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Light & Motion Imjin 800

6
£169.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Super-compact light with a well-concentrated beam, pricey though, and the battery is powerful but connection is a hassle
Weight: 
206g

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The Light & Motion Imjin 800 really impressed me with its excellent beam pattern, and it's perfect for pitch-black commutes and off-roading. I did find a few issues though: my shorts tended to snag on the battery's mounting bracket, and connecting the battery to the head unit or for charging is awkward.

Having a powerful front light at this time of year is a necessity for those of us who live in the countryside. I started testing the Imjin just as the clocks changed, which was handy. My first commute home in the dark also coincided with Halloween – although I still failed to spot the small child who jumped me dressed as Dracula, and was in danger of turning my bib shorts an AG2R brown.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Imjin 800 is effectively made up of two parts. There's the head unit that contains the Cree LED, and the battery that mounts onto the bike. Joining the two is a cable that is more than long enough to reach past the seatpost on my 54cm bike.

The head unit housing the Cree LED is a very compact design. This emits a maximum 800 lumens in a very direct beam. I found the visibility to be brilliant for night road riding with no other light. It gave very good visibility a good way into the distance. I could see the road well 50 metres ahead while also being able to see just past my front wheel axle, making spotting potholes and the like and then avoiding them very easy.

In faster situations, such as descending, this was doubly useful as I was able to plan my braking well ahead of time, never having to drag the brakes. I also took the light out for an evening cyclo-cross session. As ever, I stayed out later than planned, and the Imjin was great for spotting ruts, even in full darkness.

The compact design features just one button. Helpfully, for winter riding in full-finger gloves, the button protrudes out of the light's shell and is rubberised for grip. The battery level indicator is housed within the button, meaning you get a constant indication of how much juice you have left in the battery. The button is a little stiff to press, and you have to hold it in for a second or two to turn it on and off.

Using a separate battery means that the head unit can be smaller and lighter than a torch-style light, but it also leaves you with a cumbersome brick to mount somewhere on your bike. Having this on my winter bike or cross bike wasn't a huge issue, but I wouldn't want to mount it on my race bike for a fast evening ride. It's not the weight, which is relatively light for the size, it's more the mounting bracket. It doesn't seem the most paint-friendly out there, with no form of protection underneath it for your frame. Get any grit in there and I can't see it ending well. As a precaution, I cleaned the bracket every time I used it on my summer bike.

The 'feet' of the bracket aren't finished terribly well either, and the squared-off finish means there are sharp edges that my shorts were constantly catching on, no matter where on the top tube I mounted it.

The rubber strap itself is good, and secured the battery down well on a variety of top tube shapes. The same can be said of the strap for the light unit, which kept it in place well with no movement.

The light unit can also be mounted on your helmet, with the battery stored in your rear pocket. The battery did get quite warm, but on a cold night this was a bonus.

> Read our guide to the best front lights for cycling

Another issue I had with the battery was the way it connected to the light unit or charging cable (they use the same connection port). It's quite a tight fit and you have to line up four thin metal prongs to four equally tiny holes. It'll only go in one way, but the possibility of ruining the light by being ham-fisted strikes me as very high. The connection port is circular and it would have been very helpful to have a square connection port, or at least some grooves to guide the head. There is a little printed arrow that you're meant to line up with a dot, but to my mind it's not sufficient for such a delicate connection system.

Once you've got the light connected, it's a secure and watertight connection.

What makes the connection problem a particular pain is that the battery doesn't last that long. Commuting 40 minutes each way, I've been charging the battery every night, highlighting the need for a quick and easy system – like being able to plug it into a laptop, as you can with so many lights these days.

It's worth noting that my entire commute is on unlit lanes, so I tended to use the full 800-lumen setting. If you were running this in town or on better-lit roads, you'd find the 400-lumen setting more than sufficient and would therefore get a much better battery life of 4 hours.

In terms of value for money, compared with other 'two-pack' lights, the Imjin 800 is expensive. Gemini's Xera 950 (reviewed by Neil, read the test here), is brighter and £50 cheaper, while Magicshine's £97 MJ-902 and £119 MJ-906 are both brighter according to the beam comparison engine, though we don't have full test results of what they're like to ride with yet.

Overall, for riding at night on dark roads and off-road, the Light & Motion Imjin 800 features a very well concentrated beam and plenty of visibility, but it's expensive, the mounting bracket could be improved, and I wish charging the thing was simpler.

Verdict

Super-compact light with a well-concentrated beam, pricey though, and the battery is powerful but connection is a hassle

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Light & Motion Imjin 800

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the light 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?

From Light & Motion: "Imjin 800's powerfully focused beam and compact size make a versatile light for any type of riding and is perfectly designed to run on your helmet. Designed to maximize output in a compact design, the Imjin features an optimized reflector that uses micro peens to make the beam broader and smooth without hotspots. With an external battery for the longest of rides, the Imjin 800 is built with the epic in mind."

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

800 Lumen output certified to the FL-1 Standard

* Engineered with the best CREE LED and enhanced firmware.

* Custom engineered reflector optimizes the light to provide a smooth, even beam pattern that focuses the light exactly where you need it.

* Beam pattern was engineered to maximize riders' depth perception using optics that eliminates the snowball effect with a clean transition across the beam.

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Generally very good, and with the light being small it sits on a helmet very nicely. The battery is a little chunky and gets quite hot if you put it in your pocket, and the mounting bracket catches on bib shorts if it's on the bike.

Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
6/10

I'd like an easier battery connection design. Sometimes it's a pain to get the charging head into the battery.

Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
8/10

The rubber strap is perfectly secure. I have an out-front mount with GoPro compatibility, so having a GoPro mounting option is really useful.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
8/10

This survived many downpours and blasts from the hosepipe when cleaning.

Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
6/10

The 2hr run-time is accurate and decent considering the power. At 400 lumens you get 4hrs, which is more than enough. Recharging is quite quick at 2hrs 45min, but the connection is awkward.

Rate the light for performance:
 
8/10

The beam is concentrated yet still has a wide angle.

Rate the light for durability:
 
8/10

Very impressive. It got covered in mud a few times and then blasted clean with no issues.

Rate the light for weight:
 
5/10

You can certainly get lighter 800-lumen lights.

Rate the light for value:
 
4/10

At £169.99 the Imjin is expensive compared with other separate battery-pack lights we've tested, such as the £120 Gemini Xera 950, and Magicshine's £97 MJ-902 and £119 MJ-906 (reviews to come - though the beam comparison engine shows they're both brighter than the Imjin).

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

Very well. It mounts easily and provides brilliant illumination.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

The beam pattern is fantastic and very well concentrated.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

The mounting bracket caught on my shorts, and the charging connection is annoyingly difficult.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Yes

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Performance is very good, but the battery bracket and difficult connectivity are annoyances on a £170 light; there are brighter and cheaper alternatives, so overall I'm giving the Imjin a score of 6.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 177cm  Weight: 64kg

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
kevvjj | 7 years ago
0 likes

The reviewer has clearly had this light for some time... so why only one pic? Lots of opportunities to take photos whilst in use I would have thought. Please let us see for ourselves what the battery holder looks like etc.

Avatar
Morat | 7 years ago
2 likes

I agree. This is another offroad light being tested on the road. A flat, wide beam gives you more chance of spotting hazards coming in from the side without dazzling oncoming drivers/riders. Could Road.cc find some more traffic friendly lights to test please? I'd really appreciate it because your reviews are excellent but I'm not interested in bike lights with round torch beams.

Avatar
rogermerriman replied to Morat | 7 years ago
0 likes
Morat wrote:

I agree. This is another offroad light being tested on the road. A flat, wide beam gives you more chance of spotting hazards coming in from the side without dazzling oncoming drivers/riders. Could Road.cc find some more traffic friendly lights to test please? I'd really appreciate it because your reviews are excellent but I'm not interested in bike lights with round torch beams.

 

in fairness round beams can work well if they are reasonably floody, the 858 lights the ground from the front wheel off to the verges and beyond, and pushes out enough light in front, that you can see what's ahead for a good distance, plus lighting up any road signs etc getting on for a mile away. 

 

Clearly not friendly, to traffic but if used like full beam it's great down in dark back lanes/MTB etc.

 

The issue the Imjin 800 has it's neither a big powerful light the road, full beam a like nor a traffic friendly light.

in fairness to Road.cc very few lights are traffic friendly as such.

Avatar
kevvjj replied to Morat | 7 years ago
0 likes
Morat wrote:

I agree. This is another offroad light being tested on the road. A flat, wide beam gives you more chance of spotting hazards coming in from the side without dazzling oncoming drivers/riders. Could Road.cc find some more traffic friendly lights to test please? I'd really appreciate it because your reviews are excellent but I'm not interested in bike lights with round torch beams.

Given that this light has amber sidelights it was clearly designed for urban use - it is not an off-road light in that respect. I don't think it is in the interest of light manufacturers to design specifically for one type of use, especially given the ridiculous prices some charge.

Years ago I used to own a set of Light & Motion lights which used an old fashioned bulb. The housing had a focussing ring which allowed you to change from a spot beam to a wide beam in one single turn. Don't know why they don't make these new lights with the ability to change the beam pattern  - would be a good selling point.

My current magicshine is a spot beam (a glorified torch if you like) but whilst some oncoming cars might not like it, it is perfect for my commute which continuously changes from well lit pavement to unlit muddy trails in the local commons.

Avatar
Peowpeowpeowlasers replied to kevvjj | 7 years ago
1 like
kevvjj wrote:

Given that this light has amber sidelights it was clearly designed for urban use

If it were designed for urban use it'd have a shaped beam with a cutoff to prevent other road users being dazzled.  It doesn't, and therefore hasn't been designed for the road.

Avatar
kevvjj replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 7 years ago
0 likes
Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:
kevvjj wrote:

Given that this light has amber sidelights it was clearly designed for urban use

If it were designed for urban use it'd have a shaped beam with a cutoff to prevent other road users being dazzled.  It doesn't, and therefore hasn't been designed for the road.

Perhaps you're right. I would really make great use of those amber sidelights on the tight twisty trails of my local forest...

Avatar
rogermerriman | 7 years ago
2 likes

I'm not sure I really see the point of high power spot beams, if you are using a traffic unfriendly big be seen light, floodly lights are far better, I have a MagicShine 858 which has a good wide beam for spotting small Draculars or more normally deer. rather than a spot which will by it's nature only light a section. the screen shots do seems to show a good even beam.

 

My wife has the MJ 900 which is pushes out noticably less light than the 858, for the same reason its much more of a spot.

 

Imjin 800 run times sound like quite a small battery pack, which frankly ends up worst of both worlds ie inconvence of having to connect a battery, plus short run times, MJ858 and others manage 3+ hours on full (1000lumens ish) and 10hrs on half (500lumens ish). bare in mind the MJ858 is fair bit cheaper, and is not unique by any means.

 

If the Imjin 800 had traffic friendly beam etc that would make sence, but doesn't really seem to have the punch or the battery capacity compared to the rest of the market.

 

 

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