Best Caving Headlamps (2021 Buyers Guide)

Heading on an exhilarating journey to the breathtaking yet magnificent caves without a professional headlamp is never a great idea. These caves have this magical potential of going pitch dark even when the sun is shining high outside. The cutting edge technology and the close competition between the brands have resulted in some handy headlamps for caving, which will, in no time, become your all-time favorite. This spectacular gadget is undoubtedly one of the most significant components of your caving gear, but choosing a perfect headlamp for your trip can be a demanding task. That’s why I have come up with a detailed review of some best headlamp for caving.

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Black Diamond Revolt

“Illuminate each step of your trek experience with Black Diamond,” say’s the Revolt headlamp company. The slogan is said very rightly because with a combination of a triple power LED and a double power LED, Black Diamond emits up to 300 lumens. In addition to this, it has two single power red LEDs for night vision, and it also allows you to read any maps or books in dim light. Just like many other Black Diamond products, you get a bunch of features in the headlamp too. The night vision has proximity and offers you strobe setting; you can activate it directly without passing the white mode. The features and controls are endless; you can control the dimness too, adjust the light to the point that suits you the best. With the programmable brightness memory, you can power on at a certain level of brightness.

It has a very sleek and low profile design, which makes it lightweight, around 5 ounces, subsequently ideal for climbing and caving purposes. Black Diamond Revolt has got a USB-rechargeable battery with the option of using up to three AAA alkaline or three NiMH batteries. The headlamp features a 3 level meter to display the remaining battery time. You can see the battery bar for 3 sec after the headlamp starts. To add more points to the list of features, it has an IPX rating of 4, making it water splash resistant.

NiteCore HC50 CREE XM-L2 LED Headlamp, Black

Users of NiteCore HC50 have their thumbs up and say that this headlamp is a green light for your money. With a maximum lumen capacity of 760 coming out of a single LED. It’s no less than a spotlight attached to your head.

HC50 comes with ultralight structure and unique dimensions, which makes the headlamp super easy to carry up the hills and mountains and even through the bummy caves. One of the toughest in our lineup. It has an aluminum buildup strong enough to survive falls.

With a rechargeable battery of 18650, this model of NiteCore is a powerhouse beast. On the other hand, various power and lumen modes keep you take control of the battery life and time. Turbo, high, medium, low, lower are some modes to name wherewith you can extend the battery life up to 5400 hours and the lumen capacity from 1 to 565 lumen. Isn’t it just fabulous? Customers rank it amongst the brightest caving headlamps they ever had.

PETZL – Tikka Headlamp, 200 Lumens, Standard Lighting

Simple in design yet loaded with features to save your day and gloomy cave nights. Nothing too much nor, it is very less, just perfection that’s all PETZL Tikka has to offer. A standard lighting capacity of 200 lumens would enlighten your footsteps ahead. It offers a three-level brightness system that will help you navigate your way through some narrow caves, even on the moonless nights. The read light feature is just amazing! It allows you to work in pitch darkness without blinding your fellow companions out.

PETZL says you won’t be caught up in the dark. Tikka is loaded with Phosphorescent reflectors that will glow in the dark, speaking for itself so you can locate it easily. It will never fail to astonish you with a cycle of functions all operatable by a single power button. So, now you can shift between various brightness levels without puzzling through numerous buttons.

Keep yourself fully charged at all times because Tikka comes with three standard batteries that are compatible with core rechargeable batteries. Standard means the best fit for all helmets. The easy to adjust straps allow firm grip over your head, and the buckles offer single-hand operation. It is just a standard headlamp with a punch pack of features and adjustability.

Coast FL70 405 lm Focusing LED Headlamp

Coast FL70 is the floodlight expert. This headlamp is a perfect blend of a Pure Beam Focusing technology with one of the latest front-loaded headlamps. Now you can shine and illuminate every corner of the cave with the ultra-wide flood beam. Simultaneously you can swiftly transit to a far-reaching spotlight. Coast FL70 has got your pathway enlightened for every situation.

The strength and resistance capacities of FL70 are at the top of the list. It has IPX4 weatherproof resistance, which means you can continue to hike and climb in all weather conditions. No matter if it’s raining cats and dogs, your headlamp won’t go off even for a moment. Coast FL70 meets the testing standards of ANSI/FL1, and Coasts backs it up with a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Features are countlessly many and technically essential. The straps that are attached to the lamp are adjustable and compatible with many types of helmets and hats. The strap of the headlamp is a unique piece of art that glows in the dark.

Not only the straps are adjustable, but the light itself is very versatile. The strength of the light can be altered between high, medium, and low by the single push of a button. Whereas, a hinge attached at the back of the headlamp offers you a moveable beam of light, which can be set in the direction you want to see.

Fenix HP25R 1000 Lumen USB rechargeable CREE LED Headlamp (neutral white)

If its the bright flare of light that you are looking for, then Fenix HP25R with its lighting capacity of 1000 lumen should be your go-to headlamp. It’s not just flashing floodlight that will catch your sight, but HP25R has got wholesome of feature, which makes it count in the list of best caving headlamp.

Not the lightest product around, but it is versatile for all your outdoor adventures, from caving thrillers to mountain hikes Fenix would do the job.

