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review
Moon Shield rear light£39.99
VERDICT:
Very bright rear light for year-round all conditions use, though the Strobe mode could be annoying
Weight:
55g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
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The Moon Shield 60 is one of the current breed of high powered rear lights that comes with a range of modes that range from visible to bright to downright antisocial. It's guaranteed to get you noticed though.
The '60' part of the name comes from the lumens the Shield is claimed to put out at its highest output, the Over Drive setting. It's bright, probably too bright to have it pointing straight back at following drivers, so Moon have included an adjustable bracket that allows you to angle it slightly at the road surface. Not only is it bright enough then to still provide plenty of visibility you also bathe the ground in a red glow which makes you look bigger on the road than you actually are, reducing the number of close passes.
That's a bit of driver behaviour modification I first noticed using the mega powered Hope District (110 lumen) last winter and it works with the Moon too.
At its heart is a single CREE XP-E red LED paired with a 3.7V 700mAh lithium polymer battery which will give you around a 2.5 hour burn time on that Over Drive mode. That's not quite as good as the Exposure TraceR which has the same capacity battery but runs for 3 hours at 75 lumen, but it's impressive nonetheless. A battery indicator lets you know how much juice you've got left.
You get a Standard and High mode too (output/burn times are below) before you reach the two flashing modes, a straight forward Flashing and the Strobe setting. This is the antisocial one. You'll stand out but just looking at it gave me a headache within seconds so it's probably a bit unfair to inflict on others.
The majority of the light is put out as a spot with an angle of 33° according to Moon's website with it fading off to a 58° beam angle. The red and clear lens does allow for full 180° visibility allowing you to be seen from the side, important for junctions.
The bracket's not the most sturdy of things and while I haven't had any issues it does allow quite a bit of bounce with the light in situ. It's not a major concern being at the rear but it's something we'll keep an eye on over the long term. You can get a saddle rail mount as an optional extra which would be useful if you have an aero seatpost.
The ability to deal with the wet is a big thing with rear lights. Having it conk out without you realising while on a damp night ride isn't ideal. The Shield passes both road and bathroom shower testing with ease providing the rubber USB cover is tightly closed, if any rain water gets in here the light is out within seconds and will then continue to play up until it's fully dried out so you must make sure it's tightly closed.
After the above soaking it started working again after a few hours in the airing cupboard but two days later it died completely and on taking it apart it was still full of water. Once dried out completely it's worked faultlessly ever since.
Overall the Moon is an impressive package in terms of light output, build quality and price, £39.99 is a tenner cheaper than the slightly brighter TraceR. The brightness gives plenty of confidence that you'll be visible even on the lower levels and the brightest mode is a bonus in thick fog even in daylight.
Verdict
Very bright rear light for year-round all conditions use, though the Strobe mode could be annoying
The light comparator
If you have a nice big screen you can click here for the widescreen version (1400x1000px)
road.cc test report
Make and model: Moon Shield rear light
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?
The Moon Shield 60 is up there with the brightest rear lights on the market though the option of five modes you can select one that is appropriate to the conditions. I found it confidence inspiring knowing that drivers should be able to see you even in amongst traffic and streetlights, providing they're looking of course.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?
CREE XP-E (N4) high brightness red LED
Quick release rubber strap mount (fits 22-31.8mm)
Built-in lithium polymer battery ( 3.7V 700mAh)
USB rechargeable
5 modes : Standard / High / Over drive / Strobe / Flashing
Low battery, charging and fully charged indicator
Automatic fully charged cut-off system
Highly side visibility
High precision optical lens
Water resistant
Belt clip design (can be installed either on seatpost,handlebar, saddle bag, jersey back pocket, etc.)
Size:56.6x36x23.5mm
Optional acessoires: saddle rail mount
Rate the light for quality of construction:
8/10
Flimsy bracket but overall good construction.
Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
9/10
A simple button push to scroll through the five modes to off and start again.
Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
8/10
The shape and lens design provides a good beam pattern and plenty of visibility. The bracket isn't the most sturdy but didn't show any issues during testing. The Moon is supplied with a belt clip also and there is the optional saddle rail mount.
Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
8/10
You must make sure the USB cover is closed, other than that it passed all soaking tests.
Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
7/10
The burn time is pretty good considering the lumens it's putting out though not quite as good as the opposition from Exposure. In varying conditions I was getting the quoted burn times -5%
Standard - 20 lumen - 5hrs 40mins
High - 40 lumen - 3hrs 50mins
Over Drive - 60 lumen - 2hrs 30mins
Flash - - 7hrs 0mins
Strobe - - 7hrs 0mins
Charge time - 2hrs (mains wall plug)
Rate the light for performance:
9/10
Very bright with plenty of options.
Rate the light for durability:
8/10
Can't see any long term issues with the light itself.
Rate the light for weight, if applicable:
8/10
Plastic construction keeps the weight down.
Rate the light for value:
8/10
On par with the opposition. What price can you put on safety though.
Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very good, impressed with the beam and visibility.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the light
The range of modes for different conditions.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light
The Strobe mode and the flexible bracket
Did you enjoy using the light? Yes.
Would you consider buying the light? Yes.
Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes.
Anything further to say about the light in conclusion?
The Moon Shield 60 is an impressive rear light that offers plenty of visibility from the sides as well as behind. The ability to keep the rain out was very good though you have to keep an eye on that USB charging cover.
About the tester
Age: 36 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: Kinesis T2 My best bike is: Kinesis Aithien
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: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!
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Add new comment
20 comments
I had this light for a little over a year. One thing I didn't like was that when the battery runs low it just turns off (i.e. no low battery mode). As someone with a 1 hour commute this was a problem because I would get home and realise it had been flat for who knows how much of my journey. I always run two rear lights, but it was nonetheless annoying.
As others have indicated there can be issues with the clip. Unlike others though I was very unlucky. The clip apparently snapped during a ride home, so presumably my light ended up on a road somewhere in central London. I certainly never saw it again and thanks to that happening I didn't replace it with another of the same. Despite all that, it is a seriously powerful light, even if I wouldn't buy another one.
Great light when I had it, until the bracket snapped after I hit a bump. Traded it in for a TraceR which is a good bit sturdier.
I use a very thin section of inner tube around the outside of the light to cover the USB port since the cover fell off.
My clip broke after smashing into a pot hole, but local distributor (Raleigh?) sent me a replacement clip for free. Assuming you never want to clip the light onto clothes or belts etc, you can strengthen or repair the clip by putting a very small screw through it.
I use a very thin section of inner tube around the outside of the light to cover the USB port since the cover fell off.
My clip broke after smashing into a pot hole, but local distributor (Raleigh?) sent me a replacement clip for free. Assuming you never want to clip the light onto clothes or belts etc, you can strengthen or repair the clip by putting a very small screw through it.
Moon is a great light - £22 at Merlin!
Bought the front/rear set a while ago. Bright enough to be run as a daytime light so I always do these days - a texting driver might just notice that flashing red light....
I think any brighter might be antisocial but I am glad of all the power it does have!
Definitely worth the asking price.
I've had this light for a few years (got it in a set with one of their front lights). Its been great. I did accidentally snap the clip off on the back and moon replaced it for me, which was nice. I've been using it on a Carridice bag and that works great as well.
My only niggle is the low battery indicator is a small red led which you just cannot see when the light is on.
I also had the broken clip, but just glued it to the bracket; the rubber strap is beefy enough to cope with frequent removal. Socket cover went AWOL, but blutac is an acceptable substitute. Low battery indicator is indeed useless; however, it's such a great light, I'd replace it with another with no qualms- that Merlin price is tempting!
