Lights for running

jrline

Has anyone found a good flashlight for running. I have tried several different ones and they don't seem to last more than a couple months before they don't stay bright. I am guessing the constant bouncing is working the connections loose.

Thanks

FitPhillygirl

Do you wear a cap when you run? If so something like this might work for you. panthervision.com/powercap/running/2575-rhw1-womens.html

cheshirecatastrophe

Is this for *you* to see, or for safety? If you need light to see, have you considered a headlamp? I do night trail races sometimes, and pretty much everyone has some variety of Black Diamond headlamp, usually the Spot. That's what I have, and I stand behind it 100%. You can get a concentrated bright beam, dimmer but larger coverage, a red light to preserve night vision outside your light, even a strobe mode for safety. It stays in place *very* well, doesn't chafe, and can angle downwards to light up a trail. I can vouch for its abilities in pitch-black middle of the woods at midnight.

MeanderingMammal

I use a Silva Trail Runner II head torch, but as above it depends what you want it for. I'm thinking of supplementing with knuckle lights as well.

JohnBarth

I've used knuckle lights, and they've worked well for me.

lporter229

I have a Patzl Tikka II headlamp. It uses LED lights and I have had no problems with it at all. I have heard of others wearing it around their chest if you are not fond of the headlamp idea. I am also considering knuckle lights as well.

jrline

I am wanting both for me to see as well as cars and/or animals see me coming. I have worn headlamps before and they fall into the same category of not lasting more than a few months.

BrianSharpe

Another Petzl Tikka II fan here. Mine is probably close to 5 years old now and gets a fair bit of use (I like to run around 5AM, it gets used constantly through fall / Winter / Spring). It seems to be as bright as when it was new.

cheshirecatastrophe

jrline wrote: »

I am wanting both for me to see as well as cars and/or animals see me coming. I have worn headlamps before and they fall into the same category of not lasting more than a few months.

Have you considered jury-rigging a running belt with bike headlight and tail lights attached? Also, reflective stuff won't help with deer or cars illegally driving with a headlight out, but it really does light up fantastically in headlights. Also high vis colors. I'll see if I can find the cycling YouTube demonstrations of their power over distance.

ThickMcRunFast

I have the black diamond Icon....its powerful and I love it. Though I bought it specifically because it has a big battery pack instead of being USB rechargeable (I want to be able to change the batteries if it dies on a long night). I've had it for a year now with no problems. I definitely learned my lesson about cheap headlamps.

AllonsYtotheTardis

have you considered changing the batteries?

mwyvr

Maybe you could link to the lights you've been having problems with?

In darker months I use a Zebralight 1xAA powered headlamp that is somewhat floodier in its beam profile. Google them; available from various suppliers (including Zebralight themselves) in the U.S.

It's built very solid. Very light, there is almost nothing to it but a tube for the cell and the emitter. You can power them with a good quality NiMH rechargeable cell such as the Panasonic (formerly Sanyo) Eneloops. Most of the time I run it on quite low power (in the city) as a "be seen" light; on the seawall I run it low power facing backwards because my primary concern is cyclists coming up behind me. In the woods medium / medium-high lasts for a couple of hours of very bright floody light, perfect for trails.

Petzl makes excellent lights too; my older Petzl is still going strong seven years later but current LED tech puts more light out longer for the same power in. I use that one for cycling "be seen" on my helmet now.

I have a preference for 1xAA lights over 3xAAA lights.

In any case buy good rechargeable cells. They will pay for themselves many times over.

jrline

Thanks I have multiple sets of the Eneloops they are awesome batteries. It is not the batteries the same problem occurs with fresh batteries.

msf74

jrline wrote: »

I am wanting both for me to see as well as cars and/or animals see me coming. I have worn headlamps before and they fall into the same category of not lasting more than a few months.

I'm not sure if this is available in the US but a friend of mine as this and rates it highly:

decathlon.co.uk/run-light-id_8283426.html

CSARdiver

I have an old Petzl lightweight headlight model that works great.

jacksonpt

Consider looking at mountain biking lights. A little bulkier because of the battery but much more durable.

mwyvr

This is a Zebralight; made of turned aluminum, anodized.



Light. Very durable. Unscrew the battery cap 1/4 turn and you won't accidentally turn it on in your bag. Output levels are flexible and customizable. Available in versions that are more floody or have more "throw" but still quite a good beam for running. Personal preference decides. Output (lumens, reasonably reported) and run time off a single AA Eneloop cell for the H502 CRI model:

High:         H1 280 Lm (0.9 hrs)   or    H2  172 Lm (1.7 hrs) / 108 Lm (3 hrs)
Medium:    M1 50 Lm (7.5 hrs)    or    M2   25 Lm (12 hrs) / 12 Lm (27 hrs)
Low:         L1   2.7 Lm (4 days)   or    L2   0.34 Lm (3 weeks) / 0.06 Lm (2 months) / 0.01 Lm (3 months)
Beacon Strobe Mode: 4Hz Strobe at H1 / 19Hz Strobe at H1

They are available in different colour temperatures; for outdoor use the neutral white versions work well; you can also get versions with a high Colour Rendition Index (CRI) value that are also terrific and keep nature looking... natural.

The headlamp strap is light and works well, and the light can be used in other configurations as well. You can see the clip on this - you can clip it to a pocket facing forward or to the side of a baseball cap brim.

I find the ZL strap works fine for me. If you have a loping running style with a lot of vertical movement you probably would be better served by a headlamp that has an over the top of the head strap as well;

All in all it's a very useful tool. I'm passing the detail on because these are a little out of the mainstream in running circles. I've no affiliation with them just a happy owner of a couple of their lights.

www.zebralight.com