The Black Diamond Distance 1500. All photos: iRunFar
Hello darkness my old friend…. It’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere! Whether you call it a headlamp, torch, or head torch, this is the time of year where running requires a good light for trail running during the workweek. Despite the late morning and early evening darkness that seems omnipresent this time of year, a well-lit run in the crisp darkness can be peaceful and rewarding as you glide down the trail transfixed in your orb of light. Thankfully, headlamps aren’t the weak, eye-fatiguing, lights they used to be. We now have long-lasting rechargeable batteries, tiny lights packing a lot of lumens, and wonderfully powerful headlamps for all manner of multi-day ultra adventure.
I’ve been testing two Black Diamond headlamps for the last six months that truly are on opposite ends of the headlamp spectrum. The Black Diamond Deploy 325 ($60) may just be the smallest, most comfortable, and most packable headlamp I’ve ever used that doesn’t sacrifice power or battery life, while the Black Diamond Distance 1500 ($200) is the most powerful headlamp I’ve ever used to light up the trails.
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Black Diamond Deploy 325 Review
A front view of the Black Diamond Deploy 325.
The Black Diamond Deploy 325 ($60) is a 38-gram wisp of a headlamp that is unmatched in its versatility. It is designed to be highly flexible with an easily adjustable elastic strap connected to a flexible rubber headlamp body that conforms to your head, and has a soft rubberized backing where it sits on your forehead.
Designed to be worn under the brim of a hat, I found that I could wear the Deploy 325 any way I chose in absolute comfort; directly on my forehead, under a hat, over a buff or cap, and I never felt any pressure points or need to remove the lamp when the sun came up. The Deploy 325 doesn’t bounce at all and I found the angle that the light is at absolutely perfect for all trail conditions.
The Deploy 325 has three settings: low (six lumens), medium (180 lumens), and high (325 lumens.) These different power settings also auto adjust the angle of the light beam, which I found intuitive and utilitarian. There is a lock button, a strobe mode, and a dimming function accessed by holding down the button until you reach your desired lumen level. On high the battery burn time is 2.5 hours, and on medium it’s 4.3 hours. I can verify that these are pretty accurate, although I did not test the low, six-lumen setting burn time, which is reportedly 30 hours. Battery level is easy to detect, with three blue LEDs on the bottom of the headlamp, and it charges quickly by USB-C.
This headlamp has been worn running, biking, dog walking, camping, and in most home repair situations. When discounted, I would consider the Deploy 325 a must buy to easily have at all times in your pack.
Black Diamond Distance 1500 Review
A front view of the Black Diamond Distance 1500.
The Black Diamond Distance 1500 ($200) is the absolute coup de grâce of Black Diamond’s headlamp line and it is designed for overnight endurance pushes. There are many tech features here and I’m going to highlight the main features I found unique and useable about this headlamp.
The 1500-lumen number is a bit misleading, as the headlamp is not designed to function on maximum power all the time while operating. Instead, the Distance 1500 is designed to provide a high level of light for a long period of time, to get you through the night of a technical trail ultramarathon or adventure. One full battery lasts eight hours at 300 lumens for this 213-gram headlamp, with the PowerTap boost feature, which gives you a 1500-lumen boost while looking for a trail marker or route finding. The light cast by the Distance 1500 is advertised to reduce shadows, and I found that the wider cast allowed me to be more aware of my surroundings and not feel like I was following a narrow band of light.
The Distance 1500 also allows for changing the color of the light to red, green, or blue. I found this was super nice in camp when I didn’t want to melt anyone’s retinas, or if I was just packing up at night. The change in light on the trail allows the eyes a different stimuli as well. The rear of the headlamp can be set at either a consistent red light or a flashing red light, which is great for safety or trying to stick together on the trail. I found the Distance 1500 very comfortable and the cradle is designed to be worn at about a 35-degree angle on the head for maximum comfort.
Another incredible feature of this headlamp is the ability to very easily swap out rechargeable battery packs in seconds, even while wearing bulky ski gloves. The ability to carry another lightweight and compact battery allows you to run the headlamp at 600 lumens for eight hours. I would highly recommend buying an extra $60 battery to use this feature. It may have a high price tag, but the Distance 1500 also has three-year warranty.
Overall Impressions
A side view of the Black Diamond Deploy 325.
First off, with the Black Diamond Deploy 325 being on sale for $45 at times, this light is really a must have for any runner. It is so incredibly lightweight, stashable, and has an impressive battery life. This is the best lightweight headlamp I’ve ever used.
If you are someone looking to complete multi-night or highly technical overnight trail adventures, then the battery-swapping feature of the Black Diamond Distance 1500 really is unbeatable. I’ve swapped non-rechargeable batteries as well as other rechargeable batteries before and this setup is so much easier.
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Call for Comments
- What is your headlamp of choice for winter running? Let us know in the comments.
