Ledlenser’s H7R Signature Is a Superpowered Headlamp for Moving Fast

Most backpackers don’t ask a lot of their headlamps—they just need something that’s bright enough to illuminate the ground beneath their feet for alpine starts and midnight bathroom breaks. But sometimes, you just need raw power, and the H7R Signature delivers. On its maximum setting, this head cannon can put out a whopping 1,200 lumens, enough to illuminate just over 850 feet of trail for our nighttime bike rides and wildlife-spotting excursions around Colorado’s Front Range. “I especially appreciated the peripheral range on the wide beam for mountain biking,” one tester says. “It let me see what was coming up next on the trail while twisting downhill through switchbacks, so I could roll right over drops and roots without slowing down.” The included rechargeable battery lasted longer than we expected—65 hours on its lowest, 15-lumen setting, and a more modest 3.5 hours on high. Cycling through low, medium, and high modes with the button on top was easy and intuitive The H7R is definitely a specialty tool, though: It’s heavy and expensive, and one tester said the light’s casing got uncomfortably warm on high. It also lacks a red light, but if you’re trying to preserve your night vision, this is probably not what you’re bringing anyway. $175; 9.1 oz.; Buy Now