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Whether you’re night fishing or getting to the water early, a headlamp is an essential accessory in your fishing arsenal. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to rig your setup with the lights from your car or your cell phone flashlight. Convenience is key in fishing!
The more you can put your focus on the water, the better you’re going to fish. An investment in a headlamp is something that’s going to make your life so much easier.
In this article, I will cover:
- 7 Best Headlamps for Fishing:
- Victoper Rechargeable Headlamp – My Best Overall
- SLONIK Headlamp Rechargeable – My Best Value
- Coast XPH30 Headlamp – My Most Versatile
- Black Diamond Storm 400-R – My Best Dust & Waterproof Pick!
- BioLite Headlamp Rechargeable – My Best Lightweight Pick!
- Fenix HL32 – My Best Battery Life Pick!
- Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp – My Best Camo Pick!
- Frequently Asked Questions
7 Best Headlamps for Fishing
With hundreds of different models on the market, it’s hard to know which headlamp is best for you. The four most important things to prioritize when buying a headlamp are:
- Battery life
- Waterproof level (IP Rating)
- Brightness
- Comfort
Victoper Rechargeable Headlamp – My Best Overall Pick!
The Victoper Rechargeable Headlamp is a great option for your fishing adventures. There are eight different brightness settings on this headlamp. At its peak, the Victoper Rechargeable Headlamp can produce an incredible 18000 lumens of light! It’s a shockingly bright headlamp that will light up the trail or the water! The other seven settings include a red light for more stealth and different levels of brightness.
You’re also able to rotate the lights themselves. It can adjust 90 degrees depending on where you need the light to shine.
The batteries can last 5-10 hours, depending on how you use the headlamp, and it takes only an hour to recharge fully. Most headlamps only last three or four hours on one charge, but the two rechargeable batteries within the Victoper give you a bit more long-lasting life.
The best feature of this headlamp is the fact that it is waterproof! Whether it’s raining or drops in the water, it’s going to continue to work. As long as you don’t submerge the headlamp completely underwater for long periods of time, you don’t have to worry about it breaking.
At a really affordable price, you’re receiving a great headlamp that’s perfect for fishing.
SLONIK Headlamp Rechargeable – My Best Value For Money Pick!
The Slonik Rechargeable Headlamp is a nice option that’s a bit more affordable than the BioLite option (further down in my picks). Plus, it’s quite a bit brighter! For its high setting, it produces nearly 1000 lumens of light, which is plenty for any fishing adventure.
If you’re using it in low mode, you’ll get 8 hours out of it on a full charge and in the high mode, you’ll get around 4 hours on a full charge. It takes about two hours for it to fully recharge. You’ll also find that this light can swivel both up and down 90 degrees, which is great when you’re spending time outdoors.
This headlamp is also extremely durable. You can use it and not worry about how it will respond if it drops or hits a tree. It’s fully dust and waterproof and ready for any adventure that you want to take it on.
The four different settings allow you to tailor the light to your needs and help save the battery life for when you need it most.
For a mid-price range, you will get a great headlamp with all the necessary features to work for your next adventure!
Coast XPH30R Headlamp – My Most Versatile Pick!
The Coast XPH30R Headlamp is a fully rechargeable 1000-lumen headlamp. The unique feature of this headlamp is there is a twin focus option. The lights are adjustable as you would on a flashlight to get more of a widely cast or narrowly cast light! This is a great feature that most headlamps do not have.
The highest setting is able to put out 1000 lumens, the medium setting puts out 150 lumens, and the low setting puts out around 40 lumens. The battery is able to last 41 hours on a low setting and 7.5 hours on the higher setting! This is one of the best battery lives for a high setting on a headlamp.
Another nice feature of this headlamp is that the light itself is removable and turns into a flashlight. Whether you’re working on your boat or looking for something in your car, you can take off the headlamp, and it is a magnet so that you can stick it on a metal surface!
Again, at a mid-price range, you’re getting a unique headlamp with great features for fishing, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee!
Black Diamond Storm 400 – My Best Dust & Waterproof Pick!
If you’ve spent any time climbing, you know the quality of Black Diamond headlamps. These are compact, comfortable, and extremely bright. The Storm 400 model produces up to 400 lumens when it’s on the max setting. Plus, it’s only about 2 inches tall and three inches wide. It produces an impressive amount of light for how small it is.
It has a low, medium, and max setting as well as a “red light” setting for minimal output. There are strobe lights on this headlamp as well in case of emergencies! You’ll see upwards of 100 meters around you for the maximum setting! It’s quite impressive.
