Gear Review: BioLite’s Power Packed 330 Lumen Headlamp

BioLite’s first headlamp is very well designed – it’s comfortable and power packed! From the moment I put the BioLite 330 lumen headlamp on, I could feel the difference. A quick lumen comparison test revealed an immense advantage in visibility, I could see farther and in more detail. The BioLite 330 Headlamp lights up the darkness!

Form Fitted

The BioLite 330 headlamp is very low profile, it fits better than your favourite pair of shoes. I can run or bike with it and it stays put, zero bouncing. Awesomeness. The front is soft neoprene material and the light housing is embedded into the band. The other half of the band is a regular headlamp style band and fully adjustable. The battery pack sits at the back and is very light considering its a 900mAh (milli amp hour) lithium ion battery.

You can wear this headlamp for hours and hours, forgetting it’s even there.

Powered by Lithium, Charged by Fire

BioLite states 900 mAh will last 40 hours on low and 3.5 hours on high, that’s really good for the size of this battery! These times apply to my experience and testing of the headlamp over about 2 months of steady use. BioLite’s power packed 330 Lumen Headlamp delivers on visibility

It’s rechargeable. Which I was nervous about at first. I love that this means less battery waste, but was unsure of how I could recharge it in the field. You can opt to carry the BioLite CampStove 2 and charge while you cook, carry a Power Bank, use one of BioLite’s SolarPanel 5+ and more. While on my 8 day West Coast Trail Hike, I carried a small battery bank but on low mode, the BioLite lasted all 8 days.

Blinding Brightness

At 330 lumens, the BioLite 330 packs a powerful lumen punch that will blind your tent mate or help you hike out in the dark. This headlamp lights up the dark like no other headlamp I have ever used. I recently used this headlamp on my 8 day West Coast Trail hike and it’s power lights up the darkness in bear country! Very important for me and midnight runs to the bathroom. My favourite setting though was the red light. It’s perfect for inside the tent, when you both still need to see to get organized but do not want the blast of white/blue light before bed.

Something I had to learn was the BioLite 330 Headlamp doesn’t get dim, it just dies. On the up side you have full power and visibility right to the end, but not much warning when it’s getting low. This is due to the lithium ion battery needing to shut down when it hits a minimum voltage. Biolite did put LED indicators on the back, so just be sure to check them once and a while if you’re planning to use your headlamp heavily such as when caving.

Can it get any better?

The BioLite’s only little (and I mean tiny) downfall in my books is that it’s not fully waterproof. It is resistant to water splashes from any direction (rain) and given an IP4 rating, which for most users should be sufficient. However, I do prefer my outdoor tech products to be fully waterproof. Maybe this isn’t possible with Li-ion batteries or something but imagine!

We think you need one!

Overall, this is a super duper fantastic headlamp and I love it! It’s so comfortable to wear, it’s user friendly, and it’s packed with lithium lumen power. Will and I will be using ours all summer, and if you want in on this amazing headlamp, please consider buying though our affiliate link here.

Share Your Thoughts About This Post

comments