Advnture Verdict
A good value headlamp for trail walkers and runners, ideal for those who also run on roads as it has a rear, red safety light.
Pros
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Great value
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Bright
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Long burn time
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Quite comfy
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Rear, red safety light
Cons
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Slightly heavy
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Rechargeable only
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Small on/off button on small lamp
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Limited angles on lamp
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Waterproof for moderate showers only IPX4
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Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp: first impressions
The Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp has a lightweight price tag, but physically it’s a little on the heavy side in comparison to some of the best headlamps, tipping scales at 107g. The headband is comfy and easy to adjust but it’s plastic against the forehead, which isn’t as comfy or sweat-absorbing as fabric. I thought the two strap holders would be uncomfortable but it actually feels fine.
• List price: $30 (US ) /£25 (UK)
• Weight: 107g / 3.8oz
• Max lumens: 250
• Max beam length: 85m
• Burn time: 4.5hrs
• Light modes: White: low / med / high; Red rear: off / constant / flash
• Water resistance: IPX4
• Batteries: Rechargeable USB
• Compatibility: Easy trails for medium-distance, warm night runs
It’s waterproof enough for moderate showers at IPX4 standard. Max power is 250 lumens, which projects a beam over 85m for up to 4.5 hours. There’s a medium setting of 120 lumens, which is good for easy paths and roads, and an emergency setting of 60 lumens.
On the downside, the tiny lamp has a limited range of motion through just three angles, and the small button makes it fiddly to operate – especially if you’re wearing hiking gloves or running gloves. The battery is rechargeable only and it is quite large on the back of the head.
There’s also a constant or flashing red LED on the back for road safety. You can turn it off, and it ingeniously doubles up as the charge status indicator when plugged in – a very nice touch. You can still use the head torch while charging it via a portable charger.
Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 Headlamp: on the trails
The Decathlon Evadict Ontrail 250 delivers a lot of light for its price. You don’t notice that it’s slightly heavier than average, and I was expecting the two protrusions on the rear battery pack to dig in, but they didn’t bother me at all, even when running fast.
However, when I was out with cold hands in the windswept fields of Lincolnshire it was hard to press the on/off button on top of the small lamp on my forehead without also altering the angle of the torch. It all felt a little bit small up there with numb fingers.
Although I would prefer to have the whole lamp on my forehead with these budget head torches, having the battery pack on the back of the head is actually really useful for road running in the dark.
I really appreciated how you can easily change the rear light from off to constant and also flashing, so this was a good touch and made that rear battery pack worthwhile. If the strap had some reflective details on it that would really complete the package as a great road running headlamp for dark nights.
