Review: Lupine Betty R 15
The Lupine Betty R 15 comes in helmet mount configuration (click to enlarge).
Editor’s Note: This article is part of Mtbr and RoadBikeReview’s 2016 Bike Lights Shootout. See the 2016 Mtbr Headlights Index and the RoadBikeReview Commuter Lights Index.
The Lowdown: Lupine Betty R 15
Lupine Betty came in at 4711 Lumens last year. This year, it clocked in at 4989 forest piercing Lumens. We don’t know how they do it, but they keep extracting more light from this little beast. It is the ultimate light indeed for going fast and seeing far, far in front of you.
It is is matched in sophistication as well with an array of batteries to select from and a very smart charger. A Bluetooth remote and iPhone App come with the package, so it is a well rounded set indeed.
| Claimed Lumens: 5000 Lumens | Mtbr Lux: 488 |
| Measured Lumens: 4989 Lumens | Mounted weight: 653 grams |
| Lumens per $: 4.32 Lumens | Category: Headlight |
| Lumens per gram: 7.64 Lumens | Price: $1,155 |
| Run time on high: 2:00 Hours |
Rating:  4.5 Chilis-out-of-5 |
Pluses |
Minuses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Full Review: Lupine Betty R 15
It needs a lot of cooling to get maximum output. But don’t fret if you’re riding in hot nights or are not moving fast enough to give it ample cooling. This light protects itself and saves the battery by throttling down when it’s hot and it gets brighter when there’s enough airflow. We like to think of it as a speed-sensing light, since it will get brighter the faster you go.
The Lupine Betty R 15 app controls, configures and monitors the light (click to enlarge).
In every shootout, there has to be a top dog. This year, the Lupine Betty is challenged by the CatEye Volt 6000 and that is one bright light indeed. It only has an hour runtime though and the beam is mega wide, but not very far. For ultimate usability, the Betty still gets our vote. They not only spec’d a 5000 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.
The good news is the light levels are very configurable all the way to 40 Lumens without any flicker at all. This one system can serve many purposes from the longest marathon races to the fastest descent around.
Continue to page 2 for more on the Lupine Betty R 15, the beam pattern and Lumen measurement »
The post Review: Lupine Betty R 15 appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.