It appears to me that the retractable strap would dig into your head and cause discomfort. Anyone have any experience with this headlamp?

I've used mine on a regular basis for over a year and have never had the string cause me discomfort. To moderate that comment: I'm a guy with a full head of hair and not much head density for it to dig into (aka - I'm not a fat head).

If i wear a hat it's ok , but without it digs into my head. Seems to move around when I wear it, I might need some more time to get used to it. Alot different than wearing a headlamp with an elestic band. hope this helps...

The string is really annoying and slips if you don't wear a hat. I have long, thick, fine hair that I always wear up when I'm camping. Luckily, when it's dark, it's usually a little chilly, too, so I always wear this light over a beanie and this solves the problem! It's even better over a beanie than the elastic one!

I borrowed this headlamp in the middle of the night during a relay race where I ran on a road over 5 miles. This light did not want to stay in place on my head and kept slipping while running. From my use this is not the headlamp to use while running.

It's tight if you have a big bean!

I wore mine during the night phase of the Pinhoti 100. Enough light to suffice on the highest setting, but I was wearing a thin skull cap so the small cord wouldn't bother me. Worked fine for the duration, however for more technical trail at a faster pace in warmer weather I would advise going with a little more light with an elastic band.

I have had the zipka for years and actually find it MORE comfortable than the full elastic. Plus, it is sooo versatile! I can wear it easily over bulky hats when winter camping, slip it around my wrist for reading at night. I love it. I just lost my second one, so i'm back for more!

Its actually surprisingly comfortable. The cord has just the right tension to hold it in place well but not enough to dig in to your skin. I think about it more as the just-in-case headlamp and messing around camp light. But its seen plenty of use descending complicated rocky terrain for hours on end too. If I was going to buy a light that was more for constant use I'd buy one with a normal elastic strap.

It doesn't really seem to cause me any discomfort yet, but I have not had one for long. I have pretty think hair, which might effect this, and usually I wear a hat anyway.