The headlamp is rated at IP67! This means it has great dust protection and is waterproof up to 1 meter for around 30 minutes. Mistakes happen, and it’s easy for a headlamp to fall off of your head and into the water. If this happens, no worries! You’ll be able to get it back, and it will still work as before.
No, the Storm 400 model is not rechargeable and requires 4 AAA batteries. These batteries last a nice amount of time! You can get around 100 hours of burn time with one set of batteries. Make sure you check the battery strength after a while to make sure you aren’t left with a dead headlamp.
For around mid-range price, you’re getting the best waterproof headlamp for fishing, including a long 3-year warranty!
BioLite Headlamp Rechargeable – My Best Lightweight Pick!
My personal favourite headlamp is the rechargeable headlamp from BioLite due to its really small weight. If you are looking for a headlamp that is almost unnoticeable on your head, then this is the best of them all. This is a great all-around headlamp that produces a shocking amount of light for its size. It’s a little more pricey than other headlamps on this list, but the high quality is noticeable.
The headlamp band is moisture-wicking and more comfortable than many other options on this list. At full power, the headlamp produces 330 lumens. If you use the headlamp on LO, you’ll get about 40 hours on one charge! If you use it only on high, you’ll get 3.5 hours of use out of it.
There are low, medium, and high settings available, along with a red night vision option. It recharges with a micro-USB very quickly. It’s a reliable headlamp with everything you need for fishing. It’s waterproof up to 1 meter, so it’s going to last even if it gets wet.
The Biolite is in the mid to higher price bracket, but you’re getting a nice headlamp from a reputable brand, and you’ll receive a 1-year warranty!
Fenix HL32 Headlamp – My Best Battery Life Pick!
The HL32 headlamp from Fenix is an affordable and high-quality rechargeable headlamp that’s perfect for fishing. It has a similar design to the Black Diamond 400. It’s a small and compact fishing headlamp that produces a nice amount of light. On its highest setting, the Fenix HL32 will put out 600 lumens of light.
Plus, this light can rotate down 90 degrees if you need to look at something on the ground.
There are high, medium, and low modes as well as a night vision red mode!
The best selling point of the Fenix is the battery life. You’re able to get nearly 200 hours on one charge if you’re using the ECO mode. Even on the highest mode, you can get nearly 500 hours of battery life! It has an amazing battery compared to many of the rechargeable headlamps on the market.
It’s another pick in the mid-price range, but the super 5-year warranty and long battery life are well worth the price. Being confident in your equipment can make a difference when you’re fishing.
Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp – My Best Camo Pick!
The Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp is an affordable basic headlamp that doesn’t have all sorts of bells and whistles. It’s going to do the job and do it right. At its peak, the headlamp produces 300 lumens.
There are three different light settings on the Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp. You get low, high, and red settings depending on the situation you find yourself in. This headlamp is water-resistant and dust-resistant, but the waterproof rating isn’t as high as other options on this list. If it does fall or get wet, make sure to dry it as quickly as you can.
No, it’s not the brightest headlamp, and not rechargeable. It requires 3 AAA batteries to power it. However, it’s affordable, does the job well, and is one of the few camo headlamps available. You’ll be paying around the low to mid-range pricing to get it, and it comes with a lifetime warranty!
One alternative to use for night fishing is an LED flashlight glove. You can learn more about my picks for the best flashlight gloves and whether they are worth it compared to a headlamp.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Lumens Do I Need For A Fishing Headlamp?
For fishing, you’ll only need around 400 or so lumens! Odds are, you’re focusing on what’s directly ahead of you and what may be out in the water. Light reflects well on water, so a 400-lumen headlamp can light up everything you need to see.
Do Headlamps Scare Fish?
Headlamps can actually attract fish if you’re shining them directly into the water. However, if you turn it on suddenly and point it at the water, you’re likely to spook fish.
What Color Light Is Best For Night Fishing?
If you’re fishing at night, a white/green combination is best. It won’t spook the fish (it may attract some) and still lets you see what you’re doing.
What Does IP Rating Mean On A Fishing Headlamp?
The Ingress Protection (IP) rating is an international standard measurement of how resistant a product is against solids and water. For fishing headlamps, an IP67 is the highest.
Lighting Up
A headlamp is something that every angler should have, and these options can be used for any night activities such as running, cycling, and camping. You don’t have to break the bank to get the nicest option on the market, but a decent fishing headlamp will go a long way in making your life much easier on the water!
I hope this article was useful and gave you all the specific details that enable you to narrow down the right one for your particular needs. If you are a serious night fishing addict, I suggest looking at my in-depth review of the Ridgemonkey VRH300, which, in my mind is simply the best!
Steve holds a special place in his heart for the mighty Carp and the elusive Tench
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