The Black Diamond Spot 450 is a powerful head torch designed for a broad range of outdoor activities. With 450 lumens, for me, it hits the sweet spot between a casual camping lamp and a technical torch, with versatility being a key selling point. In short, it’s the kind of headlamp you end up using the most, and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this thing in the future.
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I’ve been testing the Spot 450 this summer, most recently on a trip to the Swiss Alps for some hut-to-hut hiking along the Grand Tour des Combins. From late night searches through my hiking bag right through to 6am hikes before the sun has risen, I’ve used this head torch in a range of different contexts and so far? I’ve been very impressed.
Black Diamond Spot 450: The Top Line
The Black Diamond Spot 450 is what I would consider an everyday workhorse of a head torch. It’s not built for highly technical or specialised pursuits, but for just about everything else in the realms of hiking, running and camping, I think it’s got the versatility and reliable performance to become one of your most used head torches.
But don’t take that to mean it isn’t high spec. With dual charging capabilities, IPX7 waterproofing, multi-colour lighting options, BD’s innovative PowerTap control and more, it’s a highly capable bit of kit that, in my experience, works seamlessly out on the trail.
Black Diamond Spot 450: Product Overview
Black Diamond Spot 450
★★★★
Price: £45
Weight: 86g
Pros: PowerTap control is extremely handy, dual charging capabilities makes it very versatile, feels tough, comfy headband, waterproof, great lighting options, reflective detailing in the logo on the headband
Cons: Ultralighters might find the body a little chunky/ heavy, not as balanced as a head torch with a back mounted battery, no back light
Overall rating: 4/5
The Black Diamond Spot 450 features dual charging capabilities (3x AAA or a USB-C rechargeable BD 1500 lithium-ion battery) and is built with multiple lighting modes, including red, green, and blue light options, a flood and spot lens, mode memory, and PowerTap technology (more on this later). The maximum lumen output is, of course, 450.
The headband is built from recycled materials and the lamp features IPX7 waterproof housing that’s tested to operate up to 1 metre underwater for 30 minutes. The maximum burn time is 200 hours (in the lowest lumen mode using AAA batteries), while the minimum burn time is 2.6 hours (in the highest lumen mode, also using AAA batteries). There is a battery indicator next to the main bulbs containing 3 small indicator lights. The door latch is opened using an integrated latch opening tool on the headband adjustment glide.
Who Will Like The Black Diamond Spot 450
The Black Diamond Spot 450 is ideal for:
- Outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, running and/or camping
- People looking for a highly functional all-rounder of a head torch
- Sunrise hikes, evening runs, autumn and winter descents when you’re chasing the daylight, general use in your tent or an alpine hut
Who Should Not Buy It
Less ideal for:
- Extreme/ highly technical pursuits
- Ultralight aficionados
Brightness
As I mentioned earlier, 450 lumens marks a good sweet spot for me: it offers the brightness levels that most outdoor enthusiasts will need for hiking, running, and camping. On test, I’ve certainly found it powerful and more than bright enough for most trail hiking routes here in the UK and beyond. For more serious endeavours, such as ultra racing for example, it’s worth checking out our review of BD’s Distance 1500.
Back to the Spot. On one occasion, I used the BD Spot 450 for a sunrise hike from the Cabane de Chanrion in Val de Bagnes right down to Mauvoisin in the Swiss Alps. As the sun hadn’t risen yet, I used the head torch for just over an hour or so to see the terrain beneath me. Coupled with a bit of moonlight, I found a medium output very adequate for making my way along the trail and up some rockier sections.
Something I found particularly useful was BD’s clever PowerTap control. You basically just tap the right hand side of the head torch body (there are small indentations along the side to mark where you tap) and the torch goes into full output mode. It’s super handy for very short bursts of extra light on-the-move. Ordinarily, I’d have to stop to faff around with button settings but this feature really made things feel seamless out on the trail.
I also like that the adjustable brightness is genuinely adjustable rather than just three pre-set lumen outputs to choose from. To adjust the levels, you simply hold down the right hand button (the larger of the two buttons). This will then increase or decrease the lumen level to your exact preference. On the flipside, some people might find this process too long and will prefer the simple click-through-three-times process. However, given the fast capabilities of the PowerTap control, I’ve been quite happy to have this more refined adjustability at my disposal too, for when I’m not too worried about moving fast.
Along with one flood lens and a spot lens, you’ll also find an RGB lens that lets you flick between red, green and blue. I haven’t yet used the green or blue settings, though I did find the red setting really handy in some alpine huts late at night when I needed to quickly grab something from my bag without blinding my hut-mates with intense white light.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, I’ve found the Spot 450 to be a reliable option. Black Diamond claims a maximum burn time of up to 200 hours, although that figure is based on lower-power settings (6 lumens) rather than running the lamp at its brightest. In everyday use, this means you can comfortably use it for evening walks, camping or sorting gear around the tent without worrying too much about the battery running flat.
