BioLite
BioLite Dash 450 (450 lumens)
- Brightness: 6/10 How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark.
- Runtime: 4/10 How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by.
- Weight: 7/10 How much it adds to your pack and your head.
Night running and fast hiking where a light, no-bounce lamp matters
- Brightness
- 450 lumens (maker's figure)
- Runtime
- 3 h at 450 lumens
- Weight
- 78 g
- Power
- Rechargeable
- Water rating
- IPX4
Where to buy
Alpinetrek £56.95 In stock. Delivery £4.49. Reduced price: the page shows £59.95 struck through, so this is a sale price. The page says the item is not in stock right now. Free delivery from £85, £4.49 under £85.
View at shop: AlpinetrekUltralight Outdoor Gear £69.99 In stock. Free delivery. About £10 above the £59.95 UK RRP; this shop's page lists £69.99 as the RRP. Free tracked delivery on UK orders.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Brightness
From maker's figures 6/10How much light it gives at full power, for finding your way in the dark. 6: A bit better than average.
Maker's figure, 450 lumens on High (a 325-lumen spot and 125-lumen flood together) with no test standard stated: the 300–499 band (maker's figure).
Runtime
From maker's figures 4/10How long one charge or set of batteries lasts at a level you can walk and cook by. 4: A bit below average.
BioLite's tech specs give 3 hours on High (450 lumens), the 2–3.9 h band; its EU comparison table says 4 hours, but its US pages say 3, so we band the lower figure. It gives 60 hours on Low but no lumen figure for it, so we can't count it as a mode of 80 lumens or more. Advnture and Treeline Review agree with 3 hours on High.
Weight
From maker's figures 7/10How much it adds to your pack and your head. 7: Better than most.
BioLite's US and EU pages list 78 g with the built-in battery, in the 50–89 g band. Ultralight Outdoor Gear's page says 82 g and Knives and Tools 80 g: all in the same band.
In short
Good for
- Night running and fast hiking where a light, no-bounce lamp matters
- Road sections and shared lanes: the rear red light and reflective band make you visible from behind
- Camp use with a dimmable flood and a red flood that keeps night vision
Strengths
- 78 g with the battery; the 10 mm front unit sits flush in the band
- Very comfortable, stable fit with a moisture-wicking band
- Rear red flood and strobe light on the battery pack
- Dimmable spot (90 m) and flood beams, and a red flood mode
- USB-C charging, a travel lock mode, brightness memory and a 1-hour reserve
Weaknesses
- Only 3 hours at full power by BioLite's figure
- IPX4: splashproof, not for heavy rain or immersion
- The 1000 mAh battery is built in: no AAA fallback or swappable cell on a long trip
- One-button controls take learning, and are tricky with thick gloves
- The charging-port cover broke off Treeline Review's test unit
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (5)
- BioLite: Dash 450 product page and tech specs (EU shop; the US page gives the same figures)
- Treeline Review: BioLite Dash 450 rechargeable headlamp review (tested for 8 months on the Arizona Trail and Grand Enchantment Trail)
- CleverHiker: BioLite Dash 450 headlamp review (Ben Dawson)
- Advnture: BioLite Dash 450 review (Pat Kinsella; T3 runs the same writer's review, counted once)
- Run Oregon: The glow-up is real with the BioLite Dash 450 headlamp (Matt Rasmussen; sample from BioLite)