Top 6 compared
The best head torches
Both hands free and the light right where you look, in the loft, at the fuse box or on the dog walk.
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The top 6 at a glance
A head torch is a small lamp on an elastic headband, so the light follows your eyes and both hands stay free. Beams run from a long, narrow spot for the path ahead to a wide, soft flood for close work, and some switch between the two. Most charge by USB these days rather than running on batteries; some add a red light, or switch on with a wave of the hand.
Headline runtimes are usually for the lowest setting, and full brightness may last only a few hours, so a top-up before a long walk helps. A red light won’t dazzle you or anyone you’re talking to. Water resistance is usually given as an IP rating: IPX4 copes with rain, and higher numbers cope with more.
What matters
- Weight per torch: a light one sits comfortably for hours.
- A beam distance, not just a big lumen figure.
#1Blukar Rechargeable Head Torch (2-pack)
£10–£20
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- Spot and flood beams
- Two torches in the box
Wave a hand to switch it on: exactly what you want when you’re holding a fuse box cover or a muddy lead. Two come in the pack, each rated IPX5 for rain and snow, with eight modes including a red light.
What owners say: Owners find the white light very bright and the battery long-lasting, say it’s easy to switch on and off, and like it for dog walks in the dark, with a wide headband that stays comfortable.
A closer look: Use the narrow spot for the path ahead on a dog walk and the soft flood for close work like a plug socket or the inside of a tent, or run both together. Long-press the button to set the brightness anywhere between full and 30%, handy when a bright beam bounces back off a white wall. Blukar has since brought out a Gen 2 (K9128), sold singly, but this model is still sold new.
Best for: Wet weather
- Power and charging
- Built-in battery, USB-C
- Weight (each)
- –
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- Up to 150m
- Red light
- Yes
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- Yes
- Water resistance
- Water-resistant (IPX5)
- Runtime
- –
#2Gritin LED Head Torch (2-pack)
£10–£20
- Two torches in the box
- Runs on AAA batteries
- No red light
Simple and light at 86g, with a wide, even COB beam and six AAA batteries in the box, so it works straight away and keeps going through a power cut with no charging needed. Each of the pair tilts up to 45 degrees.
What owners say: Owners find it powerful and handy for camping and emergencies, with batteries that last all night, a headband and angle that are easy to adjust, and a dimmer mode among its three settings.
A closer look: The beam reaches up to 30m, which makes it best close to home: rummaging in the loft, changing a fuse or checking on the chickens, rather than fell running. The lamp holds its angle firmly once set, so it stays pointed at the job instead of drifting down as you work.
Best for: Wide, even light
- Power and charging
- 6 AAA for the two, included
- Weight (each)
- 86g
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- Up to 30m
- Red light
- No
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- No
- Water resistance
- Water-resistant (no rating stated)
- Runtime
- –
#3Lepro Rechargeable Head Torch (2-pack)
£10–£20
- Light at 75g
- Red light on its own button
- Beam reaches 150m
Light at 75g, with its own button for the red light, so you can switch to red round the campfire without cycling through the white modes. Four white modes cover a dimmable flood and spotlight, and both torches in the pack charge by USB-C.
What owners say: Owners find it impressively bright, getting five or six hours from a charge, and easy to wear and adjust, with a tilt that lights a wide area for dog walks and fishing.
A closer look: With two in the pack, one can hang by the back door for bin runs and power cuts while the other lives in the car. The flashing red mode doubles as a warning light if you’re changing a tyre on a dark verge or walking a lane without pavements.
Best for: Switching straight to red
- Power and charging
- Built-in battery, USB-C
- Weight (each)
- 75g
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- Up to 150m
- Red light
- Yes, on its own button
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- No
- Water resistance
- Rain-resistant (IPX4)
- Runtime
- Up to 15 hrs
#4Detake Kids Head Torch (2-pack)
Under £10
- Headband fits kids and adults
- Two torches in the box
- Short 10m beam
- Runs on AAA batteries
- No red light
A kids’ head torch at 80g, with a 140-lumen beam made to cut glare that reaches about 10m, three modes (high, low and strobe) and an IPX4 rating for drizzle. Six AAA batteries come in the box, so both torches in the pair work straight away.
