A headlamp can be a handy helper in many home improvement jobs, and I’ve found this LiteBand Pro headlamp to be the best headlamp I’ve tried for tight spaces and running in the dark. (Yeah, I do that.)
Top Line Features:
- Multiple, outstanding light sources in a single unit
- Versatile: Professional uses, DIY, health and fitness, safety
- Comfortable
- USB-C
Real Deal, Hands-On Review
Daily Use.
I will be the first one to say that paying ~~$90 for a “flashlight” hurts. But the LiteBand Pro 1500 is way more than just a flashlight. This mash-up of light and beacon 100% puts speed on the track for me. At work, time and speed are money. In my personal life, being able to accomplish tasks in low-light easily makes my life better.
So let’s look at what’s really included in the price tag: Versatility, ease of use, comfort and utter utility to name a few. More practically, I’d need to buy multiple flashlights and beacons to bridge the low-light gaps this head-mounted light sails over. Then, I’d need to keep track of which one is best to use where, which simply isn’t going to happen.
What is the LiteBand?
LiteBand is essentially an LED strip that wraps around my skull. As a ribbon of light, it emits an orb rather than a beam. I’ve gone running in the dark with a typical head lamp and the beam goes where my eyes go. It’s better than running blind, but not much.
How’s running with LiteBand?
Running with the 1500 Lumen LiteBand Pro makes not only what I’m looking at in low to no light visible, it makes what’s in my peripheral vision more visible too–without the spotlight effect a single beam has.
But it has a spotlight, too. Combine the focused beam with the 210-degrees of LED strip and I won’t say I can see the 300-feet LiteBand says I can, but I’m not looking 300-feet away, I’m looking at the roots and rocks under my feet.
How’s LiteBand help with home improvement?
The beams combine for a similar utility at work, say installing a soap dispenser under a counter or loading my truck in the dark. With a beam-type headlamp, wherever I look is where the light goes. But I need to see in my peripheral vision or reach to get a tool without my pupils dilating with every flick of my noggin.
LiteBand’s orb solves all that. And because the light is on my head, it is out of my hands and out of my way. Bye-bye flashlight in my teeth.
How about winter use?
The beam plus orb is a life saver in winter when I need to load my truck at the end of the day in waning light or full-on night. They light up what I need lit from shoving the table saw back into the truck to replacing screws and bits in bins.
Is it adjustable?
Even though there is a battery pack and small spiral cord on the adjustable LightBand head strap, I’ve had no issues with it getting in the way, snagged on a collar or even bouncing during a run. There are no pinch points, something I’m forever aware of wearing safety glasses, for example. The pressure is even around my cranium and I forget it’s there.
How is it powered?
One more accolade for the battery pack, it’s USBc. I have more cords to more items than I care to keep track of. USBc works with both LiteBand and the iPad I use for my mobile office. Awesome.
I could complain that the easy-to-engage switch is a little small, but if it were bigger, I’d complain more. It’s responsive and–unlike many small, weatherproof switches–it’s super responsive. Toggling through the 6 lighting choices–wide beam only, focused beam only, wide and focused together, red LED, and pulse–I can also use the LiteBand as a sort of traffic cone.
Is it easy to store?
I remove snow, for example, and I need to park in weird places to get my tractor off the trailer. I can hang the LiteBand on my trailer as a small, flashing beacon. It’s not a Klieg light, but it’s not nothing either. (I also use traffic cones).
Similarly, I can wear LiteBand on my head backwards either running in low light or using the tractor in traffic to alert others I am there.
Is there something I’d rather have in my truck if I broke down on the side of the road–or worse, trapped in a flood or weather event? Hell, no.
While I haven’t had this happen to me, I’ve been in a number of crisis situations and the ability to (A) see and (B) be seen is vital. Doing so while having my hands free to work is all the better.
Real Deal Rating
Light ‘Em Up!
For the numbers of lighting problems the LiteBand Pro 1500 solves for me–from seeing to being seen, from work to personal life–it’s my go-to.
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