so that it will revert back to the previous power setting after it’s been turned off and on again. Requiring four included AAA batteries enables it to last for up to a whopping 200 hours on its lowest setting. OK, so it’s not rechargeable out of the box, but there’s nothing to stop us from using our own rechargeable batteries in it. Further features include the ability to dim or strobe the light, with various color settings including not only red night vision but also green or blue, with a secondary switch provided for fine tuning

Waterproof, drop resistant and of course portable, this cheap as (micro) chips budget 200 lumen brightness option typically sees you getting two head lamps bundled in the packet and batteries included. Users have the option of using no fewer than seven different light modes that the user can flick between with a single switch and dependent on viewing requirements, ranging from low to high power for both the main light and its side lights. The light itself is tilted at a 45° angle for, its manufacturer claims, easier viewing and the avoidance of neck ache. Powered by three regular AAA batteries to deliver a set up said to be lighter than an egg, the Vont Spark comes with a lifetime warranty to help you sleep soundly at night.

This circular lamp has a great feature that will be loved by those who only need a head torch for emergencies - or who are likely to leave it in a bag for extended periods between expeditions. As the BatteryGuard name suggests, there is light switch that physically disconnects the three AAA batteries from the lighting circuitry - so therefore extending cell and torch life by minimizing the chance of battery drain or corrosion. The circular beam claims a maximum range of 125 metres, when its 250 lumen lamp is used at maximum power.

Super powerful head worn aluminum build lamp for when you really do need plenty of punch to illuminate your surrounds, this one can throw out light to a distance of 160 metres, while it will last up to five hours at full power, or up to 20 hours if dimming light intensity down to 80 lumens. 

Recharging time for its integral battery is four hours, with the Swedish designed lamp capable of being detached from its head strap should you want to mount it to the handlebars of a bicycle or a helmet. Tilt the lamp downwards for a wider beam, or upwards for a longer reach. The downside here is that it’s the highest priced solution in our round up, while it’s not the lightest available either. However, when you need a lot of light thrown on your subject this example from Silva could well prove itself a ‘Trail’ blazer.

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