Black Diamond

Astro 300-R

£35 75g cost, weight, dimming, lock no red light, no strobe, limited pivot

Power: 6-300 lumens

LEDs: one

Batteries: 1500mAh lithium-ion rechargeable

Modes: dimming, strobe

Distance (metres): 55 max, 35 medium, 8 low

Burn hours: 6 max, 12 medium,140 low blackdiamondequipment.com

The Astro 300-R is the budget model. It only has one LED and only one switch. That makes it very simple to use. It’s not as powerful as the other headlamps and battery life isn’t as good, though. I wouldn’t choose it for winter hiking when I might want it fairly bright for many hours at a time. However outside of the long hours of winter darkness it should be fine.

The Astro R lacks a red LED and a strobe, which I think are bigger drawbacks than the lower power when comparing it to the other headlamps.

As a basic headlamp for occasional use, especially in summer, it’s fine. The more powerful headlamps with more features are better for regular use, however.