The Range 400 is BioLite’s middle entry in the company’s new Range series. It’s lightweight, provides 400 lumens of light on the brightest beam, and has a fast-charging battery.
Overview: BioLite Range 400
MSRP: $59.95
Weight: 2.6 ounces
Modes: White and red lights
Maximum Brightness: 400 lumens
Maximum Runtime: BioLite says 200 hours for the low beam (I got about 120 in two tests), six for the 400 lumens high beam
Water resistance: IP67. Dust tight and waterproof; good in rain and able to stand submersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.
About the BioLite Range 400
The Range 400 is a solid choice for a backpacking headlamp, providing the features I expect. The brightness of the main white beam adjusts easily by holding down the large right side button, going from bright to low and back again. The smaller left side button on the headlamp switches between the white and red beams. The solid headband is comfortable and holds the headlamp firmly to my head.
Lighting Choices
White Beam: The beam ranges from a high beam of 400 lumens, enough to illuminate the inside of a shelter or tent, to a low, muted light of 1.5 lumens. The brightness of the beam adjusts by holding down the right button.
Red Beam: Adjusting the red beam is the same as the white beam. Long-pressing the right button adjusts the brightness of the red beam when it’s in that mode.
Emergency Beacon: Quickly double clicking the left side button twice puts the beam into flashing mode for red or white beam. Pressing the left button again turns off the flashing beam and pressing the right button turns off the headlamp.
Lock and Unlock: Pressing the large button on the top right for a count of eight locks and unlocks the Range 400. The headlamp comes in lock mode.
Battery Level: White lights on the left side of the headlamp shine when the light is turned off and on, indicating the battery level from three (fully charged) to one (low).
Good to Know
Weight: At 2.6 ounces, the Range 400 is lightweight but not what I consider ultralight. Ultralight would be less than two ounces, and the Range 300 falls into that category at 1.8 ounces.
Adjustable: The Range 400 has four locking positions for tilting the headlamp’s body.
Battery: The battery lasted six hours for me while shining at the maximum 400 lumens, and recharged in about 90 minutes. BioLite says the battery lasts 200 hours at the lowest beam level, but my test headlamp died (twice) at about 120 hours on low beam.
Water Resistance: The Range 400 is rated at IP67, meaning it’s water and dust proof.
Charging Port: The Range 400 comes with a short USB-C to USB-C charging cord, which is a big step toward having all my rechargeable gear using a uniform charging cord. A USB-C cord also recharges the battery faster.
Versions: There’s a choice to be made when buying a Range series headlamp. The Range 300 is ultralight and simple, with a 300 lumen beam and shorter burn time; the Range 500 weighs the same as the 400 and has the same burn time, but has a brighter 500 lumen beam.
Pros
Locking Mode: Easily locked so the beam doesn’t turn on while stored inside my backpack.
Beam Intensity: Holding the beam control button easily increases or decreases the brightness of the white and red beams.
Charging: The Range 400 has a USB-C charging port, a big step toward eventually having a universal charging cord for all my rechargeable gear.
Quick Charge: The Range 400 charged from dead to full in 90 minutes.
Battery Level: Three lights on the side of the headlamp illuminate briefly when the beam is turned on and off, indicating the battery level.
Buttons: The two control buttons on top of the headlamp are different enough in size that’s it’s easy to tell which button I’m pressing when the headlamp is strapped to my head.
Cons
None that I could find.
Overall Value
The Range 400 is a middle of the road headlamp for price, but it has the features I expect: locking mode, adjustable beam intensity and control buttons of different sizes to avoid confusion over which one to press. The USB-C charging port is a plus, and is a step toward a one-size-fits-all cord for rechargeable gear. So although the Range 400 doesn’t stand above headlamps with similar features, it is a solid choice.
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This product was donated for purpose of review.