Moon Nebula

The Moon Nebula is another super-potent and extremely versatile front light that will give similar competition a seriously good run for the money. However, while it's a great partner to dynamos or higher power systems, there are better options if you're looking for a one-does-all commuter lamp.

The Nebula pumps out a commendable 240 lumens in top and uses the same COB (Chips on Board) technology as the Moon Ring, tested in November, although in this instance it crams in a whopping 30 diodes, and an oval rubberised on/off mode switch.

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The CNC machined aluminium back serves to protect the internals from shock and regulates heat, so diodes stand the best chance of reaching a ripe old age. It's also fuelled by an 800mah rechargeable lithium polymer cell and meets IPX4 standards for weather proofing (heavy rain, to you and me).

Full charging took 4 hours from fully depleted, which is about the going rate for this genre, but I'd be inclined to charge it regularly rather than be committed to this.

Measuring a whopping 93x22x17mm, the strip-light profile consumes a fair bit of bar space when positioned horizontally, so I've tended to mount it vertically, often on the head tube. The mount accommodates standard and aero tubing of all diameters.

The rubberised switch (see below) isn't the easiest to locate, but pressing that region for two seconds brings the unit to life. There are eight modes in total, which stirs conflicting feelings. On the plus side, there's no danger of fading into the background and a memory function avoids the frustration of having to surf through and find your favourite, but on the flip side, I've stuck to three, four tops.

Unleashing the full 240 lumens produces a surprisingly pure arc of light, which, given the 60-degree spot, is more than adequate for navigating better lit districts and highly visible to oncoming traffic; 200m seemed typical round town, 300 in the sticks on a clear night. However, on this setting it'll blitz battery reserves in 1hr 7mins.

High is 120 lumens – a much better bet, still snaring attention at 200m and returning 2hrs 21mins from a full charge.

Two lower settings of 70 and 35 lumens are similarly useful round town, producing a crisp white arc that trumped some budget LED torch types in terms of brightness, and with this sort of surface area there should be no need to worry about dropping off the radar when entering the flow of traffic.

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A faint red light glow indicates reserves are dwindling – around 25% – which gives ample warning, although output remains razor sharp, right until shut down.

These are accompanied by four flashing modes, which are of much greater intensity: 100% packs the full 240-lumen punch, which some friends reckoned was too intense for all but the darkest nights; 50% flash is a much better all-rounder, although the 10% 35-lumen flash and strobe modes are by far the most sensible companions to dynamo/high-power setups.

While burn times have been consistently faithful throughout, 10% and strobe were the most accurate and returned an impressive 20hrs 44mins and 10hrs 38mins respectively. This sort of output and frugality is more than adequate for weekend touring, audax and potentially two weeks' middle-distance commuting when nestling beside 'proper' front lights.

Ultimately, the Nebula is competitively priced relative to performance, although £45 is hardly small beer for a secondary/safety light and I suspect few riders will make best use of all eight modes.

Verdict

Powerful contingency/safety light with decent range of settings