The Lezyne Strip Drive+ Pair is a durable, well-made set of lights designed to increase visibility out on the road, and it does just that – the Strip Drive+ front puts out a maximum 700 lumens, the Strip Drive 300+ rear 300 lumens – although they are a little bulky looking.
To see how they compare with lights sold separately, check out our guides to the best front bike lights and best rear bike lights.
It’s immediately apparent how solid and well made the Strip Drive+ lights feel from the off. Both front and rear have a plastic casing with no obvious seams or joins that might allow water ingress, a USB-C charge port concealed by a tough rubber cap, and a waterproof rating of IPX7 – which means the lights should withstand being submerged in water up to metre deep for up to 30 minutes without being permanently damaged.
The lights have a slightly curved back – about 15mm wide – which means they fit pretty nicely to round tubes and slightly more aero profiles alike. The lights spent most of the test period fitted to my Specialized Tarmac SL7 and the rear light fitted very nicely on the flat back of the D-shaped seatpost. The bladed stays and fork proved a little too narrow to mount the lights without them slipping around to the side, but on my gravel bike (which has round tubes) the lights also stayed straight and true.
Both front and rear lights have a very wide 270 degrees of visibility – so can be seen pretty much from behind as well as head on or to the side. This proved really useful, and certainly made me feel a lot more visible when riding in dusk or in traffic-heavy areas emerging from junctions.
The only issue I had was with the front light which, when mounted horizontally on the handlebar, was quite distracting, sitting in my peripheral vision.
Modes & run-times
The lights have a maximum output of 700 and 300 lumens respectively, which is more than enough to be seen with. The wide angle and indirect light beam means they’re suited more for being seen rather than illuminating the road or trail ahead, but in dusky, low light conditions the front did a fair job of lighting the way until the sun fully set, when I’d want something with a more focused, direct beam.
Across the various seven modes – which are cycled through in simple fashion by pressing the one button – the longest available battery life is 22 hours for the front and 80 for the rear. In testing I found the lights ran pretty true to this, with a slight margin for error built in for variations in temperature and climate.
Charging
To fully charge from flat, each light took around 90 to 120 minutes, which is pretty fast for a battery with such a long burn-time.
They charge via USB-C, which feels modern and up to date compared with the older Micro USB standard. The port is weatherproofed and protected by a very solid rubber cover that doesn’t feel like it’ll wear out or flap open without some serious force.
Plus & minus
I like the mode memory feature, which meant I didn’t have to scroll through each setting when turning the light back on to find the one I was previously using. Admittedly, that is something that’s commonplace now on most lights, but it’s a nice feature nonetheless.
I didn’t love the silicone rubber straps that hold the lights in place. It’s a Lezyne part that I think is specific to its Strip Drive lights, but it feels like a pretty simple piece that could prove a point of failure over time – especially if it’s being stretched around deeper tubes.
I do like that it’s a separate strap, so could be replaced in the event of a failure, but a sturdier solution would be appreciated.
Value
In terms of value, £75 for the pair is pretty good. It’s towards the top end of what I’d be comfortable spending on a pair of lights geared more towards being seen than seeing with, but £35 each for a high-quality light is good.
That’s the same price as the Sigma Buster 800 & RL 80 set, which Dave thought were good, though he was a bit disappointed with the IPX4 water rating, and £25 less than the Cateye Sync Set Core & Kinetic Front & Rear Light Set, which offers maximum outputs of 500 and 50 lumens, though you can control them remotely with a smartphone app.
They also look good value compared with the Knog Cobber Lil Light Twinpack, which also offer a wide (even wider in fact – 330 degrees) angle of visibility, but only 110 lumens (front) and 50 (rear), and cost £15 more.
Conclusion
On the whole, I really like the Lezyne Strip Drive+ lights. They are a little chunky, but feel very solid and should last for many years of use and abuse. The wide angle of visibility, good battery life, and well-sealed charge port make these a perfect addition to a bike for road riding or commuting all year round. They’re good value too.
Verdict
Really well built and bright lights with a wide angle of visibility and a competitive price
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Lezyne Strip Drive+ Pair
Size tested: 700 Lumens
Tell us what the light set 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?
Lezyne says the Strip Drive lights are ‘powerful and highly versatile LED cycling lights’.
The front and rear pair are aimed at riders looking for a good, solid, rechargeable pair of lights designed primarily for visibility and safety out on the road.
Lezyne says:
“The STRIP DRIVE+ FRONT is powerful, yet highly versatile front LED bicycle light. Offering 7 combined solid and flash output modes. From the eye-catching, max-output 700 lumens Day flash mode to the impressive 75-hour max runtime in Femto mode, you can rest assured the STRIP DRIVE+ FRONT with its 1400mAh battery capacity is engineered to offer the functions and efficiency to meet the demands of your next ride.
Includes a versatile silicone rubber mounting strap that securely mounts on both round and aero bars or compatible components. The lightweight, highly durable co-molded (IPX7-rated) waterproof construction ensures optimal functionality in the harshest weather conditions. Its waterproof USB-C allows for convenient recharging (cable not included).
