Silva Trail Runner Free Headlamp - SS22

Product Information

In use, there are different lumen settings of 50, 200 and 400. You press the button on the headlamp to move through the light settings. The button is a good size and easy to locate with your hand/finger while wearing the heard torch. Team iRunFar has long been a fan of what ZebraLight does for the lighting industry, and the ZebraLight H600d Mk IV 18650 XHP50.2 5000K High CRI Headlamp is another example of why we continue keeping an eye on this company. One thing that ZebraLight has long been known for is having a ton of programmable brightness settings in its lights. Although it’s a bit of a commitment to program your headlamp, meaning we’d recommend setting it up at home with the instructions before you’re in the field, the upside is that you’ll get to know your headlamp intimately and eventually program it on the fly.

Other reviewers have speculated how hard it might be to replace the wiring, given that it's integral to the headband. Whilst this is - to an extent - an interesting question, and we should definitely be thinking more about how we can repair the equipment we own, my question in return would be - if you break any other brand of headtorch's wiring - how easy would that be to repair? Generally, not very, so I don't think it's a concern peculiar to this design. We found that the battery is a bit more than most people need for a daily trail running headlamp. While we would have considered this headlamp for the ultrarunning category of this guide, it doesn’t have a sweet spot of brightness and run time that works well for a whole night of running on trails. Instead, this headlamp will be incredibly bright for several hours during a pre-dawn or post-dusk run. Unfortunately, it won’t hold steady all night without a battery change. That said, the main downside of this headlamp as a daily runner is its weight. When it comes to brightness and burn time, the Trail Runner Free H has three settings. Being a Scandinavian brand, hence used to developing products that will be used throughout a wide range of temperatures, Silva provide additional performance stats for cold and hot environments. Most people will be aware that the cold has a negative effect on battery life, but very few people will ever have seen a quantifiable measure on exactly what that may be, so hats off to Silva here, because it's an important factor to take into account during the winter months. The only downside with this headlamp is that switching out the battery is difficult. While it’s easy to carry a spare battery on an all-night run, getting it replaced in the dark and while sleep-deprived is challenging.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Running Headlamp

Choose Trail Runner Free with the Hybrid battery case and 3 x AAA batteries if you don’t run on a daily basis, but still value long burn time.

Most headlamps have a few general modes: a constant or flashing white light and a constant or flashing red light. More complex lamps allow for more adjustments: the lumens of the white light can be turned up or down, affecting battery life, and the width of the beam can widen or narrow, sometimes automatically, as with Petzl’s Reactive Lighting technology, which can be found on the Petzl Swift RL and the Petzl Nao RL.Actual Weight: 7.6 ounces (217 grams) | Maximum Light Output: 2,700 lumens | Battery Source(s): 4,000-milliampere-hour 21700-size lithium-ion rechargeable (included), one 18650-size lithium-ion rechargeable (not included), or two CR123As (not included) Shop the Nitecore HC35 Comparing the Best Running Headlamps HEADLAMP For many runners, brightness is the top consideration when finding the best running headlamp. However, it’s worth noting that brighter is not necessarily better. We believe there is such a thing as too bright, and we’ve found both too much light and too little light will cause eye strain. Additionally, too much light can blind your fellow trail users. The main downside of this system is its weight and bulk. It’s not lightweight, and for those looking to shave grams, this can be a hefty load to bear. Similarly, the waistbelt makes this light bulkier than others when the sun comes up, and you want to stuff it into your hydration vest. However, this could be a great option if your priority is having a powerful waist-worn light to get you through a long night of running. Trail Runner Free Ultra is the top model in the series and has a powerful, rechargeable battery (4.0Ah) for long distances and weighs a total of only 141 grams. An optimal head torch for ultra-runners. When it comes to build quality, the battery case doesn't feel the most robust, but equally - it hasn't (thus far) shown any actual signs of wear. The rest of the headtorch, particularly the strap, feel like they're manufactured to an exceptionally high standard.

The primary downside of this headlamp is the comfort factor due to having all of the weight on the front, but as we said, this can be mitigated with a thin gaiter or a similar layer underneath the headlamp. I was worried the 400 lumen output would not be sufficient for night running – this is my main use of a head torch. It is fine for many situations but on dark woodland trails I found I needed a brighter beam. It's by no means the most powerful headtorch around, with 400 lumens realistically being at the modest end of the spectrum - particularly where trail running is concerned; however, if you're after more, the chances are you're going to pay more. I have tended to find myself using the max setting out on the hill, particularly whilst descending, just to get that bit of extra distance. The medium seating is fine for more manicured trails, because of the fact you've got more predictable ground. I often use the middle mode whilst going uphill too, partly because I don't need the extra output, but also to save that little bit of battery when I can. The low setting is actually a little more meaningful than some of its competitors, so can be used to prolong burn time on more predictable ground, or - as is more often the case - to use a map, or look for something within your bag without blinding yourself. It's perfect for around a camp too. The lamp itself is small, rotates up and down easily (even with gloves on) and the switch on the left-side is easy to press for illumination. Green shows good power in the battery, red shows recharging or new batteries are required. Range: Brightness isn't the only factor that's important. You'll also want to consider the distance ahead that the light will illuminate, known as the range. Again, this is going to depend on where you're running and how far ahead you want to be able to see.At 400 lumens, the head lamp sits at a very comfortable balance of illumination v battery life. Lumens and brightness are not always the be all and end all for a head lamp, especially when running. For faster sports, MTB or skiing, illumination is crucial because everything is moving so much faster, with running, especially at night, everything is a little slower and 400 lumen works really well. I also feel that our eyes and perception adjust accordingly but I am aware that for some, this is not the case.