The new Smini head torch from Swedish lighting specialists, Silva, picked up a highly prestigious ISPO Award upon its release at the start of 2024 with the judges recognising it for its “remarkably light weight” and also its “versatility, durability, and user-friendly design”. I’ve been testing the Smini out on a bunch of night time runs and hiking adventures of late and I can confirm that this thing is a total pocket rocket. In fact, I’d say it’s now going to be my head torch of choice for future adventures.

Modularity

The Smini can be purchased either with a 15mm headband or with just a simple bungee headband. The headband option, which weighs 53g gives a more stable, reliable and comfortable feel and it also comes with a very useful clip-on backlight. The bungee option, the Smini Fly, weighs just 38.5g – which is pretty remarkable. This makes it ideal for any ultralight hikers or runners out there.

What’s pretty nifty is that the Smini is designed for modularity and you can buy all the components across the Smini range separately. I’ve got the Smini with the 15mm headband and backlight but I also have the bungee headband which comes with the Smini Fly, and I’ve been swapping the lamp head between the two straps depending on the types of trips I’ve been undertaking.

So on my regular night time runs, for example, I’ve been wearing the Smini with the 15mm headband and with the backlight which provides extra visibility and safety on roads. Meanwhile, I’m gearing up to use the lighter Smini Fly set up (with the bungee) as my back-up head torch on future ultra races. A lot of races these days require a back-up head torch and the Smini Fly set up ticks that box perfectly.

What’s also really nifty is that the little back lamp that you can get with the Smini set is detachable and runs off its own battery. This means that you can leave it behind for any missions where it’s not required, while it also means that you can clip it onto the front of your running pack if you’re using the Smini Fly (with the bungee). The Silva Strive trail running vest even comes with a dedicated tab for this. I don’t think Silva have designed this backlight to be attached directly to the Smini Fly’s bungee but I’ve tried this and it does seem to sit pretty securely.

The Silva Smini Versus the Petzl Bindi

Over the last six or so years, the 35g Petzl Bindi has been my go-to head torch for long distance walking and for ultra running. I even took it with me on a three-week 500-mile fastpacking trip where I set the FKT for climbing all 189 of Wales’s mountains (we made a film about this, it’s called Taith Galed). Now I’ve got the Silva Smini, however, the Petzl Bindi has been relegated. It was on its last legs anyway, but I think the Smini does still have the edge in terms of performance. It might be a touch heavier, but it’s 50 lumens brighter, more comfortable and more durable too – plus there’s that excellent modularity to it. On that Wales expedition, I remember running on a pitch black road into Beddgelert and having to keep switching the Bindi around depending on which direction each approaching car was coming from. Having the Smini with the back light would’ve been very handy at that point and, if I ever do a similar challenge (I won’t), the Smini will be coming with me.

Silva Smini Performance

This is a very simple head torch to use and it didn’t take long at all to figure out its processes, even without using its manual. The bulb is surprisingly bright (250 lumens) given the overall size of the thing and I’ve felt confident using it at speed over difficult terrain. Just like with the Silva Free head torch (which is also worth checking out) the beam cleverly combines a long-reach spotlight with a close flood light – basically allowing you to get both a wide view close in and more targeted sighting in the distance. Some head torches can give a sort of tunnel vision effect, which, for me, can be quite dizzying. Fortunately, this two-beam combo counteracts that well.