2014 Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout
Update: Oct. 7, 2014
The 2015 lights are now arriving daily. We will have an awesome array of head lights and tail lights. There seems to be a new crop of affordable lights now that are USB rechargeable.
Stay tuned as Daylight Savings Time ends Nov. 2, 2014.
The 2014 Bike Lights Shootout is here! The batteries are charged and the lux meter and lumisphere are ready. We’ve been riding these lights for the last few weeks and the progress in LED technology is dramatic once again.
The three sections of this test are:
1. Tunnel Beam Pattern Shots – Compare all the beam patterns side by side.
2. Integrating Sphere Lumen Measurements – View actual measured Lumens of each light
3. Individual Reviews Below – Click on each light below to read the editorial and user reviews.
The graph above (click to view larger) shows the Manufacturer’s Claimed Lumens vs. Measured Lumens by Mtbr in a laboratory. The blue bars are Claimed Lumens and red are Actual Measured Lumens.
Note: Cygolite refuses to participate in any independent testing of their lights so we are unable to review them.
Bontrager Ion 700
It is a tiny light that is manufactured to the highest standards. It is a bright light in a tiny package. It’ll fit on your bars, your helmet or in your pocket. At the price of $100, it trumps all of the competition in the 700 Lumen category. Read more…
CatEye Volt 300
This year, the new light is the Volt 300 for only $60. And the good news is actual output is 349 Lumens in the sphere. So not only is it significantly cheaper but it’s much brighter as well. Read more…
CatEye Volt 1200
This light is definitely a winner with its price to performance ratio. It is a potent little package that throws a lot of light. Read more…
Fenix BTR20
The Fenix BTR20 is a nice light with a dual beam pattern coming out of one head. Using special lens optics, they are able to project a wide beam and a focused spot beam at the same time. Read more…
Gemini Lights Duo 1500
The Gemini Duo is ideal for helmet mounting as it it provides a lightweight head, very similar to the Lupine Piko 4. It throws out a nice 1208 Lumen beam pattern for a run time of 1:30. Read more…
Gemini Lights Olympia 2100
85 gram light head makes it ideal for either bar or helmet use and impressive programmability gives the light a lot of range for different applications. Read more...
Gemini Lights Xera 950
The Xera has a nice, tiny light head and it puts out a good amount of light. It’s ideal for the helmet use with a Duo or Olympia on the bar. This year, the Xera has a 100 Lumen bump from last year and that is typical of the upgrade in the whole Gemini line up. Read more…
Gloworm X1
The Gloworm X1 is a great addition to the Gloworm line as it introduces a single LED, lightweight unit to complement the more powerful X2 and X3 lights. This makes it ideal for helmet mounting, as the measured 918 Lumen light weighs in at under 200 grams. Read more…
Gloworm X2
Starting with the Gloworm X2 last year, they now have the X1, XS and a CX self-contained light. We even saw them at Interbike this year, making the trek from New Zealand to show off all their new products. Read more…
Gloworm XS
The Gloworm XS is a high end light that a delivers a very wide but controlled beam pattern. The beam is rectangular to optimize for width and peripheral vision. Read more…
Lezyne Deca Drive
The Deca Drive is Lezyne’s follow-on to the Mega Drive of last year. It measures almost 900 Lumens and is only 100 Lumens weaker than last year’s Mega Drive. But it is $50 cheaper and that makes this a terrific value. Read more…
Lezyne Macro Drive
The Macro Drive is a decent $70 light putting out 307 Lumens against a claimed 350 Lumens. The light output is pretty steady throughout the battery cycle and it lasts two hours in the highest setting. Read more…
Lezyne Mega Drive
The Mega Drive is the flagship of the Lezyne light line. It features a robust and machine chassis with more heatsinks that we’ve ever seen in a light head. The beam is produced by two LEDs working in concert to produce both width and throw. Read more…
Lezyne Micro Drive Rear
This is a tail light for $50 that puts out about 70 Lumens. It’s got good side visibility and can be seen from well over a mile on a clear day. Read more…
Lezyne Mini Drive XL
