BioLite  HeadLamp 800 Pro

I did so much research before replacing my trusty Petzl. I have used 3 solid headlamps over the years and this one has an inferior design to every one I’ve used. Flaws: •Turns on constantly with light touch: in my backpack, the drawer, the closet. My fear is to have an uncharged headlamp when I need it because it’s been on 12 hours in my pack. Huge risk when it turns on so easily. •Does not stay at an appropriate angle. When I’m using it to see my path or just trying to keep from blinding my friends, I like to place it at a downward angle. The thick charging cord going from the headlamp to the battery pack pulls it out of position. It will not stay at the angle I place it, but only shines straight ahead, parallel to the ground. •Heavy. I can’t believe they advertise it as slim or light. The back battery pack is a beast and clocks me upside the head when I’m running. •Thick, coiled cord that gets snarled in and pulls out my curly hair. Why do I need a thick, grabby cord on my headlamp? It’s a landline phone cord from 1983. Was not expecting that “feature.” •Expensive. Most expensive headlamp I’ve ever purchased by far. I’m shocked how much I hate this headlamp. I would think it impossible. I’m using my cheap Costco one that was 1/10th the price and it is superior. The entire design looks like it was manufactured in the 80s. Technology has come a long way, there’s no need to put this ugly beast on my head. This headlamp is so bad, I question if the online reviews are paid and/or fake. We’ll see if they post this honest review.

The 800 Pro battery box/CPU and headlamp is excellent on light delivery/features. However, one of the 4 plastic tabs built into the battery box/CPU broke off, through which the straps are threaded, which holds the strap tight to the battery box. Thus, when broken, the bottom strap is loose and the battery box is no longer tight against my head. Maybe mine is a unique defect not representative of other 800 Pros, but if you buy it, it may be wise to be gentle in handling.

Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the BioLite 800 Pro. It’s a very smartly-designed, high quality, and great-performing headlamp. It would be right at home fixing pipes under the sink, going on a quick trip through the Ape Caves or an evening stretch on the Duckabush or Dosewallips Trail. With some UI improvements and refining, I think the 800 Pro could represent the best of the best in headlamp form and functionality on the market. As-is, I think it’s worth a look if you want a pro-grade headlamp. Full review: https://1lumen.com/review/biolite-headlamp-800-pro/

On paper I should and did love this headlamp, two major flaws. 1. the tilt feature might as well not exist, the electrical cord prevents it from tilting and staying at the correct angle. 2. the electrical cord going into the light unit is placed so that there is always going to be pressure on it, this is going to quickly lead to connection issues. Otherwise this thing works great, just not for me. The "backpack" and passthrough charging are great long use and comfort features, the rear light is a must have for any dusk/night time activities, and the brightness IS really bright even if just for a few moments.

I really do like this light, but it has one major flaw. The position that the power cord attaches to the head unit causes the tilt feature to be almost worthless. It enters the head unit high above the hinge point. This allows it to impart enough mechanical authority over the small detents intended to lock the tilt feature in place to overcome them with ease. You can tilt it all you wand, however because the power cord is under tention it will snap right back up when you let go. If the power cord entered the head unit more in line with the pivot points, it would not have the mechanical advantage needed to take control of the assembly. I will very likely be returning it because of this.

Nice and bright. Has a button to increase light temporarily. Tilt seems ok for me. Love the spotlight option. The strap is the weak point. It is difficult to keep tight AND I dropped it, breaking one of the tabs. Now it still works well, but the rear battery pack/tail light flops around. That is a major inconvenience but I love the light otherwise. If you purchase it, be gentle with it.

Good lamp, I really liked the light it put out- I typically used mine for night skiing or backpacking/hunting. That being said, I used mine less than 50 times and the plastic clip on the strap broke. As the clip is sewed into the strap, it rendered the lamp toast (or, at least permanently one size from here out). Not really worth the amount of money if a cheap clip renders it useless and it can’t be replaced. 2 stars because light and battery were fine for me.

I had the BioLite 750 which was great although one of the plastic locking pins broke off. I bought the 800 thinking it would tilt just like the 750 did but it doesn’t. The 800 is very shallow notches that do not engage with the locking tabs preventing you from tilting. While the light is nice and bright and the battery life is excellent plus continuous run when paired with a charging pack, the materials used around the light body are cheap, ineffective at doing their job, and lack durability.

Lighting is good. I like the dispersion. Battery life is good. I like the extra bright at the click of a button. The bad is that its housing is fragile and it’s not durable. Mine is already dead after about a year. It literally fell apart. Also the light sits too close to the head so you get glare off your nose.

This review is for the Biolite 750 (which is apparently discontinued), but it appears that Biolite has incorporated most of the design flaws in their "800 Pro". Here's a list of problems and design flaws: The headband retaining clips break off (due to brittle plastic and poor design). Many other users have reported the same failure. This renders the headband useless without some "plastic surgery" (or electrical tape - as you can see in my photo). While tape holds the straps on, it makes adjustment a pain. The headband tensioning system is completely illogical and smacks of a design team with an arrogant approach. You have to snug up clips on both sides, while feeding straps through and around the battery pack. Straps pop out of the retainers (if they haven't already broken off!). The straps come loose frequently and it is difficult to get them tight enough for trail running. Finally there is inadequate adjustment room (thus the big safety pin on my strap). Why couldn't they just have used the tried and true system of a single strap?!!! The light tilt mechanism frequently snaps out of its housing and has to be reinserted. The angle adjusts with a harsh snap, almost like it is breaking. This isn't rocket science, but it was apparently beyond Biolite's design team. The use of a non-standard power plug (at least on the 750 - it is unclear what the 800 uses) is a BIG FAIL! Again, why didn't they just use an industry standard USB C?!!! Every time I charge my Biolite, I have to rummage through a drawer full of miscellaneous, orphan charging cables because the designers failed to use a universal charging connection! The run time on the 750 was a BIG limitation. In practice I'd get only about 80 -90 minutes of use before the annoying flashing began. They could have designed it to revert to a low-power mode, rather than the flashing. That would be SO much more practical! The battery case feels "half full" (like they could have easily added more capacity). At ~$70, the Biolite 750 seemed over-priced (esp. compared to budget lights and the cost of materials). At ~$120, the 800 Pro seems like a total rip-off. Biolite should have done a thorough redesign of the 750. Instead, it appears they have kept most of its flaws intact with the 800 Pro.