BioLite released its first HeadLamp in 2018, breaking into the market with one of the sleekest designs we’ve ever seen. This week, the brand unveiled its most high-performance model to date: the HeadLamp 750.
Powerful lumens, Run Forever mode, and the brand’s unique no-bounce construction make up just some of BioLite’s big claims with the new HeadLamp 750.
It utilizes the same 3D SlimFit construction as the brand’s existing line, but the HeadLamp 750 offers up to 750 lumens of maximum brightness and delivers a claimed 150 hours of low light off of battery power alone (more on that below).
In short: This new release brings upper-echelon performance while maintaining the groundbreaking comfort and exceptional stability of the original HeadLamp.
BioLite HeadLamp 750
First and foremost, The BioLite HeadLamp 750 marks the brand’s most professional, elite-use headlamp to date. It sports specifications suitable for high-end users.
BioLite HeadLamp 750 Specs
- Weight (verified): 5.3 oz.
- Brightness (claimed): 750-lumen burst, 500 lumens on high, 5 lumens on low
- Light modes: White spot, white flood, white spot and flood, 30-second burst, white strobe, red flood, red tail light, red tail strobe (all dimmable except 30 second burst)
- Maximum beam length (claimed): 427′
- Run times (claimed): 150 hours on low, 7 hours on high
- Weather resistance: IPX4
- Battery: 3,000mAh lithium-ion
- Pass-through charging capability (3′ cable included)
- Articulating front lens bezel
- Power lockout mode
- MSRP: $100
Additionally, the HeadLamp 750 has a Constant Mode that delivers 500 lumens for a claimed two hours. This differs from the typical illumination reduction that throttles lumens as battery charge level drops.
Finally, a Run Forever mode leverages the pass-through charging ability; connect an external power source, and, theoretically, the runtime extends indefinitely.
BioLite HeadLamp 750 Review
Similar to the original HeadLamp 330, the comfort of the 3D SlimFit construction hit the senses first. A large amount of surface on the band, combined with wicking fabric, made some other headlamps feel harsh by comparison.
But the minimal bounce of the flat lamp and the split weight distribution provided by the rear-mounted battery improved comfort considerably during active pursuits like fast hiking and scrambling over boulders at night.
The 750-lumen, 30-second burst, activated on the go with a rear-mounted switch, was extremely bright and much appreciated when navigating rock-strewn rain ruts while descending trails in the wee morning hours.
The 500-lumen high-output modes proved powerful enough for most trail travel short of full-speed trail running and made easy work of any camp chores. Each light mode is dimmable (except 30-second burst), and I found myself dimming this high mode frequently, especially around my campmates.
The red flood mode made reading at night strain-free, but similar to others, saving night vision was only effective at walking speeds around camp. Although I only had one HeadLamp 750 at my disposal, the tail light modes could be handy when navigating as a group, running on roads, or bicycle commuting at night.
I also found comfort in the Run Forever mode. I didn’t feel the need to consciously conserve battery power, knowing I could connect it to any power bank.
Some Quirks
Being a regular guy, I didn’t reference the instructions at first. I found the 8-second hold time to deactivate the power lock mode irritating and the blink codes (indicating that it was off) confusing. The single power button also cycles through the multitude of modes, adding to the confusion compared to lamps with a separate mode button.
But after referencing an instructional video, it all made sense. However, I still prefer a way to switch modes without powering off the lamp. The rear light had its own power and mode button.
The optional, rear-switched Constant Mode did provide a definitive performance benefit, especially when active. But I didn’t get a warning of low battery charge that a dimming light provides. Staying on top of runtime in this mode meant occasionally checking the battery life indicator on the battery case.
When nearing the end of the available charge, the HeadLamp 750 will drop to 100 lumens and blink every minute for 10 minutes, at which point it will enter a claimed 8-hour reserve mode at 5 lumens.
Conclusions
The BioLite HeadLamp 750 provides the brightness, runtime, and feature set demanded by elite outdoor enthusiasts. But it still provides the comfort that made the original HeadLamp a tester favorite.
Although there are other headlamps with similar performance characteristics, the comfort level, especially while active, will be hard to beat.
The HeadLamp 750 is available today and will be available at several retailers in time for the holiday season.
