REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Rechargeable
Well suited for night time running use
REASONS TO AVOID
Below average beam throw
Poor battery life
Not competitive with general-use lights
Black Diamond Iota Review
A budget alternative for night running use
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: The Hunt for the Best Headlamps
Our Verdict
The $40 list Black Diamond Iota provides night time and early morning runners with a much lower cost alternative to the amazing Black Diamond Sprinter at $80 list. But, that cost savings comes with a big reduction in performance. The Sprinter offers better lighting, is much more comfortable to wear when running, and includes a red tail light that makes you more visible to cars and might just save your life. Serious runners will be wise to pass on the Iota and buy the Sprinter instead. But, for the occasional runner on a tight budget, or someone who runs exclusively on trails, the Iota is a contender.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Black Diamond Iota | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $40 List | $21.97 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $29 List | $15.96 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $14.89 at REI Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Lightweight, rechargeable, well suited for night time running use | Excellent spot light capability, wide evenly lit flood beam, above average in most ways | Good performance for the price, 94 meter beam throw, easy to use | Super easy to use, inexpensive, solid performance, compact, and reliable | Lightweight, small size, excellent flood beam, great price |
| Cons | Below average beam throw, poor battery life, not competitive with general-use lights | Below average battery life, claimed battery life is wildly misleading, single button hard to use, lame waterproofing | Average in most ways | Good but not great spot beam for trail finding, slightly below average flood beam optics | Too weak a beam for trail finding or distance viewing |
| Bottom Line | A budget alternative for night running use | A quality, durable, and bright light that hits the sweet spot for most people's needs, despite dubious marketing claims | The Yalumi is a good light, at a good price, that provides basic functionality | For $20, the Tikkina offers impressive performance at a great price, that will meet most people's needs | Offers great close proximity lighting at a budget price |
| Rating Categories | Black Diamond Iota | Black Diamond Spot | Yalumi LED 140-Lumen | Petzl Tikkina | Black Diamond Astro |
| Trail Finding (35%) | |||||
| Close Proximity (20%) | |||||
| Battery Life (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Black Diamond Iota | Black Diamond Spot | Yalumi LED 140-Lumen | Petzl Tikkina | Black Diamond Astro |
| Measured Beam Distance | 37 m | 94 m | 94 m | 62 m | 38 m |
| Claimed Distance | 40 m | 80 m | 90 m | 55 m | 35 m |
| Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) | 1.8 hrs | 2.9 hrs | 4.3 hrs | 3.5 hrs | 4.8 hrs |
| Claimed High Mode Run-time | 2 hrs | 30 hrs | Not specified | 60 hrs | 20 hrs |
| Measured Low Mode Run-time | 69 hrs | 9.7 hrs | 47 hrs | 223 hrs | 95 hrs |
| Claimed Low Mode Run-time | 40 hrs | 175 hrs | 100 hrs | 220 hrs | 80 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 1.9 oz, 53 g | 3.1 oz, 89 g | 2.7 oz, 77 g | 2.9 oz, 83 g | 3 oz, 86 g |
| Battery Type | Rechargeable lithium ion | 3 AAA | 3 AAA | 3 AAA | 3 AAA |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 splash proof | Splash proof (dubious IPX8 claim) | IPX4 splash proof | IPX4 splash proof | IPX4 splash proof |
| Manuf Claimed Lumens | 150 lumens | 300 lumens | 140 lumens | 150 lumens | 150 lumens |
| Beam Type | flood, dimmable | flood/spot | flood/spot | flood | flood, dimmable |
| Red Light | no | yes | yes | no | no |
| On Switch Lock | yes | yes | no | no | yes |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The BD Iota is a good light for those who love to take regular runs at dusk, dawn, or at night. Its big advantage is that it sells for half the price at $40 of the light you'd really want for running, the Black Diamond Sprinter which costs $80.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Likes
The lighting level of the Iota is pretty good when viewed for the special purpose as a runner's headlamp. The beam is wide, evenly lit, and lights up the path ahead sufficiently. While we much prefer the Sprinter's brighter and wider beam (as well as the Sprinter's rear tail light), the Iota is good enough to get the job done on well-defined trails, roads, and paths.
Beam Distance Photos
Black Diamond Iota
Black Diamond Sprinter
The Iota is pleasantly small and light at only 1.9 ounces or 53g. It is reasonably comfortable to wear when running, although the band is narrower than we'd ideally want to see (much narrower than most other BD headlamps, and it is no match for the stability and comfort offered by the Sprinter's balanced design and supportive top band.
The light's lithium-ion batteries are easily recharged using a micro USB charging cable. Rechargeable batteries are great for a runner's headlamp since it eliminates the hassle and cost of buying replacement batteries.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Dislikes
Battery life is relatively short, at 1.8 hours in our test, which stacks up poorly against most general purpose headlamps but will meet the needs of most runners.
Poor beam distance makes the Iota a compromised solution for general-purpose use, where the ability to switch into spotlight mode is core functionality.
Beam Distance Photos
Black Diamond Iota
Black Diamond Spot
The Iota beam just doesn't stack up well against stronger general-purpose lights like the BD Spot (shown above, right), or even versus the $20 Petzl Tikkina.
No Rear Tail Light for Road Safety
We consider the red safety tail lights on the Sprinter to be a very valuable feature for anyone who runs on the road, a feature that could literally be a lifesaver. While those who run exclusively on dedicated trails may find the red tail lights unnecessary, if you run even part time on the road, or in an urban environment on sidewalks with frequent road crossings, we think the tail light makes the Sprinter well worth the extra $40 over the Iota.
Conclusion
The Iota does a good job at creating the budget light for runners. If you are a runner who frequently runs in the early morning, at sunset, or at night, the Black Diamond Sprinter is the light we recommend and think you'd really want to use. But, the Iota provides good-enough performance at half the price, and so if you are on a tight budget, it just be might be the right solution for you.
—
RJ Spurrier
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