Time to shine

Black Diamond’s headtorches are regular Trail favourites. With its core range having received a major overhaul for 2022, we take a look at the new leading lights.

Astro, Cosmo, Spot and Storm. No, not the names of reindeer or X-Men (although one of them might be…), but the headtorches in Black Diamond’s core range aimed at walkers in the mountain environment. These names aren’t new – they’ve been around for a while, with the Storm model being a big favourite of ours – but for Spring 2022 Black Diamond is upgrading these compact, durable and bright lights with new power options, prime amongst which are the new R-series headlamps.

These new lights are powered by lithium-ion batteries, meaning they can be easily charged from multiple sources, including in-car, portable power sources or wall chargers. They also feature smaller head units, more comfortable straps, and improved waterproofing compared to the older models.

Alongside these are the new ‘dual fuel’ versions of the same lamps. They share the same size, comfort and waterproofing upgrades as the R-series but are powered by 3x AAA batteries, with the option of retro-fitting the BD 1500 rechargeable lithium-ion battery (£20 for battery and charger).

The features vary slightly depending on the model, with the Astro sitting at the bottom of the range and the Storm at the top, but among the four versions and their alternative power options you can be sure to find a headlamp that meets your needs. Let’s take a closer look…