Review: BioLite Headlamp 425 – The Big Outside – GWC Mag

Rechargeable Ultralight Headlamp
BioLite Headlamp 425
$60, 2.75 oz./78g
backcountry.com

What does the ideal backcountry headlamp look like? Many of us who find ourselves in wild spaces well before dawn or after dark might describe that headlamp as light, bright enough to see what lies at least 200 feet ahead of you (especially when off-trail), with a versatile set of lighting modes and brightness levels, easy to use, and rechargeable with sufficient juice to last several days. BioLite’s Headlamp 425 checks all those boxes and impressed me with its performance on backpacking trips in the Wind River Range in late summer and on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April.

Replacing BioLite’s older Headlamp 330, the Headlamp 425 not only ramps up the max brightness to 425 lumens—BioLite claims it projects a beam for 85 meters/280 feet at high power, which rings consistent with my experience using it—it also sports a smart design that translates to high comfort and ease of use.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Click here for my e-guides to classic backpacking trips. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.

For starters, the large, front power button is easy to depress and to find with a finger when it’s on your head. Click that button in half-second increments to scroll through the four front lighting modes, which include red flood, white spot, white flood, and white spot and flood combined, all with dimming capability. Plus, the battery pack’s rear-facing light has white strobe and red flood and strobe modes that are bright—ideal for biking streets after dark, as I’ve done many times with this headlamp.

The 425 turns on in the mode and brightness level it was last turned off; and whenever the front headlamp or rear battery pack light is turned on or off, a four-bulb battery indicator on the battery pack displays power remaining. The front housing’s four-position tilt provides an adequate range of beam angles and stays put securely. The lockout mode is activated and deactivated by holding the 425’s power button down for eight seconds.

Plan your next great backpacking trip on the Teton Crest Trail, Wonderland Trail, in Yosemite or other parks using my expert e-guides.

Perhaps most distinctively, the Headlamp 425 finds an appealing middle ground between heavier, bulkier, less comfortable torches that have greater power and charge duration and lighter models that are not as bright and don’t last as long in the backcountry.

Weighing just 2.75 ounces/78 grams, its ultrathin, low-profile, molded front housing integrates fully into the strap with a profile of just 0.4 inches/10mm, sitting flush against your forehead without bouncing or slipping even when hiking fast or running. The easily adjustable strap, with smooth, moisture-wicking fabric, feels so good I’d forget it was still on my head after dawn. And it shrinks down enough to fit kids.

Find your next adventure in your Inbox. Sign up now for my FREE email newsletter.

While a battery pack at the back of your head can feel annoying in certain circumstances, like lying on a pillow reading, this one is light and compact enough to reposition for comfort; it’s usually hardly noticeable. Plus, the rear pack provides the advantage of having a rear-facing light there for safety when biking streets.

Powered by a 1000 mAh Li-ion battery that recharges in about two hours using any USB-C cable, the headlamp has pass-through charging, meaning it can be used while plugged into a battery pack and charging. It has a run time of 60 hours at low power (five lumens, projecting a beam about 15 meters/50 feet) and four hours at high power (425 lumens); in practice, most backpackers have no need to worry about losing the 425’s charge on typical, three-season backpacking trips. I burned through only about half its full charge using it for six days straight with no recharge between back-to-back hikes on the Arizona Trail and in Aravaipa Canyon.

The IPX4 rating means it’s fine in rain or getting wet from perspiration but is not designed for immersion in water.

I’ve helped many readers plan unforgettable backpacking and hiking trips.
Want my help with yours? Click here now.

The Verdict

Ultralight and compact yet bright, with a versatile set of lighting modes and brightness levels and a charge that lasts through a multi-day backcountry trip, the BioLite Headlamp 425 checks all the boxes for most backpackers, dayhikers, trail runners, climbers, bike commuters, and other users.

BUY IT NOW

You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these links to purchase a BioLite Headlamp 425 at backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, or bioliteenergy.com.

See my picks for “The 8 Best Headlamps,” and all reviews of headlamps, hiking gear, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

And don’t miss my popular reviews of “25 Essential Backpacking Gear Accessories” and “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year.

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures.
Join now for full access to ALL stories and get a free e-guide and member gear discounts!

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”