When going for a backpacking trip, a headlamp is undoubtedly essential. This will help you to get through the terrains at night and even peruse through the map without much difficulty. There are many types of headlamps on the market, and finding the most suitable can be daunting.

Of all the choices available, the Black Diamond Spot is among our preferred trekking headlamps. This is because it is powerful, has a long light life, and is packed with useful features. And for around $40, it is a deal for such a strong and long-lasting light.

It has always been a reliable product, and it has had some great tweaks and enhancements in recent years. Most significantly, the light’s lenses now provide among the finest beam distributions of any light.

The Spot 350 has a great deal of power, reliability, and functionality for a low price. Comparable headlights are usually $10-$20 extra, so we think this is a fantastic deal. The lamp boasts a longer battery life than most headlights, with a life duration of over 200 hours on the lowest level and over four hours at its strongest.

Because you have complete control over the headlamp’s intensity, it is easy to attain the ideal mix of light production and energy economy for the work at hand.

The Pros

The Spot 350 generates a tremendous amount of light. And, while it may not have the best light output, the light type makes it appear greater than others.

Its light reaches maximum brightness is one of the best, even outperforming some headlights with larger lumen outputs. This is due to the spotlight function, which consists of a second bulb inside the optic.

It also has a lot of handy functions. Some of the likes include the battery indication, the option to prevent it from accidentally turning on, and the capability to properly set the brightness.

The Cons

If you have never used a Black Diamond headlight previously, there will be a little bit challenging in working out how to handle all of the settings. For individuals who prefer a basic light for jobs around camp, getting so many options may be a little confusing.

Performance Comparison

Because of its exceptional optics, the Spot is a high achiever when it comes to trail spotting. It has a relatively wide spectrum that radiates for 94 meters, giving it an 8 out of 10 ratings.

This is what distinguishes it from other tiny headlights around $30. The Spot shines substantially further and broader than other products such as the Yalumi Spark Pro 120.

Another parameter in which the Spot outperforms practically every other competition is its close proximity. It receives a 9 out of 10 for its broad and evenly illuminated beam. With its exceptional and balanced flood function, the Spot outperforms lower-cost alternatives in close proximity circumstances.

Given the Spot’s illumination capabilities, its minimal weight is amazing. Still, you will need to increase the weight of the battery by 1 ounce to perform better in trail tracing.

Unfortunately, the Spot’s battery life is still below average and one of the more disheartening aspects. The BD Storm, a $10 more costly relative, outperforms the Spot in this department.

The Spot’s ANSI calculated peak light time is 2.9 hours, whereas the Storm’s is over 5 hours. The alarming issue with this is that Black Diamond promotes the Spot as having a battery performance of 30 hours in maximum light.

The Spot’s ease of use is another area where it falls short. The problem here is that the lamp has a lot of capabilities, but they rely solely on a button to give you access to the majority of the functions.

The button is well-designed and simple to operate. However, gaining access to all of that capacity necessitates mastering a complicated series of single, double, as well as triple presses.

The Spot is simple enough for basic operations, but if you try to use complex capabilities, you may become frustrated with all the settings.

Our Verdict

For the most part, the Spot is a fantastic device that provides high-quality lighting at a reasonable price. It has great optics and performs well in the spotlight function. This small light has a lot of functions, which is fantastic. Nonetheless, accessing additional capabilities on the Spot is difficult to utilize, requiring a complicated series of clicks.

We have discovered other instances where the claims made for this little bulb are over-promised. The Spot is still a high-quality light, and we feel that if the marketing promises were adjusted to meet and exceed its actual real-world capabilities, the customers would be better served.