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Exposure BOOST DayBright

8
£70.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Well-made, sleek and robust be-seen light – but it costs more than some night-time riding lights
Sleek, robust construction
Secure bracket
Straightforward power settings and functions
Traffic light system for battery
Price
Button hard to use with gloves
Weight: 
57g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Exposure BOOST DayBright front light is designed to let you be seen by other road users, but it doesn't have enough power for night-time riding on unlit routes. The settings are simple to use, with three power levels you can run in either continuous or pulse mode. But the single button can be tricky to operate with gloves, and the BOOST is also quite expensive for a daytime light, though it does have Exposure's usual excellent build quality.

There is nothing fancy about the design of the BOOST DayBright – but it does everything it needs to do very well. And though its build quality is right up there with any of the lights in our best front lights buyer's guide, you are paying a lot for the Exposure.

It's a neat, compact design, though, with a rubber band that wraps around the light's aluminium body, which covers the charging port and is home to the sole function button.

2022 Exposure BOOST DayBright - clamp.jpg

It mounts securely to its neat handlebar bracket that is attached to your handlebar using a thick rubber band. This works with round bars of different diameters, but if you're running a flat, aero bar you'll need a mount such as Exposure's GoPro Fitting Light Clip that attaches to the underside of a computer mount with a GoPro attachment.

The BOOST's IP65 rating means it's designed to survive rain and road spray but is not designed to be submerged in water, so there's no fording rivers with this. In the real riding world, I used it in some of the pretty foul weather this winter has generously provided us with and had no issues whatsoever.

The single XPL2 LED puts out 350 lumens at maximum power, which is enough for riding at night in urban and suburban areas with street lighting, but not sufficient if you're on an unlit route. I found the lowest power setting easily enough for daytime riding, which provides a runtime of 12 hours in continuous mode and 24 hours in pulse. These are also written on the light, just in case you forget...

During winter, I pretty much always ride with a front light to make other road users aware of my presence. The BOOST DayBright is small enough so that I would happily run it all year just for the extra safety it provides.

2022 Exposure BOOST DayBright - 3.jpg

Its 1,500mAh USB rechargeable battery takes only three hours to fully charge and displays a traffic light system 'fuel gauge' to show you how much battery life is left. If the LEDs go beyond their optimum working temperature – probably not that likely this winter – Exposure's patented ITM circuitry reduces the LED's output, keeping the light as efficient as possible. Once it has cooled sufficiently, the power is automatically restored.

One of the few downsides I found is the light's single on/off/function button. A double click turns it on, a single click cycles through the mode, and you hold the button down until the light flashes twice to turn it off. But while I like having a single butting for all the functions, I found the small button that sits underneath the rubber band hard to find and operate with thick winter gloves. 

Value

For a be-seen light, there's no denying that at £70 Exposure's BOOST DayBright is rather expensive. For half that price you can get the Sigma Buster 300 Headlight that Emma found very easy to use when she reviewed it, though its run time was limited at maximum power.

If you want a more powerful front light that can also handle some rural riding at a price less than the Exposure, you could check out the Proviz LED360 Rigel Front Bike Light that Dave rated very highly. It boasts best-in-class run-times and only costs £54.99.

If you're looking for a be-seen light that fits any handlebar shape, Stu reviewed the £46.99 Topeak Headlux 450 USB Front Light, but he wasn't impressed with the output for a 450-lumen light.

Overall

The Exposure BOOST DayBright is solidly constructed with a sleek, minimalist design that works very well, and Exposure offers a variety of mounting systems. But it is let down slightly by its small function button and a high price for what is a be-seen light.

Verdict

Well-made, sleek and robust be-seen light – but it costs more than some night-time riding lights

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Exposure BOOST DayBright

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?

The Exposure BOOST DayBright is a daytime light designed to ensure you are seen by oncoming drivers when you're riding. Exposure says that this DayBright technology works from up to 1km away to maintain your visible presence on the road. I used this for winter daytime riding and found the pulse mode adequate and I often left it in the lowest power setting, as I felt this was enough.

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

LEDs 1 X XPL2

IP Rating IP65

Max Lumens 350

Battery 1400 mAh Li-Ion

Runtime 2-24 Hours (FL)

Charging Time 3 Hours

Weight 45g

Material Anodised 6063 Aluminium

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
10/10

The Exposure light is built to the company's usual rugged standard and the rubberised band around the light's body, which hides the charging port, stays securely in place.

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

Really sleek design with a single button to control all the features, though this button is hard to actuate when you're wearing gloves.

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

The clamping system is secure – so much so that releasing the light can be a bit of a pain.

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

No problem, the rubber band around the light kept the charging port dry.

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

I charged it the evening if I was riding the following morning, taking it off charge before going to bed. It took three hours to charge and in its pulse mode it managed a six-hour ride without issue.

Rate the light for performance:
 
8/10

It helps to keep you visible on the road, though I'm not sure how much it was doing in really bright sunlight.

Rate the light for durability:
 
10/10
Rate the light for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the light for value:
 
5/10

Even taking the excellent construction quality into account, £70 for a daytime-running light is very expensive.

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

I feel it was effective during lighter days – if not the very brightest days – and that it excelled on darker, more overcast days.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

Its sleek design and robust construction.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

The on/off button is a bit fiddly, especially with gloves. And the price…

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It is quite a bit more expensive than other lights aimed for daytime use.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Yes, especially if I could find it discounted.

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Great build quality and battery life on the lowest setting, which I feel was bright enough for safe winter riding. The light helped to keep me visible, and on really dark days, it would provide enough light to pick out potholes. The construction quality is excellent and the two areas that stop it getting an even higher score are the button, which is hard to operate with gloves, and the £70 price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 185cm  Weight: 69kg

I usually ride: Dolan Rebus  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Semi pro

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, commuting, club rides, Always love some off-road with some mates.

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2 comments

Avatar
bobbinogs | 1 year ago
0 likes

The long term problem with this light is that the recharge port is accessed by using the little tab to pull the rubber strip back.  Inevitably, this breaks with constant use...making it quite tricky to remove the strip to recharge.  On the plus side, the battery does last a long old time between charges.  Great little light that packs a punch, doesn't take much space on the bars and is nice and light (no pun intended).

Avatar
Richbeck replied to bobbinogs | 1 year ago
1 like

My exposure rear light with the same rubber cover has seen daily use for the last 4 years with no issues - gently does it.......

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