Whilst it's hard comparing each side by side exactly, it does feel like - at least in terms of the investment - the Trail Runner Free would have benefitted from a few extra lumens, just to make it stand a little further above the competition - either that or being a little bit cheaper. Whether it is the right choice for you may come down to how much you value some of those unique features. Summary The versatile battery case that comes with the Trail Runner Free H, called the Hybrid Battery Case, enables the use of both rechargeable and alkaline batteries when using the headlamp for those longer runs or ultras. The Hybrid Battery that is included with the Trail Runner Free H is slim, lightweight and easy to recharge via USB. While I have not done anything over a three hour run in the dark, the Hybrid battery has been more than sufficient on Max and Med modes for such runs. Pros of the Silva Trail Runner Free H Only a couple of lamps here are lighter weight than the Byte, but none are more affordable. Of course, there are tradeoffs with a budget headlamp. In this case, you get just one white LED that has two brightness settings (plus a very dim red LED), and neither is all that bright. But if you’re out before the birds, doing laps around your familiar neighborhood loop, and want just a little more visibility between the streetlights, the Byte gets the job done. “I keep a Byte in my travel bag, so I know I always have a headlamp wherever I go,” Dengate says. “And, because it takes AAA batteries, I’m almost never left in the dark.” Okay, so the Fenix HL60R headlamp may be slightly on the heavy side (178g / 6.3oz) for runners but the specs certainly explain why: this is the most bombproof head torch you’ll ever meet, and it’s fully waterproof down to 2m even with the micro-usb side-port housing open. One for the most gnarly scramblers or extreme butterfingers amongst us then!

But with those omissions aside (and they’re only omissions if they’re features you’d use), the Silva Trail Runner Free H still offers some great features... 5 things you need to know... Integrated power cordPetzl have made a great headlamp with the Swift RL, which is lightweight (just 102g / 3.6oz) but gives out 550 lumens of brightness on max power for two hours. I was worried the 400 lumen output would not be sufficient for night running – this is my main use of a head torch. It is fine for many situations but on dark woodland trails I found I needed a brighter beam. When you find the perfect running headlamp you will forget that you even have it on. While lighting performance is definitely important when choosing the right headlamp, how it feels is top priority in my book, if it is too heavy or uncomfortable it becomes a loathsome irritation instead of a valuable implement. The key to finding the ideal headlamp is to find one that feels like an extension of yourself, one that is lightweight, well balanced and has a comfortable fit. The Silva Trail Runner Free H hits those marks with one very small exception. Few things derail dawn-patrol mojo as abruptly as reaching for your headlamp and discovering that its rechargeable battery is dead. That won’t happen with the Icon, which runs on four AAs that seemingly never run out. The lamp didn’t put out its brightest light for a full 70 hours—we found it dips to medium intensity after the first 30 minutes. But it was still shining more brightly after three hours than nearly every other lamp here at their brightest settings with fully charged batteries. When the batteries do eventually start to run low, a small light on the bottom of the lamp changes from green to yellow to red, indicating how much juice is left. The standout feature of Silva’s range of head torches is their Intelligent Light® technology. Silva have focussed on creating beam patterns that are adapted to how our eyes work.

Silva has created what it calls “customised light distribution”. This means there is a long reach spotlight and a close flood-light incorporated into the light beam. The aim is to give you better vision in the dark, with a longer and closer light distribution. As a user of the lamp, you don’t really know this is happening, except that you do enjoy great night vision.

Hybrid Battery Case

Trail Runner Free H is a comfortable and lightweight headlamp for everyone who loves running. Its features and light beam are optimized for a runner’s needs. Free H comes with a rechargeable Hybrid battery (1.25 Ah/4.6 Wh) and the Hybrid battery case. The light levels are pitched well for running: 580 lumens of bright, white oval-shaped light or a spotlit beam for 2.5 hours is great for navigating under cloudy skies while the medium setting of 270 lumens still delivers plenty of light over its 100m-length beam, which is fine as your main setting if the ground isn’t too technical and you’re not sprinting like a mad hare. The Trail Runner H features what Silva describe as 'true lumens', meaning that they're measured by what they (and we) believe is the most reliable method available - the ANSI FL1 flashlight basic performance standard. This has become the industry standard and acts as a guarantee for more meaningful figures, in a market that can be guilty of some dubious and misleading claims in terms of both brightness and burn time.

On this fifth generation of our original running headlamp, we present a new kind of technology where the power cord is integrated into the headband.Silva call it Free Technology – a comfortable headlamp experience without distracting cords or tangled wires. No hassle – Just free the energy. Trail Runner Free 2 Ultra is a comfortable and lightweight headlamp for everyone who loves running. Its features and light beam are optimized for a runner’s needs. Trail Runner Free 2 Ultra comes with a rechargeable 4.0 Ah (14.8 Wh) battery as well as the Hybrid battery case. The button is large and easy to press, with a max spot beam, high-flood beam, low-flood beam, red beam and flashing modes. Beware the large figures claimed for burn time, however. As this torch only uses three AAA batteries, the light output drops off gradually over time, so you don’t get 500 lumens on that highest setting the whole time, especially not towards the end of the battery life.HYBRID BATTERY CASE: A versatile battery case for either rechargeable or alkaline batteries. Holds an integrated red rear safety light. USB-rechargeable hybrid battery (1.15Ah) - designed to use in combination with the Hybrid battery case. The Trail Runner Free series is made for running in every aspect. All three headlamps feature Silva Intelligent Light. This means that you get a double light beam technology in your headlamp, with light settings that are perfect for running.A unique combination of a long reach spotlight and a close flood-light, results in less head movement, better control, improved balance, less fatigue and higher speed. Stopping off at Greg's Hut, after descending Cross Fell during a two day run from Middleton to Hadrian's Wall