Black Diamond SPRINT 225 Review
Firstly, you might think this is an odd item for me to do a Black Diamond SPRINT 225 review because I am not a 'runner'. But just because the box says ‘runner’ doesn’t mean I have to obey. I am a teacher by day and I love the outdoors – I lived in South Africa and moved to England 20 years ago. I am fortunate to live with easy access to the countryside and spend a lot of time outdoors – usually mountain biking. I camp (but not in cold weather – I’m a bit of a wuss still, or I haven’t bought the right gear) so have used headlamps for camping as well as hiking.
What you Get
The Black Diamond SPRINT 225 Headlamp comes with a USB charging cable and is on a comfortable elasticated strap. It is their smallest and lightest headlamp and is available in three colours. There is a memory setting that allows you turn it on and off at the brightness level you want, rather than going back to the pre-set manufacturer’s setting.
To read all the tech specs, visit the official Black Diamond SPRINT 225 page.
Black Diamond SPRINT 225 Headlamp Features
My first impression was that it is SO light. I have used headtorches before that had non-rechargeable batteries and the weight difference is very noticeable. The head strap is comfortable and stays in place when running without having to make it so tight you start getting headaches. You can adjust the angle of the beam easily.
The on/off button is on the top and is easy to use (even with gloves on). If you hold the button down it will gradually dim, allowing you to stop it on a setting that suits your surroundings. You can then lock it at this setting. This was great, no fiddling with it every time you turned it off.
I tested this during Lockdown and the weather has been fantastic, so I never got to explore its features in rain or extreme cold. However it does say it is storm proof and can sustain weather from any angle.
What was Great
The brightness and spread of the torch is seriously impressive for such a small light. For running on singletrack paths, you would need to keep it on Max and for this I felt comfortable and confident that I could see all I needed to. The battery lasted for just over 2 hours on this setting which is true to the manufacturer's claims. On a bridleway I could turn the brightness down to about 40 -60% and this gave me visibility of about 20m. Once again I could still see peripherally and knew that I would see anything I needed to in time to react.
The dim setting is okay for reading a map or looking for stuff in your bag. It was fine to used for walking on a good surface in the dark. The battery life at this setting lasted for about 19 hours.
There is battery life LED indicator on the side, showing 3 small lights. A bit like a fuel gauge on my first car, it tends to go down slowly to when the first one fades. Then next two go a lot faster. One thing I did do was substitute the USB lead they supply you with a longer one. This way I was able to recharge the lamp whilst I was running using a portable battery charger in my pack. The USB you are supplied with is 20cm long. (Recharging time takes about 3.5hours when not in use simultaneously.)
Possible improvements
During this test, the one thing I never quite got to work properly was the ‘Powertap’. Apparently, by tapping on the side of the Black Diamond SPRINT 225 headlamp, it can adjust the brightness from bright to dim with one tap. Then from dim to bright with another tap. I spent a bit of time tapping the lamp in all sorts of manner but it never worked. Luckily the woods were quiet, because I probably looked a tad insane tapping it incessantly whilst focussing on a beam of light on a tree trunk.
Black Diamond SPRINT 225 Review: Overall Verdict
I would recommend the Black Diamond SPRINT 225 headtorch to hikers, runners and campers. It is easy to use, looks pretty cool and delivered slightly more than I was expecting for such a small light.
About the Author
Jude Jarman lives with her husband and two teenage sons who are all keen adventurers. She is a keen mountain biker who spends her free time exploring trails and looking for new challenges.