Ha ha ! I actually run BOTH the Moon and the TraceR on the same bike ... both are exceptionally good in my opinion. The Moon's strobe mode is, however, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG - migraine-inducing and pointless. I usually use the Moon (angled down) on solid with the TraceR on pulse mode. Oh, plus a flashing red Fibre Flare on a seat stay and a flashing blue Fibre Flare under the top tube. Variety helps get you seen, although the Christmas tree comments can wear a little thin sometimes !
Only other thing to mention ... I worry slightly about the Moon's USB cover as it looks a tad flimsy in comparison with that on the TraceR, but no problems with it up to now, though.
Stuart, any comparison with the Lezyne Micro Drive rear?
Hi Mike
I had the moon shield and it was fantastic for commuting, gave out a really wide beam and cars seemed to give me more room. The only issue I had was not getting the 6 hours maximum burn time. I struggled to get 4 hours, I even ran it on various modes indoors to see if it lasted longer in the warm, it didn't!
As I tend to run a rear light all the time, I sent it back to Wiggle and got the Micro Drive instead. Couldn't be happier with it! Though in summer now I run a Knog Blinder 4 instead. Again a very good light.
Hi Mike
I had the moon shield and it was fantastic for commuting, gave out a really wide beam and cars seemed to give me more room. The only issue I had was not getting the 6 hours maximum burn time. I struggled to get 4 hours, I even ran it on various modes indoors to see if it lasted longer in the warm, it didn't!
As I tend to run a rear light all the time, I sent it back to Wiggle and got the Micro Drive instead. Couldn't be happier with it! Though in summer now I run a Knog Blinder 4 instead. Again a very good light.
I see we have tested the Micro Drive http://road.cc/content/review/100531-lezyne-micro-drive-rear-light but I personally have never used one I'm afraid
Yes. A review I (and many others) have 'issues' with - not the least that the rubber strap was the wrong way around
I have both, and there are huge differences. The most significant being:
- Both are very powerful lights from directly behind, but the Shield also has excellent side visibility as the casing isn't enclosed at all. Micro Drive only has little concave outlets.
- The Micro Drive can only be mounted on a seatpost, and only at one angle. The Moon Shield's bracket has a lot of adjustability. It can also be mounted on seat stays (where I have mine).
- The Micro Drive has a super economy setting, which gives it a run time of 20+ hours. Great for club runs to save everyone's eyes. The Shield is blinding, even on the lowest setting.
Thanks @oddbydefault, good points well made. I suspected it would be as such. On club runs I use the Lezyne's 'pulse' mode, as the waxing and waning of the brightness and directionality of the beam means that even when riding immediately behind it doesn't bugger anyone's night vision. And you can always ramp up to Thermonuclear for rides on dappled-sunlight A-roads. I'm far less concerned about side visibility than I am about people seeing me from hundreds of yards behind.
I have both, and there are huge differences. The most significant being:
- Both are very powerful lights from directly behind, but the Shield also has excellent side visibility as the casing isn't enclosed at all. Micro Drive only has little concave outlets.
- The Micro Drive can only be mounted on a seatpost, and only at one angle. The Moon Shield's bracket has a lot of adjustability. It can also be mounted on seat stays (where I have mine).
- The Micro Drive has a super economy setting, which gives it a run time of 20+ hours. Great for club runs to save everyone's eyes. The Shield is blinding, even on the lowest setting.
Bought the Areo branded version of this light for less than half the price a few months back. No issues with the bracket, only issue some have mentioned is the seal on the USB port not fitting too well after removing. I've got a narrow piece of tape on mine but the light is mounted on the seatpost and out of direct spray.
Excellent light that i use on flash when commuting to supplement my dynamo powered rear mudguard light. Angled slightly down so as not to annoy. bracket fine even on the latest Canyon carbon seatpost that splits in two before it reaches the saddle rails, the VLCS2. I am very happy with the light but would prefer if it had a pulse option.
Been Running this Light for 2 /12 years now. Bracket has never been a issue. Never lets me down. £37.99 @ Cycles UK
http://www.cyclesuk.com/88796/products/moon-shield-60-rear-light.aspx