If you are a year-round runner/hiker, or do longer endurance events that occur at least partially in the dark, a headlamp is usually required.

I do a lot of my long runs late at night or early in the morning (i.e. in the dark) when everyone is sleeping, which means I log a lot of time with a headlamp. I had my last headlamp for about 10 years, and the last 1-2 years of those the battery life was pretty bad (especially in cold weather)! I searched for a replacement battery and noticed I couldn’t find one anywhere…the old batteries had been discontinued – time for a new headlamp.

After doing some research I decided to try the Petzl IKO Core headlamp. Not only was the lighting impressive (500 lumens vs. my old one that maxed out at 300 lumens), but the weight really grabbed my attention (79 grams vs. my old one coming in at 116 grams)! Add in better battery life and I couldn’t wait for this thing to get delivered.

After it arrived and I tried it on, I immediately noticed the weight difference and how comfortable it was on my head! The unique shape and fitting system works really well – I often forget that I’m wearing a headlamp…other than the fact that the path in front of me is lit up 🙂 Another cool feature: you can use the rechargeable battery -OR- 3 AAA batteries, so if you didn’t order a second/back-up rechargeable battery, you can pop in standard batteries and keep going (useful for ultras or other during-the-night events).

For those winter runners out there, something that will be very helpful in terms of battery life – you can wear your hat or headband OVER the battery in the back to help shield it from the cold, greatly extending how long your light will last in frigid conditions!

Here is a quick walk-through video to see more about the headlamp:

Closing

This headlamp has been such a nice upgrade and I probably shouldn’t have waited so long to replace my old one. If you’re interested in giving this headlamp a try, follow this link and have it shipped to your house in a couple days 🙂

You can find this and other review posts on the Reviews page!