Moon Gem 3.0 LED rear light

Moon’s Gem 3.0 is intended as a get you home safely back up rear light or the sort of thing you might take along to the summer race meet. Light, discrete and boasting cutting edge design, but most importantly of all delivering as a reliable and very convenient extra light attached to luggage and clothing. However, impressive as the seven to eight lumens are, the tiny pronounced LEDS don’t have the same presence as a bigger light, which can prove crucial negotiating junctions in unlit areas.

Common to the Moon range it sports an attractive brushed aluminium body, a clever adjustable strap with sufficient give to entertain most diameters of seat post/stay, although satisfactory grip on oversized 6061 aluminium carrier rod proved challenging. However, the 3.0 differs from its siblings in so much as the bracket detaches, revealing a handy clothing clip compatible with most tabs, jersey pockets and messenger bags.

A transparent red reflector runs around the perimeter, revealing the Li-ion battery and intricate parts, although while adding some token safety it doesn’t appear to radiate light. Four tiny LEDs sit proud of the brushed alloy panel and titter enthusiastically at the command of a dinky switch. Pleasing to the eye, it’s a bit hit and miss even with dexterous digits and positively frustrating wearing full-finger gloves. That said there’s nothing remotely toy-town about the build quality and despite my initial doubts the design seems highly water resistant in everyday use (although I’ve been very diligent in ensuring the dust cap’s firmly in place following USB fuel ups).

Charge times have proved pretty accurate ranging from three hours fifty minutes and seven hours thirty in high and flashing modes respectively. Powering up, the little diodes are surprisingly bright (you certainly wouldn’t gaze straight into their glare) proving most useful in strobe and flash settings, although they had a tendency to become lost in the clutter of neon shop fascias and other light pollution on busy high streets. Friends suggest we registered on their radar from around two hundred metres on a dry, clear night and the 180degree projection is adequate as opposed to astounding.

Verdict

Meets the design brief but best as a back-up light