2015 Lights Shootout, Bike Light, CatEye, Lights, Lights Shootout, Volt 700 - November 5, 2014

Review: CatEye Volt 700

Now this CatEye Volt 700 is an incredible light. It shares the same body as last year’s Volt 300 and it got a serious treatment from the tuner shop. They now claim 700 Lumens and we measured it at 773 Lumens of rock-steady output.

Battery life on high is 2 hours with a powerful 3100 mAh battery. Charging time is 5 hours with a 1 watt USB or longer with a standard phone charger, as the light can detect and take advantage of more powerful USB currents.

The beam is shaped as well with squared-off edges to track the trail better and use the light more efficiently. The riding video will show that this light has graduated from a commuter light to a legitimate trail riding light. Use two on the bars or one on the helmet and bar for the ultimate setup.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=paRkFsO_M1I

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

So color us impressed with this latest product from CatEye. It sports quality construction that CatEye has been long known for. The mount is the old bike computer ‘radiator clamp’ type mount and it works perfectly for this application. It accommodates all handlebar sizes and the light can be cinched down very securely.

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 773 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

$120 is a good deal for this light
773 measured Lumens is quite a bit above the claimed 700 Lumens and it is the brightest in this class
Excellent CatEye quality
It is the perfect helmet light to complement the Volt 1200
Light head has a lip to prevent rider glare and it has cutouts on the side to provide some side visibility
It is modular and the rider can buy two or three of these lights and be able to customize the aim and beam pattern