You should consider picking up one of the best headlamps for astronomy and stargazing if you often find yourselves outdoors and staring up into the night sky. They can also be a really worthwhile investment if you want to walk the dog late in the day or even go on a run after sunset, and want to stop holing up a torch or your camera's flashlight.
That's why we have rounded up the best headlamps for astronomy and stargazing. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and you can pick one up no matter your budget. We've considered the most common use cases and price points to ensure you've got all the information you need to decide which might be the best for you.
The key factors our experts have considered include comfort, ease of use, waterproofing, the features available, how much you can customize it and how intense the light might be. You may also consider pairing up one of the best headlamps for astronomy and stargazing with one of the best cameras for astrophotography or the best lenses for astrophotography. Wearing a headlamp can save you time and space, and it may be especially useful if you're looking for a tool to accompany one of the best telescopes or best binoculars as well.
Tantse Walter is a photographer and adventurer who's spent more than seven years facilitating global adventurous overseas expeditions. She loves getting into the nitty-gritty of sourcing and planning trips, and choosing the right gear for the job. Tantse enjoys taking creative, bright and bold photos of interesting people and places.
The quick list
We love the BioLite HeadLamp 425 for two reasons: one, it's excellent value for money and two, its battery (i.e. the main source of weight) sits at the back of your head, keeping it light and low-profile at the front.
Petzl's one of the best known headlamp manufacturers across the globe so you know you're buying a good quality product. We love the simple one-button operation here.
If you want something that's fun-looking but still practical and functional, this is the headlamp for you. It's waterproof and submersible, too.
Multipurpose headlamps rarely come better than this. Its light is detachable if you need a handheld flashlight, and is incredibly bright, maxing out at 2500 lumens.
The BioLite Headlamp 330 is one of the lightest headlamps we've tested, and while it's not the brightest on the market it's more than powerful enough for most uses.
If you're eco-conscious, this is the headlamp for you. Made from 100% recycled plastics and hemp, its been made with the environment in mind. Its functions are great too, with a tiltable lamp, optional rechargeable battery and intelligent lighting.
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At 550 lumens this is a great bright headlamp, and it's not going to break the bank. We love its aluminum casing, too, meaning its built to last.
Waterproof to a depth of one meter and with a IP67 rating for protection against dirt and dust, the Black Diamond Storm 400 is one of the most hard-wearing headlamps on this list.
The WindFire headlamp isn't for everyone: it's exclusively red-light, so if you want a white LED choose something else. But if you don't want to suppress your night vision, this is a great choice — and has some useful features.
Best headlamps we recommend in 2024
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Best for astro
✅ You want to buy from a company that 'does good': BioLite reinvests its revenues to build a commercially sustainable business while bringing safe, affordable energy to families in India and Africa. That's over 3.6 million individuals to date and ambitious plans for the future.
✅ You want to charge using USB-C: That's one of the reasons it sits at the top of this list.
❌ You have tangle-prone hair: We're literally splitting hairs here — if you have long curly hair, the power cable (that feeds the battery to the lamp) will likely find its way into a tangle with you.
❌ You will use it to read books whilst lying on your back: If you're someone who likes to hold their book above their head to read while lying down, the rear battery pack will be uncomfortable to lie on.
🔎 BioLite Headlamp 425: A comfortable no-bounce headlamp that's incredibly lightweight. The rear red beam is an unusual feature, handy for group situations.
This headlamp is useful across a variety of situations, including for astronomers and astrophotographers, although it was initially designed for people who like to run in the evenings. As we discussed in our BioLite HeadLamp 425 review, one of our favorite things is how comfortable the headlamp is. Its battery is also placed at the back of the band, which means much better weight distribution and it doesn't feel too cumbersome to wear on the forehead. The power button also sticks out enough so it's easy to locate, even if you've got your running gloves on.
That said, some might find having a battery pack on the back of your head isn't all that practical. If you're going to be laid down — whether that's reading in bed or working under your car late at night — it's going to be uncomfortable to lie on. If those are primary uses for you, you might want to choose something else rather than a BioLite headlamp, which all mostly share this design choice. But for most other uses where you're upright and moving around, having less weight at the front of your head is a major plus.
Furthermore, USB-C charging is a great bonus—no need to dig out batteries or find older cables! It charges quickly too: the BioLite can go from empty to full in just about two hours. And when it's in use, we've thoroughly enjoyed its four tilt positions, which make it very versatile and allow you to see both distant and close objects.
One last plus: by buying it you're even supporting BioLite's mission to reduce CO2 emissions and increase access to clean energy.
- Read our full BioLite HeadLamp 425 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | The lamp sits flat to your forehead, the battery sits at the back of your head so it's pretty comfortable, its available in three colors |
| Functionality | USB-C charging with a 'reserve mode' that provides an hour of backup light |
| Performance | The battery lasts a long time and it's very comfortable to wear, the red rear flood is novel too |
Best general purpose headlamp
✅ You want to use it for stargazing or astro: This headlamp lets you turn the red light on without cycling through white light modes so you don't ruin your night vision.
