The Black Diamond Spot 400 is one of my favorite lightweight headlamps for backpacking. Its 400-lumen output is bright enough to illuminate a trail through the mountains on dark nights, and it’s waterproof enough to work in the rain. Better yet, it’s affordable, and I very much appreciate that I can use a rechargeable battery pack or AAA batteries with it. Overall, it’s a great choice for backpacking, hiking, and camping.
I’ve personally used the Spot 400 while camping and backpacking in Idaho over multiple seasons, using it side-by-side with competitive headlamps from Petzl, Princeton Tec, BioLite, and Peax. The Black Diamond Spot 400 excelled with its ease-of-use, comfort, and super clean light output.
Every time I use the Black Diamond Spot 400, I come away impressed by the blend of optical quality and lightweight comfort.
In fact, when I went backpacking in the Payette National Forest in Idaho, I had multiple headlamps to choose from — and I chose to take the mighty little Spot 400. Check out the basic pros and cons or continue on for increased detail:
Black Diamond Spot 400 Review Details
Black Diamond Equipment has manufactured its ‘Spot’ line of headlamps for years, and I’ve tested multiple previous generations, all of which have been very good. The latest Spot 400 version delivers a welcome 50-lumen boost in power vs the previous generation Spot 350. In addition, the new Spot 400 has a slightly trimmer design. I weighed the Spot 400 empty without batteries at just 1.7 ounces, which is 13% lighter than the previous Spot 350.
Specifications
Key Black Diamond Spot 400 Specs:
Max Beam Distance: 100 meters
Run Time*: 2.5 hours on high; 5 hours on medium; 200 hours on low
Batteries: 3 AAA or BD 1500 Li-ion rechargeable battery
Weight: 2.73 oz with 3 AAA or 2.54 oz with the BD 1500 battery pack)
*Note: Runtime is longer with the BD 1500 rechargeable battery pack.
The ‘Dual-Fuel’ Power Option Explained
Black Diamond has a ‘Dual-Fuel’ power option available for some of its headlamps. Basically, you can use the Spot 400 with three AAA alkaline batteries (which are included in the box) or you can use Black Diamond’s BD 1500 rechargeable battery.
The BD 1500 has a 1500 mAH capacity, but get this: The Black Diamond Spot 400 gets better performance from the BD 1500 than it gets from three AAA batteries. When you use standard alkaline batteries, you get 2.5 hours of burn time on maximum output. With the BD 1500, on the other hand, you get 4 hours on maximum output.
Better yet, the rechargeable battery pack is lighter than 3 typical AAA batteries, which brings the total Spot 400 weight down to a svelte 2.54 oz.
There is a drawback to the BD 1500 rechargeable battery — it’s only sold as an accessory at an extra cost. You also need to use a proprietary Black Diamond charger, which is sold in a kit called the BD 1500 Battery & Charger.
The Black Diamond BD 1500 Battery and Charger add-on accessory lets you gain rechargeable awesomenes while retaining the ability to use standard AAA batteries in emergencies.So, you might be asking yourself: Should I buy the BD 1500 Rechargeable Battery system?
Here is what I recommend: If you only need to use your headlamp for short periods of time while hiking, backpacking, or around camp, it will take you a while to gain back the cost of the BD 1500. On the other hand, if you’re going to use your headlamp for more frequent bursts or on longer trips, the BD 1500 Battery & Charger will save you money — and give you better performance. For me personally, I like the ability to ‘top off’ my headlamp battery before heading out in the dark. Over the years I’ve thrown away traditional AAA batteries with 20 or 30% life left in them because I couldn’t trust them to get me through a trip. You don’t have to worry about this sort of waste with a rechargeable battery.
Buttons & Controls
I appreciate the Spot 400’s dual-button design. The buttons are easy to press — and easy to feel the differences when you’re wearing it!While some competing headlamps have gone to single-button designs, Black Diamond uses two buttons at the top. You might think two buttons could be more complicated than a single button. In actual use I found them easy to learn. The larger textured rectangular button turns on the Spot 400 while the smaller round button cycles between three key lighting modes: a narrow spotlight beam for distance use, a wide beam for close-up proximity work, and a red light mode to protect your night vision and to avoid spooking animals at night.
By using the BD 1500 rechargeable battery accessory, you can drop the Spot 400’s weight down to just 2.54 ounces.
If you want to adjust the power output to make it brighter or dimmer, all you do is press and hold the primary rectangular button. The Spot 400 will remember your last setting when you turn it off and back on.
We appreciate the battery life indicator on the side of the Spot 400. It has just three lights, but a blinking light fine-tunes the indicator: For instance, here the 2 of 3 blue lights indicate the battery is 40-60% full. If the top light were blinking, you’d have 60-80%. If all three lights were solid lit, you’d head out knowing your battery was 80-100% full.Lock Mode Great for Backpacking or Travel
One of the most critical features for backpackers is the lock mode: Just press and hold both buttons for two seconds to lock or unlock the headlamp. Locking the headlamp helps ensure that it doesn’t accidentally receive a button press inside your backpack . . . and then deplete your battery by running all day long inside your pack.
Great Optical Quality
At 400 lumens of max output, the Spot 400 isn’t the most powerful headlamp available — but lumen power ratings are only a single indicator of performance. Optical quality is important, too, and this headlamp’s optical quality is very good. The white proximity light is crisp, clean and consistent, as is the distance mode.
This means that this headlamp can seem brighter and more usable than cheaper headlamps that might come with technically higher lumen ratings. I could easily pick my way through off-trail forested areas with the Spot 400 while I wore it backpacking and camping.
Can you use both the proximity and distance modes at the same time?
