For nearly a decade, my go-to lights for summer backpacking trips have听been the index-finger-size听Fenix LD01 and second-generation ($30, 0.8 ounces), which clip to my hat brim and are impressively bright (up to 100 lumens) for their size and weight, given the LED technology at the time of their release.
But while guiding trips in Yosemite National Park听last month, I experimented with the ($40, 1.9 ounces).
The Iota听is a small, light, and reasonably priced headlamp that offers acceptable brightness for in-camp use and occasional night hiking. Overall, few backpackers will feel as if they need more from a headlamp. My only gripe is that it lacks a red night-vision LED, a much appreciated feature on my , although that would wreck the Iota鈥檚 size and price point.
Key Product Specs
- 1.9 ounces (54 grams)
- One LED bulb with a nonadjustable oval beam
- Up to 150 lumens of light output听
- Rechargeable lithium battery
- $40 MSRP
Standout Features
Battery听
The Iota is powered with a lithium-ion battery, not disposable AAAs like most other headlamps. To recharge it, plug the included mini USB cord into a wall mount, car adapter, or portable battery. (Personally, I carry an and mini USB cord already, to recharge my smartphone and听InReach听and sometimes my satellite phone). A full recharge takes three听hours. For high-use owners, the Iota鈥檚 rechargeable battery will be a huge economic and environmental win; for more occasional users, it鈥檚 simply more convenient.
Size and听Weight
Versus the more powerful and fully featured Black Diamond Spot and Revolt models, the Iota is about three-fifths the weight and one-half the size. It feels more appropriate for summer trips, when a light is rarely needed,听and it fits in smaller spaces, like day-hiking packs and vests, whether for intended or just-in-case use.
Familiar Features
If you have used other Black Diamond headlamps, several nice features of the Iota will be familiar.
Lockout
This prevents the Iota from being accidentally turned on inside your pack, draining the battery. With the Iota off, simply hold the power button for six听seconds. I use this feature every morning when I remove the Iota from around my neck (where I keep it at night) and pack it away.
PowerTap Technology
Generate maximum brightness (150 lumens) instantly by tapping the side of the Iota, then tap it again to return the brightness to its former level. This buttonless adjustment beats the alternative: holding the power button while it revs up or dims down.
Memory
By default听the Iota turns on at 60 percent output鈥攊t does not remember its setting when it was last turned off. For camp use, I found 60 percent to be blinding听and wished it would start up at a lower level. There is a way to reprogram it (watch ), but unfortunately, these directions were omitted from the user manual.
Shortcomings
For a 1.9-ounce headlamp with a rechargeable battery and $40 MSRP, it鈥檚 hard to find fault听with the Iota. But it does leave me wanting more sometimes.
Brightness
With a max output of 150 lumens, the Iota is sufficient for camp use and occasional night hiking. For faster-paced and more extended uses (e.g., biking, trail running), look for a more powerful light with a longer burn time. Within the Black Diamond line, I鈥檇 point you to the ($60, 3.4 ounces), which is also rechargeable and has a max output of 300 lumens (but beware:听its advertised burn time is overstated, per ).
Red Night Vision
In the summer, I use the red night-vision LED on my Spot as much as (if not more than) the white light. The aforementioned Revolt has one听but at a听cost of $20 and 1.5 ounces more. The Spot has one, too, but that would mean going back to disposable AAAs, which I鈥檓 now hesitant to do.