Black Diamond Soliras Headlamp - 2006 BCS

I owned this headlamp and decided to return. Pros - with the extra bright bulb it's ridiculously bright. The rechargeable battery is nice, as the design of the chargers (you don't have to take the battery out of the headlamp to recharge it). Cons - bulkier than most headlamps, and the battery is heavy and awkward at the back of your headlamp. If they'd designed it with a detachable battery pack it'd be perfect.

I tried the Soliras around my neighborhood after dark, but the ambient lighting from houses and street lights kind of limited the true power of the light. There is a very faint buzzing from the powerpack (both Lithium Ion and AA batteries) when the unit is on, barely noticeable. The halogen light has 4 settings, and I was able to see about 1 football field length on the brightest setting, maybe more if there wasn't as much light noise. The LED lights worked well also, with 2 settings, and a strobe setting, which was kind of cool if I wanted to have a rave at the campsite, lol. I was very impressed with the all the accessories that came with the lamp set, the battery back can be charged both by AC and Auto, and you can charge the battery while the battery pack is still inside the head lamp. Plus you can still use a set of 4 AA's if you forgot to charge the Lith Ion pack. I don't remember how long it took to get charged though. I didn't use the red or blue lens yet though, looks simple enough to screw on. For the 15-20 minutes I had the head lamp on, it didn't feel all that heavy. Overall, I don't regret splurging on this head lamp system.

The only annoying thing of the headlight system was that you have to cycle through Halogen to get to the LED. So even if I was in LED mode and shut off the light, when I turned it back on it would be in Halogen mode. You toggle through the different light levels with a half click of the button, and to switch between halogen, LED, and OFF, you use a full click, but this was just a minor annoyance.

I use this headlamp for trailrunning in the fall & winter at around 5:30am. There are lots of deer and moose in the area, so having a headlamp that puts out a ton of light is critical.

Last year I was using Black Diamond's Vectra IQ headlamp which threw a good beam, but it burned through batteries much too quickly for my liking.

If you need a light that puts out a ton of light -- this is the one for you.

I've had my Soliras for a week now and can tell you that it is the most unbelievable head lamp I have ever used! I did read some negative reviews about it before I bought it, but boy am I glad I didn't listen! The only light I found that even compared was the Marwi Night Pro. But the Soliras won out because I have the option of using the lith-ion battery or the easy to find AA batteries in a pinch. It also has a car charger so I can charge it on the road. Plus the Soliras has an LED optional light source that gives you more flexibility, and battery power conservation as well. If you are having any doubt about whether to buy this headlamp or not, don't even wait around because you will kick yourself for every day that passes that you don't have this awesome, multifaceted headlamp.
-Brandon Stengel
Nashville, Tennessee

Had my Soliras for about 2 years now and for the most part am happy with the purchase.
Pros: seriously bright zenon bulb; lithium ion battery and car charger is killer; LEDs for around camp
Cons: battery pack is clunky, wish it had a more streamlined case design; heavy; reflector could use some tweaking.
I mainly use this when winter hiking/camping or when guiding a trip. Main light is crazy bright, only real beef is the weight. Bought a lighter lensed LED headlamp for summer/trail running.

This search-like of a headlamp is great. You don't even need to put in on 'high' power to blow all the other lamps out of the water (Tikka, others of the sort). This lamp was a little heavy, so if your weight conscience, then I would go with something else.. but if you don't mind carrying a few more ounces, then this is the ticket!