2014 Lights Shootout, Bike Light, Lights, Lights Shootout, lumina, Lumina 700, NiteRider - November 1, 2013

Review: NiteRider Lumina 700

First came the NiteRider Minewt 600 which was just ‘ok’ as it was rough and wasn’t close to its 600 Lumen claims. Then came the Lumina 650 and it was light years better, as it was polished and honest at 647 measured Lumens.

So now comes the the Lumina 700. It’s just a little better than the 650, but it is dialed already and is NiteRider’s best selling light of all time, selling about 30,000 units last year.

Mounting is now improved with a clamp that is tightened with a hand lever. This ensures a proper hold on the bar for those high-speed, rocky descents. The USB charging port is now moved to the bottom of the light with a better seal. This protects it from moisture and dirt much better.

The real story here is the Lumina family of lights has expanded for ‘more better’ options and it’s not just a bunch of weaker versions of the light in the same case. They actually put some thought and engineering in the other versions. They are as follows:

NiteRider Lumina Micro 220 – $70 micro light with 240 measured Lumens.

NiteRider Lumina 550 – $110 light with 558 Lumens.

NiteRider Lumina Flare 650 – $170 light with integrated tail light making it ideal for helmet mounted commuting.

NiteRider Lumina 700 – $140 with 692 measured Lumens.

Specifications

Price: $140
Claimed Lumens: 700 Lumens
Measured Lumens: 692 Lumens
Measured MTBR Lux: 74 Lux
Lumens per $: 4.94 Lumens
Lumens per gram: 4.02 Lumens
Time on High: 1:30 Hours
Charge Time: 6:00 Hours
Mounted Weight: 172 grams
Category: Flashlight/Commuter

Strengths

Great improvements over MiNewt 600 and good bump from the Lumina 650
Actual output of 692 is close to 700 claimed Lumens
Excellent design and clamp
Good value for the money
Mount is easily removed and can be used as a great flashlight
Great form factor and packaging
Beam pattern has been cleaned up with a nice trapezoidal shape that is flatter on top and shines more light at the bottom

Weaknesses

It’s one of the bigger lights at this output level

Mounting

Instead of the snap-on strap, the Lumina 700 now has a mount that is a c-clamp type and is tightened with a hand adjustable screw. This allows a secure connection to keep it from moving out of place during rocky descents. Standard helmet mount is included.

Mtbr Light Meter Measurements

This light measured 74 Lux on our ambient light measurement facility. The light output measurement is performed by placing a Lux light meter beside the light. Both are pointed at the ceiling (five feet above) of a dark room. This measurement uses the ambient light produced by the bike light.

Integrating Sphere Measured Lumens

This light measured 692 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 »

Tunnel Beam Pattern Photo

The location is useful since it has walls and a ceiling that can display a bike light beam pattern. The walls have a lot of graffiti on them and actually show detail when they are lit up by a light with a wide angle. Cones and targets are set up with the far target set up at 120 feet.