BBB BLS-110 Sniper

BBB's BLS-110 Sniper is a very well made front light with a good range of output settings and burn times, so it's a shame that the bracket doesn't achieve the same level of engineering. Thankfully, it's far from a deal breaker.

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With a maximum output of 1200 lumen, this light is never going to leave you underpowered when out in the lanes. And to be fair, the way the Sniper's lens chucks out the light you're going to be absolutely motoring or on some seriously technical terrain to even need half of that.

You get four modes with the BBB:

Lux @10m    Lumen   Burn time

105      1200       1.5hrs

80         950         2.3hrs

60         750         3.4hrs

30         380         7.8hrs

On main roads with white lines and cats-eyes and stuff, the bottom setting is more than adequate to see by up until about 25mph. If you're out in the countryside or going faster, then settling for the 750-lumen setting offers plenty of light and, as you can see, offers plenty of battery life to get a decent ride in.

The great thing is that the BBB comes with a remote control, a simple button that plugs into the bottom of the light. The cable is long enough to run along the handlebar and I had it attached close to the hoods; if this was a longterm setup I'd run the cable under the bar tape.

Being able to tweak how much light you need just with the tap of the thumb and not having to take your hands off the bar is a neat solution. You do have to scroll through the modes from high to low before going back to high again, but it is really quick and easy to do.

For a two-LED side-by-side setup the BBB has actually quite a narrow beam compared with, say, the Hope R2i. This gives it quite a round spotlight kind of appearance so I angled it down quite a bit lower than the Hope and my previous Exposure Strada (you can read Mat's review of the Exposure Strada Mk6 here) to avoid any confrontation with oncoming drivers. It still gave an excellent pool of light out in front of me to pick out road defects and the like with a spread of light further afield to get the lay of the land.

You'll have noticed that there is no flashing or strobe option on the BBB which, for a main light, I'm quite happy with – especially as you have to scroll through the modes. There is nothing worse than having to spend a few seconds in the dark with a disco light while trying to get to a higher setting.

Before I started this job I was always a big investor in lights. For me, a large portion of my riding was done after work and for a fair few months of the year that would be in the dark. When commuting or out for a training ride I wanted a light that would stand up to the elements, offer decent burn times but also a good beam pattern. Basically, I wanted a useable front light rather than a glorified torch; something that wouldn't let me down regardless what I put it through. This is why I'm impressed with the Sniper. Yes £189.95 is a lot of money to spend on a light, but if riding in the dark is something you take seriously then you aren't going to be disappointed with the BBB.

The machined aluminium alloy body gives the whole unit a really solid feel and the gold anodised front lens cap adds to the look of quality. Dealing with the rain isn't a problem either: a blast from the shower showed no issues, and one ride in a full-on deluge didn't bother it in the slightest. I've dropped it on the patio a fair few times to see how it stands up to crash damage, and apart from a few scuffs and scratches there is nothing to report. This is one very well built light.

A glowing report then for the Sniper. Well yes, for the light itself, but when it comes to the bracket I'm less impressed. With Hope or Exposure lights you get a top notch, secure clamp that is machined out of aluminium. If I'm going to fit a light to my bike for a six-month period, I don't want movement. The BBB's bracket is a plastic mount that offers plenty of adjustment laterally until you fully tighten the hex bolt to keep everything in place. What annoys me though, is that the tolerances between the light and the bracket aren't that tight. This allows the light to vibrate on the mount; it's secure and won't go anywhere, but the light on the road is constantly flickering which is really irritating.

It's such a shame considering the quality of the light unit itself, and it's a real dig when it comes to value too. As I said, the Hope has a beautifully CNC machined bracket that holds the light unbelievably secure – even if you crash it isn't going anywhere – and it's a smidge cheaper than the Sniper.

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The bracket here feels almost like an afterthought, and while it wouldn't deter me from buying the light, it is something I'd like to see modified in the future.

On the whole, the BBB Sniper is a lovely bit of kit, and if you take your night riding seriously it's a light that needs to be considered.

Verdict

A solid, well made light that performs out on the road, though vibration from the bracket is annoying