9 Best Running Headlamps That'll Light the Path During Night Jogs

This little lamp produces a ton of light with an impressive run time, thanks to Petzl’s Reactive Lighting tech, which helps save juice by automatically adjusting the strength of the beam for your needs. The Swift also comes with the most useful battery-life display of any light we tested. While most lamps blink when the battery starts to run low, this one uses five LED dots to show you exactly how much power you have left.

With an extremely long battery life and a brightness exceeding all of our other options on this list (emitting 400 lumens of light power), the Black Diamond Storm Headlamp is the one for serious runners that continue to run in the middle of the night. This runs on four AA batteries, making it great for ultra-runners, and when the batteries do eventually run low, this headlamp will notify you with a small light at the bottom.

A cool night doesn't have to stop you from going out for a run. You'll stay warm with this knit hat, and because the headlamp is built right in, you'll stay safe as well. It's also a great solution to walking the dog late at night, or hanging out at the campsite. It comes in 11 colors, and the LED light is rechargeable, lasting up to eight hours.

The cost of rechargeable tech has come down considerably over the years. But the initial investment can still be a barrier, be it for an electric vehicle or a headlamp. Energizer bucks that trend with this affordable, lightweight, and surprisingly powerful Vision Ultra HD headlamp. The addition of the red and green LEDs give you improved night vision, making the lamp feel all the more valuable. You'll also like the seven modes, which include varying levels of brightness as well as a flashing light and a wide-angle light.

It may not be the brightest headlamp in this test or the longest lasting, but it is among the cheapest. It’s a nice little lightweight headlamp to have handy for quick runs at dusk or to keep in your pocket for a late afternoon into twilight jog. An included visor clip lets you angle the light up and down to your liking or remove it from the strap to be worn on the brim of a cap (a bonus for hikers and trail runners).

Known for their camping gear, outdoor enthusiasts know how seriously BioLite takes lighting products, like the Headlamp 200. Thin and lightweight, the BioLite headlamp is comfortable enough to run with all night and won't bounce while you in the process. At its brightest, this can go up to 200 lumens, but be aware that the light intensity tends to dip within the first few minutes of use. And because you could be jogging near a dark street or in the park, this has four lighting modes, including a strobe and lighting mode, to keep others aware too.

While this doesn't shine nearly as brightly at 115 lumens in high beam mode, if you're a city dweller or run within your neighborhood complex, you won't need anything brighter. The Nathan Neutron Fire Runners Headlamp has a USB-rechargeable battery and has five lighting modes, including low, high, boost, and strobe. In strobe mode, this small headlamp actually shines different colors (red, blue, or green) for a bit of added fun.

With the Knog Quoka headlamp, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck. Unlike a few more expensive headlamps, this option lights up to the max of its ability as soon as it's turned on. That means you won't be running with a semi-lit headband for 30 minutes before it decides to fully light up. Editors who tested this say it impressively held a full three hours without dips in brightness.

Although the Nite Ize Radiant 300 is a bit bulky, its affordability and brightness (300 lumens) make it one to consider if you're a night runner. It allows you to alternate between white and red LED lights, as well as a way to operate spot and flood light modes on top of five other LED modes, making this super versatile when it comes to the type of lighting you need, right when you want it. This also features a lockout function, so you won't accidentally turn this on and run out of battery.