What owners say: Owners find it works well and is comfortable to wear, handy for running and dog walks in the dark, and like the adjustable light settings.
A closer look: Its elastic headband adjusts to fit children and adults alike, so a parent can borrow one on a dark walk to school. The strobe setting is meant for emergencies, so it’s worth showing a child how to reach it before a sleepover in the garden or a night at a campsite.
Best for: Children
- Power and charging
- 6 AAA for the two, included
- Weight (each)
- 80g
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- 10m
- Red light
- No
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- No
- Water resistance
- Rain-resistant (IPX4)
- Runtime
- –
#5Everbeam H6 Pro Head Torch
£10–£20
- Light at 72g
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- Shatterproof build
A single rechargeable torch with a wave sensor and a 650-lumen beam that reaches a tested 126m. It’s light at 72g, built to be shatterproof, and rated IPX4, which Everbeam says copes with heavy rain on a night walk.
What owners say: Owners praise the brightness and how quickly the motion sensor responds, and find it light and comfortable for running and work in poor light, though battery life splits opinion.
A closer look: Sensor mode has to be switched on before the wave control works, and your hand needs to pass within about 10cm of the lamp, which helps when your gloves are muddy or you’re holding a lead. The red light runs for up to 20 hours and doesn’t disturb wildlife on an evening walk. The 2 Pack, with two torches in a larger case, is a separate choice on the same listing.
Best for: Brightest beam
- Power and charging
- Built-in battery, USB (plug not stated)
- Weight (each)
- 72g
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- 126m
- Red light
- Yes
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- Yes
- Water resistance
- Rain-resistant (IPX4)
- Runtime
- 6.5 hrs normal, 2.5 hrs on high
#6Ledlenser H8R Rechargeable Head Torch
£69.95 RRP
- Twists from flood to spot
- Up to 120 hours on lowest
- Red rear safety light
- Heavy at 158g
Twist the bezel to go from a wide floodlight for close work to a focused 150m spotlight, with 600 lumens behind it and a red light at the back, so you’re seen from behind on a dark road.
What owners say: Owners find it very bright and comfortable for work, lasting all day, but reliability and durability split opinion, with some units failing early and headbands wearing quickly.
A closer look: Press the rubber flap firmly shut after charging to keep rain and dust out of the port, and keep its own cable with it. Short of time? Three hours on the charger gets it to around 80%, plenty for an evening under a car bonnet or a walk home along an unlit lane.
Best for: Focusing the beam
- Power and charging
- Built-in battery, micro-USB
- Weight (each)
- 158g
- Beam distance (maker's figure)
- 150m
- Red light
- Rear safety light
- Wave-to-switch sensor
- No
- Water resistance
- Dust and splash resistant (IP54)
- Runtime
- Up to 120 hrs (lowest)
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Blukar K9125 2-pack | #2Gritin G1350 2-pack | #3Lepro 320014 2-pack | #4Detake LD072 kids 2-pack | #5Everbeam H6 Pro | #6Ledlenser H8R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | Under £10 | £10–£20 | £69.95 RRP |
| Power and charging | Built-in battery, USB-C | 6 AAA for the two, included | Built-in battery, USB-C | 6 AAA for the two, included | Built-in battery, USB (plug not stated) | Built-in battery, micro-USB |
| Weight (each) | – | 86g | 75g | 80g | 72g | 158g |
| Beam distance (maker's figure) | Up to 150m | Up to 30m | Up to 150m | 10m | 126m | 150m |
| Red light | Yes | No | Yes, on its own button | No | Yes | Rear safety light |
| Wave-to-switch sensor | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Water resistance | Water-resistant (IPX5) | Water-resistant (no rating stated) | Rain-resistant (IPX4) | Rain-resistant (IPX4) | Rain-resistant (IPX4) | Dust and splash resistant (IP54) |
| Runtime | – | – | Up to 15 hrs | – | 6.5 hrs normal, 2.5 hrs on high | Up to 120 hrs (lowest) |
| Best for | Wet weather | Wide, even light | Switching straight to red | Children | Brightest beam | Focusing the beam |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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