Wide Angle Optics for 270° of visibility coupled with highly disruptive light modes, make this an exceptional cycling safety light.”
And for the rear:
“Experience the next level of cycling safety with the Strip Drive 300+ Rear light. This exceptional rear light offers ten LEDs and a maximum output of 300 lumens; it is engineered for impressive efficiency and runtime, providing the best beam pattern for optimal light dispersion in even the most challenging conditions. Plus, with an impressive 80-hour max runtime, you can rest assured that this light will last as long as you need it to.
Rigorously tested to IPX7 Waterproofing standards, it is built to withstand various weather conditions. With seven output modes, including highly disruptive Daytime Flash modes, wide-angle optics providing 270° visibility, USB-C waterproof charging(cable not included), and a lightweight yet durable co-molded design, it’s the ultimate choice for every cyclist. A versatile mounting system attaches to aero or round seatposts and recharges via a waterproof USB-C connection.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light set?
From Lezyne’s UK distributor, Upgrade:
Strip Drive+ Front
Max Lumens: Max 700 lumens
Max Runtime: 22 hours in Flash mode
Outputs: 7 combined solid and flash output modes including a highly disruptive Daytime Flash mode
Battery Capacity (mAh): 520
Recharge Type: USB-C waterproof charging (cable not included)
Weight: 78g
Features: IPX7 waterproof standard, Daytime Flash, Wide Angle Optics 270deg of visibility, silicone strap included
Strip Drive+ 300 Rear
Max Lumens: Max 300 lumens
Max Runtime: 80 hours in Femto mode
Outputs: 7 combined solid and flash output modes including a highly disruptive Daytime Flash mode
Battery Capacity (mAh): 1400
Recharge Type: USB-C waterproof charging (cable not included)
Weight: 71g
Features: IPX7 waterproof standard, Daytime Flash, Wide Angle Optics 270deg of visibility, silicone strap included
Both front and rear lights have the same solid plastic construction with a really robust, well-sealed charge port. The only potential point of failure on these lights is the silicone rubber strap that mounts each light to the bike.
The lights are simple to operate with a single button that cycles through the seven different modes, and the mode memory means you don’t have to faff around selecting the mode you want every time you turn the light on again.
The silicone straps are very simple and easy to use. The profile of the lights works well on round tubes and relatively well on aero tube shapes.
They’re both rated IPX7, and I tested them over a very wet month in the UK and have had no issues with any water ingress whatsoever.
The front light has a quoted 22 hours battery life in flash mode, and the rear 80 hours. The lights performed pretty close to this in testing, and took a couple of hours each to recharge.
They’re excellent: bright, durable, and with a huge visibility angle.
Both lights feel really solid, well sealed to the elements, and with very few buttons or ports to go wrong. The only potential point of failure would be the silicone strap.
At 78g and 71g respectively, the lights are relatively light for their size, but do feel a little chunky – especially when mounted on a bike with skinnier tubes.
At £75, they’re good value compared with rival sets.
Tell us how the lights performed overall when used for their designed purpose
The lights were really great to use. They didn’t show any signs of water ingress over a very wet testing period, have a great battery life, and add plenty of visibility.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the lights
I really liked the wide angle visibility – it definitely made me feel a little safer when emerging from junctions or riding in traffic-heavy areas.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the lights
I didn’t love the form factor of the front light when mounted horizontally on my handlebar. The wide angle visibility is great when mounted vertically, but when set up on handlebars horizontally I found it quite distracting in my peripheral vision. I also found the light’s size interfered with my grip a little when riding on the tops.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
They’re the same price as the Sigma Buster 800 & RL 80 set, which Dave thought were good, though he was a bit disappointed with the IPX4 water rating, and £25 less than the Cateye Sync Set Core & Kinetic Front & Rear Light Set, which offer maximum outputs of 500 and 50 lumens, though you can control them remotely with a smartphone app.
They also look good value compared with the Knog Cobber Lil Light Twinpack, which also offer a wide (even wider in fact – 330 degrees) angle of visibility, but only 110 lumens (front) and 50 (rear), and cost £15 more.
Did you enjoy using the lights? Yes
Would you consider buying the lights? Yes
Would you recommend the lights to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
I really like the Lezyne Strip Drive+ set of lights. They’re bright, very visible, and feel really durable. I would like to see a slightly more solid mounting solution than a silicone strap, and I did find the front light worked a lot better mounted vertically on my fork blade than horizontally on my handlebar, but even as they are I think they’re excellent.
About the tester
Age: 28 Height: 175cm Weight: 67kg
I usually ride: Road (Tarmac SL7) My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 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, mtb, Occasional Ultra Racing
1 thought on “Lezyne Strip Drive+ Pair”
After 3 broken see-sence
After 3 broken see-sence rear lights I bought the Lezene rear and now finishing a trouble free 2nd winter- I am a fan,