Simond UL 500 Headlamp

After using the Simond UL 500 for a few months and trips, here are my thoughts on this affordable but excellent headlamp available at Decathlon.

I like simple gear, the more whistles and bells a piece of gear has, the more can fail, and the more functions you usually don’t end up using. Keeping things simple also means keeping it affordable in most cases, and less of a chance of things breaking when you need them most.

A headlight is the only piece of lighting you really need on hiking trips. And gives you access to hands-free lighting, when doing some late night hiking, finding your way to the toilet/outhouse in the dark, packing up in early morning, or just when you are doing some reading or cooking after dark.

Price and availability

The price is the first thing that drew me to this headlamp, and I wanted to see if it was a solid option for at the time of writing this article. €19,99 at the Decathlon. They also have a couple of colour options, but I like yellow, for also being easier to find in woodland areas.

Decathlon is one of the major retailers for pretty much any outdoor or sport activity in Europe, and is due to its low prices and homebrands like Simond populair with novices and more demanding users for lots of gear. A lot of gear is nice in the more fancy and established outdoor brands and stores, but will cost you double or triple the price. Therefore the popularity for Decathlon products is not hard to figure out.

I also have two Decathlon stores within easy reach where I live, and for when you know what you want, and like to shop yourself without advice, it can be a great store. For specialist advice the more premium outdoor stores still have a solid place that provide more service. So keep that in mind.

4 light modes

Out of all the light modes, the red or first one is the most used in my case and its great that red light is the first thing when you turn it on. Which is to prepare for bed or find my way in the dark late in the evening. It does not ruin your night-sight from your own two eyeballs, and you are not shocked awake to ruin your ability to fall asleep again.

At the other end, you have enough power in the headlamp to also do some nighthiking, or to find your way out of the woods when caught out.

*Pictures don’t really do it justice, at least not on my phone. But more for a general idea.

Red Light at 5 lumens

Right at the first press on the headlamp, you get the one I use most. The red light, not just because I’m Dutch, but because it is the nicest to use for 90% of my use when out camping, hiking, or staying in a hostel on the Camino de Santiago. You don’t want to blast your tent or dorm with a powerful light. You want a small light to find your toothbrush, to read a couple more pages, or to double check if you didn’t leave anything behind.

The red light should last for around 13 hours in use. Keep in mind these numbers will decrease as the battery wears down in life. And the temperature is also a major factor.

White Light at 30 lumens

30 lumens is enough for most tasks in around your immediate area, and is handy for most needs where the red light doesn’t quite cut it. So its a solid option to have for most tasks when you need to see a bit more or work on something that requires you to see the whole picture.

White Light at 150 lumens

150 lumens is the mode that you use for when you are night hiking, or really have to see more in the distance than is required for normal use. It claims to able to shine for 30 meters, and to burn for up to 3 hours with a full charge. This will drain the battery then the fastest, and should therefore only be used sparingly until needed.

Dimmer & Red Signal

There are 2 “hidden” modes in the headlamp that are nice to have, but really wouldn’t get used much in my use. Namely an option to dim the light to your preference, or to signal 3 times with the red light. This can be done by longer pressing on the white light or red light mode respectively. The signal mode can be helpful in an emergency. And the dimmer light could be useful when using it as a mood lighting.

Pictured, the headlamp and the popular BRS stove in its pouch as a size comparison.

Weight and size

Its a very light and compact headlamp, that sits comfortably on your head with the strap. And is so light that you can wear it the whole evening without to much of a bother.

The total weight is 43 grams.

The strap can be replaced for some shock cord if you want to save a couple more grams, but I would advise against that. Since the strap is already very lightweight, has a nice feeling, and can be adjusted very nicely.

Curled up it also can fit into pretty much any pouch, I like to keep it at the very top of my backpack. In the head compartment, so I can reach for it in any situation and I know where it is. When arriving and building camp, I like to wear the headlamp around my neck already. So when you lose track of time knocking a few beers or homebrew back at a campfire, you don’t need to run back in the growing darkness for your headlamp.

Charging with USB C

USB C being the standard connection for everything is one of the great things that came out of the EU. No more running around with 10 different cables for 10 devices. Just plug it into a power adapter or powerbank, and it charges completely in the span of 3 hours. No need to disassemble completely as well, just lift up the little cover flap at the bottom to charge.

With daily use on the South Downs Way which was about a week of hiking, I did not need to charge it once. As was the case on the Camino Ingles. So in most cases on a week of hiking in the summer season, you will not need a charge every day. Depending on your use of course. Total battery capacity is 750 mAh. So with a typical powerbank you can charge it at least ~5 times without worry.

It also comes with a battery indication on the light when you turn it on. Green means that you still have between 100 and 50% (pretty wide margin). Yellow between 50 and 30%. Red for less than 30%. Blinking red for the last 10%. The same principle is true for when your charging. Completing on a solid green light at 100%.

Splash proof at IPX4

A rainstorm or nightly swim is not really recommended for this headlamp. Since it is only splashproof with a IPX4 rating. So use in light rain or splash some drink on it is going to be fine. But take it further than that and you risk ruining it. For that reason its best to store it in a waterproof bag in your backpack. Which can be as simple as throwing it in a ziploc with the rest of your electronics.

When faced with no other choice but to wear it in dangerous and wet situations, then you can also improvise a rain cover with that same ziploc bag.

So for the price, its features, and its ease of use, I think this is a solid headlamp choice for any backpacker. Also great to throw into a bug out bag, the ways things are going around the world. Or to have on hand in the trunk of your car, the buddy of your scooter, or to carry in your bicycle bags. If it gets lost or stolen it’s easy to replace.

Happy hiking and Hike for Purpose!