Best Budget-Friendly Headlamp: Soft Digits Headlamp Flashlight

Yes, rechargeable headlamps can get rather pricey. Good news: we found one in our testing that had excellent performance, but at a price that didn’t break the bank.

The Soft Digits Headlamp hit the right notes with comfort and lightweight—plus it has up to 1100 lumens of brightness. (Note some fancy brands top out at 200 lumens).

We realize there are different levels of use when it comes to headlamps . . . from occasional use around the house to more serious headlamps for construction workers, runners or hikers. We’d put the Soft Digits in the first camp (occasional use). 

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Lots of lighting options. There are 8 modes of lighting, including red light and red SOS.

• Bright!

• Comfortable to wear.

• Lightweight.

• Affordable (two pack).

What Needs Work

• No memory function. It doesn’t remember the last setting.

• To shut off the unit, you have to cycle through all the modes.

• Battery life could be better. We got about two hours of use (it takes about six hours to charge it). Two hours is good enough for most household use, but probably will disappoint campers or hikers. For those folks, we’d recommend this next pick.

Best Camping Headlamp: Elmchee Rechargeable Headlamp

As Coloradans, we know a thing or two about camping. And a good rechargeable headlamp that lasts for four or five hours is a must. 

Brightness is another factor—we’re amazed at some fancy-pants headlamp brands that pitch themselves as great for camping yet offer only 300 lumens of light. That might be great for other uses, but you need more light for camping (got to get to the restroom in the dark, dodging the bears!).

After testing out several headlamps, we liked Elmche’s headlamp with six LED lights. Yes, six. It was most impressive in terms of the amount of light and overall construction. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Bright!

• Tilts to 90 degrees. That’s most helpful when camping!

• Good light beam spread.

• Four hours of light in our testing. We see the maker claims five to six, but we got four when set to maximum brightness.

• 8 light modes, including two high beam options. We liked the strobe, red light and red SOS strobe light. 

• Red safety taillight on the battery box.

• Waterproof.

What Needs Work

• Heavy. At 8.8 ounces, no one would consider this a lightweight option!

• Strap too small for some folks.

Best Hard Hat Headlamp: Milwaukee General Purpose Headlamp

If you need a rechargeable headlamp for a hard hat or construction-type job, those affordable headlamps are nice . . . but you need something much more rugged and reliable. 

After trying out three well-known brands of headlamps, we think this Milwaukee brand headlamp is the best hard hat rechargeable headlamp. Yes, it is pricey . . . but this thing can take a licking. It performed well in our battery life test (about eight hours on medium), roughly twice the life of cheaper headlamps that are best for home use.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Tough. 

• Bright at 450 to 750 lumens.

• Two hours of run time on high. The maker claims up to 28 hours on eco light mode. When set to medium, we got just under eight hours of use . . . almost an all-day charge!

• Water and dust resistant.

What Needs Work

• Heavy. This headlamp weighs over 11 ounces.

• Pricey.

Best Memory Function Headlamp: TINMIU Rechargeable LED Headlamp Flashlight

If you frequently use a headlamp for work or a hobby, you’ve probably discovered one big flaw with some brands: no memory function.

That is, when you turn off the headlamp, it forgets the last setting. And that can be annoying if you prefer one setting and don’t like wasting your time cycling through multiple modes to get there.

If that’s important, we recommend TINMIUM’s Rechargeable LED headlamp. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Comfortable to wear.

• Easy to use.

• Memory function remembers last setting.

• Motion activated. You can turn it on or off by waving a hand in front the headlamp.

• Six light modes.

• Two beam angles.

• Affordable two-pack.

• Good brightness for most tasks.

What Needs Work

• Motion activation features has its fans and detractors.

• Short battery life. We got about 90 minutes out of one charge when set to high (the maker claims four hours when on low). That run time is fine for light use around a house. But if you want something more rugged and longer lasting for camping, this may not be the best bet.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!