I learned the basics of what I know about head torches long before I came to the sport of trail running.
My years both as a mountaineer and a member of a mountain rescue team taught me to study the balance between brightness, beam length and battery life. All of these are important in their own way.
I have put together a list of three options. The first is what I use, then a good for purpose alternative with a super long battery life, and finally a budget option if you are cash strapped.
Petzl Nao+
This is what I use. The Petzl Nao+ (available on Amazon) is a massively powerful 750 Lumen head torch that can illuminate a distance of 460 ft (140m).
The Petzl Nao+ (available on Amazon) is rechargeable with a battery life of up to 15 hours. At only 185 grams, once I have put it on I hardly notice it there at all. The torch has a light sensor meaning that when you switch it on at dusk it will adjust its brightness based on the amount of ambient light, thereby extending battery life.
One feature of the Petzl Nao+ (available on Amazon) is the bluetooth connection that allows me to monitor battery life via my mobile phone using the MyPetzl light app. Using the app on an ultra trail event I set a timer based on the number of hours till sunrise and the app adjusted the torch power to make the battery last for how long I needed it, including burning dimmer at well lit aid stations to conserve battery power, all automatically.
When I am out on long night trail runs or long point to point hikes I always carry my Anker PowerCore power bank (available on Amazon) in my pack or CamelBak. This allows me to recharge my GPS watch and phone on the go.
A neat feature of the Petzl Nao+ (available on Amazon) is that the rechargeable battery is out of the way at the back of my head. On two occasions when I have forgotten to charge my head torch and my mobile phone alerted me to a low battery, I simply plugged the charging cable into my Anker PowerCore power bank (available on Amazon) and kept going.
Another added feature is a LED red light on the battery pack that can be a solid or blinking light making you visible to traffic behind you.
Black Diamond Storm
When it comes to value for money, the Black Diamond Storm (available on Amazon) is hard to beat. It is super light at 110 grams.
It lives in the bottom of my pack in case of emergencies and as a back up for my main head torch.
The four AAA batteries give a phenomenal 40 hours at 350 Lumens of brightness. That battery life extends to 120 hours if you adjust it down to the lowest setting.
The IP67-Rating indicates that the Black Diamond Storm (available on Amazon) has been tested under 1m (three feet) of water for 30 minutes. Little wonder that Black Diamond refer to this relatively low priced torch as their “rugged workhorse”. You will get years of service from this gem.
Petzl Tikkina
If you are looking for a quality, no frills head torch at a budget price then the Petzl Tikkina (available on Amazon) is for you.
This is not the head torch that will guide you through the inky black of a moonless desert night. If you are almost back from your run and dusk is falling and you need to be visible to traffic then the Petzl Tikkina (available on Amazon) can be your option for storing at the bottom of your backpack.
You have 60 hours of battery life, but only 150 Lumans of brightness. The Petzl Tikkina (available on Amazon) is a hybrid torch. It will support either traditional AAA batteries or the Petzl CORE, USB rechargeable unit.
The circumstance where I was able to use the Petzl Tikkina (available on Amazon) far away from any city lights was back when I did a lot of guiding. The torch beam has a range of 130 ft (40m) so we would distribute them to groups of half a dozen or more runners. As long as they stayed within a tight group the combined brightness of the head torches was sufficient.
If you’re looking for good quality trail running gear, I have other pages like this one recommending my favorite running shoes, hydration systems, and other trail running gear and accessories on the recommended gear page of this site. It’s all the battle-tested gear that I love.