2015 Lights Shootout, Bike Light, Bontrager, Ion 700, Lights, Lights Shootout - November 4, 2014

Review: Bontrager Ion 700

Bontrager is taking the bike lights category seriously as evidenced by the 700 Lumen Ion 700. Introduced late last year, users continue to be surprised by the size and power of this light. Another attraction too is the quality of construction is extremely high and it really feels quite slick on the bike or in one’s pocket as the ultimate stealth flashlight.

The price is $100 and that trumps all of the competition. In this category of self-contained bike lights, the contenders sit at $120 with the NiteRider Lumina 750, Lezyne Super Drive, CatEye Volt 700 and the Light & Motion Urban 700.

The Bontrager Ion 700 is the smallest of the lot as well, as it manages to best even the tiny Light & Motion Urban 700. The mount is tiny as well, as it’s nothing more than a rotating platform with a one-size fits all rubber loop. The length of the rubber loop can even be adjusted by loosening the screw on top of the mount. Weight is 118 grams by itself and 141 grams with the bar mount.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7EjS6y4Jt8

Video: Test loop with the Bontrager Ion 700. Camera is on a locked ISO setting and is set to Wide Angle mode

Of course not everything is a bed of roses, as the light does not come with a helmet mount, although this one would be ideal as one. The light had a bit of play too on the mount, but we were able to minimize that by tightening the Phillips screw on the mount.

Beam Pattern Photo

We photographed the lights in the same location setting with the same camera settings. The photos were taken in the back yard that is approximately 25 yards long. These photos feature many objects and a distinct background to analyze detail and beam pattern. Compare all Beam Patterns here »

Integrating Sphere Measured Lumens

This light measured 682 Lumens in an integrating sphere. Claimed Lumens by the manufacturer is 700 Lumens. The Lumen-hour graph below shows how the light performs over the first three minutes of its battery cycle. Compare all Lumen Tests here »

Strengths

Construction and beam quality are top-notch
$100 price point bests the competition in the 700 Lumen category
Side lighting is just perfect, as it aids commuters but doesn’t get in the way of mountain bikers
Size and weight are smallest in this category
It is highly modular and versatile as the cyclist can use two or three in tandem to achieve any brightness level