With the help of dual switch control, you can switch between the spotlight and floodlight modes very quickly and easily. 1000 lumen is not only for a flaring floodlight, but you can also use them to your liking and move between various modes that Fenix offers. A 18650 battery would never let you down, in case it does, the headlamp supports USB charging. Now you can recharge your battery without the need of an external charger. The feature of a battery indicator is added to keep you updated on your way.

The aluminum built body is intelligent in overheat production, and it avoids high temperatures over the headlamp surface. In addition to this Fenix, also features a highly efficient memory circuit, which remembers your latest brightness mode.

I’ve used many big headlamp brands, but Finex is my favorite, says an esteemed user.

OLIGHT Bundle H2R LED Headlamp

“Free your hands” is the slogan for OLIGHT Bundle H2R. It is a multipurpose gadget that uses a standard 18650 rechargeable battery and delivers an astonishing maximum output of 2300 ANSI rated lumen. Matchless illumination is the result of a highly efficient CREE XHP50 LED combined with the signature TIR bead lens of OLIGHT. Optimum balance and the maximum stable bright light is what Bundle H2R delivers.

The dimensions and structure are what make it multipurpose. H2R is a unique lamp, which can serve the purpose of both a headlamp and a pocket torch. It can be attached to the helmet by a magnetic head strap, which will hold it firmly over your head. On the other hand, you can use it as a hand torch whenever required. The custom 3000mAh 18650 battery is charged with OLIGHT’s signature magnetic USB charging cable. It has got a battery level indicator, which will blink once per minute to show low running battery and would blink continuously twice while running out.

You can easily switch between medium, high, and turbo modes as per the requirement. The intelligence feature will light or subsequently fade away to protect your and your fellow’s eyes from blinding away.

Classy in lumen rating and multipurpose in usage, what else would you want!

Black Diamond Storm Headlamp

Are you in search of a light that can withstand a fierce storm? We recommend the most appropriately named headlamp, Black Diamond Storm. Black Diamond says that Storm is a robust and waterproof headlamp that comes with eight different lighting modes. The waterproof feature is through a lamp that can easily survive 1 meter below the water surface for at least 30 minutes.

The Storm is not just a tough and waterproof genie, but it also throws some powerful light of 350-lumen rating. The light beam covers a length of up to 91 meters, and it also provides floodlight proximity for the best caving experience. You can move around within eight different lighting options, increasing the light intensity to thrust mode or switching between red, blue, and green dim light modes. The weight and dimensions are pretty justified 4.0 ounces are not the best but still challengeable. The increased ounces are because of an extra battery, but still its pretty light weight. Most headlamps use 3 AAA batteries, but Strom uses 4, which gives it enhanced battery life and timing. It can work for 5 hours in high mode and for more than 42 hours in low light mode.

Black Diamond Storm is an ideal piece of light both for day and night caving trips.

What We Looked At

RGB / Night Vision Options

To enlist a headlamp best for caving, we need to ensure that we achieve some parameters. Night vision and low red light color options are at the top of the list. Caving adventures are not the only day time activity, but it can also prolong from certain hours to a couple of nights in pitch dark caves. A fully loaded floodlight might seem a viable option, but we fear that you might end up blinding yourself and your teammates. Dim red light or Night vision feature is essential to save you at night in the cave. While choosing a headlamp, be sure that these functions are operating effectively. A dim red light will save for battery time, it will not cause you, pupils, to dilate so you can see properly in the dark, and it will allow you to have a good look around the cave without disturbing your mates.

Brightness / Light Output

All the caving lights you will find have lumen rating mentioned. Many people get stuck in high lumen numbers to find the best brightness. I will guide you technically so you can wisely select a bright enough headlamp. Lumen is just the LED lighting capacity in any random direction. High lumen rating is useless until it is focused properly into a useful beam of light. This beam of light; should be far-reaching, as well as wide enough to show you the path ahead. To rank our best-caving headlamp that you will fit onto your caving helmets, we don’t just run behind lumen ratings. Instead, we look for actual brightness and beam spread.

Waterproofing

The price you are paying for the cave headlamps shouldn’t just go in vain on a rainy day. The light should be weather resistant, waterproof to be specific if it is competing for the best-caving headlamps. On a rainy day during the caving expedition caving helmet and headlamp are the two equipment that is most exposed to rainwater. For you to survive a rainstorm, your headlamps need to be water-resistant. To ensure that light meets our standards, we rely on IPX rating; all the above-listed headlamps are IPX4 rated or more.

Battery Life & Type

The battery pack is the core category upon which we approve the caving headlamp to make an appearance on the list. You wouldn’t want your only light source to go off right in the middle of a moonless night. To save you from such kink of a misshape, we test the battery pack and type on some tough standards. A good caving headlamp should work for a reasonable time in both turbo and low light mode and provides time as a caving light.

It is also true that battery time is largely dependent on usage, but some companies exaggerate their claims, which the users in immense danger. The battery should be easily rechargeable, and it’s preferable if it supports standard chargers rather than some new charging technique.

New innovative technology is making the headlamps from better to the best. The addition of a wide genre of features has really made the task of selecting a light daunting one. But, with our best caving headlamp guide, you always know what to choose and how to choose.