2015 Lights Shootout, Bike Light, CatEye, Lights, Lights Shootout, Volt 1200 - November 18, 2014

Review: CatEye Volt 1200

The CatEye Volt 1200 was one of our favorites last year with its 1253 lLumen output and $200 retail price. It trumped the competing Lezyne Mega Drive and Light & Motion Taz 1500, both at 1200 Lumens as well. But this year, the competition jumped up in output to 1400 and 1500 Lumens, respectively. So the Volt 1200 has a tougher battle now especially since its price did not change from $200.

The Volt 1200’s controlled, square shaped beam pattern is its strong point, as not too much light is wasted on top unlike other lights when there is a full, round beam that shoots up in to the sky. But the square is not ideal either, as a rectangle is preferred to put more light on the sides or periphery. For lights of this power, it’s ideal to have a very wide beam to allow the rider to see the trail periphery well.

The enemy of this light is heat, as there is not a lot of heat sinking available and the light can heat up rather quickly. As it heats up, the light gets dimmer to protect the LED. Even after we cooled it down with a powerful fan, the Volt 1200 stepped up in brightness but very, very slowly. In warmer conditions or rides where the rider is not moving the whole time, the rider will not get as much light from the Volt 1200. It will start out very bright and dim down as the light gets hot.

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 1253 Lumens in an integrating sphere. Claimed Lumens by the manufacturer is 1200 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

Nice and bright at 1253 measured Lumens
Excellent form factor for such a powerful light
Opticube square shaped beam pattern exhibits good light control and can keep the light aimed away from others’ eyes
Incredible value for the money
Light can detect a high powered USB port and charge in 8 hours instead of 14

Weaknesses

Price and brightness are unchanged from last year, as the competition has improved
Can heat up very quickly and step down the light output
Beam needs to be wider
Trusty, small mount is starting to look outgunned on this big light head