BioLite Vary 500 Headlamp Assessment – iRunFar

The rechargeable BioLite Vary 500 ($70) is among the uncommon headlamps that performs so properly that it doesn’t require a fast evaluation of its professionals and cons earlier than choosing it for a few-hour pre-dawn or post-sunset run. It’s comfy, gentle, vibrant, fast to cost, and backed with a stable guarantee.

There maybe isn’t a extra comfy headlamp that I’ve worn, and with an precise weight of two.6 ounces (74 grams), it’s additionally one of many lightest choices in my gear bin. The sunshine is supported by the softest moisture-wicking woven material of any working headlamp I’ve tried, which additionally covers the again floor of the sunshine the place it rests in opposition to the naked brow. No chilly, onerous spots on the pinnacle, no bouncing or sliding, simply cosy and stretchy safety. The band is simple to regulate and doesn’t loosen with time or downhill working.

The five hundred-lumen most setting runs for as much as six hours in each spot and flood settings. If the battery is useless, a mere eight minutes on the USB-C quick cost cable yields an hour of operation on the 500-lumen setting. The simplicity, consolation, and ease of recharging are why I maintain this headlamp within the automotive, seize it for shorter runs and canine walks, and toss it in my pack as a just-in-case gentle. BioLite now gives a three-year guarantee on this product.

The BioLite Vary 500 is available in three colorways, and BioLite additionally gives it in 400- and 300-lumen choices at cheaper price factors and with fewer options.

Store the BioLite Vary 500 Headlamp

BioLite Vary 500 Options and Specs

The band of the Biolite Vary 500 headlamp is among the most comfy accessible.

I discovered the five hundred lumens of the BioLite Vary 500 to be very dependable, constant, and greater than sufficient for working and mountaineering much less technical trails and gravel, and the battery life makes it ultimate for shorter adventures. I absolutely admit, I desire lumens on the order of a practice gentle that may be seen from miles away — or a second headlamp round my waist — when trails get technical, however for my extra widespread, much less adventurous outings, 500 lumens is ideal. In highlight mode, it may well simply gentle up a path marker or a highway signal not less than a soccer pitch — or soccer area — away and creates respectable shadowing on much less technical trails. The flood mode offers a softer, wider gentle that works properly on smoother working surfaces, however does sometimes create a shiny shimmer round tall grasses when working with drained eyes. I’m undecided everybody experiences this, or what the trigger is, however sufficient of my extremely buddies have famous it with numerous lights that I really feel it’s price mentioning.

The Vary 500 includes a new lens design for sharper imaginative and prescient and 5 settings: dimmable white spot with a 100-meter beam, dimmable white flood, white strobe, crimson flood, and crimson strobe. Adjusting between the settings in addition to turning the unit on and off is completed very merely by way of two buttons alongside the highest fringe of the headlamp. A press-and-hold additionally locks the unit within the off place, so it doesn’t by accident activate whereas bumping round inside a pack and drain the battery.

The buttons aren’t fairly as straightforward to make use of or intuitive as I’d hoped. Whereas some may have the ability to use gloves to navigate them, I discovered that I usually had higher luck with exact changes if I used a naked finger. I additionally needed to Google how the buttons labored a few instances after not utilizing the sunshine for some time. I don’t fault BioLite for this, because it’s actually not difficult, however my overloaded mind generally wants the web site help.

The lean of the sunshine is simple to regulate with a gloved hand, nonetheless, and it has 4 settings ranging between flat in opposition to the pinnacle to 60 levels towards the path. The ratchet-style adjustment system could be very steady, and it stayed precisely the place I positioned it, irrespective of how briskly I used to be working.

BioLite states the battery will last as long as six hours on the 500-lumen setting and will provide you with 5 lumens for an hour on reserve mode in the event you’ve actually exhausted your luck — and cost — so you possibly can hopefully make it again to your automotive. The sunshine may even run for 200 hours on a low 1.5 lumen setting, which isn’t sufficient for working however can work for trailhead chores in the dead of night or discovering keys in a pack. I’ve discovered the battery estimates for the 500-lumen setting to be actually shut. On hotter nights, I’ve made it between 5:30 and 5:45 on a single cost — not multi functional run, however including up time over just a few outings. In temperatures persistently between 15 and 30 levels Fahrenheit (-10 to -1 levels Celsius), I discovered the run time on excessive to vary between 5:15 and 5:30. We’ve had an oddly heat winter season in Colorado, so I used to be unable to check the sunshine beneath 0 levels Fahrenheit (-18C), although producers specs state it’s going to run all the way down to -5F (-20C). I’d think about an extra discount in max run time, particularly for the reason that battery is on the brow and absolutely uncovered to the weather. For frigid temperatures, a greater choice for longer run instances is likely to be the BioLite Headlamp 800 Professionalwhich includes a removable battery pack that may be saved in a pack.

