Compared to well-established outdoor lighting brands like Petzl, BioLite is a relative newcomer to the world of headtorches and lanterns. But this is a brand on a mission: to bring energy everywhere. It doesn’t just make products for backpackers, wild campers and off-grid adventurers – it also develops solutions for those who live without access to mains power in countries like Uganda, Kenya and India. As such, it’s developed a slew of innovative and award-winning portable camping stoves, grills, fire pits, power banks, solar panels and camp lanterns.
However, the HeadLamp 425 was created to solve another basic problem: bulky, uncomfortable headtorches. Light yet bright, it has a unique lamp unit and headband that are seamlessly engineered to work together for an excellent fit, supposedly alleviating pressure points on the forehead and eliminating bounce. This is quickly becoming one of our favourite pieces of essential hiking gear. We duly put it to the test in Snowdonia…
Pros
- Bright
- Very lightweight
- Stable and well-balanced
Cons
- Relatively low waterproof rating
- Limited beam angle adjustment
| Max power | 425lm (high) |
| Max burn time | 60 hours at 5 lumens |
| Max beam distance | 85m |
| Battery | USB-C rechargeable 1000mAh lithium-ion battery |
| Weight | 78g |
| Ingress protection rating | IPX4 (splashproof) |
Design and features
This headtorch has a sleek and low-profile design, with a front light unit that is integrated into the fabric strap of the headband. The battery pack is positioned at the back of the head, which helps with overall balance and stability. This also means the HeadLamp 425 has the bonus of a rear red light for added safety and visibility. A power cable runs around the left-hand side of the headband. This is the only element that feels a bit cumbersome, but even here the cord is partially embedded in the fabric strap to improve overall ergonomics.
When it comes to features, the front light unit has red night vision flood, white spot, white flood, combo and SOS strobe modes, all activated with a single button located on top of the headtorch. All the settings can all be dimmed to your preferred brightness level by simply holding the button. You also get a 4-LED battery level indicator, a button lock to guard against accidental operation and 1 hour of emergency reserve lighting in all modes.
The lamp is charged via a USB-C port located on the underside of the rear battery pack, which is protected by a silicone cover. The HeadLamp 425 uses an integrated 1000mAh Lithium-ion cell, which is not removable and cannot be swapped out or replaced with standard alkaline batteries like so-called ‘Hybrid’ rivals. However, like other high-powered BioLite headlamps, the HeadLamp 425 supports pass-thru charging, so you can charge it in use. This means you can plug the charging cable into the USB-C port and connect the other end up to a portable power bank stashed in your pack or at your waist, massively extending your headtorch’s runtime.
Charging speed is good, and quicker than rivals that use older micro-USB technology. Battery capacity isn’t the highest but burn times are decent, especially on high power (4 hours at 425 lumens). Conversely, on low power you don’t get as long a burn time as some rivals – but that pass-thru charging feature helps to get around that drawback.
Performance and comfort
This is an extremely light headtorch, weighing just 78g. The ergonomic and balanced design with the battery at the back of the head is great for trail running, fast-hiking, hillwalking and backpacking. When it comes to overall comfort, we think the BioLite HeadLamps are some of the best around, and this model is no exception. We particularly like the moisture-wicking fabric placed at the front of the headband, which keeps your forehead dry and sweat-free.
The fact that the rear unit also has integrated red LEDs makes this headtorch ideal for added visibility on night runs or hikes that involve stretches of road-walking. You also get a strobe function, which is an extra bonus in terms of safety or in the event of an emergency. A reflective logo on one side of the headband also helps in this regard.
In terms of light output, the highest setting – a 425-lumen combined spot/flood beam – is bright enough for year-round use in the hills and mountains. It will throw a beam up to 85 metres ahead of you too, which is comparable or slightly better than most rivals in this price and power bracket.
The lower power white flood light also works well for general use in a tent or around camp, while the red light helps to preserve night vision (and won’t disturb sleeping partners if you need to get out of the tent in the night for a 3am wee).
All in all, we’re struggling to think of too many downsides to this headtorch. If we were really nitpicking, we’d point out that although the front light unit can be angled downwards, it only clicks to four positions, so it doesn’t have as wide (or smooth) a range of adjustment as most rivals.
Secondly, it’s only IPX4 rated, which means it’s splashproof, but not stormproof, and not resistant to total submersion in water, unlike the leading models from Black Diamond, LED Lenser and Nitecore, for example.
Price and competition
The major selling points of this headtorch are its performance, weight and comfort. It’s one of the lightest 400+ lumen headtorches around, and thanks to the well-balanced, low-profile design, also one of the most comfortable to wear, even for extended periods.
On the scales, the only comparable rival in this year’s group test was the Silva Explore 4RC, which is another very good 400-lumen headtorch. It’s the same price as the BioLite HeadLamp 425. The Silva model has superior waterproofing and better beam angle adjustment. However, it is also slower to charge, with a smaller battery capacity and shorter burn times. It also lacks the multi-sport versatility of the BioLite model, since it has no rear red safety light for urban/road use.
If you’re willing to spend just a little more, you could also look at the Petzl Iko CORE (£75), which was reviewed earlier this year by our colleagues at Trail Running magazine. It’s similarly lightweight and well-balanced, and also has a brighter max output (500 lumens), with similar burn times. That model definitely works better as a dedicated fast-hiking or trail running headtorch rather than an outdoor all-rounder though, due to its unusual style headband.
Verdict
An extremely versatile multi-sport headtorch with a lightweight, low-profile design and loads of practical features. It’s comfortable to wear and bright enough for most situations too.
About the author
Matt Jones is a freelance journalist based in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, he’s a vastly experienced gear tester and self-confessed outdoor kit geek. Matt’s been one of our main gear testers for the last couple of years and is the first person we call with any complicated kit queries that need in-depth and forensic analysis.