Black Diamond Spot Headlamp - 2016 Model

• One Triple Power LED, one Single Power white LED and a Single Power red LED emit 200 lumens (max setting)
• Power Tap Technology allows fast and simple transitioning between full and dimmed power
• Red night-vision mode has proximity and strobe settings, and activates without cycling through the white mode
• Sleek, low profile design uses three AAA batteries and three-level power meter shows remaining b

The Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is your answer to a lighting option that's ready for anything. Featuring 200 lumens, the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp has 1 TriplePower LED, 1 SinglePower white LED, and 1 SinglePower red LED that will light up the night so you can see what needs to be done. The advanced PowerTap Technology lets you transition quickly and easily between the full power and dim modes to get just the right illumination when you need it. The red night vision mode has proximity and strobe setting and doesn't cycle through the white light mode when setting. There's a power meter that shows you the battery life for 3 seconds after turning on the headlamp, and once on, you have 5 different setting options: full strength in both proximity and distance, dimming, strobe, red night vision, and lock mode. The Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is rated IPX-8 waterproof, meaning it can operate in up to 1.1 meters of water for 30 minutes, so you need never be afraid of those pop-up storms out on the trail.

                               

By Brennan

This is officially the finest artificial lighting product I own. I am a night security guard and an avid backpacker unafraid to do an alpine start if it means I reach a key destination or mountain summit earlier in the day. Thus, for both my vocation and my hobby it is imperative that I have adequate lighting that is versatile and tough enough to handle rigors ranging from being harshly bounced around as I am sprinting up a hill to catch rascally teenagers climbing our fence to being submerged accidentally during a rough creek crossing. Enter the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp. The last time I felt so impressed by an electronic I have purchased is when I got my first smartphone 4 years ago. This little headlamp is incredible, and by little I do not mean to say little in its utility but small in weight and size. For this review, since so many other reviewers have already listed out all of the technical specifications and aspects of this headlamp, I am just going to give you my subjective and anecdotal views about using it. First of all, with both the floodlight and spotlight turned on it truly turns night into day as you are walking around. I have never had more confidence in my safety and visibility at night in the outdoors before purchasing this headlamp. I am not kidding, it shines so bright that everything in your light's range and radius is as visible as if the high noon sun was out to guide your way. The great thing about this headlamp though is that you can easily dim the light if you are not looking to fry your friend's retinas like a couple of over-easy eggs. It outshines my 3D Cell Maglite and now I just carry that sucker around for self-defense when I am wearing this headlamp. I am truly impressed and grateful for this headlamp. For less than forty dollars this has impacted and enhanced my work and leisure time pursuits for the best. I cannot encourage you enough to go ahead and buy this headlamp. You can find all of the information you need on it in the description and in other reviews on Amazon, but if you are second guessing yourself I would just say get it and return it if you don't like it (slim chance of that though). Happy adventuring and shine on!

***Update 8/20/2016**** This headlamp has proved itself to be so incredibly valuable and dependable that I am going to add a video tutorial of its functions. I hope the video helps you get a better idea of what this headlamp is capable of and gives you confidence in purchasing decision!

      

By David B. Cawood

This is 5 stars for a hiking/backpacking headlamp. It is plenty bright at 200 lumens (more than enough when it is already pitch black outside). The unit itself is very lightweight and a great improvement to the previous r generation. Black Diamond makes quality products and the UI on it covers any situation for outdoor use; from the dimming mode, double tap and the red light to not tick fellow campers off.
It's not the most ultralight and minimalistic option but it's perfect for what I need on outdoor adventures.

By Mike A

I got one for Christmas, and liked it so much that I bought a second one for my fiance. I use it every day. I carry it along on half-marathon distance runs for the last couple dark miles. But I mainly use it to make sure my puppy poops before I go to bed, because he likes to try to hide when he squats. There is no hiding from this light. Sorry dude, I need to see you poo, so daddy can sleep well at night.

By Mike V.

