BioLite HeadLamp 330

BioLite HeadLamp 330

By Cory McLaughlin

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Just the Facts:

Experience top-tier performance with a fit unlike any headlamp you’ve experienced thanks to our proprietary 3D SlimFit Construction. With a front profile of only 9mm and weighing only 69g, the headlamp sits flush on the forehead without worry of bounce or slippage. Moisture-wicking fabric keeps you cool and dry for any activity and the rechargeable battery means you can leave the alkalines behind.

• Max Output 330 Lumens
• Red Night Vision Included
• Front Panel Tilts Down
• 40 hours on LO, 3.5 Hours on HIGH
• Recharge Via Micro USB
• Available in 4 Colors
• Backed by our HolyFit Guarantee

• LUMENS
•  
• 330 Lm Total
  230 Lm Spot
  100 Lm Flood

• BATTERY
• 900 mAh, 3.4 Wh Li-on, USB Rechargeable
• INPUTS
•  
• Micro-USB Charge In

• IN THE BOX
• HeadLamp Mini
  Micro USB Cord
• BRIGHTNESS MEMORY
• Yes

• WARRANTY

• 1-year limited warranty plus backed by HolyFit Guarantee

• BURN TIME (HOURS)
• 40 LO/3.5 HI

• WATER RESISTANCE
• IPX4

• WEIGHT
• 43 oz (69 g)

• LOCK MODE
• Yes

• LIGHTING MODES
• White Flood
  + Dimming
• White Spot
  + Dimming
• Red Flood
• White Strobe

• BEAM DISTANCE
• Flood: 16m; Spot: 75m

My Story:

It’s hard to write some fantastic tail about a light. I am not going to try and do that here. Instead, I am going to tell you about a pretty freaking cool little piece of gear. Sure it’s just a light but it’s a very innovative light that I think you need to know about.

BioLite makes some rally cool stuff. I mean, they turn fire into electricity, they help people in 3^rd world countries and they innovate some of the coolest gadgets that I have ever played with. I love BioLite and have cooked many meals over the flame of my CampStove 1 and 2 over the years. So it would be silly to try and say I was not excited to test out the Headlamp 330 as my love of BioLite products is no secret.

When the headlamp arrived I was eager to get it charged up and into action. The included mini USB cord allows for easy charging and the light bar shows the level of charge. It is really dummy proof at this point. The rechargeable feature had me pretty excited about the idea of not having to carry extra batteries into the field. A very rainy Western Washington duck hunt was a great first testing ground.

My first few times out with the Headlamp 330 left a good impression. The light was bright and it functioned as I hoped that it would. I did notice that the on/off button and tilt function can sometimes be difficult to operate with a fingertip, an issue that is significantly compounded while wearing gloves. I would like to see the button beefed up just a little bit for easier touch location.

However tricky the button and tilt might be, the actual light function of the headlamp was great. It is bright and very comfortable to wear. I really like the headband! Here are a few examples of the light in action. 

Red

Flood-Low 100L

Spot 230L

Flood+Spot=High 330L

The battery life was a concern for me after I noticed that it died much faster than I had thought it would. I went home and fully charged the battery and let if run continually on high until it died and I timed it at right around 3 hours on high. This is pretty close to the advertised life so not much to say about that other than you must be aware of how long your trip is. I would not want to rely on this light for night hiking if you intend on using it at the high setting. I would also encourage you to have a backup power source to recharge the light when on multi day adventures. This is the trade-off for rechargeable lights and it almost makes it silly to have to bring a second rechargeable power supply to insure your light will work. Temperature can play a role in battery life as well so this should be considered when planning a trip.

Overall I feel this headlamp is a very high quality product when used for short time periods. I do not think it will become my go-to for multi day adventures but it is a great light to have in the pack for long day hikes or standard camping trips where recharging is not a major concern. This headlamp is very comfortable and functions as advertised. I would say with proper planning in regards to recharging opportunity is absolutely crucial to use of this headlamp. If you are lucky enough to have a BioLite CampStove 2 you can use it to charge your headlamp while you cook a meal or just lounge around a fire. I just wanted to give the CampStove another plug because I love it so much.

Find it Here:

https://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/headlamp-330?variant=12623824289891

What can be done better?

I would like to see some work on the power button and tilt function as I found it to be functional but a bit tricky to maneuver. This is extremly amplified if you are using gloves. I won’t hit on battery life as my tests show it functions as advertised. I do think that it is important to be realistic about your intended use of the headlamp and not to expect more than it is capable of. Plan accordingly and recharge when able.       

I find this to be a 3.75 star product as there are some things I would like to see changed.