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[[File:PetzlHeadlampRunningNight.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Image from Petzl Wallpapers.]]I've run with many different running lights over the years, and I've seen the quality and brightness increase as the cost has fallen. There are many good running lights on the market, but having tested many, there are just three I'd recommend, each for a different purpose. The best light for urban running, when it's more about being seen than seeing, is the Black Diamond Sprinter. It's small, rechargeable, bright, balanced, with an even light, and has a rear flashing red LED built in. However, the light I use most is the Light Belt, a waist mounted light that allows you to see the shape of the ground ahead, and I prefer it even on asphalt. And while I almost never use the Petzl e+lite, it's my faithful "oops" light I carry as a backup. =Light Belt=I love waist mounted lights available as you can see the shape of the ground so much better. This style of light is relatively rare, and I've been pleased to work with Light Belt as they've developed and refined their product. I found this is the light I've used consistently, even for running on the relatively smooth asphalt of my local Greenway. If you've not run with a waist mounted light, I'd suggest playing around with your head mounted light, taking it off and moving it to your waist and seeing how your perception of the ground ahead of you changes. Once you've made to the switch, it's hard to go back. You can buy them at http://www.light-belt.com. * On full brightness the beam is brighter than I need (700 lm), so I typically run with it a notch or 2 down. I often run with the light belt at a relatively low intensity, especially just before dawn as it balances the rising light levels and is strangely less claustrophobic.* The light is perfectly smooth and even, and being a waist mounted, shows the shape of the trail and any obstacles so much better than a head mounted light. (I have the "silver lens" version that has the smooth beam pattern. There is a "reflective mirrored" option that has a more focused beam pattern, but I'd recommend the even illumination as a priority.)* The belt works remarkably well, with almost no bounce. The light sits on a small foam pad for stabilization but uses a thin (1 inch/2.5cm) belt to go around your waist or hips. The clasp a surprisingly clever magnetic system; just bring the 2 ends close together and the magnets click it closed. To unclasp you have to slide the 2 ends vertically, as you can't pull them apart. This seems like a massively overengineered and sophisticated solution, but I love it to bits. It works perfectly no matter how cold and tired I am.* You don't blind other runners depending as you turn to look at them, and it's easy to tilt the light so that you can see the ground ahead without shining into people coming towards you.* The Light Belt comes with the 18650 Lithium Ion 3400 mAh rechargeable battery. These batteries are expensive, so expect to pay over $20 for a genuine one, and watch out for fakes. That said, these batteries are expensive for a reason, having excellent power density and life. Being rechargeable, you can carry spare batteries if you're running all night and need full brightness. (The light works as a recharger for the battery, as the battery itself has overcharge protection. Just plug the micro USB cable into the light.)As always, there are some downsides to the Light Belt, but relatively few:* The Light Belt is waterproof to IPX6, so it's fine in heavy rain, but not submersible. This shouldn't be an issue unless you are doing waist deep stream crossings. * There is no flashing light at the back. I simply purchased some cheap clip-on flashing safety lights which are cheap and effective.* You can't use a waist mounted light to look at your needwatch, though most running watches have a backlight. It's also harder to use a waist mounted light to rummage through a drop bag, though I found I can hoist the Light Built up around my chest and pointed down and it works pretty well.<gallery widths=300px heights=300px class="center">File:Light Belt (1).jpgFile:Light Belt (2).jpg</gallery>=Black Diamond Sprinter=The Sprinter is my top pick for head mounted lights, available at <jfs id="B01LE9ZA28" nonl="true" noreferb="true"/>. * The flashing rear safety light is a great idea, and critical for urban running. The safety light comes on with the main light, but you can override this to turn it on and off independently. * Having the battery pack at the back balances the weight of the light and makes it seem particularly lightweight. It also allows you to put the batteries under a hat to keep them warm, though that obviously prevents the safety light from being seen. * There is a strap that goes overhead helps stabilize the light without needing the headband too tight. Some * The Sprinter has a regulated output, so it will stay the same brightness until the batteries are far nearly flat. (See below.)