This stubby little light from Lezyne is interesting at $75 with 250 Lumens that lasts about an hour. The light has the ‘infinite’ battery design which is field replaceable if the rider carries spare batteries. Read more…
Lezyne Super Drive XL
The Super Drive XL is a stubby little LED light that puts out 589 Lumens for $120. It has a nice bar mount, improved from last year and it can be mounted on the bar or the helmet. Read more…
Light & Motion Seca 2000 Race
But the real story is still the beam pattern as much of the light is pointed to the ground and the sides. Very little of the light is wasted into empty space. So hats off to Light & Motion for reviving one the best designed light heads ever made in the bike market. Read more…
Light & Motion Taz 1000
The Taz 1000 is our favorite light in the Light & Motion line up. It delivers 1000 honest Lumens and it seems like a brighter light since the beam pattern is very efficient. Read more…
Light & Motion Taz 1200
The Taz 1200 is a great light that delivers 1206 honest Lumens and it seems like a brighter light since the beam pattern is very efficient. The light is directed to the ground so there is very little light wasted into empty air. Read more…
Light & Motion Urban 700
The Urban was one of our favorite lights last year as it delivered an honest 550 Lumens in a very compact unit. This year, claimed output is bumped up to 700 Lumens and we measured their output at 708 Lumens. Read more…
Lupine Betty R 10
In every shootout, there has to be a top dog. This year, the Lupine Betty takes the crown by a devastating landslide. They not only spec’d a 4500 Lumen light, but they also backed it up. This light is almost scary in brightness level and one really has to look away from the light head or risk seeing ‘stars’ for a moment. Read more…
Lupine Piko 4
The Lupine Piko 4 is the bread and butter of the Lupine powerhouse line-up. While far from being the most powerful, it is reachable by many at $335. And what it really offers is size and functionality. Read more…
Lupine Piko TL Max and MiniMax
The size is diminutive and it only weighs 185/145 grams, but turn it on and it packs quite a punch displayed in a big, even beam pattern. The LEDs and optics are identical to the Piko 4, but this sports a flashlight configuration. Read more…
Lupine Wilma 7
Last year, when folks asked me for the best light, I would say “Lupine Wilma 7”. It wasn’t cheap but if someone was looking for the ultimate setup, this was the one that deliver ultimate brightness and flexibility. Read more…
Magicshine Eagle 600
The secret sauce of of this light is an OLED display that tells you current battery level and current run time left. It tells you exactly how much battery charge you have left and it will calculate in real-time your runtime based on your current light level. Read more…
NiteRider Lightning Bug 100 USB
This is a pretty cool commuter light. It’s small, puts out 122 Lumens and it’s only $45. It was difficult to achieve a rechargeable light for under $50, but the folks at NiteRider got it sorted out in this 40 gram device. Read more…
NiteRider Lumina 550
So now comes the the Lumina 700 and the Lumina 550. This expands the Lumina 650 options, as the 550 offers an impressive light at $110. Measured output is at 558 Lumens and run time on high is at 1:30. Read more…
NiteRider Lumina 700
So now comes the the Lumina 700. It’s just a little better than the 650, but it is dialed already and is NiteRider’s best selling light of all time, selling about 30,000 units last year. Read more…
NiteRider Lumina Flare
To complement the NiteRider Lumina 700, the Lumina Flare 650 comes in with a little lower Lumen rating at 650, but integrates a red tail light at the back of the integrated light unit. This leverages mounting, electronics and battery for a much needed commuting tail light. Read more…
NiteRider Stinger USB
This is just a tiny little tail light with some good animation and side visibility. Its claim to fame is it is rechargeable. At $35, that’s quite an achievement. Read more…
NiteRider Lumina Micro 220
There’s the Lumina 550 and next in line is the smaller sibling, the Micro 220. It shares the same chassis design but in a small stubby package. It’s a cool light for $70 and it measures at 240 Lumens, so it’s a great commuter light. Read more…
NiteRider Pro 1200 Race
This light shares the chassis of the NiteRider 1500 from a couple years ago, but where that light claimed 1500 Lumens, it only measured 1100 Lumens in our testing. This one claims 1200 Lumens, but it measured 1310 Lumens in our integrating sphere test. Read more…
