Reviews You Can Rely On

Northbound Train LED Review

At a similar price-point to higher scoring headlamps, the Northbound Train LED is more appealing for household use than as an outdoor tool
Northbound Train LED
Credit: Abriah Wofford
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Price:  $45 List
Pros:  Simple design and usage
Cons:  No switch lock, short beam throw
Manufacturer:   Northbound Train
By RJ Spurrier ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  May 28, 2018
Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
45
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#24 of 27
  • Trail Finding - 35% 3.0
  • Close Proximity - 20% 3.0
  • Battery Life - 15% 5.0
  • Weight - 15% 6.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 8.0

Our Verdict

As of December 2019, Northbound Train appears to have dissolved as a company, and thus this headlamp is no longer in production.

This headlamp is priced similarly to the Black Diamond Spot and $15 less than Editors' Choice winning Black Diamond ReVolt. With this price-point competition, Northbound Train really needs to step up their game. Performance across the board suffers next to these and other products we reviewed. We anticipate that this product is apt to be readily available on sale. In this case, as long as the price is competitive with our Best Buy winner, the Petzl Tikkina, we can recommend the Northbound Train as a household headlamp.

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
Northbound Train LED
This Product
Northbound Train LED
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $45 List$37.46 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$27.96 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$29 List
$19.95 at Amazon		$19.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
45
73
70
63
60
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Pros Simple design and usageExcellent trail finding and close proximity beam, waterproof, above average battery lifeExcellent spot light capability, wide evenly lit flood beam, above average in most waysGood performance for the price, 94 meter beam throw, easy to useSuper easy to use, inexpensive, solid performance, compact, and reliable
Cons No switch lock, short beam throwMore expensive, heavier than average, claimed battery life is very misleadingBelow average battery life, claimed battery life is wildly misleading, single button hard to use, lame waterproofingAverage in most waysGood but not great spot beam for trail finding, slightly below average flood beam optics
Bottom Line At a similar price-point to higher scoring headlamps, the Northbound Train LED is more appealing for household use than as an outdoor toolA durable light that will last for years with a bright high-quality beam, slightly higher in cost and weightA quality, durable, and bright light that hits the sweet spot for most people's needs, despite dubious marketing claimsThe Yalumi is a good light, at a good price, that provides basic functionalityFor $20, the Tikkina offers impressive performance at a great price, that will meet most people's needs
Rating Categories Northbound Train LED Black Diamond Storm Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina
Trail Finding (35%)
3.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
5.0
Close Proximity (20%)
3.0
8.0
9.0
5.0
4.0
Battery Life (15%)
5.0
6.0
4.0
6.0
7.0
Weight (15%)
6.0
5.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Ease of Use (15%)
8.0
6.0
6.0
9.0
10.0
Specs Northbound Train LED Black Diamond Storm Black Diamond Spot Yalumi LED 140-Lumen Petzl Tikkina
Measured Beam Distance 34 m 91 m 94 m 94 m 62 m
Claimed Distance 30 m 85 m 80 m 90 m 55 m
Measured High Mode Run-time (ANSI) 13.8 hrs 5 hrs 2.9 hrs 4.3 hrs 3.5 hrs
Claimed High Mode Run-time 40 hrs 30 hrs Not specified 60 hrs
Measured Low Mode Run-time 107 hrs 42 hrs 9.7 hrs 47 hrs 223 hrs
Claimed Low Mode Run-time 120 hrs 175 hrs 100 hrs 220 hrs
Measured Weight 3.1 oz, 87 g 4 oz, 112 g 3.1 oz, 89 g 2.7 oz, 77 g 2.9 oz, 83 g
Battery Type 3 AAA 4 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA 3 AAA
Water Resistance IPX4 splash proof IP67 waterproof to one meter and dustproof Splash proof (dubious IPX8 claim) IPX4 splash proof IPX4 splash proof
Manuf Claimed Lumens 90 lumens 350 lumens 300 lumens 140 lumens 150 lumens
Beam Type flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood/spot flood
Red Light yes yes, red/green/blue night-vision modes yes yes no
On Switch Lock no yes yes no no

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Northbound Train LED light is a product that appears to be made and packaged in the same facility or facilities as some of the best performing products in our test. It is also priced like a better performing product. However, our experience with the Northbound Train indicated substandard performance.

