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NiteRider Lumina Micro 600

8
£48.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Solidly built and compact light with impressive power and battery life, at a sensible price
Weight: 
151g
Contact: 

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The very well built NiteRider Lumina Micro 600 is one of those lights that can cover a multitude of tasks thanks to its size, performance and battery life. When taking its price into account as well, it's an even more attractive proposition.

Quality lights have really been coming down in price over the last few years as technology trickles down, and it's great to see something like the NiteRider with 600 lumens, plenty of modes and a battery life of 90 minutes for less than 50 quid.

> Find your nearest dealer here

You get three solid light settings: 600 lumen (1hr 30), 300 lumen (3hrs 30) and 150 lumen (7hrs 30). Toggle around between the three and you can get a decent amount of time out of the battery (the figures in brackets are battery life).

The 600-lumen mode is only really necessary when you are out in the sticks on unlit lanes – or even off road – and even if this is where you are spending the entire ride, 90 minutes of burn time is still pretty impressive from a light of this size.

When you are riding in complete darkness my only criticism of the Lumina is that the light is focused into quite a central spot with little bleed out to the sides compared with the Hope R2i that I regularly use. This can affect perception a little, especially at speed when things can feel a bit like tunnel vision. There is plenty of light spread in front of your tyre, though.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights for cycling

On main roads with other traffic and cats-eyes, the 300-lumen mode is ample, especially if the roads are dry, and if things are street lit you can even drop it down to 150.

Everything on the light is controlled by one single button. You need to press it for seven seconds to turn it on (this stops it being turned on by accident, in the bottom of a rucksack for instance) and the button will light up to give you an idea of battery life. It's blue if things are okey dokey, changing to red when it gets to less than 25 per cent, although unless the temperature is below freezing (cold can hammer battery life) these battery levels won't come as a surprise as the NiteRider comfortably achieves those quoted burn times.

NiteRider quotes two charging speeds using a micro USB cable, depending on whether you're topping it up straight from the mains or via a PC. If you plug the light into a USB 1.0 or USB 2.0 port on your computer for instance supplying 500mA, it'll take 3hrs 30mins from flat battery to full; using USB 3.0 or a mains charger delivering power above 1 Amp will do the same job in 1hr 45mins. Either way, you could fully charge it during your working hours if you're a commuter.

For daytime use the NiteRider comes with a full power flash for getting you noticed even in bright sunlight. It's ideal for filtering through slow-moving traffic, being striking enough to be picked up in a driver's rear view or door mirrors. To access this mode you need to press the button for three seconds when you are in the solid light setting, and do the same to switch back.

There is also a 40-lumen torch mode, which extends battery life out to 21 hours.

Build quality

It's not just a matter of chucking a bright LED and battery into a plastic shell, either. The Lumina Micro is a solidly made piece of engineering that will stand up to plenty of abuse without damage; if it falls from your handlebar onto the road at speed it isn't likely to be game over, judging by the tests I've carried out...

To attach the bracket to the handlebar, the Lumina uses a rubber band with holes in it like a watch strap to locate around a plastic pin, and it is a pretty secure solution. It holds tight on all but the roughest of surfaces and there is plenty of scope to use it on 31.8mm or 35mm diameter bars; it's a little sloppy on old school 25.8mm options though.

The light can be removed from the bracket by pushing a side button to slide it off, leaving the bracket in situ, which is great if you have to leave your bike in public often. Simply reattach the Lumina by sliding it back on until you hear and feel a click – you have to concentrate, mind, as it isn't the most definitive.

I've had lights switch themselves in the dark after water ingress from heavy rain and it isn't much fun. Thankfully the Lumina stands up to its IP64 rating, one that states it should shrug of water sprayed from any direction. Something that was proved by real world testing and the power shower test.

In terms of value the Lumina is well priced at £48, which is over a tenner cheaper than the last 600-lumen light we tested, the Lezyne Macro Drive 600XL, and nearly half the price of the Knog Blinder ARC 640

NiteRider's warranty is impressive too, with a lifetime one on mechanical components, two years on electrical components, and one year on the battery.

Verdict

Solidly built and compact light with impressive power and battery life, at a sensible price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: NiteRider Lumina Micro 600

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?

Niterider says: "Producing 600 brilliant lumens, the NiteRider® Lumina™ Micro 600 is smaller, lighter, and more compact than the original Lumina™ series. Its compact profile and high light output make the Lumina™ Micro 600 ideal for helmet mounted applications, helmet mount available as an optional accessory. Using the included handlebar strap mount with quick release tab, prevents any chance of theft by allowing convenient removal and installation of the head light."