The 1,634 mAh Lithium-Ion battery itself is a dream. The charging port is well accessed by merely tilting the sunshine all the way down to 60 levels — without having to pry something open. The included USB-C fast-charging cable may be plugged into an influence financial institution or a automotive charger. From useless, an eight-minute cost will present one hour of use on max energy, or cost the battery from empty to 80% in solely half-hour — in regards to the time it takes to get to some trailheads if you’ve forgotten to cost the headlamp the evening earlier than. A full cost from empty takes 80 minutes, although it usually appeared sooner. I’ve been cautious to not depart the headlamp on the charger as soon as it reaches full, and I’ve seen no degradation in battery energy in eight months of use.

The BioLite Vary 500 has an IP67 water-resistance score and can resist a one-meter submersion for as much as half-hour. The score additionally signifies a excessive resistance to mud, although it’s possible you’ll have to blow out the charging port, which lacks a canopy — one thing I discover fascinating. Whereas I haven’t been anyplace with torrential rain, I’ve examined the unit in a mix of driving snow and rain and had no points.

BioLite Vary 500 Efficiency

The Biolite Vary 500 has 5 totally different modes, together with stable crimson. All pictures: iRunFar

The BioLite Vary 500 is a good all-purpose headlamp for runs, adventures, hikes, canine walks, tenting, or as a just-in-case gentle. I’ve loved utilizing it on the filth singletrack close to dwelling, a number of the much less technical Entrance Vary trails in Colorado, and when touring. The crimson flood mode works very properly for studying and low-light actions in a tent, at a campsite, and even in a small airplane cockpit, so your eyes keep adjusted to the darkish as you look out into the evening. Whereas the crimson gentle does have strobe capabilities, it’s not on the again of the pinnacle, so I didn’t discover use for that besides as a trial on the again of my bike.

I’m not somebody with any want to program my gentle capabilities pre-adventure on the pc, and I recognize the simplicity of the BioLite Vary 500. That mentioned, it might be a bit too easy for outings of a extremely technical nature, together with when an occasional tremendous excessive beam may show helpful, or a extra nuanced management of the spotlight-flood interplay could be most well-liked. Nevertheless, these choices come at a lot larger value, so for the value and ease — and the crazy-fast cost time — the BioLite Vary 500 holds its personal.

It’s surprisingly steady at a non-headache-inducing band snugness even when tilted, and after I’ve tried to make it bounce or slip down, it’s remained safe. Whereas I’d nonetheless go for a extra highly effective gentle for in a single day pacing and racing adventures on technical trails, this may be an ideal choice for the majority of an evening part on a rails-to-trails extremely or one thing with related smoothness. Sadly, the Vary 500 doesn’t provide the choice of pass-through charging — the place you should use the headlamp whereas it’s charging — however the fast cost time is advantageous throughout longer help station stops.

BioLite Vary 500 Total Impressions

The Biolite Vary 500 headlamp has a 60-degree ratchet for straightforward adjustment.

The BioLite Vary 500 is a improbable light-weight headlamp at an inexpensive value level for what it offers: super-fast charging, 500 lumens of spot or vast flood lighting for nearly six hours, water-resistance for stormy working, and a comfortable band for safe and steady efficiency. It makes an awesome working reward for your self or the discerning runner, and it may well reside in your automotive or your pack for just-in-case gentle. As a really devoted contingency packer, this gentle is the right backup choice for these two-light adventures. Its simplicity and reliability present me with the peace of thoughts I want after I know I’ve to depend on my gear to work.

Store the BioLite Vary 500 Headlamp

Name for Feedback

• Have you ever tried the BioLite Vary 500? What did you assume?
• Do you favor easy headlamps or these with all the bells and whistles?

Our Favourite Working Headlamps

Try our Finest Working Headlamps article to find out about our present favourite headlamps for working!