Performance Comparison


the northbound train led headlamp, which is a low performing light...
The Northbound Train LED headlamp, which is a low performing light for the $40-$50 price point.
Credit: Micah James

Trail Finding


As you can see in the beam comparison below the Northbound Train light isn't even in the same league as the Editors' Choice winning Coast HL7. For fewer dollars on the Coast, you get what looks and feels like truly high-end optics and beam throw. We are somewhat perplexed by the Northbound's performance and price, to be honest.

Beam Distance Photos
Beam photo of
Beam photo of


Close Proximity


With a relatively clean lens arrangement and wide spreading beam, the close proximity lighting of the Northbound Train LED is its most competitive attribute. With a score of seven out of ten, the LED light sits solidly average among our tested products. As compared, however, to the beam of something like the Nitecore HC50, the beam is clearly rough and spotty.

Close-proximity Beam Pattern
Beam photo of
Beam photo of


Battery Life


Battery life on the Northbound LED as deduced from just our coffin test wasn't actually all that poor. Burning 4.2 hours on high mode is a respectable score, falls just above the middle of our test roster, and is pretty close to the similarly priced but otherwise much higher scoring Black Diamond Spot. As compared, however, to our Editors' Choice Black Diamond ReVolt, the Northbound's light-coffin score is clearly less. Additionally, overall battery life in actual usage is dependent on other variables. Lights with the brightest bulbs can be used in much lower modes, while our testing was only in high beam mode. We bumped the Northbound's battery life score down because of its lesser beam. You'll use the high-beam mode a greater percentage of the time, burning the batteries faster. Also, we bumped the score down again because the Northbound lacks a locking switch.

the northbound train takes 3 aaa batteries.
The Northbound Train takes 3 AAA batteries.
Credit: Micah James

Brightness


Throwing a beam just 27 meters puts the Northbound only one spot away from the bottom of our test roster. Only the Black Diamond Gizmo casts light less far. Even the diminutive Top Pick winner Petzl e+LITE pushes usable light 30m. In a refreshing move, Northbound does indeed report their brightness pretty accurately. They claim the LED light shines 30m.

Weight


The LED light from Northbound Train weighs 94 grams. In that category, it sits solidly in the middle of our test. The much higher scoring Black Diamond Cosmo is the same weight.

the northbound train led light looks remarkably similar to the black...
The Northbound Train LED light looks remarkably similar to the Black Diamond lights. Even the packaging is similar. Shown here, on the left is the Northbound with the BD Spot on the right. They look similar, but performance is considerably distinct.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Ease of Use


The switch on this headlamp is easy to use and clicks through just a couple brightness modes. We had no complaints about the usability of the Northbound lamp.

Best Applications


This is only an acceptable light for casual camping or for keeping in your car. Any one of our Best Buy lights (this year's winner, the Petzl Tikkina, or the ultra inexpensive Energizer 3 LED) would be a better choice, however, in this application.

the northbound light in action exiting a rock climbing area in...
The Northbound light in action exiting a rock climbing area in Utah's Indian Creek. For most mellow applications, the performance shortcomings of the Northbound are hardly an issue. It is when conditions get more intense that one wants a beefier light.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Value


Given the low performance and narrow distribution of the Northbound light, one is likely to find it on sale. If the sale price approaches or drops below that of the aforementioned best buy lights, it could be considered as a value option.

Conclusion


While we generally choose lights to test that offer the promise of above average performance, the Northbound is an outlier. It should be telling that we are unlikely to choose to include this particular product, unless it is changed in design, in future OutdoorGearLab reviews.

— RJ Spurrier
You Might Also Like

Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.

GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.

Learn More