✅ You like a choice of power options: You can use either three regular AAA batteries or use the included CORE rechargeable battery.
✅ You are most comfortable buying from well-known brands: Petzl is a trusted and respected brand, known for quality and reliability.
❌ You want USB-C charging: The biggest downside to this headlamp is that it uses Micro-USB charging, not USB-C. It's not a deal breaker, we just prefer carrying/storing fewer cables.
❌ You need to be able to use it continuously: You can't use this headlamp whilst it's charging like you can with some other models.
🔎 Petzl Actik Core 450: This is a reliable and durable headlamp with a choice of power options. If you don't mind using a Micro-USB cable to charge, there's nothing else to fault.
We couldn't have been more pleased with the Petzl Actik Core 450 when we when we reviewed it, with this headband offering a solid and versatile build made by a reputable manufacturer. There's also a hefty warranty (two years on the battery and five on the lamp) that adds to the list of things to love about it.
In fact, the only thing we didn't really like about the Petzl Actik Core 450 is the fact it has a micro-USB charger. We'd have preferred a USB-C (who wouldn't?), but it's a small price to pay when everything else is so excellent. This is a multi-functional headlamp with a low-profile body and snug fit. It's incredibly comfortable on your head and can be worn in just about any situation.
We've found this to be a particularly good headlamp for stargazing. Of particular note is its red light feature: you can turn it on with a long press without needing to cycle through all the white light settings first. It means you have almost no risk of ruining your night vision.
The Core 450 is versatile in that it comes with a rechargeable battery but can also run on standard AAA batteries. We love that it gives us options and a sense of security: if it runs out of charge, you can simply pop in some batteries until you can next charge it. It does mean carrying around some batteries, but it's worthwhile for extra peace of mind.
It's worth noting that the Petzl Actik Core 450 is the exact same product as the TACTIKKA Headlamp, which comes from the same company. However, the TACTIKKA is targeted towards fishing/hunting/military niches, but it may mean you come across it in different stores. There's also a newer model, the Actik Core 600, which is a little brighter (600 lumens), has a Phosphorescent reflector to help you find it in the dark and a pouch that you can use to make a lantern (for when you're in your tent).
- Read our full Petzl Actik Core 450 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Lightweight with plastic housing — feels nice in the hand, some might prefer something a little weightier |
| Functionality | Easy one button control, lockable, easy to adjust strap and open battery compartment |
| Performance | As you'd expect from Petzl — reliable, versatile with a great battery life |
Best for customization
✅ You love playing with tech: A unique feature of this headlamp is the 'ModeMaker app' (PC/Mac, not Smartphone) which lets you add more modes to the headlamp (e.g a Knight Rider mode and a party mode). You can design your own too.
✅ You want something waterproof and easy to clean: The silicone design of this headlamp makes it great for wet conditions and super easy to clean.
❌ You don't want people to ask questions: Because they will. This doesn't look like a typical headlamp, and the band doesn't look like a typical headlamp band either, so naturally, people will be curious.
❌ You want to charge using USB-C: This headlamp takes a USB-A charge. Though this is generally more readily available than micro or mini-USB, most people would choose USB-C.
🔎 Knog Bilby 400: A uniquely styled headlamp that gives users complete control in terms of light activation, lighting modes and order of operation. It is easy to wipe clean and is even submersible.
The Knog Bilby 400 headlamp is far fro your typical model but it will certainly stand out if you're into your gadets. The innovation shines through in the numerous features that you'll find included, and, made from medical-grade silicon, it looks quite different to other options in our guide. But it has a great lightweight build and it's easy to clean too.
In terms of useful features we like, with the ModeMaker app on PC, you can program your own modes to do just about anything. On the other side is a gimmicky but rather novel 'Party mode' and a Knight Rider mode — we'll leave you to have fun with those.
Along with those slightly obscure features, you'll find all of the usual bells and whistles here, which we've talked about in our in-depth Knog Bilby 400 headlamp review. It's dust-proof and waterproof up to one meter, with a rating of IP67. It has a USB-C charger, and its brightness of up to 400 lumens is plenty bright enough for most situations.
We found that its electronic tilt function wasn't as effective as the manual options found on other headlamps. But we do like its battery indicator and the fact it'll automatically lower the light if it's low on power — it'll do its best to ensure you don't end up in the dark on your way home. With a red light for astro and four brightness settings, we would definitely recommend this headlamp for stargazing if you like the silicone-based design. A replacement strap is available for a very reasonable price also.
