If you sometimes work in wall cavities or other areas where there isn’t much light, then a headlamp (also known as a head torch) can make your workday a heck of a lot easier.
A good headlamp for work will be nice and bright, dust and waterproof, have a massive battery life, and will ideally be rechargeable.
On the other hand, a badly made headlamp will frustrate you to no end – providing dim lighting and constantly needing recharging. If you don’t want to go the rest of the workday with a flashlight in one hand (or between your teeth), then you’ll need a quality headlamp.
To help you separate the good from the bad – we’ve reviewed the Top 7 Best Headlamps for Work of 2024.
Buy with the confidence that you’re getting a head torch durable enough to survive the working environment. Let’s jump straight into the reviews.
- Three-color RGB night vision
- IP67 – dust and waterproof
- Huge 120 hour battery life
- Massive 160 hour battery life
- Rechargeable battery via micro USB port
- Focused mode has a huge 95m range
Contents
Top 7 Best Headlamps For Work
Black Diamond Headlamp – Best Overall
- One Quad Power LED and one Double Power white LED emit 350 lumens
- Red, green and blue Single Power LEDs for night vision have dimming and strobe settings and activate without cycling through white mode
- Power Tap Technology allows instant transitioning between full and dimmed power
Our best overall choice is the Black Diamond Headlamp, which is a versatile and durable headlamp – perfect for the working environment.
This headlamp has a huge IP67 rating (the highest on this list), meaning that it is completely protected against the ingress of dust (i.e. dustproof), and is waterproof for immersion of up to 1m. That’s also plenty of protection against any rainy conditions you may face out on a job.
Its maximum battery life extends to an impressive 120 hours, eliminating the frequent need for daily recharges, a common inconvenience with other headlamps.
The Black Diamond headlamp settings include a bunch of different modes depending on your needs:
- Proximity modes
- Distance Mode
- Dimming mode
- Strobe mode
- Red, green and blue night-vision
The Black Diamond’s powerful Power Tap Technology allows instant transitioning between full and dimmed power, which is very convenient. Gone are the days where you need to take your headlamp off to adjust the brightness.
The Black Diamond excels beyond work use, serving as an exceptional head torch for camping, biking, or caving. For those in search of a cost-effective, durable headlamp with extensive battery life, this model stands out. This is our top pick for the best headlamp for work – highly recommended.
Check Price- Waterproof and dustproof (IP 67 Rating)
- Compact and comfortable design
- Huge 120 hour battery life
- Durable build
- Headband can be a little annoying to adjust
Petzl Headlamp – Premium Choice
The Petzl headlamp is the right choice for buyers who don’t mind investing a little more for a piece of high-end equipment.
Its compact design fits perfectly into tight spaces, such as wall cavities, and the 350-lumen output is brilliantly balanced for indoor tasks, ensuring it’s never too intense.
This head torch has four settings: low, medium, high, and a red strobe (which likely won’t see much use at work). You can also choose between a wide beam pattern and a mixed one.
The mixed pattern is perfect for precision and close up work, as you’ll still maintain peripheral lighting along with the focused beam.
There is also an included lithium-ion battery, which makes this headlamp rechargeable.
With a maximum duration of 160 hours, this headlamp can go a long time without having to be recharged, and it’s relatively quick to replenish the cells when it does eventually die.
If you forget to charge this head torch and it ends up dying on the job, then all hope is not lost.
This model is also compatible with regular AAA batteries, so you can just swap them out. Compactness and a high degree of water resistance are the two standout factors in this product. Overall the Petzl Headlamp is our top pick for premium choice – meaning that if money is not an issue for you, you should go with this head torch. It also our top pick for the best rechargeable headlamp for work (the Black Diamond model is not rechargeable).
Check Price- Small size (nice and lightweight)
- Huge 160 hour rechargeable battery
- Mixed beam is perfect for work
- Highly resistant to water
- Slightly pricier than alternatives
Neolight Headlamp – Great Value
The two most important features of a headlamp are:
(1) How bright it is
(2) How long the battery lasts
The engineers who made the Neolight Head Torch clearly understood this, and have successfully made an ultra-bright, long-lasting headlamp.
It’s packed with 5 super-bright LEDs – able to light up objects up to 500 meters away.
