Black Diamond Storm Review – New 350 Lumens Headlamp

This Black Diamond Storm review is about the new headlamp version with 350 lumens, with 110 g (3.9 oz) of weight, and completely waterproof and dustproof.

Key benefits

Black Diamond Storm headlamp – description

This Storm headlamp is already the third version in the line, and at the moment of writing this text they all are available on the market. So, if you feel confused and lost in all this, you have all the reasons for that.

So to stress from the beginning, this is the version, and the main difference is the power. This is a headlamp with 350 lumens, as compared with 250 in the version 2016, and 160 lumens in the version 2015. But you will not notice any difference from the outside when you compare the latest version with the 2016 version.

This headlamp has three different colored night vision modes, red, green, and blue, yes you are reading correctly. One can argue about the necessity of this, but it is there regardless if you need it or not.

The headlamp has two beam settings, the spot for distance, and proximity for the close-range activities. The new version comes with a redesigned lighting profile which offers an improved peripheral lighting for close-range activities. It also features the Brightness Memory, which implies that you can turn the light on and off at a chosen brightness so you return to the setting you were last using, without reverting back to full power.

The PowerTap Technology allows for instant transitioning between full and dimmed power, you have a separate button on the side for this, and you also have an integrated dimmer which allows for fine-tuning. The strobe function may certainly come useful in some emergency situations or when you use the lamp when riding a bike.

Yet another useful feature is certainly the locking function which allows you to prevent the light from accidentally turning on when stored in the pack or in the pocket. In the video below you will see how this feature is activated.

The headlamp comes with four AAA Alkaline batteries, and together with them, it weighs only 3.9 ounces. The elastic headband adjusts to enhance comfort and it comes in different colors corresponding to the housing color.

The battery power indicator has three levels, so you can always have a clue about the status of your batteries, very useful indeed.

Waterproof & dustproof 

In the specifications of this headlamp, you will see IP67, this refers to its housing. The letters IP mean ‘international protection’ marking or ‘ingress protection’ marking. In general, you would have IPXY. The X denotes the ‘solid particle’ protection, and it takes values in the range 0 – 6, so what you have in this particular lamp is the maximum value.

The Y value can be in the range of 0 – 9. The number 7 you have here implies that the headlamp is waterproof for immersion up to 1 meter of water and up to 30 minutes. So you definitely have a reliable tool here. More about this terminology you can see in Wikipedia. In the video below, you will see the headlamp working in the water, have a look, this is the 

In the video below, you will see the headlamp working in the water, have a look, this is the new Black Diamond Storm headlamp version:

Main differences in comparison with the old version

Specifications

• Lumens: 350.
• Weight with batteries: 110 g (3.9 oz).
• Max distances:
  – High: 80 m.
  – Low: 11 m.
• Max burn time:
  – High: 22 H.
  – Low: 160 H.
• IPX rating: IP67.
• Warranty: 3 years limited.
• LED Type: 1 QuadPower, 1 DoublePower, 3 SinglePower.
• Batteries: 4 AAA (included).
• Colors: 5.
• Waterproof and dustproof, IP67.
• Red, green and blue SinglePower LEDs for night vision.
• PowerTap technology.
• Brightness memory.

Summary & rating

The battery light indicator is an important feature which this Storm headlamp has, and I love to have it with my lamps to avoid unpleasant surprises. The same is with the lock feature which can save you from trouble.

Note that this is classic technology and not constant lighting, so the maximum indicated power is what you have only in the beginning when the batteries are fully charged. In reality, this headlamp and any other with the same technology will give you less power most of the time.

There are headlamps with the constant lighting technology described in the site, like Petzl Tikka R Plus, and Petzl NAO, both also featuring so-called reactive technology, which is an intelligent technology that gives the appropriate amount of light depending on the environment. But remember, such features come at a price, and in principle, they are not essential. So no need to spend much unless you really need such things. See how I rate this headlamp:

Black Diamond Storm Headlamp

8.5

Weight

8.3/10

Features & design

9.3/10

Ease of use

7.7/10

Pros

• Waterproof.
• Good burn time.
• Great features.
• Great power.
• Dustproof.

Cons

• Not so easy to use.
• Not rechargeable.

Check on Amazon

Check at REI

If you need something different please have a look in my recent text about Petzl Tikkina 150 headlamp. Many more lamps with quite different technologies (rechargeable, reactive, constant lighting, etc.) are available in my separate page. You will notice yet another great tool from Black Diamond, the Spot headlamp, as well as the Black Diamond Cosmo.

Thank you for reading, I hope the text has been useful. I shall be happy to hear from you, there is a comment box below. Have a nice day.