I highly recommend the Black Diamond Storm 500-R headlamp, the most powerful currently offered by the climbing brand.

The Storm 500-R is the most powerful of Black Diamond’s R series headlamps with the brightest beam and the longest battery life. It’s still not that heavy and sits comfortably on the front of the head. The lamp doesn’t pivot as much as most others. I haven’t found this a big problem. Unlike most of the other headlamps tested the Black Diamond Storm 500-R has the old micro-USB connection for charging rather than the newer USB-C, which may mean carrying an extra cable or adapter if you have other devices with USB-C connections.

Chris Townsend highly recommends

Black Diamond have made a powerful and bright head torch at a decent price.
Pros
  • Battery life
  • Dimming
  • Distance and proximity modes
  • Coloured LEDs
  • Lock
  • Waterproof
  • Cost
Cons
  • Small button
  • Micro-USB charging
Quick Specs
Price: £70 | $89.77
Weight: 81g
Power Source: 1250 mAh CORE rechargeable battery/ 3 AAA batteries
Battery Life: 2.5 hours – 100 hours
Brightness: 6 – 500 lumens/10 – 100 metres
Features: semi-rigid ergonomic headband, 3 light levels, wide or mixed beam, weather resistant (IPX4), lock function
www.blackdiamondequipment.com

There are two buttons, one okay for using with gloves on, the other a bit too small. Each button operates a separate LED. Black Diamond call these distance and proximity, its terms for flood and spot. The small button on the Black Diamond Storm 500-R also operates the coloured LEDs.

All the lights are dimmable with the larger button which is also used to switch the lamp on and off. Whilst Black Diamond gives figures for 3 light levels the dimming function means it can be anywhere between minimum and maximum brightness. On the mid-level the power lasts 19 hours, which is good.

When switched on, the Black Diamond Storm 500-R is in the last mode before being switched off so you can have a coloured LED come on first. In full power both white LEDs come on. You can go to this setting from any other mode just by tapping a symbol on the side of the lamp. Tap again and it reverts to the previous mode.

The Black Diamond Storm 500-R is suitable for year-round use and comes at a good price.

Testing Notes

Chris tested the Black Diamond Storm 500-R on night walks and when camping in the Scottish Highlands, mainly the Cairngorms, throughout 2024. This comparative review was first published in the November 2024 issue of The Great Outdoors. His other reviews in this comparative test can be found in our guide to the best head torches.