This is a great head lamp, it provides a great 200 lumens on its highest setting. I have included images from my run last night. One is full power with both lights on, the other is dim power so you can see the contrast. It provided enough light to run a very technical trail at night. I really like tha this torch has a wide light meaning it disperses the light in a wide beam making it easy to see things around you. I would not say it provides a very long beam for seeing great distance but the tradeoff is a wide visible area around you. For trail running, I would say this is the best for the money.

 

By JustAnotherConsumer

There are plenty of detailed reviews, I have about 5 or 6 headlamps. I love them and are one of the most functional things you can own. I am all about hands free.. For the money, this is really hard to beat for features, function and ease of use. I really like the tap feature which is essentially a "previous channel" button on a flashlight which is pretty sweet. Set your 2 most needed functions for your situation and you can tap between them. Really nice feature.

It's not a Cadillac, it just works, has great features, pretty compact and is bright as you need it, and very dim if you need it - well below most and about everything in-between due to its adjustability.

In fact, I just ordered a second - after 2 weeks of use because I want one for work and home. I've never done that but for the price and functionality, well worth it.
I like this better than my $80 headlamp.

By Alex

Exceeded my expectations on a recent backpacking trip. The proximity light is absolutely perfect for around camp-- if you're kneeling or sitting and looking down, the floodlight will illuminate your whole field of vision with no beam hotspots whatsoever. The spotlight is well-suited for night hiking, and the tap feature makes it easy to switch between the two.

The included manual for the user interface is a little more complicated than it has to be, so here's an easy version of how to operate this thing:

There are two main modes: red and white. Switch between these modes at any time by holding the power button when it's switched off.

There are two white sub-modes: flood (proximity/around camp) and throw (spotlight). Switch between these two modes by tapping the right side of the housing or by double-clicking the power button.

Finally, adjust brightness in any mode by holding the power button while it's switched on.

By Montinard

I have a previous black diamond, which I am quite happy with. This is a quick comparison.

The beam on this goes brighter and more uniform.

Small/no price differenice to previous gen!

The body shape and bulb setup threw me a little, but I like this new setup better.

Headband is better, though old one was fine.

Familiar controls are a plus.

Batteries last a good amount of time. I wish the wide mode wasted less than the beam mode??

To the reviewer downgrading stars for turning on their bag and wasting battery. There is a mode to lock controls off designed specifically for YOU.

Would/will buy another when the need arises.

By Chao Peng

I love this headlamp! I had to use it earlier than expected after a serious power outage. Switching between modes and using all of the functions takes some getting used to (I actually had to read the manual!), but once I got the hang of it, I found most of the functions to be handy. This headlamp has a focused, high intensity beam, a softer, diffused white beam, and a diffused red beam. For some reason, the battery life for the diffused (lower intensity) red and white beams is lower than that of the high beam.

Pros:
Super bright, I can't imagine you would need more light than what this unit puts out
Myriad functions that are actually all useful
Waterproof
Way better than the cheapie $15 headlamp I used to use

Cons:
Steep learning curve, if I had to figure out how to use the headlamp without the manual, I would be very frustrated!
Battery life is so-so, not great.
The light is so bright, that if you look at somebody else's face, you'll definitely blind them temporarily. The dimming function helps, but it can still be quite frustrating.

By June

for travel and/or disasters
i've lived through brush fires, earthquakes, and the usual human antics and i've been lucky--after reading about some unusual events i decided that a headlamp would be a very good thing, especially since i was caring from my dear old disabled husband, so i got one for him, too. in the event we had to move out in the dark, neither of us would be able to help each other and carry a flashlight--headlamps for the two of us are the perfect answer. i might get one for the dog, too. thanks.

By Amazon Customer

Possibly the best light at this price point which takes 3 AAA batteries. The battery life is amazingly long and it burns brightly for quite some time. The touch area on the side to turn on full power is a little finicky but works fine. The strap is looser than most headlamps and needs adjusting every time it is used, but it stays where adjusted when on my head.