Knog PWR Trail Front Light

The Knog PWR Trail is a 1000-lumen light with reasonable tuneability, able to provide sensible outputs for commuting. The battery doubles as a power bank for refuelling other tech on the go, and it's designed so you can add other lighting heads from the PWR family. The slimline bracket could be better, though.

• Pros: Tuneable modes, sensible output, generally rugged construction
• Cons: Bracket could be better

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Specification

The build quality looks and feels impressive thanks to the CNC machined aluminium head and solid battery-cum-power bank. Aluminium shells not only resist everyday knocks well, they also dissipate heat so internals won't get fried.

The head is interchangeable with the 3350mAh, 5000mAh and 10,000mAh PWR banks, connecting via a USB memory stick style plug-in. The stock unit is 1,000 lumens, but there's a 2,000-lumen aftermarket option should you require the additional firepower.

There are three main diodes and another nine running around the perimeter.

Knog doesn't cite an IPX rating, but it's resisted torrential rain and passed my garden hose 'torture test' with flying colours, so it's as weatherproof as most of us will need.

The machined cowling doubles as a switch, so there's little chance of accidental engagement.

Stock, there are six modes – three constant: Max, the full 1,000, reckoned to enjoy a 2hr run-time; Mid, 550 lumens, returning 3hrs from a full charge; and a fuel-sipping 80-lumen Stamina, reckoned good for 21hrs.

Then we have the three pulsing/flashing options: Pulse (300 lumens, 8hr), Strobe Flash (225/14hr) and the 15-lumen Eco-Flash, reckoned to run for 300 hours between charges.

You can also customise the light to suit your riding via Knog's PC and Mac-friendly Mode Maker app, which allows you to tweak modes and outputs. Doing so requires coupling the light head to your computer via the supplied cable, though it's not quite plug 'n' go: you'll need to register the light and create an account before you can choose the options you want.

There are 13 flashing and strobing combinations to play with, and scrolling through the modes can be a laborious task, though the light does have a memory function.

Bracket

The bracket is a slender, hinged clamp design that supposedly accommodates bar diameters from 22.2 to 31.8mm. The power bank's groove slides into it and locks in situ via the thumb wheel. Removal and refitting isn't intuitive and it took a few practice runs before I had it sussed. It can be mounted above or beneath the bar for a neater look, and without affecting the beam pattern/quality.

I fitted it to a Genetic D-Riser 16 bar but had to craft a shim from an old butyl tube to accommodate it, since I didn't want to relocate the bar cam and other fixtures.

Achieving a precise, vice-like fit took some trial and error, and during our first (road) outing the quick release loosened, resulting in the battery crashing to the floor. Aside from a minor cosmetic dent it's unhurt, but I would welcome a more substantial bracket with a wider surface area.

Performance

This is a trail-biased light, so I wasn't surprised that the broad, flat beam offered less navigational prowess along pitch black country lanes than a hybrid beam pattern that can really pick out the details (such as the Ravemen PR1200). I was able to ride at 20-22mph, and the wide beam did offer a decent sweep of potential hazards including thorns, impacted dung and woodland rodents, typically with around 15 feet of notice.

It seemed to induce caution among oncoming SUVs and similarly large vehicles, and friends reckoned they could spot me at 75-80 metres, but compared with the Ravemen mentioned above, the PWR's beam was in dazzle territory, and even allowing for the programmable settings and twist grip switch, nudging down to the 550 was more of a faff than some.

Along unmade roads, performance was good enough for 17mph or so, giving a good overview of conditions ahead. I was also pleased to note my custom-made butyl shim also counteracted any vibration-induced slippage.

> Buyer's Guide: The best 2019/2020 front lights for cycling

Some have suggested you can get away with the 550-lumen mode away from the asphalt, but although optical technology is improving all the time, I'd still want more oomph for anything darker than towpath or semi-rural roads.

It has plenty of bite in the seen-with sense, mind. Oncoming vehicles tended to dip at around 50 metres, and the beam's peripheral sweep affords plenty of presence, the sort welcome at roundabouts and darker junctions, although it's a little too aggressive for the suburbs.

Here the 80-lumen is perfectly adequate, and great if you've been out longer than planned and need to conserve some reserves. That said, since town riding's about being conspicuous, I'd be inclined to create something flashing/pulsing using the app.

The stock flash/pulsing modes were good when I'd paired the PWR with a pre-standlight dynamo, giving plenty of presence at both unlit crossroads and in the concrete jungle.

Battery life claims were pretty accurate: I got within sniffing distance of the claimed 2hrs on the 1,000-lumen setting (1hr 54mins), 2hr 56mins on the 500-lumen, and over 20hr for the 80-lumen.

Power bank

Lights that double as charging devices are becoming increasingly mainstream, and I've found the Knog system quite useful, like on big night rides alongside my high power (1,300 lumen) dynamo lamps, using the PWR's power bank to fuel phones, blinkies and so on.

Yes, we've been able to charge stuff with some dynamos for some time, but I really appreciated the PWR's convenience and it does a decent job of fuelling to genuinely practical levels. It put a full charge in my smartphone battery (with the power bank at 40%) and also fully fuelled a couple of 30-lumen blinkies on another occasion.

Value

Viewed as a complete and tuneable system rather than as a high power light, it seems a reasonable package for the money. However, for me it's trumped by the Ravemen PR1200, which is £10 cheaper: quality of output is superior, run-times are acceptable, it has a plug-in remote and it'll also charge our beloved gizmos.

If you can forgo the power bank functionality, the Giant Recon HL1600 also comes in at £99.99 (if you can tolerate a slightly irksome button), and there's the ETC Kochab 1000 at £80, which Matt really rated.

Verdict

Useful commuter-cum-trail light with added value, but it faces stiff competition and the mount could be better