The Lumina Micro 600 is great for urban use and as a secondary light, but also bright enough to be used in the lanes for short jaunts.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?

4 Light Levels plus 1 Daylight Flash Mode

IP64, water resistant

Ultra lightweight 600 lumen head light

Easy on and off handlebar strap mount with quick release tab

Fits standard and oversize 35mm handlebars

Convenient USB rechargeable

Low battery indicator

Lock Mode, perfect for use during storage and transporting the light

Backed by NiteRider's lifetime warranty

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Solid housing and a robust clamp.

Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
8/10

Clear instructions and easy to use.

Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
7/10

Rubber band clamping system, which needs tweaking a bit on rough surfaces.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
8/10

The IP64 waterproof rating means the NiteRider is supposed to shrug off splashed water from any direction and it had no issues with heavy rain or road spray.

Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
7/10

One and a half hours on full is good, and a quick recharge time makes it commuter-friendly.

Rate the light for performance:
 
7/10

The pattern isn't perfect for road use, being quite a bright central spot, but on the whole it's a decent performer.

Rate the light for durability:
 
8/10

It feels solidly built, and no problems so far.

Rate the light for weight:
 
7/10

Looks pretty much spot on against the other compact, rubber band clamp style lights we've tested.

Rate the light for value:
 
7/10

£48 for a light of this quality and performance is quite impressive.

Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose

A simple light to use with decent performance.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

A small light with a lot of versatility.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

Beam a little too focused centrally.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Yes

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

As a compact light for commuting, occasional jaunts into the lanes or as a secondary helmet light, the Niterider is a cracking little companion, especially when you take the price and build quality into account.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  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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5 comments

Avatar
ktache | 7 years ago
0 likes

I liked my MiNewt USB and then the MiNewt 350.  Got the first one as a helmet light and as a summer light, because I didn't really want to lug the excellent but heavy NightSun Tri-Light around.  The MiNewt didn't do enough as a summer light though, bit too spot for me, but good as a helmet light.  Of course the lead started to die, as always, so I went up to the 350 as a helmet light.  3 years, not bad.  Another excellent light, 4 years and the lead is almost dead, but only dying, the helmet light never really has to move.  I had a thing for American lighting.

Moved onto British now mind.  Hope R4 on the front, died and maybe fixable (not the lead this time), and an exposure axis on the bars at the moment, but for the helmet when I get the front light sorted.  And a spare battery.  There is a good thing about enclosed units, they don't die at the power cable.  But then you can't have a spare battery.  But you have to pay lots more for exposure.

NiteRider make good lights.  Had a few cherry bombs in their upgrading power levels and now a Solas 40 for a bag light.  Don't really need the 100, not unless something happens to the 40.  Solid and dependable.  And this light, 600 lumens at 40 quid, bargain.  I seem to want fine british aluminium engineering masterpeices now.

The NightSun Tri-Light, now that was a good light, aimable, controllable power from the halogen days, and a battery that was heavy and big, but did give you a good burn time.  They tried Li-Ion and gave up on it and never went for the LED revolution.  13 years and too much cash, but they did make me smile every time I hit those remote buttons and could see things in colour.

 

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
0 likes

I have the niterider 750 in fact three of them.  For the price which is much cheaper on line, they are a fantastic light even on pitch black roads with no lighting.

Avatar
Johnnystorm | 7 years ago
0 likes

I bought a niterider 350 when my dynamo hub failed and its all the bike shop had. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was and that it also lasted longer than the claimed run times.

Avatar
William Semple | 7 years ago
0 likes

I am not a fan, at all of recharable lights for bikes. They can have a nasty habit of losing charge or running out of charge when you least expect it. In fact I always have two front lights just in case one decides to pack in on a dark night.

So it was with some reluctance that I went for the Nightrider.  But I was very impressed indeed. A truly bright light in a  very complact unit. So pleased I  bought its big brother. (bit pricey and quite frankly I could have got by with another 600)

I live in Rural France and the country lanes coming back from the pub are unlit and lethal without good lights. So seeing well is not a luxury. The beam may be narrower than some but the peripheral light is well good enough. I think the emphasis on lighting up the way ahead is more important.

Despite the recharable  batteries (which can lose charge when not in use...I think but not sure) I am willing to put up with them. Just have to be disciplined about putting them on charge. Wish someone would come up with a contactless induction charge ing system as it is a pain to take the light off, fiddle with the waterproof cover and then plug it in.

Avatar
Valbrona | 7 years ago
0 likes

Maybe fill the pages of this website with something other than light reviews?

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