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Magicshine Eagle 600 front light

7
£94.98

VERDICT:

7
10
Robust road bike specific light with superb beam strength and better than average side visibility
Weight: 
153g

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The Magicshine Eagle 600 is a robust, road bike-specific, aluminium-bodied light with excellent beam strength, a USB charge lead, an easy to use quick release bracket and better than average side visibility.

Magicshine is a Chinese based brand that specialises in lights for cycling and diving. That might imply that the Eagle 600 would be better water-sealed than some of its rivals. It didn't rain during the test period so we left it it in a bowl of water to find out. It shone on full beam for 100 minutes and recharged without any issues.

The USB charge port plug is noticeably better fitting than average and there's a lit time display window on top of the light to let you know roughly how much charge is available in both percentage and time. So far it has been accurate to within minutes. The beam function button sits directly behind the display window and is very easy to use with gloved hands.

This is a light that's designed for road rather than off road users. Two orange side windows give more side-on visibility than many other road lights and the handlebar bracket mount swivels so that you can choose to point the beam to one side of the other. The full and low beams function via two Cree LED bulbs and the built in battery (a single lithium-ion 18650 cell) is charged with a USB lead, either via a computer or a USB lead mains plug. There's no mains charger included but they only cost a few quid. A full charge from empty takes around five hours, but you can top up at any time.

The '600' in the name refers to the light's measured 600 lumens, brighter than most USB-charged lights and with a very even beam spread that's perfect for country lanes riding.

For lit roads the lowest beam is fine. It effectively acts like a dipped headlight, and you'll get about six hours run time on that. The sales spiel mentions a flash setting too but there was no flash mode on our sample. We got four constant beam settings instead.

The handlebar bracket comes with three straps for different bar widths. They look a bit flimsy but are much tougher than they look. The bracket is easy to fit, using the allen key provided, and it stays tight over rougher surfaces. The light clicks securely into the bracket and is easily released with a small quick release lever on the back, so removing it when parking up is almost instant.

Convenience is the key here. It's a pocket sized light that's easy to click on and off the bike. It's bright enough to light up any road but simple to turn down if you don't want to dazzle on-comers. Personally I never use the flash mode on a front light so I didn't miss it, but it was supposed to be there.

Conclusion

A robust aluminium bodied light that's said to be road bike specific. It's not exactly cheap but it has superb beam strength, a USB charge lead, an easy to use quick release bracket and better than average side visibility. I couldn't get the flash mode that was advertised but I got an extra constant beam mode instead

Verdict

Robust road bike specific light with superb beam strength and better than average side visibility.

The light comparator

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Magicshine Eagle 600

Size tested: Orange

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The manufacturers say quite a lot about the Eagle 600...

"The Eagle 600 is the first, road specific LED bike light from Magicshine. Packing many new features, everything about the Eagle 600 carries the Magicshine hallmarks of quality, value and, of course, power. With a measured 600 lumens it's the equivalent output to the legendary Magicshine 808E - without the wires and separate battery.

The mounting bracket itself is quick and easy to fit and adjustable to almost all bar sizes. All thats needed is an allen key (provided) for a permanent attachment. The light itself then slots securely into the mount in seconds. Thats it. Removal of the light is just as simple and quick.

However when in place, the light can be swivelled (both ways) to aim your beam precisely, away from other road users and it's ideal for our European customers who ride on the right.

To our knowledge, the Eagle 600 is the first light to offer high beam and dipped beam from separate Cree LEDs. It's typical of Magicshine's approach to innovation and there's a mode switch on the top which can be set to flashing mode if required. The beam itself offers a great spread, loads of distance but power is nothing without control and this beam pattern is well defined but with a soft transition around the edges.

The LED display on top of the unit shows high/low beam information and displays remaining run time, depending on the output selected.

The battery is a single lithium-ion 18650 cell, self contained in the light unit. On maximum power/full beam it runs for around 1.5 hours - much longer on low beam. No wires, no separate battery to mount and the USB charger (supplied) is really convenient.

This is an advanced light system with power to match the original Magicshine MJ-808E, just more convenient. and is a great complement to the Magicshine range."

I'd agree with most of that, but I couldn't get the flash mode to work, which didn't bother me at all as I don't like flash modes on front lights.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

See above. It's all in the manufacturers description.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Seems superbly built, although the handlebar bracket/strap is initially fiddly until you get the hang of it.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Excellent beam and decent battery life for an all-in-one unit.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

No issues so far.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

There are lighter front lights around, but not many offering this much beam strength.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

By no means a budget light, and many riders won't need to invest this much lighting power for road use.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Excellent performance.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the fact that it carried on shining in a bowl of water for hours when I tested its water sealing, and I like the slight bigger than average orange lit windows for side visibility. The quick release mounting for the light in its bracket is good too, in terms of being able to remove and fit instantly.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I could have done without the 'use time elapsed' display on the top of the light. A 'use time left' figure would be more useful. And the missing flash mode will be annoying to some users.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Personally I wouldn't pay this much for a light that still isn't quite up to the rigours of rough mountain bike use, but it's a well designed light that, on lower beam modes, would get you through an all-night ride.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 58  Height: 181  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Merlin Ti  My best bike is: Ibis Silk SL

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

 

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