Vango Volt Headtorch review: budget-friendly and super bright, this headlamp is quirky, but it was a lifesaver on the trail

Vango Volt Headtorch: first impressions

Scottish camping brand Vango is known for innovation, so it should come as no surprise that the Volt doesn't look like your average headlamp. Instead of having the flashlight and battery pack up front, Vango has divided those two components so the light is upfront and the battery pack sits at the back of your head.

This means that the weight is more balanced on your head and the headtorch part is much lighter, making it a bit more comfortable and less likely to slip down while you're on the move. The part of the headtorch that touches your skin is covered with a soft pad for increased comfort.

The light itself is only 100 lumens, but surprisingly bright and we've found it to be more than enough for winter hikes and runs. The brand explains this is due to the Collimator Lens, which transforms a divergent beam of light into a parallel beam essentially focusing the light and making it more efficient.

The headtorch has a high beam, low beam and strobe function that are easy to operate with the press of a button, you can tilt the light down to illuminate the trail in front of you.

Unusually, both the torch and battery pack can be removed from the headband and clipped onto the loop of your backpack strap, or potentially even clothing. In theory, we like this versatility, but in practice, we found that it was super fiddly to do on the trail and would be better set up before you leave the house. The external battery pack also means more wires which might mean there's more to break or wear out over time.

Like any low-budget headlamp, this one runs on AAA batteries which means it's less sustainable and you need to be sure to carry backup batteries. That said, we've found it to be comfortable enough to wear for an hour at a time and stable enough for trail running. For the price, it's excellent value.

Vango Volt Headtorch: in the field 

With only about seven hours of daylight in Scotland during the winter months, it's nearly impossible to get out on the trail without a headlamp (if you have a job and a family anyway), so I've been bringing this headlamp along with me on my hikes lately, and more recently on a couple of trail runs up in the Highlands, to see how it compares to my multitude of other Petzls and Black Diamonds.

Here’s how it performed:

Weight and comfort 

At just 90 grams, this headlamp is surprisingly light compared to other headlamps we've tested, both for hiking and running, considering it runs on AAA batteries and I've been able to wear it comfortably for an hour.

The comfort comes partly because the part that touches my forehead is a soft, velvety pad, but it's also because the battery pack sits on the back of my head, so there's less weight up front which sometimes gives me a headache.

Battery life and ease of use

Battery life is an important feature of any headlamp if you don't want to get caught out on the trail in the dark and this one is on the lower end in that regard, though in line with other budget headtorches. On high beam, I got around 10 hours out of it and more than double that on low beam, which is adequate for occasional use while camping, but you'll definitely want a stockpile of AAAs if this is going to be your main light source.

As for ease of use, because this headlamp looks really different to what I'm used to, when I first got it I thought it was much more complicated than it is and had to consult the instruction manual. In reality, it's a simple single-button operated head torch to turn it on and off.

In theory, I like that the light comes off the head strap and can go on my backpack strap a lot, but in practice, this feature has tripped me up on the trail. Twice, I've accidentally removed the light from the strap in the dark and then discovered that it's really fiddly to get it back on without a second light source so you can see what you're doing. The first time this happened, I ended up running for about 15 minutes down a dark trail with my light in my hand until the group I was with stopped long enough for me to sort it. It worked, but it wasn't ideal.

Brightness and beam

I recently brought this headlamp along as a backup for a group night run in Fort William where we were testing out some Petzl headlamps. I started out wearing the Petzl Iko Core which is meant for running, and you won't be surprised to hear that it was both lighter and more comfortable than this one (more of a "barely there" feel).

When the sun set about halfway through the run, however, I turned on the Petzl light and as it got darker, I realized that I couldn't see. Around me, other runners had a nice glow on the trail in front of them and I was really struggling. In the end I pulled my Vango headlamp out and it was, literally, like night and day. I cheerfully bounded down the trail with my chap headlamp and was very happy I'd brought it. I know it's only 100 lumens, but the technology really focuses that beam so I can see where I'm placing my feet and what's down the trail.

I was also pleased, and a little surprised, that the torch angles down and have been using it largely in that mode for trail running.

Durability and value

So far, this torch is in good condition but it's still early days, and I think having a spiral external wire between the battery pack and lamp is probably a recipe for disaster, especially with a piece of gear that's likely to spend more time rattling around in my backpack than anything else. It's purely speculation, but I can imagine the connections inside getting loose over time.

That said, for such a bright, comfortable, light and versatile headlamp, this one comes at an excellent price.

Vango Volt Headtorch: the bottom line

I'm on the fence with this headlamp. On the one hand, I can see how dividing the weight between the front and back makes for a more comfortable wear, but I think that has its disadvantages. If you want something really light and comfortable, a design like the Petzl I've been complaining about that goes over the top of your head is probably more reliable in the long term (just find a model that's actually bright).

That said, out of my pile of headlamps, it's the one I keep grabbing for my nocturnal adventures lately because it is light, comfortable and most importantly, bright. I'm not totally convinced this was a wheel that needs to be reinvented, but it works pretty well and I think that it's important to champion budget-friendly gear when it performs well.

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