Cateye AMPP 1300

With the Cateye AMPP 1300 the Japanese manufacturer has finally embraced faster USB-C charging. The 1300 also features Cateye’s usual sturdy construction quality and solid mount, it has a good runtime in its medium setting and excellent visibility from the side. It’s also bright enough for unlit lanes as well as road riding, but at full power the runtime is a little disappointing and the IPX4 water-resistance rating is much less than you’ll find in a lot of the competition’s lights.

The Cateye AMPP 1300 puts out – you won’t be surprised to hear – 1,300 lumens at its maximum power, the sort of illumination that really only makes sense for darkest rides in the most dismal conditions.

But while Cateye claims that you get two hours at its highest setting, in practice I got nearer 90-100 minutes before it was lights-out time, the indicator light shifting from orange to red in quick succession. The output is very intense, though, with a good range of coverage. And it’s worth saying that runtimes do depend on factors such as temperature, so during the warmer parts of the year that two-hour runtime could well be achievable.

I was more impressed with the light’s middle setting, which some of the higher-power Cateye lights don’t seem to provide. This will give you 600 lumens for three and a half hours, which would be sufficient for five days of 40-minute commutes.

I also found this setting bright enough for most of the riding that I tackle, including night rides on unlit lanes. It doesn’t provide the clarity of beam for technical off-road forays, however, should your gravelly ways tempt you onto bridleways after dark.

Cateye says the final constant option gives you seven and a half hours at 300 lumens, and over the course of various rides I reckon this time is about right. Though as always, I’d err on the side of caution as the battery indicator lights seems to move quickly from orange to red to dead, and you don’t want to be left scrambling for your phone torch…

I found this low setting perfect for urban riding on lit city streets, where the AMPP 1300 is bright enough to highlight road imperfections , as well as providing good visibility for road users both to the front and the side – the latter made more effective by what Cateye calls the ‘Opticube lens’.

There are two flashing options: a flashing mode that gives you a hefty 50 hours with a pretty bright 200-lumen flash, which should give you weeks of illumination; and what Cateye calls Daytime HyperConstant mode, which has a constant 200-lumen output combined with super-bright 1,300-lumen flashes.

This is pretty aggressive, but will help you be seen by driver and pedestrian alike, and it has a 6.5-hour runtime.

I think given these settings and runtimes the Cateye AMPP 1300 feels more designed for use on the road, and unlit lanes, rather than night rides on murky trails.

The AMPP 1300’s casing is rigid aluminium and typical of Cateye, it feels like it will go the distance. And while in the past, I’ve seen other Cateye lights fail due to their batteries giving up the ghost, my hope is that the new USB-C charging and the updated 5000mAh LiPo updated power supply will ensure this won’t happen with today’s models.

Cateye AMPP 1300: Mounting

The classic Cateye mounting system is very reliable and has the advantage that you can remove the light single-handedly if you’re popping into the shops or leaving your bike locked-up.

Cateye sells brackets separately, which is very useful if you’re swapping it between bikes. And should you lose the bracket dial, this is also available as a spare from Cateye.

The light itself is both long and pretty bulky, weighing in at 210g, which is approaching half a pound. That’ll be down to the larger-capacity battery and the light being its own heat sink, in order to stop it turning into a smouldering beacon on your handlebar.

That said, there is a sticker underneath to warn you about heat build-up, and after 20 minutes or so running it at full power, you will start to feel the body getting much warmer, so you do need to be moving for a cooling flow of air.

Cateye claims a charge time of four hours and I found this pretty much bang on.

One area that is slightly disappointing is the light’s IPX4 water-resistance rating. This means it’s resistant to showers (and I should say I had no issues while using it) whereas a lot of today’s lights have much higher IPX6 and IPX7 ratings, which equate respectively to resisting high-pressure jets of water or being submerged.

More positive is the availability of spare parts, though with its 5000mAh battery and USB-C compatibility I do wonder if there is room for Cateye to introduce charging the light while it’s in use, which would make the most of the well-engineered lens and beam that Cateye has developed for its AMPP lights.

Value

There are a fair number of lights at similar prices to the Cateye AMPP 1300 that deliver comparable or even more powerful outputs.

The Ravemen K1800 not only puts out 1,800 lumens while coming in at a penny under £100, it also offers a much higher IPX7 water-resistance rating. You can charge it on the go and its runtime is longer than the Cateye’s.

The recently tested CETUS-1700 is sold direct from Gaciron or via AliExpress, which means any import duties or VAT are your responsibility responsibility. But it presently costs only £60 or so.

The 1,500-lumen Moon Rigel Max costs £79.99 while the Magicshine Allty 1500 is a tenner dearer at £89.99.

Check out our best front lights buyer’s guide for more choices.

Verdict

The light is a very good choice for commuting even on unlit routes, though not so much for challenging off-road conditions. It’s tough, well made and puts out a good beam that’s also visible from the side, and Cateye’s mounting system is secure, easy to use and spares are available. But while the Cateye 1300 AMPP’s runtime in the medium setting is good, I’d have liked a longer runtime at maximum power and greater resistance to the elements.