To make sure you don’t accidentally blind someone – Neolight has thoughtfully included 4 different lighting modes. These are great for times when you don’t need as much light, or when you’d prefer a red or warm white light.
The battery on this thing is huge. It lasts up to 10 hours with a single LED, or 4 hours in Ultra Brightness mode (Strobe). While it’s rare that you’ll need to use Ultra Brightness mode for a long period of time – it’s relieving to not have to constantly worry about when the battery is going to run out.
The adjustable strap ensures that you can wear this headlamp on your bare head or with protective headgear on, making it versatile enough for more hazardous work.
You get lots of flexibility in how you charge your headlamp – it comes with a USB charging cable, a US wall outlet charger and USB Charging Cable.
And since it’s rated to a Waterproof IPX5 rating – it’s protected against water spray from all directions. We wouldn’t recommend completely submerging it, but it’s resistant enough to put up with rain or snow.
If you’re looking to save money on your next headlamp without compromising on functionality, Neolight’s headlamp is a fantastic option.
Check Price- Bright and powerful white light – see up to 500m away
- Long-life rechargeable battery – up to 8 hours on a single charge
- Waterproof – IPX5 rated
- Adjustable focus – zoom in on an object or zoom out for a floodlight-effect
- Comes packed with a USB charging cable, a US wall outlet charger, and USB charging cable
- Frames only come in 1 color
GRDE Work Headlamp
Another reasonably-priced option, the GRDE headlamp is a solid option for buyers that want something water-resistant that won’t break the bank.
This model outputs 1800 lumens worth of light, and it features high and low modes so that it can be used for outdoor, indoor, and close up work.
The angle of the light can be adjusted along a 90-degree angle, and it can also be zoomed in to focus the beam on a smaller spot.
The GRDE headlamp even comes equipped with two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and three different types of chargers (wall charger, car charger, and USB charger).
Check Price- Water-resistant
- Affordable
- Light angle and focus adjustment
- Unreliable rubber battery cover
- The headband can get uncomfortable
Cobiz Work Headlamp
The Cobiz headlamp is another mid-range model with a reasonable price and a reasonable set of features.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like this model lives up to its advertised rating of 6000 lumens, which may disappoint you if you’re working outdoors and need the additional lighting.
Like many other models in its price range, the Cobiz headlamp is resistant to rain and water splashes, but you won’t want to submerge it.
The inclusion of rechargeable batteries also helps save money in the long run. Unfortunately, this model is let down by its mediocre build quality.
Check Price- Adjustable light angle
- Four different lighting modes
- Affordable
- Uncomfortable padding
- The headlamp feels flimsy
- Doesn’t look as bright as advertised
HG Work Headlamp
For customers who need the most lighting possible, then the 12000 lumen HG headlamp will likely be the best choice.
While it’s a bit pricier than the competition, its brightness is nearly unmatched.
While the five LEDs on this headlamp are responsible for its exceptional brightness, we have to admit that they make you look like a bug when you wear it.
This head torch comes equipped with rechargeable batteries that will help save you money if you use it frequently.
The adjustable headband on this head torch is also comfortable and easy to fit your head or headgear.
Of course, you can also cycle between four different modes so that you don’t end up blinding everyone around you with your 12000-lumen brilliance.
Check Price- Very bright rating of 12000 lumens
- Comfortable and adjustable headband
- Four different lighting modes
- Looks absurd
- A little more expensive than comparable models
- Build quality should be better for the price
Deriena Work Headlamp – Waste of Money
With an output of 12000 lumens, one would reasonably expect the Deriena headlamp to be a powerful and effective piece of gear—they couldn’t be more wrong.
At first glance, this model might seem adequate, but a closer inspection reveals several underlying issues.
The included rechargeable batteries are labeled as 4200mAh, but that’s either a misprint or outright deceit, as the batteries don’t last anywhere near as long as they should and they’re too light.
Another issue is that this head torch is simply too bulky to be convenient in the workplace. Forget about using this headlamp in a wall cavity, confined area, or other type of close up work.
The build quality doesn’t exactly inspire confidence either. One of the only redeeming qualities of this model is that it’s water-resistant.
Overall, we’d recommend avoiding this one.
Check Price- Adjustable light angle
- Water-resistant design
- Too bulky
- Batteries are misleading
- Poorly-built
- Charger lacks voltage and amp ratings