* I wish the Sprinter was better waterproofed, but splash proof to IPX4 should be fine in most situations. I've run in it in heavy rain without any issues, so unless you drop it in water you shouldn't have an issue. There are some drawbacks to the Sprinter:* The Sprinter only has a diffuse beam pattern, with no spot, though in practice, I've rarely found this to be a problem, even when navigating in the woods. * For trail running you want the Light Belt or other waist mounted light. * I'd rather have replaceable AA or AAA batteries rather than a built in rechargeable battery. Replaceable batteries allow me to have more than othersone set charged up at a time and just swap them over. The built in batteries should last a long time, but when they eventually wear out, you need to replace the light. [[File:BD Sprinter.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Black Diamond Sprinter.]]=Types Petzl e+Lite=The Petzl e+Lite worth considering as a backup light, but don't use this as your primary light unless weight is of paramount importance. It's not quite bright enough for general use and the lithium batteries are pricy. However, it will fit in the pocket of my Race Ready Shorts, so it makes a great 'oops' light. I carry the e+Lite on all-day, self-supported runs where I think it's unlikely I'll be out after dark. I've misjudged things before, and an emergency light was the difference between getting home and spending the night in a snow storm on exposed fells. The e+Lite is <jfs id="B01KYTR0HM" noreferb="true" nonl="t"/>.[[File:Petzl e+lite.jpg|none|thumb|250px|The e+Lite showing the small case it fits into.]]=What to look for=There are three four factors to consider with a running light; location, the beam pattern , regulation and regulationbrightness.  

The three locations for first step in choosing a light while running are handheldis to work out where you want the light; in your hand, waist mounted and head mounted. I do not recommend handheld lights at all. The biggest problem is that they mess up your running formwaist, but they occupy one of or on your hands making it tricky to do anything in the dark. There are advantages and disadvantages to waist mounted and head mounted. Because a head mounted light is aligned with your eyes, it's hard to see the shape of the ground. This is best seen in the images below. <gallery widths=500px heights=400px>=Head Mounted===File:RXP Eye Level.jpg|The light at eye level: Notice how 'flat' the path looks.File:RXP Waist Level.jpg|The light at waist level shows the texture Most people use head mounted lights, and shape they have a number of the path. </gallery>Other considerationsadvantages:* Head mounted directs the light where you point your head, making it easier to see where you're going. * Head mounted also works better for directing the light to things in your hands, like putting on gloves or looking at your [[Best Running Watch|Running Watch]]. * Waist mounted lights are much better in the rain or dusty conditions. With a head mounted light, the beam picks up the rain or dust in front of your face, making it hard to see.

 ==Beam Pattern==* Most lights project a narrow spot beam, which illuminates a longer distance. Many of the Petzl lights are head mounted, so you have a diffuser than can be moved in front of the light to provide an even illumination, though it does not reach so farwidest choice. <gallery widths=500px heights=400px caption="Head or waist mounted lights">File:RXP Spot.jpg|The spot beam illuminates furtherFile:RXP Eye Level.jpg|The diffuse beam illuminates wider and more evenly</gallery>Waist Mounted==Regulation==With a regulated light the light intensity will stay constant over most of Waist mounted lights are much better at showing you the life shape of the batteryground, and it will then grow rapidly dimany obstacles are a lot more apparent. This can be seen graphically below. The regulation is nice, but when the end of the regulation period is reached, the because a head mounted light intensity can drop very quickly, aligned with your eyes so you need to have spare batteries with you if you expect to run out of powerthere's few shadows. [[File:Light Regulation.jpg|none|thumb|250px|The difference between regulated and unregulated light output.]]  =Recommended Lights=I have tried over a dozen different lights, from the bad old days Below are sets of incandescent lights that give a patchy yellow glow to new regulated LED lights. My two favorite lights are both Petzl as they have an effective diffuser. I've also tried lights from other manufacturers, but I've consistently found Petzl lights to be better. * '''Petzl MYO RXP''' is photos taken with the best head light available for a reasonable cost. [httphttps://goapps.fellrnrapple.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F829549%2Fpetzl-myo-rxp-2-headlamp Petzl MYO RXP at REI] * '''Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt''' is the best waist mounted light. [http:/us/app/go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F737855%2Fpetzlstabilized-tactikkanight-xp-adapt-led-headlamp Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt at REIcamera/id1433896496| Stabilized Night Camera app] * '''Petzl Tikka 2''' is a cheaper head light that works reasonably well, though there are many others that also work quite well if cost is the primary concernallows for long exposure. I've used Princeton and Black Diamond lights in this price range that are similar in quality, but I prefer the Petzl. [http://go.fellrnr.com?id<gallery widths=300px heights=35454X937677&xs300px class=1&url"center" perrow=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F791311%2Fpetzl-tikka-"2-led-headlamp Petzl Tikka 2 at REI].">* '''Petzl e+LITE''' is a tiny File:Comparing waist and head light that is useful for emergency use. I would not recommend using this as a primary light, but it's small enough that it works well in a drop bag or a pocket if there is a risk of being out after dark. [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=mounted lights (1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F838548%2Fpetzl-elite-headlamp E+lite at REI]).JPG* '''Petzl MYO XP Belt '''is similar to the MYO RXP without the regulation. It has the advantage that the battery is on the end of a longer cable so it can be File:Comparing waist and head mounted on a beltlights (3). I found that the wire is rather inflexible JPGFile:Comparing waist and awkward, but it's easier to keep the batteries warm in extremely cold conditionshead mounted lights (4). [httpJPGFile://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/headlamps/myo-series/myo-xp-belt MYO XP Belt]Comparing waist and head mounted lights (5). JPG* '''Petzl ULTRA''' is not a light I've tried as it is over $400, but it looks outstanding if money is no object. It is available in several configurations, including belt File:Comparing waist and head mountedlights (6). [httpJPGFile://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F786019%2Fpetzl-ultra-headlamp Petzl ULTRA at REI]Comparing waist and head mounted lights (7). JPG ==Highly Recommended - Petzl MYO RXP==The MYO RXP is a regulated light, as described above. The light will flash a few times when the battery drops too low, which gives you some warning before it runs out of power. The RXP also support brighter output that is unregulated, which is useful when you need a lot of light for a short period of time. The regulated output can be used so that you will have power for an overnight run, File:Comparing waist and on it's lowest power setting it will run for 96 hours! [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwwwhead mounted lights (8).rei.com%2Fproduct%2F829549%2Fpetzl-myo-rxp-2-headlamp Petzl MYO RXP at REI]JPG[[File:Light Regulation.jpg|none|thumb|250px|The difference between regulated Comparing waist and unregulated light outputhead mounted lights (9).]]JPGThe RXP is also nice because it can output a very dim light. I've found this works well near dawn, where the light from the RXP on its lowest output File:Comparing waist and with the diffuser is enough to see by, but allows my eyes to adjust so that I can see a little further using the available light. I've found the RXP works well in heavy rain as long as it is in the normal position. If you run with it wrapped around your hand, the rain can get in the underside and cause problems until it dries out. The RXP uses AA batteries, so it is a little heavy, but having the batteries on the back balances things quite wellhead mounted lights (10). <gallery widths=400px heights=300px caption="Petzl MYO RXP">JPGFile:Petzl MYO XP Full.jpg|Full view of the RXP. Note the battery pack on the rear of the strapComparing waist and head mounted lights (11).JPGFile:Petzl MYO XP Close.jpg|A closer view, showing the diffuser over the light. The diffuser flips down for a spot beam. There are two controls; the level button Comparing waist and the high power buttonhead mounted lights (12). JPGFile:Petzl MYO XP Regulation.jpg|This is the chart of settings for the RXP. You can only have three levels programmed in, but you have quite a variety to choose fromComparing waist and head mounted lights (13). JPG

