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"Re-Thinking an Outdated Wearable:" BioLite's New Ergonomic LED HeadLamp

Inexpensive, comfortable and rechargeable

By Rain Noe - September 19, 2018

in Lighting

BioLite's a company that knows about outdoor illumination, and thus far their lighting products have been limited to handheld or hanging items. But now, with their new LED HeadLamp, they're expanding into wearables.

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This being BioLite, the $49, 330-lumen HeadLamp is of course rechargeable, by means of either solar panel or powerbank. And the designers appear to have focused heavily on the ergonomics: "We've gone from phonographs to wireless earbuds, pilgrim shoes to flyknits, pocketwatches to fitness trackers; so why have headlamps – a wearable we all know – stayed so dang unwearable?"

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"You know what we're talking about: the doorknob sticking out of your forehead. It's bulky, it's uncomfortable, and it constantly reminds you of its presence. So many other categories (sound, footwear, eyewear) have evolved into modern, lighter, smarter designs yet headlamps have remained largely the same – so we set out to change that.

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"3D SlimFit Construction is the secret sauce: 3D-molded housing integrates electronics directly into the fabric for a SUPER thin front that sits flush on your forehead for NO BOUNCE. The power source sits on the back of the head, creating a more balanced, weightless feel while negating the classic slippage problem found in other headlamps. Lastly, smart moisture-wicking fabrics keep you cool and dry and won't rub you the wrong way."

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Since launching yesterday, the HeadLamp is already a smash hit on Kickstarter, with $178,271 pledged on a $40,000 at press time. There's still 30 days left to pledge in order to get one before the holidays, and while the HeadLamp will eventually be available for regular sale after that, "this is a limited quantity run – so once they're gone, they're gone until Spring 2019," the company writes.

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Rob Podell

6 years ago

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So I use a black diamond headlight from a couple years ago, and this thing seems to miss the boat a few times:

- No ability to rotate the light. Sometimes I want to see downwards, for task lighting. Sometimes I want it straight ahead.
- Flood vs Spot: Different needs, different lighting.
- Bright vs Dim: BD has this incredibly epic feature where you hold down the button to get it to slowly oscillate between brightest and darkest. You release when it's the brightness you want.

Idk. This has some neat features, but the inability to angle downwards means it's a failure already, imho.

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- Mike Cheung
  
  Rob Podell
  
  6 years ago
  
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  Wha? Watch the video or click through to KS - this literally does everything you ask.
  
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- Erica Rosen
  
  Rob Podell
  
  6 years ago
  
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  Hey Rob! Erica from the BioLite Team here -- HeadLamp does everything you just listed. One-handed articulation, 4 lighting modes including spot/flood, plus full dimmability. Head on over to the campaign to check out the full specs and features (or watch the video embedded in the article). Thanks!
  
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- Brad Johnson
  
  Rob Podell
  
  6 years ago
  
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  I think it's pretty safe to assume that they copied everything about the BD product, before adding their own aesthetic touches to differentiate it. Now... if they can get it to run off of body energy that would be something!
  
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