There are a number of things to take into consideration when looking to purchase new bike lights – most notably brightness (lumens), charging and obviously price.
But value for money is becoming increasingly noticed these days and that exactly was what I was after in my light hunt.
Value for money in the lights’ area is calculated using lumens per pound (£), with the 150 coming in at a good 6.4 lumens per pound – value being much better than the brand’s smaller Zecto model.
This is substantial compared to other rear lights that tend to be a lot dearer than front lights in terms of lumens per pound.
The 150 comes in at £23.49 at time of posting on tredz.co.uk – its closest competitor on my shortlist being the 80-lumen NiteRider Sabre at £14.99 (5.3 lumens per pound).
Brightness modes
The 150 has a plethora of flashing modes including two super-bright daytime visibility modes.
There are three blast modes – 45 lumens, 15 lumens and 3 lumens – that have runtimes of 1.5 hours, 4.5 hours and 18 hours respectively.
There are six different flashing modes ranging from 3 to 25 lumens with runtimes of up to 30.5 hours, followed by daytime visibility flash (DVF) 1 at 150 lumens and DVF 2 at 100 lumens, with battery life 3.25 and 4 hours respectively.
Charging
Direct-USB charging is nothing new to bike lights, with brands finding ways for more ‘convenient’ charging.
The 150 is charged directly from the unit via USB i.e. you plug it straight into your computer or plug etc.
The USB is found by removing the cap at the bottom of the light before inserting into the power source. It is claimed to charge fully within 3 hours, which is pretty accurate.
This charging system will suit some but not others; and if I’m being honest I would’ve preferred at least an option to charge via a cable as well.
Mount
The rubber band makes it easy to attach to most seatposts.
The device is mounted using a rubber band – and most people will attach it to their seatpost.
But if you have a saddle bag (especially a bigger one) it is unlikely that you will be able to fit both plus there is no clip to attach it to the back of your saddle bag.
However, even though I haven’t tried it myself, you could attach it to your seatstay.
The Verdict
Well, it’s fair to say that the Lezyne is one hell of a bike light for the money.
It’s the best rear light you can find under £25 and it does come part of a bundle with the front light as well – but combining two different brands can give you better value than the Lezyne bundle.
It is super bright as the pictures show and perfect for daytime riding with the two DVF modes packing a punch.
Nothing is perfect, and there are two ways that this light could be made perfect in my opinion.
The direct-USB charging will suit some, if not most people especially commuters – but personally I would appreciate an option to charge via a cable.
Due to my saddle bag (Topeak Wedge Pack II) being big enough to accommodate the bare minimum stuff I need (rain jacket, inner tube, multi-tool and tyre levers), there is not a way for me to fit both on my seatpost.
Although I have not had much success with clip-on-to-the-back-of-your-saddle-bag lights, it would be greatly appreciated if Lezyne could add a safe saddle-bag clip to the light (so it won’t fall off like my £5 light did).
But overall this is an absolutely wonderful light with just those two things that could be improved.
For the price this is an incredible light that is a worthwhile investment into your safety.
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