BioLite Dash 450 Headlamp review: Brilliantly balanced, lightweight head torch for outdoor adventures

I spend the first few dingy months and the last dark quarter of each year testing the very best head torches and the finest flashlights on the market, and the advancement in technical capability across both categories over the last couple of years has been incredible. Lights are lasting longer, shining brighter and throwing beams ever further, but if I’m completely honest, the headlamp that has blown me away more than any other this year is one that, at first glance, looks pretty cheap and cheerful: the Dash 450 from brilliant Brooklyn-based brand BioLite.

BioLite Dash 450 headlamp review

Price and availability

The Dash 450 headlamp is available now directly from BioLite (as well as other online outlets) for a guide price of £59.95 if you’re shopping from the UK, €69.95 if you’re in an EU country and $59.95 if you’re based in the United States.

Specifications

• Weight: 78g / 2.75oz
• Max lumens: 450
• Max beam length (spot): 90 meters / 295ft
• Burn time: 60 hours on low / 3 hours on high  
• Front light modes: White spot / White Flood / White spot & flood combo / White strobe / Red flood
• Rear light modes: Red strobe / Red flood
• Water resistance: IPX4 (splashproof)
• Batteries: integrated rechargeable 1000 mAh Lithium-ion
• Headband color options: Ocean Teal / Midnight Grey / Ember Fade

What makes the Dash 450 such a Bobby Dazzler?

So, why do I love this torch so much? It’s not the brightest – the Petzl Swift RL 2 boasts a gobsmacking 1,100 lumens compared to the Dash’s maximum output of 450 lumens – nor does it throw a beam the furthest (the Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 has a night-bursting range of 125 metres).

It’s not even the most lightweight (tipping the scales at just 53g, the svelte Silva Smini is 25g lighter than the Dash) or the cheapest – you’ll get change from £30 if you buy the perfectly decent Lifesystems Intensity 300 head torch from a number of outlets.

But while the Dash 450 doesn’t top the table for any of those desirable metrics, it scores very highly for all of them. It’s a damn good all-around performer, with a light that’s more than bright enough for the vast majority of outdoor scenarios, a suite of features that make it ultra-functional for all kinds of applications.

The price tag that keeps it genuinely affordable to most people, and a super smart design that makes it ideal for everything from hiking and trail running through to family camping and overseas backpacking trips.

Smart Design

One of the most appealing features of the Biolite Dash 450 is that the battery pack and light unit are kept separate, with the former being carried on the back of the head. What’s so good about this? For starters, it means the headlamp is much better balanced than others (most head torches are very front-heavy), which is more comfortable and less fatiguing for your neck, and it means the beam doesn’t bounce about all over the place when you’re running or hiking.

This design also results in a very low-profile light unit, which works better with winter hats, and – very importantly – it facilitates a valuable safety feature: a red rear light, integrated into the battery unit, which can be set to solid or flashing, making you highly visible to vehicles and bikes on shared roads, lanes and tracks, and other trail users when you're walking or running on the rough stuff.

Functionality

The front and back units each have one easy-to-locate, easy-to-use button that activates the light and lets you toggle between modes and settings (even with gloves on).

The rear red light can be set to solid or strobe, while the front offers five modes: white spot, white flood, spot & flood combo, white strobe, and red flood. And the brightness levels of each of these settings (except the strobe) can be increased or decreased by long-holding the on/off button for one second.

Cleverly, when you turn the light off and then back on again, it ‘remembers’ what mode it was set to when you last used it, and even what brightness level the beam was on. The light can be safely locked by pressing the main on/off button for a few seconds longer; once this lock is activated, it also prevents the rear red light from coming on.

And that’s it. No unnecessary bells and whistles that will only be used by elite cave divers or specialist nightcrawlers. No need to earn an engineering degree before you can use the headlight. Just a range of truly useful modes and brightness settings that will see you right in the campsite and out on the trails.

The battery unit tells you how much power is left via a series of small indicator lights, and when the juice runs low, all you need to do is plug it in via the universal USB that comes with the torch. Easy.

Features

As I’ve just explained, sensible simplicity is the secret to the greatness of this refreshingly unflashy headtorch, but it does have a couple of features that make it extra functional. For example, despite the light unit being very thin, you can tilt the beam downwards, across a series of preset angles denoted by a clicking noise, to better see hazards and undulations on the upcoming trail.

Also, the headband on the Dash 450, now available in several colours, is reasonably comfortable and breathable (it's actually made from a moisture-wicking material). The band is easy to adjust, and the wiring connecting the battery and the bulb is integrated into the material, so it doesn’t snag on anything.

Versatility and verdict

For all of these reasons, the Biolite Dash 450 is an exceptionally versatile headtorch, which works wonderfully well whether you’re camping out with friends and family, walking the dog after dark, embarking on a fastpacking or bikepacking escapade, or enjoying some night hiking or trail-running adventures beyond the sunset. And this is why the Dash 450 has become the headlight I reach for first whenever I head out. It’s so lightweight, I typically chuck it in my pack even when I have no intention of being out past nightfall.