Yes! However, turning on both proximity and distance modes at the same time is not an obvious function. Several Black Diamond headlamps have a ‘Power Tap’ function, which is built into the Spot 400. Power Tap lets you tap the right side of the headlamp to turn on both white light options at the same time. There is no button for this, you just thump the headlamp with your finger to engage both lights. It’s kind of weird but it works! The drawback to this full-power mode is that you consume more energy. However, the Power Tap function lets you quickly use more power when you need to navigate a tricky spot in the dark . . . or if you’re trying to figure out what wild animal is rustling in the bushes. And then you can simply tap again to go back to a lower setting to conserve battery.
Waterproofing
The latest Spot 400 version has a competitive IPX8 waterproof rating, which means it has been tested to operate for at least 30 minutes under 1.1 meters of water. I’ve used the Spot 400 in the rain and it’s held up just fine. In addition, to test its waterproofing, I submerged it in a tub of water while it was turned on, then I operated the buttons. As expected, it continued to function without any issues while underwater.
For use in the rain, I trust this headlamp — like I said, I’ve used it in the rain. If you happen to drop this in a lake or creek, I would expect it to keep working, too. If you do dunk it, you should open the battery compartment and wipe out any moisture you find. While the case has a tight seal, it’s not technically sealed with a rubber gasket, so it can seep. Black Diamond knows this and designed it this way on purpose so that it can continue to operate if it gets wet. As near as I can tell, it seems as if the electronics are sealed from the battery connections that are in the battery compartment.
Competitive Alternatives & Options
If you’re looking for a relatively lightweight, high-quality headlamp, there are other headlamps that might be better for you. If red light performance is important to you, our guide to 10 of the best headlamps for hunting includes lights with more powerful modes. Meanwhile, here are a few alternative headlamps that you might consider if you’re not yet sure this headlamp is right for you:
Black Diamond Spot 400 vs Spot 400-R
You might be wondering why the Black Diamond Spot 400-R costs more than the Spot 400? Basically, the Spot 400-R delivers almost exactly the same output specifications but it does it with a built-in, non-removable rechargable battery. This also means that the Spot 400-R is not a ‘Dual-Fuel’ headlamp and can’t use AAA batteries in an emergency.
The built-in battery is a 1500 mAH Li-on battery, so it’s essentially the same as the BD 1500.
The key benefit of the Spot 400-R over the Spot 400 is that its rechargeable battery system is built-in. The drawback is the loss of a Dual-Fuel option. The Spot 400-R has a very slightly less capable waterproof rating of IP67, but most people won’t notice a difference.
So which is better? I believe the Spot 400 is the better buy over the Spot 400-R for a few reasons:
- Spot 400 costs $15 less
- Runs on AAA, not requiring a recharge
- If you use a BD 1500 battery, it weighs less than the 400-R
The biggest drawback to the Spot 400 compared to the 400-R is that if you want to use it with a rechargeable battery, you’ll need to use the BD 1500 charging pack. The biggest benefit of the 400-R is that it lets you plug a micro-USB cord into it to charge — no charging pack required.
Storm 450 vs Spot 400:
The BD Storm 450 (above) is slightly more powerful than the Spot 400 but it’s heavier and has a shorter run time.The Black Diamond Storm 450 delivers 50 more lumens of output compared to the Spot 400. That fact seems like it should be automatically better . . . but is it really? This is a tough question because it has to do with finding the right balance of power, weight, runtime, and cost for you. The Storm 450 runs on the same three AAA batteries or BD 1500 rechargeable battery as the Spot 400, but it has a reduced runtime of 2 hours on high (with AAAs) or 3 hours (with the BD 1500). It costs about 20% more than the Spot 400 and it weighs a bit more — 3.25 oz compared to the Spot’s 2.73 oz (with AAA batteries). The Storm 450 IP67 waterproof rating is close to the Spot 400’s IP68.
So which BD headlamp is better? In my opinion, the extra 50 lumens does not make the Storm 450 appreciably better. However, the Storm 450 has one key feature that the Spot 400 does not: blue and green light modes in addition to the red mode. If you tend to see a bit better with blue or green low-light modes, the Storm 450 will let you choose or experiment to find the color you prefer.
More Powerful Option: If you want extra lumen power and extra runtime and you’re willing to carry a bit more weight, the Black Diamond Storm 500-R is outstanding. Its built-in rechargeable battery is 2400 mAh, giving it 7 hours of runtime on high and 19 hours on medium. I’ve used it extensively when I’m exploring off-trail and it’s very good. Read my full Storm 500-R review for more detail.
The Princeton Tec Vizz vs Spot 400:
The biggest benefit to the newly updated Princeton Tec Vizz is its powerful 550-lumen output and strong red light output. The drawback is the slightly heavier weight and size compared to the Spot 400. The Vizz weighs in at 3.2 oz. I like the Vizz quite a bit, especially the powerful red light mode. I don’t like how it feels clunkier and heavier on my head. However, there is one more benefit you might appreciate: The Princeton Tech Vizz is made in the USA!
The Bottom Line: How I Use the Spot 400
All-in-all, the Spot 400 is my go-to headlamp for most backpacking and camping. For backpacking, I like to use the BD 1500 battery pack but then I also stow 3 fresh AAA batteries in my pack for just-in-case emergencies. For 3-day weekend backpacking trips, I rarely run out of battery. I could likely leave the AAA backups behind, but I bring them anyway. (I’m the kind of guy who packs extra bandages in my first-aid kit.) This is the headlamp I recommend to friends most often. It’s that good.
Get the Gear:
Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp
Check pricing, availability and buying options at:
Amazon | Backcountry.com | Bass Pro Shops