- Read our full Knog Bilby 400 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Unusual looking, band made from silicone — easy to clean |
| Functionality | Waterproof and submergible, customizable lighting patterns are quite fun, controls take some getting used to |
| Performance | Extremely bright, app is slick (only on Windows/Mac) |
Best multi-functional headlamp
✅ You use a flashlight for different hobbies or jobs: The three 'mounting' options make this a versatile flashlight — clip it to your pocket or bag, attach it to your head with the provided head strap, or attach it to something magnetic e.g the bonnet of a car or a tent pole.
✅ You require a very bright light: This is the brightest light on our list at 2500 lumens and a reach of 544 feet/600 meters.
✅ You want something strong and robust: This light is very sturdy and can even withstand being dropped on hard ground. It also boasts IPX8 waterproofing.
❌ You primarily want a headlamp: While the Olight Perun 2 can be used as one, it is pretty heavy to have on your forehead, not to mention the size of it. It's tiny for a flashlight, but massive for a headlamp.
❌ You want USB-C charging: This light can only be charged with its own dedicated charging cable.
🔎 Olight Perun 2: A robust and versatile flashlight that can be used in a multitude of situations thanks to it's three mounting options including occasionally being worn as a headlamp.
This model is far from the traditional headlamp you might find in our guide and more akin to a handheld flaslight that you can insert onto a head mount. This multifunctionality in the Olight Perun 2 is why we recommend it and consider it underrated in a crowded market.
The magnetic base to the flashlight component also means you can attach it to various surfaces including tent poles or tripods, while the accompanying pocket clip means you can clip it onto the front of your jacket, or a bag, too. Failing that, you can of course attach it to your head strap and use it as a standard headlamp.
It does mean it's a little bulkier than other headlamps on the list, but it's a small price to pay for the swathe of other functions you're getting here. In our Olight Perun 2 review (where we awarded it an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars) we praised its ultra-bright 2500 lumens, which can reach up to 544 feet — it's the brightest on this list. However, it lacks a red LED option which may be a turn-off for stargazers who need to preserve their night vision.
That extra size, however, means that the Perun 2 is unusually robust for a headlamp. For starters, it has an IPX8 waterproof rating, which makes it suitable for continuous immersion in water. Additionally, it's made from anodized aluminum, making it super strong. We've dropped one on hard ground from a height of one meter — and had no adverse effects at all.
We'd recommend the Olight Perun 2 for people who want to use their headlamp for multiple uses. If you're the type of person who's going to use it for camping, late-night dog walking, fishing or transporting stuff around in the dark, we think you'll love this. But if you're wanting something lightweight and with a red light function, you're better off looking elsewhere.
- Read our full Olight Perun 2 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Primarily a small flashlight but can be worn as a headlamp with the provided headstrap, albeit pretty chunky. We liked the magnetic base and pocket clip, and used them often |
| Functionality | Nice pocketable flashlight with different brightness settings, there isn't a red light though |
| Performance | Turbo mode is exceptionally bright, battery life seems good but there isn't a battery indicator apart from a vibration when the battery is less than 10% |
Best headlamp for comfort
✅ You're a runner: If one of your hobbies is running, this is an ideal headlamp thanks to it's 'no bounce' design. It also won't get in the way when you're looking through your scope or viewfinder.
❌ You have tangle-prone hair: As with the BioLite 425, due to the design of power cable (that feeds the battery to the lamp), you will likely find you get your hair stuck a few times when you take it off.
❌ You will use it to read books whilst lying on your back: If you're someone who likes to hold their book above their head to read while lying down, the rear battery pack will be uncomfortable to lie on.
🔎 BioLite Headlamp 330: An affordable lightweight headlamp from an admirable company that's easy to operate and comfortable to wear. ★★★★
The BioLite 330 is not among the best headlamps for a comfy fit, but also if you have limited fund. Its light won't shine as bright as a few others, but it's so small that you will barely notice it strapped to your forehead. So long as you don't need something that flood your view with the brighest light, it is a reasonable option.
Because of the BioLite's 'no bounce' design, it rests flat against your head and won't move around. Technically, it's a feature that's been designed with runners in mind but we can't think of any situation where a light that doesn't bob around won't be helpful. It's particularly handy when you're operating a telescope or camera because, crucially, it means the torch won't get in the way of a viewfinder.
We're pretty big fans of the fabric strap of the BioLite HeadLamp 330, too. It's made from an absorbent wicking material, which keeps it dry. Perfect if you're using it for late-night runs, but it'll come in handy in just about any situation. The reflective strip on the band is a nice touch, too, making the headlamp easy to find in the dark and, more importantly, keeping you visible to other people.
The one downside? It's micro-USB rather than USB-C, but it's not a dealbreaker. We'd still rather have that than have to change batteries regularly — and we do love the power indicator which shows you how much charge is left.
- BioLite also make power banks — check out the BioLite Charge PD series
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | A flat to your forehead headlamp where the battery sits at the back of your head with a comfortable reflective headband |
| Functionality | A lock mode to prevent accidentally powering on, Micro USB rather than USB-C |
| Performance | The no-bounce design is comfortable, build quality is excellent |
