Guide 4 min
Headlamp: from 55 g to 124 g, how much does yours weigh?
From 55 g to 124 g: the 14 headlamps in the catalogue weighed one by one. At the same output, up to 38 g apart, and the camp lantern on its own.
In the WildKit catalogue, a headlamp weighs from 55 g to 124 g. The lightest, the Nitecore NU25, states 400 lm in its name; the heaviest, the Fenix HM65R-T, 1500 lm. Between the two, 69 g.
That's little on the scale of the whole bag. But light is an essential from the day hike up: you carry it on every trip, so you might as well know what it weighs.
How much does a headlamp weigh?
From 55 g to 124 g across the 14 headlamps in the catalogue, and 10 of them weigh 86 to 100 g. The gaps sit at both ends of the table, not in the middle.
| Headlamp | Weight | Output (name) |
|---|---|---|
| Nitecore NU25 | 55 g | 400 lm |
| Petzl IKO CORE | 79 g | 500 lm |
| Petzl Tikka | 86 g | 350 lm |
| Black Diamond Spot 400 | 86 g | 400 lm |
| Fenix HM23 | 86 g | 240 lm |
| Nitecore NU43 | 87 g | 1400 lm |
| Petzl Actik | 88 g | 450 lm |
| Petzl ACTIK CORE | 88 g | 600 lm |
| Forclaz HL100 USB | 90 g | 120 lm |
| Ledlenser MH5 | 93 g | 400 lm |
| Simond HL900 USB V3 | 100 g | 600 lm |
| Petzl Swift RL | 100 g | 1100 lm |
| Black Diamond Storm 500-R | 116 g | not stated |
| Fenix HM65R-T | 124 g | 1500 lm |
The output is the one stated in the product name. The catalogue doesn't measure it, and this guide only compares weights.
At the same output, do headlamps weigh the same?
No: at 400 lm, from 55 g to 93 g, a 38 g gap. Three headlamps in the catalogue state that output. The Nitecore NU25 weighs 55 g, the Black Diamond Spot 400 86 g, the Ledlenser MH5 93 g.
Between the NU25 and the Spot 400, that's already 31 g. For the same stated output, look at the weight first.
Does more output mean more weight?
Not necessarily. The Nitecore NU43 states 1400 lm for 87 g; the Fenix HM65R-T, 1500 lm for 124 g, 37 g more. The Petzl Swift RL states 1100 lm for 100 g, 13 g more than the NU43.
The other way round, the Forclaz HL100 USB states 120 lm for 90 g: it weighs more than headlamps with more output. Weight follows the model, not the output.
What about a camp lantern?
It weighs as much as the heaviest headlamp, or more. The Black Diamond Moji weighs 124 g, the same as the heaviest headlamp; the Quechua BL60, 200 g, which is 145 g more than the Nitecore NU25 and 76 g more than the Moji.
What share of your day-hike bag?
Against the 3 kg target for a day hike, a headlamp takes from 1.8 % (55 g) to 4.1 % (124 g). The Quechua BL60 lantern takes 6.7 %.
The saving stays small in absolute terms. It matters most if you cut weight item by item: at a stated 400 lm, picking the lightest takes off 38 g.
What the configurator picks
Light is an essential on every trip, from the day hike up, in a single copy. The configurator picks the headlamp in the tier you ask for, then by price, then by weight: at equal tier and price, the lightest comes first.
What to remember
- A headlamp weighs from 55 g to 124 g across the 14 in the catalogue; 10 weigh 86 to 100 g.
- At 400 lm, the gap reaches 38 g between the Nitecore NU25 and the Ledlenser MH5.
- A camp lantern weighs from 124 g to 200 g, as much as the heaviest headlamp or more.
A headlamp is only one item in the bag. Its weight adds up with the rest (see how much your bag should weigh), and it's on the checklist for your first night. Describe your trip to the configurator. We put light among your essentials and show its weight in the total.
Written by Thanaël Fontaine. Published .