I’ve just started running a couple of times a week to try and fill in some gaps in my fitness, but most of the roads around me are unlit.
Any suggestions for head torches that are reliable and won’t break the bank?
I’m talking less than £25 if at all possible. USB rechargeable preferred. Not long runs, so don’t need to last ages. Nearest Decathlon is quite a way away, so mail order is best.
Ta!

Alpkit Viper (AAA) or one of their many USB ones. They have several with a red light on the back.

Head Torches

Alpkit Quark is decent at £32 and has the bonus of being USB rechargeable, so you don’t trickle spend on batteries. Or their Gamma 3, which has the bonus of a red light on the back of the battery box for country lanes:

Head Torches and Lighting

Not a head torch, but I’ve got one of these Decathlon body torches for running & think it’s brilliant:

Decathlon Body Torch

It moves from side to side with your body motion (obviously) but I don’t find that an issue. The beam pattern is wide enough that the path ahead remains illuminated at all times. It has two brightness levels, the light unit itself can be adjusted for angle & the battery pack has a red tail light on it.

Second the Decathlon body torch, works really well. They also do a running headtorch for not much with works too.

Decathlon body torches

Get two obviously. One for each side. Like a bra.

As you run through the dark, the people will whisper amongst them selves in hushed tones, sharing rumours of the….

Illuminatitti.

Petzl Bindi here, proper lightweight, no big battery dragging yer neck doon, USB rechrgeable, small enough to chuck in a pocket, around 30 quid.

Did a couple of overnight summits with it this year, brilliant.

Alpkit Gamma

You can get brighter but the red light on the back is brilliant.

I also have a Viper and a Quark, Viper is cable tied to bike helmet as an emergency headtorch. Quark is used for running off road because brighter (and when you forget to charge it you can drop some batteries in).

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/onnight-710-black-and-orange-id_8370255.html

Thats the boy you want

My only experience of running with a headtorch in winter wasn’t great. In the weather where you can see you breath you can only see where you’re going if you’re not breathing out. Otherwise the torch illuminates a great white cloud right in front of your face1
I fancy trying one of the chest lights, but for now I just move on to urban lit streets in winter.

Unlit wooded roads and bridleway runner here. The decathlon chest light is awesome. 👍🏼 (if a bit odd)

Thats the boy you want

+1 by far the best light per £. Our club has various torches on the go, some costing >£100 and this is nearly as good.

The chest ones are ok but useless if you ever do go off road / climb over styles etc. They are a one trip pony where as a head torch can be used as a Headtorch. Ok on road but you soon regret them when using on better terrain

My only experience of running with a headtorch in winter wasn’t great. In the weather where you can see you breath you can only see where you’re going if you’re not breathing out.

Run faster. HTH 🙂

Have Alpkit sorted the old battery pack fragility issues on these new Gammas? The original was fantastic headtorch but needed the battery pack replacing every few months – which was fine, they are just up the road

@MoreCashThanDash not sure but the battery pack on the new ones is completely different.

Cheers, Jnr needs a battery headtorch for DofE so may get one for him to share with me

I use the Manta, as does my Mrs; superb light but a fair bit brighter on full whack than it needs to be, so cam therefore recommend the Gamma highly. Neither of our Mantas has had any problems at all. Tail light is a great idea and the weight of thing isn’t an issue for us. I tend to wear a buff on my head for winter running, which makes the heavier Manta comfortable.

As an old duffer I struggle with depth perception in the dark so go for quite a lot of light. Went for the Aplkit Quark which is pretty good.
I had the gamma but found it wasn’t bright enough for me. Also if you are moving quite quickly then a more powerful light helps and particularly if you go off road a bit.

Have Alpkit sorted the old battery pack fragility issues on these new Gammas? The original was fantastic headtorch but needed the battery pack replacing every few months – which was fine, they are just up the road

They say that they have, I think. I’d second the Petzl Bindi btw. Tiny, bright, USB charging.

Just ordered a bindi. £32.95 delivered from Amazon

Another vote for the 250 lumen Decathlon body light, should be absolutely fine if running open pavement. If you need to see more than the ground in front of you (ie avoid branches etc.) then I’d combo with a headtorch.

Cheers y’all, ordered a Quark due to the convenience of rechargeableness and light weight 🙂

and light weight 🙂

Light weight isn’t the issue, it’s how balanced it feels on the head.

I carry the bindi very regularly as a just in case light, but when I think I’ll need a good light (otherwise an e lite)

Really like it so far. I walk with it rather than run but can’t see a reason why running would be a problem. 2 hours on max, very flood beam

This is all interesting, thanks.

Which of these would be best for cycling? Not anything radical, just getting home along some dark paths.

Exposure joystick. Then a headband arrangement to use it for running.

Have Alpkit sorted the old battery pack fragility issues on these new Gammas? The original was fantastic headtorch but needed the battery pack replacing every few months – which was fine, they are just up the road

They’re on Rev 3 or 4 now, the battery case problem was only with the first gen which is donkeys years old now. Having said that my 1st gen has been faultless.

Exposure joystick. Then a headband arrangement to use it for running.

The headbands terrible for running.

It ends up sitting on your ear and the lights off to the side of your head so your perriferal on one side gets bombarded.

It’s fine using the joystick around camp and stuff that doesn’t have too much bouncing but not a good running torch.

I just have a 15 quid rechargable Chinese special off Amazon

It’s good bright light with decent run time. Not convinced it will last too long as its cheaply made but it has lasted a good long while so far + has a big bright rear facing red light.

Got a black diamond thing that takes 3 aaa. Light enough and doesn’t bounce about. Decent spread. Aware it does not meet the op’s spec but just reporting. 21 quid I think?

The bindi is the best option here. Cheapest on wiggle I think

When I run its around the local lanes in the evenings; no street lighting as typical of country lanes so gets very dark this time of year. Cant say Id fancy wearing a light, especially not one on me head, so I carry a small torch. Never had an issue carrying it.
Advantage being that when you come back into built up areas with street lighting you dont look like a cyborb.

This is what I use .. 10000lm torch

The exposure joystick with the headband makes a great headtorch for trail running and is great for the bike too. I had mine for 11 years with no probs until i plugged it into the wrong charger and fried the batttery! Would definately get another.

Courtesy of work, a Silva explore 3x 350 lumens more than enough to run around pitch-black bridleways.

The only good thing I’ll say for the exposure headband is – it was cheap.

I have one and I used moomans technique to run with my joystick rather than use the headband.

It’s a shame because all it needed was an adjustable over the head strap it wouldn’t have added much cost but it would have made a poor(there are poor reviews of it all over the place I found after I bought it) product a great one

The only good thing I’ll say for the exposure headband is – it was cheap.

I paid £16 for it, i thought that was expensive for what it is..!

I know what you are saying though, the strap is not fantastic by any stretch. FYI it was a ronhill running hat that had the correct texture to ensure the headstrap kind of stayed in place..a faff yes it was!

The bindi is the best option here. Cheapest on wiggle I think

35 quid it seems

I was gonna take a punt on the Forclaz 900 at decathlon, 30 quid. Probably overkill in terms of output for my farm track/trail commute runs, but might get pressed into service for the odd adventure.

35 quid it seems

£32.95 from amazon.

FWIW I went for a run with a torch last night and found it a bit of a PITA.
Head torch should turn up today or tomorrow, will see how I get on with that. Won’t be running for a good few days until my legs have recovered. Turns out running is a totally different set of muscles to riding, who knew…

I bought a head strap on ebay that has an over the head strap too. I’m not a trail runner though. Was a couple of quid on ebay.