10 Best Headlamps for Fishing in 2021

1. Best Overall Fishing Headlamp: Vont VNT-SHL01

The Vont VNT-SHL01 is our best overall headlamp for fishing because it has multiple light modes, a long run-time, and a lightweight body. It is also waterproof and offers a decent amount of brightness.

A single button is built-in for quick and easy toggling between its 7 lighting modes. You can set it to low, medium, high, or strobe using the main white light. There are also low, SOS, and strobe modes that use the red side LEDs.

These enable you to use the unit more efficiently. For instance, when you don’t need a lot of light, you can set it to low mode, which gives you a runtime of up to 90 hours on 3 new AAA batteries.

The head is designed to tilt 45º to project the beam at an angle to the ground. This makes it very ergonomic because you don’t have to strain your neck to see the space right in front of you.

This tilting head is drop-resistant and waterproof with an IPX5 rating. Despite having all these features, the headlamp is very lightweight. It weighs only 3 oz. with the batteries inside. You will barely feel this weight even during a long fishing night.

Another benefit you get is a 2-piece set: one for you and the other for your fishing buddy. However, the required batteries are not included.

2. Best Budget Fishing Headlamp: Foxelli MX20

3. Best Lightweight Fishing Headlamp: GearLight S500

Weighing in at only 3 oz. with the batteries inserted, GearLight’s S500 is designed to give you an easy time as you fish because it is very lightweight. The lamp is held in place by a removable and washable headband that can be adjusted to fit any head size.

A 45º pivoting head enables you to direct the beam downwards without straining your neck in any of the modes. That said, you get 7 modes to choose from: low, medium, high & strobe in white light and low, SOS & strobe in red light.

Powered by 3 AAA batteries, you can get up to 45 hours of runtime on the low setting and 3 hours on high brightness.

Even though the waterproof rating is not given, the headlamp is made using water-resistant ABS material, which protects the electronics from rain and splashes.

On the downside, the beam is not zoomable and no batteries are included. However, you get 2 headlamps in the set, which sweetens the deal.

4. Best Waterproof Headlamp for Fishing: Slonik SLNK-HEAD-10W-2

With an IPX8 waterproof rating, Slonik’s headlamp is designed to withstand being submerged more than 1 meter deep in water. This is made possible by a high-quality aero-grade aluminum alloy 6063 construction that is also dustproof and built for extreme conditions.

Other than that, the product is rechargeable and it comes with a 2200mAh battery plus a user-friendly USB charging cable. The battery can be recharged to full in 2 hours after which it delivers an 8-hour runtime in low mode (can last an entire night) or 3.5 hours in high mode.

That said, you get a bright 1000-lumen beam in the high mode that illuminates a distance of up to 600-ft. while the head swivels 90º up/down to direct the beam where it is required.

This head is held in place by a comfortable adjustable nylon headband for snug fitting and it can be detached from the strap to fit in your pocket. You also get a protective cap that shields the USB port from water and damages. However, the product is very expensive and only has 2 modes.

5. Brightest Headlamp for Fishing: Outerdo KelvinMall4637

Outerdo’s KelvinMall4637 is equipped with 8 LED bulbs that provide a super bright 13000-lumen beam with a coverage of up to 600 meters (1969 ft.). This enables you to see deep in water as well as far out into the distance.

The LEDs can be controlled via 8 light modes, which include the main beam, side-beam, all bright, SOS strobe, strong beam, weak beam, red beam, and SOS red strobe. The irradiation distance from these ranges from 200 – 500 meters with a runtime of 9 hours for red & low, and 4 hours for high.

That said, the unit is rechargeable and it includes a USB charging cable plus 2 batteries. You also get a storage box for keeping the parts after you’ve dismantled them.

The lamp head can be tilted 90º down to illuminate your path ahead (close to your feet) while a red taillight indicates your position for safety purposes. This comes in very handy when you use the lamp for other purposes like running, cycling, or walking in the dark.

On the downside, the product is very heavy. It can wear you down during long fishing nights.

6. Most Adjustable Fishing Headlamp: Illushine Rechargeable Headlamp

Illushine’s headlamp features a highly adjustable head that can be tilted from 0 – 120º. This allows you to point the beam above or directly at your feet, or adjust the brightness zone as required.

The unit is rechargeable and it comes with two 18650 lithium-ion batteries plus a USB charging cable. These batteries power a set of bright & durable CREE chips that produce 12000 lumens maximum and have a lifespan of 100,000 hours.

4 working modes are at your disposal with this torch. You can set it to low, medium, high, or strobe, and there is a red light at the rear for safety purposes.

An air-tight design with rubber seals gives the product an IPX4 waterproof rating. However, the torch is quite heavy and it has a short runtime of 4-5 hours on a full charge.

7. Multi-Mode Fishing Headlamp: Outerdo KelvinMall4605

With its 8 lighting modes, the KelvinMall4605 can be toggled to meet your full range of lighting needs when fishing. They include low, medium, high & SOS using the main light, and low, high, red light & SOS strobe using the auxiliary light.

That said, light is provided by 6 LED bulbs, which produce a maximum brightness of 12000 lumens with a maximum irradiation distance of 500 meters (1640 ft.).

A rotating head mechanism enables you to point the beam up to 90º down to the exact spot where you want to illuminate or to spread the brightness.

You also get a comfortable & adjustable head strap, waterproof circuitry (IPX4), a USB cable, and two rechargeable batteries that can power the LEDs for 4 – 9 hours. The only problem is that the beam is not zoomable for spotlight or floodlight illumination.

8. Zoomable Headlamp for Fishing: CrazyFire RJ2166

CrazyFire’s RJ2166 is one of the best night fishing headlamps because it has a zoomable beam. This can be focused to form a spotlight for illuminating narrow areas or zoomed out to brighten a wide area when walking or running.

On top of this, you get 3 light modes with low, high, and strobe settings. The high setting produces 800 lumens and this has an irradiation distance of over 25 ft. The head can be rotated up to 90º down to light up the ground right in front of you.

Aside from that, the circuitry is sealed for water resistance, which is IPX5 rated. You also get comfortable, adjustable straps to tie the lamp to your head and a battery compartment at the rear. That said, power is provided by 3 AA batteries but these are not included in the set.

9. Comfortable Fishing Headlamp: Kjland KJ003

10. Fishing Headlamp with a Long Runtime: Vitchelo V800

Powered by 3 AAA batteries, Vitchelo’s V800 can run for up to 120 hours on a new set while running on the low setting. The light is adjustable though and you have 6 modes to choose from. These are low, medium, high & strobe in white light, and high & strobe in red light.

The high white light setting produces 168 lumens and gives you an irradiation distance of 110 meters (360 ft.) so that you can see your way around the water. On the other hand, the red light helps you to preserve your night vision.

A soft elastic headband is used to tie the headlamp to your head and it is fitted with additional padding at the rear section of the lamp to keep heat from the LEDs from getting to your forehead.

The circuitry is tightly sealed to have an IPX6 waterproof rating, which is quite good for a headlamp. You also get a 0 – 45º tilting head but the beam is not zoomable and at a maximum output of 168 lumens, it is not very bright.