The Biolite Vary 500 headlamp. All images: iRunFar/Kristin Zosel
The rechargeable BioLite Vary 500 ($70) is among the uncommon headlamps that performs so nicely that it doesn’t require a fast evaluation of its execs and cons earlier than deciding on it for a few-hour pre-dawn or post-sunset run. It’s snug, gentle, vivid, fast to cost, and backed with a stable guarantee.
There maybe isn’t a extra snug 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 cloth of any operating 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, arduous 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 operating.
The five hundred-lumen most setting runs for as much as six hours in each spot and flood settings. If the battery is lifeless, 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 hold this headlamp within the automobile, seize it for shorter runs and canine walks, and toss it in my pack as a just-in-case gentle. BioLite now affords a three-year guarantee on this product.
The BioLite Vary 500 is available in three colorways, and BioLite additionally affords it in 400- and 300-lumen choices at lower cost factors and with fewer options.
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BioLite Vary 500 Options and Specs
The band of the Biolite Vary 500 headlamp is among the most snug out there.
I discovered the five hundred lumens of the BioLite Vary 500 to be very dependable, constant, and greater than satisfactory for operating and mountain climbing much less technical trails and gravel, and the battery life makes it superb for shorter adventures. I totally admit, I favor lumens on the order of a prepare gentle that may be seen from miles away — or a second headlamp round my waist — when trails get technical, however for my extra frequent, much less adventurous outings, 500 lumens is ideal. In highlight mode, it might simply gentle up a path marker or a highway signal at the least a soccer pitch — or soccer area — away and creates first rate shadowing on much less technical trails. The flood mode offers a softer, wider gentle that works nicely on smoother operating surfaces, however does sometimes create a shiny shimmer round tall grasses when operating with drained eyes. I’m undecided everybody experiences this, or what the trigger is, however sufficient of my extremely pals have famous it with varied lights that I really feel it’s price mentioning.
The Vary 500 incorporates 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 finished very merely through 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 unintentionally 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 be capable of use gloves to navigate them, I discovered that I typically had higher luck with exact changes if I used a naked finger. I additionally needed to Google how the buttons labored a few occasions after not utilizing the sunshine for some time. I don’t fault BioLite for this, because it’s actually not sophisticated, 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 operating.
BioLite states the battery will last as long as six hours on the 500-lumen setting and provides you with 5 lumens for an hour on reserve mode when you’ve actually exhausted your luck — and cost — so you’ll be able to hopefully make it again to your automobile. The sunshine can even run for 200 hours on a low 1.5 lumen setting, which isn’t sufficient for operating however can work for trailhead chores at the hours of darkness 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 function run, however including up time over a number of 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 should 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 totally uncovered to the weather. For frigid temperatures, a greater possibility for longer run occasions may be the BioLite Headlamp 800 Professionalwhich incorporates 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 definitely 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 could be plugged into an influence financial institution or a automobile charger. From lifeless, 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 — concerning the time it takes to get to some trailheads while you’ve forgotten to cost the headlamp the night time earlier than. A full cost from empty takes 80 minutes, although it typically 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 ranking and can resist a one-meter submersion for as much as half-hour. The ranking additionally signifies a excessive resistance to mud, although you could have to blow out the charging port, which lacks a canopy — one thing I discover attention-grabbing. 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 completely different modes, together with stable crimson. All images: 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 house, a number of the much less technical Entrance Vary trails in Colorado, and when touring. The crimson flood mode works very nicely 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 night time. 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 need to program my gentle features pre-adventure on the pc, and I admire the simplicity of the BioLite Vary 500. That mentioned, it might be a little 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 popular. Nonetheless, these choices come at a lot larger value, so for the worth 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 could be an ideal possibility for the majority of an evening part on a rails-to-trails extremely or one thing with comparable smoothness. Sadly, the Vary 500 doesn’t supply the choice of pass-through charging — the place you should utilize the headlamp whereas it’s charging — however the fast cost time is advantageous throughout longer support 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 implausible light-weight headlamp at an inexpensive worth level for what it offers: super-fast charging, 500 lumens of spot or extensive flood lighting for nearly six hours, water-resistance for stormy operating, and a delicate band for safe and steady efficiency. It makes an excellent operating reward for your self or the discerning runner, and it might dwell in your automobile or your pack for just-in-case gentle. As a really devoted contingency packer, this gentle is the proper backup possibility for these two-light adventures. Its simplicity and reliability present me with the peace of thoughts I would like after I know I’ve to depend on my gear to work.
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