With a maximum output of 450 lumens, the burn time is noted as 2.6 hours using 3x AAA batteries, and then 3.4 hours using BD’s 1500 lithium ion battery. For the kind of adventures I’ve found myself on so far – multi-day hiking with early starts, evening walks after sunset, and campouts throughout the UK – it’s been more than enough. For those heading out on longer excursions with less access to electricity and shops for batteries, you might want something higher than 1500 mAh.
A big plus for me has been the Dual-Fuel system. You can power it with three AAA batteries, which is handy for longer trips when you might not have access to a charger, or use Black Diamond’s rechargeable 1500 battery, which can be charged directly through the headlamp via USB-C. There’s also an integrated battery meter, so you’re less likely to get caught out by a dying battery.
On test, the battery performance feels like one of the Spot’s strengths. You won’t get anything close to 200 hours when using maximum brightness continuously, but that’s not really how most people use a head torch. For normal hiking and camping, switching between brightness levels depending on what you’re doing should give you plenty of usable runtime.
It’s worth noting that the BD 1500 Li-ion battery is sold separately.
Comfort and Fit
I’ve been wearing the Spot 450 both with and without a cap on and have found it very comfortable in both instances. The strap feels noticeably softer than some head torches I’ve previously used which is a welcome change. Whether or not that translates to the fabric’s stretchiness loosening after extensive use, only time will tell, but so far, it’s felt very secure every step of the way.
Black Diamond Spot 450
★★★★
While not as balanced as a head torch with a back mounted battery, I haven’t found it overly heavy at the front. I’d say it feels pretty similar to most headlamps of this style – by no means weighing you down but you are aware of the slight weight at the front of your head. Personally, this feeling doesn’t bother me at all but ultralight hikers might prefer something a little more compact like the Black Diamond Deploy 325, or the Silva Smini, for example, . For the added durability and additional features, however, it’s a trade-off I’m very happy to take.
User-Friendliness
Whether its IKEA furniture or headlamps, I love to avoid reading instructions where possible (I don’t recommend this lifestyle) and I’m happy to report that I got away with it just fine here. If you’re familiar with using head torches, the Spot 450 feels pretty intuitive to operate in my experience. I’d say it only took a two or three uses of the lamp before I could confidently operate it from on top of my head without thinking too much.
That being said, if you’re not used to operating head torches, I think it might take a bit of getting used to. Knowing when to hold the button rather than flick through it, for example, can take a while to engrain into your muscle memory.
Other Details
Mode memory – This basically saves your last used setting on the head torch so that it turns back on in that setting rather than defaulting to a maximum output setting. This means you don’t waste time resetting your headlamp every time you turn it back on.
Door latch – Another nifty feature that I enjoyed is the integrated clip on the headband that helps you open the back of the lamp. I admittedly forgot about this on one occasion, and opted to use my house key to open the back (it worked), though I’ve been glad to open it the proper way since then. The hatch feels reassuringly secure and I’ve had no issues with it so far.
Recycled content – Using recycled content in the headband is a nice touch here.
IPX7 Waterproof rating – I’ve found this very reassuring during intense downpours.
Durability – I haven’t had much chance to test out the durability of the Spot 450 other than dropping it on the floor a few times when packing, but so far, it feels promising. The plastic feels thick to the touch and the headband has a stretchy but densely woven build that doesn’t feel like it’ll break any time soon.
Digital lock – If you’ve ever reached inside of your bag towards the end of a hike only to discover that your headlamp has been switched on the whole time, the battery is drained, and now you can’t use it for the final descent; you’ll know why this feature is important. To activate the digital lock you hold down both buttons for roughly 3 seconds before the RGB light flashes to indicate the lamp is now locked. To unlock it, repeat the process.
Overall Verdict
Whether navigating your way through remote trails or simply reading your book back at camp, I’ve found Black Diamond’s Spot 450 to be a very useful bit of kit. Technical expeditions and specialist endeavours isn’t the name of the game here; the Spot 450 excels as a do-it-all head torch for most outdoor pursuits the average hiker, runner and camper will find themselves on. In a nutshell, it’s the headlamp you’ll end up using the most, and for that purpose, I’ve found it very useful indeed.
Considering the range of lighting options and the overall feature-set, I’d consider £45 good value for what you get here too, especially considering the use you’re likely to get out of it. BD’s lithium-ion battery is sold separately and you can find it online for roughly £20.
Black Diamond Spot 450
★★★★
