An innovator in the use of LED technology, French company Petzl has created in its Tikka XP a headlamp that is amazingly light (three ounces) and that can switch between spot and spread beams with a simple slide of the light-dispensing filter. When you're fumbling around in the back of the tent in search of another piece of gear, the focused beam is what you need. However, when you're trail running at dusk, the broad beam will help ensure your safety. Another cool feature of this "Best Of" pick is tha... FULL REVIEW

This "Best Of" selection won the honors because it's bright, very bright. The five-watt Luxeon K2 LED light creates what Brunton purports to be the "brightest LED headlamp in the world." We have no reason to doubt that claim. Or the fact that the Brunton L5 beam is a long-distance wonder in two key ways. First, the beam will reach out through the darkness to 246 feet. So you can see raccoons while you still have time to hide the marshmallows. Second, the batteries are rechargeable and will last 50 hou... FULL REVIEW

Princeton Tec creates outdoor gear for a wide range of activities including scuba and water sports, camping and backpacking, alpine sports and road biking. So it's no surprise that their Apex Headlamp is versatile and rugged. One of its brightest charms, no pun intended, is its proprietary ultralight heatsinks that protect the LED lights from overheating, which can cause irreversible damage. They also have regulated circuits that will keep your headlamp light bright as long as your batter has sufficie... FULL REVIEW