Princeton Tec Push
For $50, Princeton Tec offers a light here that claims 150 Lumens but actually measured higher at 212 Lumens. It also sports great side lighting with a nice red strip of light on each side. Read more…
Serfas True 350
The top dog in this series is the the True 750 for $160 but the sibling, the True 350 can be had for $120. The other advantage besides fitting it in the budget is the run time increases to the coveted 2-hour mode in the highest setting. Read more…
Serfas True 550
Instead of sticking with the light chassis from last year, Serfas stepped it up with a brand new, more robust chassis this year. The new one seems bigger with more cooling fins. It has air ports in front near the lens that serve to funnel air through the heat sink and cool the light down at speed. Read more…
Serfas True 750
This new player was showing hints of brilliance on the the self-contained category but we just wanted more light so it would be sufficient for trail riding. We are happy to see the the Serfas True 750 which actually measures better at 773 Lumens. Read more…
Serfas TSL-T1000
The Serfas TSL-1000 is a cool light. It dares to innovate where many others stay the same and just employ the latest LEDs in their old light chassis. It’s a completely new light for Serfas with a tiny head unit much like the Lupine Piko and Gemini Duo, but this one is a little bigger and has air ducts to help dissipate heat. Read more…
Supernova Airstream
The Supernova Airstream seems to play by a different set of rules. Instead of creating a low-cost, ultra bright light that will be rendered useless in a few years under harsh conditions, Supernova set out to make the best light for commuting. Read more…
Trail Led DS
The Trail Led DS is the middle-ground light hitting 2640 measured Lumens. The form factor and shape is just right with 6 LEDs in a curved row. This forms kind of a halo around the helmet and is shaped to follow the curvature of most helmets. Read more…
Trail Led Halo
Trail Led is a bike light company similar to the great handmade bike builders like Moots and Vanilla Cycles. It is run by craftsman Grady Pace who is meticulous about his work and craftsmanship. The Trail Led Halo is the most extreme one of the group putting out a measured 5350 Lumens. Read more…
Trail Led XXX
Trail Led is a bike light company similar to the great handmade bike builders like Moots and Vanilla Cycles. It is run by craftsman Grady Pace who is meticulous about his work and craftsmanship. Mounting the XXX model is the easiest in the family and it can be mounted anywhere on the helmet. Read more…
Xeccon Geinea I
The Xeccon Geinea is a 650 Lumen light with a tail light included in the system. A remote switch is included to control both front and tail lights. Read more…
Xeccon Sogn 700
The Xeccon Sogn 700 is a powerful light from Xeccon that features two banks of 3-LED lenses. It is a big light at 658 grams, but it’s good to see a huge beam pattern from this light. It throws far and wide and that’s a good thing with this many Lumens. Read more…
Xeccon Spiker 1210
The Xeccon Spiker is a light with 4 LEDs and a big hard cased battery. The beam is big and bright and it is best used as a bar light to project a wide beam pattern. A spot helmet light would complement this light nicely. Read more…
The Measured Lumen Per Dollar Graph (click to view larger) shows the brightest lights for the money.
The Measured Lumen Per Gram Graph (click to view larger) shows the brightest lights for the weight. Note that run times may vary but all tested are in the 1:30 to 2:30 hour range.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEX9xtFo_R0
Video: Best 700 Lumen lights.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RhhZZaK-aM
Video: Best 1200 Lumen lights
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvyptpA-BmY
Lumen measuring process video using an integrating sphere with Chris McCaslin.
Visit last year’s 2013 Bike Lights Shootout.
Related Links
All Mtbr Lights Shootout Articles »
2014 Bike Lights Shootout »
2014 Tunnel Beam Pattern Comparisons »
2014 Mtbr Lumen Tests »
2013 Bike Lights Shootout »
2012 Bike Lights Shootout »
Mtbr Lights Reviews »
Mtbr Lights Forum »
The post 2014 Mtbr Bike Lights Shootout appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.