Oxford Commuter X4 Personal Illumination System

Oxford's Commuter X4 is a fun and effective self-illuminating take on night riding personal safety. Better still, because it can be fitted around either the body or a rucksack – and it features good reflective sections even if you run out of power – there is very little that stops it from being a worthwhile addition to any night ride.

• Pros: Provides an enhanced road presence; fibre-optics are effective and fun; can fit it around body or rucksack
• Cons: Quite cheaply made; possibly a little confusing to get the straps set up initially

Some may see it as the preserve of geography teachers and other uncool folk, but one of the most effective night-time cycling garments is the venerable Sam Browne reflective belt. Despite the fact that it was originally designed to hold a sword scabbard for a one-armed soldier – General Sir Sam Browne as it happens – this 'round the tummy, across the chest and over one shoulder' classic has been helping to keep cyclists safe for decades.

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The reason for its effectiveness is because, by joining up distant points across the torso, it presents the cyclist as a significant object in the eyes of other road users. It's all very well having bright lights, or a selection of gloom-piercing flashers, but a major element of being safe on a bike is establishing a significant road presence. So, can anything beat the Sam Browne? Cycling accessory brand Oxford certainly thinks so.

Design

The Commuter X4 looks like something that might have been knocked up by Stark Industries – there's even a very Iron Man-esque circular red central light. In essence, the design is almost as simple as the Sam Browne but it does have some slightly more exciting modern ingredients.

At the heart is that 70-lumen central light with a choice of five modes: Pulse, Sport and Fade all have around 6 hours of run-time; Constant High drains the battery in 3.5 hours; and Constant Low (putting out just 30 lumens) is the most efficient at 7 hours. Then, branching off from the central light are four straps with reflective and fibre-optic elements. The fibre optic circuit has a separate on/off button and also lights up (although not as brightly as the central light) with a choice of three modes: Simultaneous Flash (7hrs); Constant (6hrs) or full '90s house party Sequential Flash (20hrs). Recharging takes up to four hours and is done via a rubber-bunged micro-USB port at the bottom of the main light.

To wear the Commuter X4, you pop the straps together using snap fasteners and the whole thing can either be worn on your back – with the straps over your shoulders and joining round your middle – or you can mount the whole thing to a rucksack. Despite the abundance of straps and fasteners, read the instructions and you'll find it's really quite quick and simple to use.

Performance

While it's true to say that the Commuter X4 is no substitute for a proper rear bike light (in any case, you wouldn't be riding legally if you just used this at night), I think that's missing the point a little. This product really does make any cyclist appear like a bigger object than bike lights or even reflective elements alone can achieve. And because it wraps around you or your rucksack, it makes your sides visible, too.

The practicalities don't end there. That you can fit it to either yourself or a rucksack means most commuters will always find a place for it. It's adjustable for a massive range of sizes. The flash modes are simple but effective – as you might be able to tell, I really like the fibre-optic flashers. And, if everything goes wrong and you forget to recharge it, then the reflective material each side of the fibre optic elements is far better than nothing.

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I'd certainly not claim that it makes you feel invincible at night but, from my purely anecdotal experience, it seems to have an effect and encourages drivers to give you room. Oxford claims the Commuter X4 helps drivers judge a cyclist's speed and distance, and that appears true in real world usage.

You can buy cheaper reflective belts than this, but are they as good? A typical Sam Browne belt costs in the region of £10-£20 but isn't normally self-illuminating, while the Visijax LED belt does have a built-in light and only costs £15.99, but its overall performance isn't as impressive as the Commuter X4.

Build quality

Possible the only downside is build quality. This is a very straightforward 'plasticky' bit of kit, devoid of some of the niceties of modern cycle accessories. It even comes in a fairly plain box with plastic packaging, for goodness sake – where's all the recycled cartoning and little paper envelopes with instructions?

Okay, I'm being slightly facetious because, at £39.99 this is a beautifully unpretentious bit of kit. The concept of the Commuter X4 alone is all that's needed to set it apart from other night cycling products. But I can't help thinking that if the central light was made of CNC'd, lightweight aerospace-grade aluminium, it might feel just a little more special. After all, we don't want it being claimed just by geography teachers.

Verdict

Fantastic concept that works very well to keep you visible, just needs higher build quality to improve appeal