Non elastic headbands? Looking for tighter cinch and easier to clean

Other Types of Lights LED Headlamps
1

Is non elastic headbands a thing, or something that’s available? I’m thinking of something similar to the plastic used on things like welding helmets or hard hats, where you just twist the knob to cinch it down. Or maybe some kind of velcro deal.

I’m a straight up cold weather wuss…temp goes below 70*F, and I’m scrambling for sweaters and hats. So it’s not uncommon for my head to be bare at noon, then in both a wool cap & a hoody once the sun goes down. I’ve grown to really like using my headlamps for many projects where the ambient light is poor, but I’ve found that the movement of the hat/sweater hood tends to want to pull the headlamp around, as well as losing the thing off my head a number of times if I bend over or bump it while under the truck, etc.

If I cinch it tight enough to prevent this, then I feel like I’m just permanently stretching the elastic out prematurely. I burn through a cheap light every 2-3 months due to this…I just run out of adjustment room on the things. Plus it’s kind of a pain to get grease and grime out of the elastic band over time, especially since the elastic isn’t removable on the cheaper lights. But I also don’t really want to drag my more expensive Fenix lights through the shop like this either.

2

i've never seen a consumer light with headband like that, the only place where i do see it, is specialized lights for surgeons, but their headbands are much more complicated than just a band with a ratchet knob. you can find such headbands, or more like headgear on ebay, around 100-200. if you insist on non elastic band, get a safety helmet suspension harness and modify it for use with a flashlight, those usually around 20 bucks.

3

It would be pretty easy to cut up welding helmet headgear to get the twist-fit.

I use non-elastic because I got tired of sweat wrecking them:

4

Materials are cheap and it is relatively easy to sew :)

5

Velcro, webbing with an adjustable slide buckle, maybe a voile strap?

I just googled “replacement welding headband”, looks like the plastic bits are available.

6

Go to any welding supply shop, they sell replacement adjustable headbands for welding helmets.

They wear out somewhat regularly when used for their intended purpose, and they’d be easily adapted to headlamp use.

7

I use this headband with Zebralight headlamps (swung around 90 degrees from the way it’s pictured on this product page):

niteize headband

It’s not elastic and uses velcro to adjust the size.

8

Like Gary young said, try the niteize headband I keep one in the glovebox to use with my edc light in an emergency.

9

Non elastic and cinch

10

Many of the more expensive headlamps ($300+) may come with non-elastic headbands, or just slightly elastic because they’re partially made with neoprene. My Silva Spectra’s headband is more or less non-elastic. It’s the same with one of my friends’ Lumonite Navigator 2.

My old Mila headlamp (with two halogen bulbs(!)) has a completely non-elastic headband:

Even older headlamps have leather headbands. Perhaps a leather headband can be ordered from Etsy?