The BioLite HeadLamp 425, for our cash, is among the greatest headlamps you should buy. Should you’ve seen our best headlamps for astrophotography and low light scenes shopping for information beforehand, you will have seen the BioLite 330 on the record. Properly, the BioLite HeadLamp 425 is its youthful sibling, launched on the finish of September 2022.
BioLite truly had a whole refresh of their award-winning rechargeable headlamps, with three new fashions in the marketplace: the HeadLamp 325, the HeadLamp 425 and the HeadLamp 800 PRO.
Key specs
LED Colour: White and Purple
Brightness (Lumens): 425 Lumens
Runtime: 60hrs at min lumens/4hrs at max lumens
Weight: 2.75oz/78g
Waterproof Ranking: IPX4
Battery Kind: 1000 mAh Li-on rechargeable battery
As stargazers, the HeadLamp 425 piqued our curiosity above the opposite fashions as a result of purple flood gentle, the glove-friendly energy button, and the ‘run endlessly’ battery. We’ll focus on these and different enhancements later.
Along with the above astro-friendly parts and enhancements over the prior BioLite fashions (which we cherished), the brand new variations supply elevated beam distance, higher run time and improved temperature use score.
We additionally assume it is necessary to spotlight BioLite’s mission to empower folks and defend the planet by means of renewable vitality. It is a daring mission to supply 20 million folks with entry to scrub vitality and keep away from 3 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2025. However evidently by buying a BioLite product, you are serving to with that mission.
BioLite HeadLamp 425 evaluate
BioLite 440: Design
- Built-in rear purple flood and strobe
- Glove-friendly button
- Weight sits behind your head
Lots of thought has gone into the design of this headlamp, with some notable adjustments from present fashions, to some tiny adjustments however with massive benefits.
As with the opposite BioLite HeadLamps the battery pack sits behind your head which implies that’s the place the burden sits. The profile in your brow is a mere 10mm so it does not really feel massive or cumbersome. Whereas primarily a design function for runners, it provides consolation for any wearer. What’s extra, BioLite has cleverly built-in a rear purple flood and strobe into the again of the scarf, maximizing the performance. Regardless that the principle entrance lamp has a purple mode, astrophotographers could desire to solely use the rear one by spinning it spherical to the entrance of the top, so there’s completely no threat of turning on the white, evening vision-ruining LED lamp.
Should you weren’t trying particularly for it, you in all probability would not discover that the ability/mode button has been improved from earlier variations to make it extra glove pleasant. One in all our least favourite issues in regards to the BioLite 330 was the tiny energy button which was partly obscured by the casing. Whereas the brand new button does not look massively totally different, the additional profile that protrudes previous the casing is definitely very useful to be used with gloves or chilly fingers, one thing we stargazers typically expertise.
Because the battery sits behind the scarf, the ability is fed to it by way of a spiral cable. It’s totally neat, however as somebody with lengthy curly hair, it did get tangled just a few occasions. That is solely a niggle although, and we’re solely (pardon the pun), splitting hairs.
The one different draw back we are able to consider with the battery (and built-in gentle) being on the again, is that you just could not lie down — say when studying a guide — however that does not trouble us as skywatchers.
It might be advantageous if this headlamp was absolutely waterproof, just like the Knog Bilby we reviewed, though with a score of IPX4, it is protected against splashing water from any route so it is going to be high-quality in a rain bathe.
You should buy the BioLite in three totally different shade designs, Ocean Teal (featured on this evaluate), Midnight Grey or Ember Yellow.
BioLite 330: Efficiency
- 60 hours on a single cost (on low)
- Very comfy
- Coated by a one-year guarantee
We now have already mentioned the battery sitting behind your head, fairly than weighing down your brow. However for extra consolation, the BioLite HeadLamp 425 makes use of a ‘no bounce’ moisture-wicking headband, preserving sweat off your face and preserving the band brisker for longer. It may be washed with delicate cleaning soap when obligatory.
Although we aren’t utilizing this headlamp for operating functions on this evaluate — runners are the audience for this design — we now have been on many brisk walks at midnight. On every event, the headlamp feels safe on our head and it actually is simple to overlook you’ve gotten it on.
When used as a regular white LED headlamp, the beam distance on full energy is a powerful 85 meters, or 15 when on low energy. Full energy burn time is 4 hours, and a whopping 60 hours on low energy. There are seven lighting modes in total: White Spot, White Strobe, Purple Flood, Purple Strobe, Spot+Flood, Rear Purple Flood and Rear Purple Strobe.
The bulb on the entrance of the scarf tilts to 4 totally different positions, so it may be manually adjusted to go well with what you want it for, whether or not that be seeing far into the gap straight forward or on a decrease energy trying down, making changes to a tripod, for instance.
Do you have to encounter any issues together with your BioLite HeadLamp 425, you might be coated by the one-year guarantee; be sure you register after buy (it takes lower than a minute).
BioLite 330: Performance
- USB-C rechargeable
- LED Battery indicator
- ‘Run Ceaselessly’ charging
There may be multiple approach of guaranteeing you are not caught out and left at midnight. The primary is the LED Battery indicator. It activates for seven seconds if you flip the headlamp on (or if you flip the rear purple flood) and once more if you flip it off, which serves as a pleasant reminder to plug it in after use, if obligatory. The opposite approach is ‘reserve mode’, which alerts you (by flashing) when the battery is operating low and gives an hour of backup gentle.
One other neat function is ‘pass-through charging,’ which implies you’ll be able to plug it into an exterior energy supply whereas in use. We’re particularly happy to see that BioLite has moved away from micro-USB charging to the extra common USB-C. Hurrah, no want for a number of energy cables to cost up totally different gadgets! It takes roughly two hours to recharge from empty to totally charged.
As we have come to anticipate from headlamps, having reviewed a lot of them, there’s a ‘lock’ operate, so you do not by chance flip it on and waste energy in transit. Maintain the ability button down for eight seconds. Then the identical to unlock it.
The temperature score, for these excessive climate stargazers, shall be glad to listen to that it’s rated -20C to 60C (-4F to 140F). There is no want to fret about it being too chilly or sizzling to operate.
Do you have to purchase the BioLite HeadLamp 425?
Merely, for those who’re in search of all-rounder headlamp with useful astro-friendly options, it’s best to severely take into account the BioLite HeadLamp 425. It’s glorious worth for cash and we will not consider a technique to make it any extra practical, particularly at its very cheap value level.
It’s comfy and sensible and gives astronomers and skywatchers a handy technique of being hands-free whereas observing the evening sky or in between taking astrophotographs.
If the BioLite HeadLamp 425 isn’t for you
We have examined and reviewed a number of headlamps, and with the fashions that sit at the same value level, it is primarily down to private choice as to which one you select.
The BioLite HeadLamp 425 can simply be in comparison with the Petzl ACTIK CORE 450 which we reviewed by way of lumen output, single press operation, handbook tilt and an LED battery indicator, however it has the benefit of the rear purple flood and strobe.
After our Knog Bilby 400 review we discovered one other agency favourite and is a unique-looking, absolutely waterproof various. It’s extremely customizable, and the lamp itself may be faraway from the silicone casing and plugged immediately right into a USB energy supply, negating the necessity for cables.
Try our best headlamps to see different headlamp suggestions from us, which we now have chosen particularly for skywatchers.
