2015 Lights Shootout, Bike Light, Gloworm, Lights, Lights Shootout, XS - November 2, 2014

Review: Gloworm XS

The Gloworm is a little monster of a light. Putting out more output than Niterider Pro 2200 or the Light and Motion Seca 2000, the XS accomplishes the feat in a lighthead that is half the size of the others. Yet it is still able to cool itself off when allowed airflow. Such size makes it flexible for handlebar or even helmet use. The beam pattern is pretty wide and it makes good use of the available light to give good peripheral vision.

This year, the XS sports a quick release system that is GoPro compatible. This opens up the unit to GoPro and other third party mounts.

The head unit weighs 110 grams but it delivers an incredibly bright and consistent light that measured in at 2350 Lumens. The light has a wired remote switch that will keep your hands away from the head unit that can get hot. And it will bring the switch by your fingertips when the light is bar mounted. The light also includes a bar mount in addition to the helmet mount.

And finally, battery pack looks good with Panasonic cells and a fuel gauge on the pack. Run time is an excellent 2 hours at max output. Two packs are available, a 4-cell and a 2-cell one and we used the 4-cell on this test which takes 5 hours to charge. Programability is one of the high points of the Gloworm design, as there is almost a limitless amount of light levels and options available. It is well-designed but any UI that doesn’t have displays or monitors requires a bit of practice to get used to.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADIW90UsSPU

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

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 2359 Lumens in an integrating sphere. Claimed Lumens by the manufacturer is 2200 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 »