Head torches can be invaluable for work in the garage, brightening up the darkest of engine bay nooks and suspension crannies.
But if you choose unwisely their cost and performance can leave a lot to be desired; that's why we've tested a cross section of the industry's best-known examples.
We left out the suspiciously cheap head torch options here. Tempting as it is to include them - there was one that was under £2 - in truth, a head torch is worth spending a modest amount of cash on if you want a decent one.
So we’ve limited this product test to only rechargeable head torches that offer 200 lumens or more, but that still leaves room for a broad spread of price and performance.
We tested our torches for brightness, range of lighting modes and how far the beam goes in an unlit area.
Comfort is also a big consideration, as many people want these for walking, cycling and more, so we were sure to test these out for how good they are if you plan on using them for more than just a potter around the garage.
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BEST BUY: BioLite 200 Lumen headlamp
Price: £41.00
Run time: 40 hours
Even though the BioLite is a single-strap headtorch, it’s still really comfortable with a wide, soft, curved backing to the light that helps to keep it from bouncing and slipping, and an easily adjustable strap.
The 200 lumen rating seems low in this company but in practice this was still one of the brighter torches we tested, with a headlamp that swivels downward and that runs for some 40 hours when on low.
For detailed garage work, you’ll probably want it on high, but it’ll still do three hours in that mode, and there’s a red light and a pulse setting for both white- and red- modes.
The torch feels really well put together, too - at 50g, it’s light, and the casing feels solidly put together. It’s a shame that it’s not waterproof, but on balance of quality, comfort and a great run time, the BiolLite is the best here.
Autocar says: 5 stars
Sofirn HS20 head torch 2700 lumen
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