 ==Highly Recommended - Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt==The XP Adapt is In rain or dusty conditions, a waist mounted light will not as bright as create glare in front of your face. With a head mounted light, the MYO RXPbeam picks up the rain or dust, but it and because of the closeness these particles are brightly lit. It can be waist mounted. This works best with compression shorts/tights hard to prevent see through these spots, and the light wobbling aroundeffect can be quite claustrophobic. IIt doesn've found this works far better on trails than t capture the full difference in visibility, but it gives you a sense of how much easier it is to see in the rain with a head waist mounted light. The XP Adapt uses AAA batteries. [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F737855%2Fpetzl-tactikka-xp-adapt-led-headlamp Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt at REI]<gallery widths=400px 300px heights=300px caption="Petzl MYO RXP">File:Petzl XP Adapt OverviewHeadlight in the rain.jpg|The XP Adapt comes with a head strap and a clip for use at waist level. There is also a mount for use on a helmet which works well cycling. There are colored diffusers that I've not found useful. Headlight in the rainFile:Petzl XP Adapt DiagramWaistlight in the rain.jpg|A diagram showing the XP Adapt with Waist mounted light in the waist mounted adapter. rain

If there are insects about, a head mounted light causes them to fly into your face, which is even more unpleasant. ==Petzl e+LITE=Handheld===This is worth considering as a backup light, but I don't use recommend handheld lights for several reasons. The biggest problem is that keeping the light pointed in the right direction changes your arm movement and this as messes up your primary light. It's not bright enough and the lithium batteries are pricy[[Running Form]]. HoweverIn addition, handheld lights occupy one of your hands making it will fit tricky to do anything in the pocket of my shortsdark, so it makes a great 'oops' lightthough knuckle lights overcome this. [http://go.fellrnr.com?id==Beam Pattern – Spot vs Diffuse==35454X937677&xs{| class=1&url"wikitable"|- valign=http%3A%2F%2Fwww"top"|[[File:RXP Spot.reijpg |none|thumb|350px| The spot beam illuminates further.com%2Fproduct%2F838548%2Fpetzl-elite-headlamp E+lite at REI]]|[[File:Petzl e+liteRXP Eye Level.jpg|none|thumb|400px350px|The e+lite showing diffuse beam illuminates wider and more evenly.]]|}Many lights project a narrow spot beam that illuminates longer distance, which can be handy for navigation, especially on ill-defined trails. Most of the small case time I prefer a light with an evenly diffused beam, even though it fits intodoes not reach as far as a spot beam.]]==Petzl MYO XP BeltRegulation – Light output over time==I found With a regulated light the light intensity will stay constant over most of the life of the wire to battery. When the battery belt too annoying to recommend this as a general is nearly depleted, the lightwill rapidly dim (see the graph below.) The regulation is nice, but it's worth considering for extremely cold conditionswhen the end of the regulation period is reached, the light intensity can drop so quickly that you get caught out. [[File:Petzl XP BeltLight Regulation.jpg|none|thumb|400px350px|The XP Beltdifference between regulated and unregulated light output.]]==Petzl ULTRABrightness== IThe brightness you need depends on your situation. In many cases you just need to see what's immediately ahead of you, so brightness is not critical. If you'd like to be able to afford this re on trails, then a really bright lightcan help see what direction a trail is taking, but I don't believe it offers good value for moneyor help with navigation. [http://goA bright light can also help psychologically, as a small pool of light can become confining and claustrophobic.fellrnrHowever, if there's a little more ambient light, then a dim light can work best.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2FwwwA dimmer light can provide enough to shoe you what's ahead without compromising your night vision.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F786019%2Fpetzl-ultra-headlamp Petzl ULTRA at REI][[File:Petzl Ultra.jpg|none|thumb|400px|The ULTRA – Ultra niceHaving a light that will go both very bright and very dim is ideal, Ultra expensiveand several of the lights I recommend can provide both extremes.]]