Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Front Light

The Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Front Light is a strong example of a simple-to-use and high quality commuting light. It also has impressive battery life and a decent light output, which is always appreciated.

I have been using Knog's Blinder Mob Mr Chips for around a year and I was excited to try out the Blinder Mob Kid Grid, which offers roughly the same performance but with a 90-degree beam rather than 120.

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So first off, attachment to the bike is taken care of with a rubber strap and aluminium buckle. It remove the need for an additional mount, which in my opinion is often just one more thing to break on a light. The rubber used is of a high quality and keeps everything in place well even on particularly rough terrain. The aluminium buckle is also well made and holds everything securely. The light comes with three different sizes of strap so is suitable for all handlebar sizes. I even managed to use it on aero bars without an issue.

It pumps out 80 lumens, which is more than enough for visibility, although I would use something a bit more powerful if I needed to light my way rather than just be seen. It has five different sequences – steady high, steady low, strobe, fancy flash, and eco flash. I tended to use it on eco flash, which was still good enough lighting for what I needed commuting in London.

Lighting comes from 16 embedded LEDs on a reflective background, which seems to be a well-thought-out design. As mentioned earlier, it only has a 90-degree spread compared to the 120 of the Mr Chips, but still seemed effective enough to make me visible.

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The light is operated with a single button on top of the unit; hold it for 0.75 seconds to turn it on/off by, and change the sequences with a shorter press. Next to this button is a small LED that signifies whether the light needs charging or how charged it is through the charging cycle.

Battery life is very much dependent on the sequencing being used, with Knog's claimed battery lives being roughly accurate: steady high 3.2 hours, steady low 6.6 hours, strobe 5.6 hours, fancy flash 8.2 hours, eco flash 59 hours. I tested on all, but my preference was eco flash, which saw me charging about once every two weeks.

Charging is done through the USB attached to the light itself, meaning there is no need for additional leads. You need to make sure you wipe it down before charging as it can get wet and dirty, but this is a minor inconvenience considering the hassle is prevents. It is also worth noting that the light is fully waterproof and dustproof (I used it in some atrocious weather with no issues at all) so this wipe down is purely to avoid getting water/dirt in a USB port.

The RPP of £37.99 is about the price I would expect to pay for a high quality and innovative light like this. It is also only 37g, so it doesn't add much to the weight of any bike.

Overall, I was really impressed with this light. It may not have the 180-degree beam angle of the Mr Chips, but it is still a strong performer that does everything I needed. It is also well made and survived some truly biblical weather, so it can just be left on until it needs charging – which isn't that often.

Verdict

Powerful and well-designed commuter light that does the job you need it to very well