{"id":35757,"date":"2018-09-20T21:27:27","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T03:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gearinstitute.com\/?p=35757"},"modified":"2018-09-22T22:24:07","modified_gmt":"2018-09-23T04:24:07","slug":"whats-great-and-not-so-great-about-biolites-new-headband-headlamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gearinstitute.com\/whats-great-and-not-so-great-about-biolites-new-headband-headlamp\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Great (and Not So Great) About BioLite\u2019s New \u201cHeadband\u201d Headlamp"},"content":{"rendered":"

BioLite knows how to do one thing really well: designing products that stand out. Since BioLite\u2019s slick-looking, wood-burning, phone-charging CampStove hit the market in 2012, every product the company has put out\u2014from its techy grills to its techy lighting and charging systems\u2014has had the Apple-esque combination of form, function, and millennial appeal that has made its products hard to ignore. <\/span><\/p>\n

So it wasn\u2019t all that surprising that the company\u2019s first headlamp was different in a number of ways from your average headlamp. More like a headband with a slim light buried in the forehead, the new headlamp\u2014aptly named, the HeadLamp\u2014is a fair bit sleeker and more comfortable than your average luminescent elastic strap. More like second skin than a strap, the fabric holds a slim light housing that doesn\u2019t jostle our bounce when running. It\u2019s easy to forget it\u2019s there. BioLite figured out a way to bury the electric line into the fabric itself to maintain a slick look. It\u2019s lightweight (2.4 oz), cheap ($50) and puts out an impressively bright and gradient dimmable light, with flood, spot, flood\/spot, red, and strobe settings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The BioLite HeadLamp – launching in spring 2019. (Photo courtesy: BioLite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not the brightest light on the trail, but trail running downhill on a technical trail after dusk, I felt like I had just about all the light I needed. The slim light doesn\u2019t bounce around on your forehead, which is essential for a running light. It\u2019s also easy to rotate the light down towards your feet when needed\u2014the slim light swings out from its housing on a tiny hinge. <\/span><\/p>\n

The BioLite HeadLamp launches in Spring 2019, but if you contribute to the company\u2019s Kickstarter<\/a> campaign, you can get yours sooner with some <\/span>extra goodies<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

While I was happy overall with the HeadLamp, there were a few annoying ways it comes up short. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, while the company take pains to point out how the light\u2014being so slim and low-profile\u2014doesn\u2019t bounce around on your forehead. What they don\u2019t mention is the not-so-slim, not-so-low-profile battery housing bouncing around on the back of your head. A lot of headlamps put the battery on the forehead, where the weight causes the light to bounce. Those that balance the weight with the battery on the back of the head typically include a strap that goes over the top of the head to keep the light from slipping down, especially headlamps built for runners. Not so with the BioLite.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The other big problem is the slipperiness of the band itself. The fabric is slick, almost slippery, and so if you are, say, running downhill, the light slips down on the back of your head and down towards your eyes. You have to tighten it beyond what\u2019s comfortable to have it stay put. Not good. And while navigating the light settings and dimmer with one button is fairly intuitive, that button is so small it\u2019s hard to find\u2014and good luck if you\u2019re wearing gloves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
The HeadLamp integrates its wiring into the headband fabric itself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The HeadLamp is a great idea, and it\u2019s nice to see some energy going into fixing the classic problems of headlamps\u2014especially on-forehead comfort, bouncy lights. And while the BioLite HeadLamp is a step forward in design, it has its quirks that will keep it in my backup drawer to other lights except for casual car camping, bike trips and front country fun. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BioLite knows how to do one thing really well: designing products that stand out. Since BioLite\u2019s slick-looking, wood-burning, phone-charging CampStove hit the market in 2012, every product the company has put out\u2014from its techy grills to its techy lighting and charging systems\u2014has had the Apple-esque combination of form, function, and millennial appeal that has made Read more ›<\/a>","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":35759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3335,3339,3384,2439,2445,3208,1],"class_list":["post-35757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bike-computers","category-bike-lights","category-headlamps","category-hiking","category-running","category-running-headlamps","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat\u2019s Great (and Not So Great) About BioLite\u2019s New \u201cHeadband\u201d Headlamp | Gear Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gearinstitute.com\/whats-great-and-not-so-great-about-biolites-new-headband-headlamp\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What\u2019s Great (and Not So Great) About BioLite\u2019s New \u201cHeadband\u201d Headlamp | Gear Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BioLite knows how to do one thing really well: designing products that stand out. 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