Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 review: a night blaster of a headlamp

I’ve been a big fan of Black Diamond head torches since getting my first Storm from the US mountain-focussed brand about 20 years ago.

That torch remained my go-to headlamp for well over a decade, and while I have tested many more excellent headlamps and handheld flashlights (from myriad brands) since the Storm (now a multi-generation product) remains a firm favourite and the best design I have come across in terms of simplicity combined with high-end functionality and performance.

Suffice to say, I was excited to get hold of Black Diamond’s new Distance LT 1100 headlamp to see how it compares to the Storm and all the other headlights on the market.

Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 review

Specifications

• RRP: $120 (US) / £100 (UK) / €110 (EU)
• Weight (including battery): 108g / 3.8oz
• Dimensions (width x height x depth): 65 x 40 x 30mm
• Power: 2200 mAh Rechargeable Li-lon battery
• Modes: Low / Med / Max / PowerTap / strobe / S.O.S. / Red / Green / Blue
• Brightness: 7 lumens–1,100 lumens
• Range: Low (7 lumens): 8m / Med (300 lumens): 58m / Max (600 lumens): 110m / PowerTap (1,100 lumens): 125m
• Run time: Low: 120 hours / Med: 14 hours / Max: 4¼ hours
• Ingress rating: IP67

Design and features

The Distance LT1100 is a lightweight, single-unit head torch, with a 2200 mAh Rechargeable Li-lon battery integrated into the body of the lamp, which is mounted on an easily-adjustable elasticated headband (so all the weight sits on the front of the headband). The back of the torch unit is concave, so the head band is taut across an empty space in the middle, vastly reducing the amount of contact your forehead has with a hard piece of plastic and improving comfort levels.

A signature feature of the Distance LT1100 is the ability to tilt just the optical lens element rather than the entire unit, which enables you to see the trail you’re running along without affecting the way the entire torch is balanced on your head. Pulling this part of the torch forward also reveals a 3-light indicator gauge that reveals how much juice is left in the battery. And, while the battery is integrated, it’s also removable, and if you’re doing a long expedition or multiday adventure – such as an ultramarathon or a fastpacking trip – you can buy an extra power pack, which can easily be carried in a running pack or hiking backpack as a charged-up spare and then slid it into the torch when you need it.

The battery is recharged via a cable (supplied) and a USB-C port. Although this port doesn’t have a cover, the Distance LT1100 head torch has an ingress rating of IP67, which means it’s fully waterproof and can even be completely submerged to a depth of one metre for up to half an hour. It’s also fully dustproof, but the torch comes with a little protective carry sack.

The torch can be locked by pressing the two top buttons simultaneously for a couple of seconds (until a blue light flashes), which means you can carry it in a backpack, travel bag or pocket of an outdoor jacket without worrying that it’s going to be turned on by accident.

Light options

The Distance LT 1100 head torch offers multiple beam options to cover virtually all requirements, no matter what outdoor (or underground) pursuit you’re enjoying. When you activate the maximum brightness setting, the PowerTap, it emits a 1,100-lumen light, which throws a beam 125 metres for a 10-second burst.

Next level down is the High setting, which offers a 600-lumen beam (as compared to the 500-lumen top capacity of the highest spec version of the Storm) and a brilliant range of 110m, which can be maintained for an impressive 4¼ hours on a single charge. The 300-lumen medium setting has a very respectable range of 58 metres, and the fully charged Distance LT1100 will keep shining at that degree of brightness for 14 hours.

That should comfortably see you through the hours of darkness, but for real longevity, the low (7-lumen) setting will last 120 hours, which is five whole days, and is still bright enough to cast light 8 metres.

The multi-faceted optical lens features a single ‘main’ bulb and two smaller side bulbs to offer both spot and wide-beam options, so you can maintain depth perception across a range of brightness settings. In addition, a fourth RGB LED bulb delivers three colour options (red, green and blue) and the head torch has two pre-programmed settings: strobe and S.O.S.

Performance

My only (small) grumbles with the Distance LT1100 are that it lacks a rear red light (for safety when running on lanes and roads shared with vehicles) and that the headband is quite simplistic (with all the weight at the front, a more supportive strap would be ideal for trail runners especially).

I have been using the Distance LT1100 throughout the dark times of autumn and winter while trail running, hiking, backpacking and travelling. I found the way the unit sits on my head – with the curved back panel reducing the amount of contact the plastic has with my forehead – very comfortable. I did worry that it might lead to the torch bouncing around a bit when I was running, especially since all the weight of the Distance LT1100 is carried at the front, but happily this hasn’t happened.

It isn’t a particularly low-profile head torch, nor is it the lightest (although it is impressively low weight considering its capabilities), but one of the really innovative design elements of the Distance LT1100 is the tilting front light section. I really appreciated this feature while trail-running in the dark, because it enables you to position the beam so you can get a good look at the track immediately ahead – with all the rocky, rooty obstacles it might throw at you – without the heavier parts of the torch having to be angled, which means the whole unit remains much better balanced on your head.

The range of beam options is really impressive and useful, and the battery life is phenomenal. One of the reasons I loved my Black Diamond Storm headlamp so much was that it was very simple to use, while still offering a high level of performance, and the Distance LT1100 continues this theme. This new torch is even more capable, but it’s also very intuitive to operate.

To activate the light you press a large, easy-to-locate button on the top of the main unit. You can increase or decrease the brightness level of the beam by holding this button down (when you reach the highest or lowest setting, the light lets you know with a quick flicker). To toggle between the different bulbs (single, double, combination and colour) you press a smaller button next to the on/off switch.

Holding this button down while on the colour setting takes you through the options of having a red, green or blue light (all of which preserve your night vision and are good in certain scenarios: red is excellent for glare-free navigation and signalling, green is perfect for observing nocturnal wildlife because it doesn’t seem to disturb animals, and blue is ideal for water-based adventures).

Distance LT1100’s big party trick is the PowerTap option, which is activated by tapping the right side of the unit, which unleashes a blinding burst of 1100-lumen light, capable of illuminating anything within a 125-metre radius. It’s rare that you need this strength of beam for any length of time (it’s good for things like taking a quick look at the trail further ahead), and this maximum setting automatically dips after 10 seconds, so you don’t quickly rinse right through your battery life.

Verdict

The range of light settings – including the very impressive PowerTap function, which shoots an incredibly bright beam over a long distance – combined with the long battery life and tilt function on the Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 makes this a fantastic head torch for myriad outdoor activities, from trail running and hiking through to backpacking and mountaineering. It’s a wonderfully simple and intuitive headlamp to use, but it still offers a very sophisticated suite of lighting options. It’s not a cheap torch, but it’s extremely robust (and completely waterproof) and should last for many years, illuminating umpteen outdoor adventures.

Also consider

The closest direct competitor to the Black Diamond Distance LT1100 is probably the Petzl Swift RL 2, which is an excellent head torch with a wide range of excellent beam options, clever reactive lighting capability and a more sophisticated head band, but it’s relatively pricey, lacks the tilt function of the LT1100 and isn’t quite as waterproof.

If you’re looking for a more lightweight headlamp for night running, consider the Silva Smini, which tips the scales at just 53g – although be aware that it doesn’t offer anywhere near the beam distance, brightness, range of light options or battery life that the Black Diamond Distance LT1100 boasts.

If all these options seem a little expensive, then the Lifesystems Intensity 300 headlamp is a good budget option that still has multiple light settings (although the brightness and technical performance levels are quite a bit lower than those of the Black Diamond Distance LT1100 and the Petzl Swif RL2.