The Ravemen K1800 front light is a great option for those who do a lot of riding at night, offering – as its name suggests – a maximum 1,800 lumens and good run-times. It features seven modes to suit your needs both day and night, plus its IPX7 waterproof rating means you can be sure that it’s protected from the elements.
For more options, check out our guide to the best front bike lights.
The light is user friendly and easy to operate, with a nice big on/off switch on top for clicking through the settings.
It also comes with a wireless remote, which enables you to turn the light on (top button) and to switch to max brightness (bottom button) without removing your hand from the bar, and especially useful when used alongside the GoPro mount.
Mount
When it came to attaching the K1800 to my handlebar, I did find the bracket a little fiddly. The plastic to attach the rubber clip to is angled in such a way that makes it tricky to fasten without removing the light. I had to slide the light off to ensure the mount could be securely tightened. This isn’t a huge issue, but it just adds a little extra time to the process.
It also comes with a GoPro-style inverted adaptor/mount, so you can attach the light under your computer mount if it’s compatible. I don’t have a GoPro-compatible mount, so wasn’t able to test this, but it’s a good way to clear up space on the handlebar. The wireless remote would be especially useful for changing modes when using the light this way.
Once I’d attached the light to the mount, it held it secure over smooth surfaces such as tarmac, but when riding over continuously rough ground or gravel the light did move round and down, which was a little annoying.
Performance
Packing 1,800 lumens max on the High setting, this front light is impressively bright, lighting up the road in front at night and the surrounding environment, and providing excellent visibility even in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere, making me feel safe and seen.
Even the lower Mid and Low solid settings – 1,000 and 500 lumens – are very powerful and allow for great visibility in slightly better lit areas, and if you really need to eke out the battery there’s a 250-lumen Eco mode that’ll run for a claimed eight hours.
Within the ‘normal’ mode, all you need to do is click through to select the output you want. This includes the one Pulse flashing (500lm) option.
Hold the on/off button for three seconds until the blue indicator light (sun symbol) on top shows, and this switches the light into ‘intelligent daylight running mode’. When in this mode, the light will switch between Pulse flashing in bright ambient light and Mid in low ambient light. The light will also automatically switch off if it detects inactivity for two minutes, and switch back on once movement is detected. This is pretty useful for saving power.
It also has an ‘AI nighttime mode’. To access this, you press and hold the on/off button for five seconds until the blue indicator light flashes steadily. You then use the light in this setting for five days so the AI can ‘learn’; in other words, it figures out the best output, from 100 lumens up to 1,800 lumens, throughout your rides, based on the light levels within your environment.
Although I liked this feature, I still felt I could just decide for myself and change the mode manually via the on/off button or wireless remote.
One thing to be aware of with this light is that it does get very hot. It is stated on top of the light itself, but just be aware that it can become uncomfortable to handle once it’s been on.
Run-times & charging
On the High setting of 1,800 lumens, the light lasted for 1:30hrs before switching to a lower constant setting for 30 minutes. After this, the Pulse flashing could still be used for an extra hour and a half, even though the on/off setting button was flashing red.
To at least have some form of light before completely dying is something I think is really useful. I wouldn’t want to rely solely on this if riding in the dark, as it’s a mode for being seen not seeing with, but it’s still better than being plunged into complete darkness.
Charging took around four hours from flat to fully charged. The LED on the on/off settings button flashes red until it’s charged, at which point it changes to green to indicate charging is complete.
Four hours is pretty decent compared with other options such as the Sigma Buster 1600, whose max output is 200 lumens less but took 3.5 hours to charge (half an hour longer than claimed by the manufacturer).
Similarly, the Magicshine Evo 1700 Underneath Mounted Bike Light takes around five hours to charge from flat, and offers 100 lumens less at max power.
Powerbank
Another interesting feature the K1800 offers is that it doubles up as a powerbank, which could come in handy in various situations – if you enjoy bikepacking and want to travel light, for example.
The light still works while being used as a powerbank, though charging will obviously reduce the run-time depending on what you are charging and how long for, and the light also works while it is being charged – so you can use the light and charge it at the same time, to extend the run-time.
Value
I think it’s fair to say that £99.99 is very reasonable for a 1,800-lumen front light that includes multiple features.
The Sigma Buster 1600 I mentioned above, for example, recently tested by Paul, has an RRP of £109.99 for only 1,600 max lumens.
Likewise, the Cateye AMPP1700 is £139.99, with 100 lumens less, while the Lezyne Super Drive 1800+ Smart LED Front Light, although it offers the same output, costs £150.
The K1800 didn’t make it into our beam comparison engine, but you can use that to check out how some of its rivals performed.
Conclusion
Overall, the Ravemen K1800 is a very reasonably priced and bright front light that offers many additional features as well as a long battery life. It’s an excellent option for anyone looking for a powerful front light for night riding.
Verdict
Impressively bright front light with long run-times, lots of added features and a great price
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Ravemen K1800
Size tested: 1800 Lumens
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?
Ravemen says: ‘Cyclists, meet your perfect ride partner. Embrace the hands-free convenience of its intelligent mode and revel in the superior illumination that Ravemen is renowned for. Its unique AI Night Riding Mode frees your hands, automatically adjusting brightness based on your cycling habits, maximizing battery life for worry-free riding. It can also function as a power bank, featuring an all-in-one USB Type-C interface for charging and discharging. And it is built to withstand any weather or riding challenge, compatible with any mount style you prefer. Let’s experience the ultimate in cycling illumination!’
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?
Ravemen’s stated technical aspects are:
1. Special Lens designed for riding, providing wide and even-distributed light and side visibility for better and safer riding experience
2. Intelligent daytime running light mode with auto on-off function and light sensor for high/low ambient light conditions
3. AI Learning mode for nighttime routine riding with auto on-off and light sensor for auto brightness adjusting to maximize the efficiency.
4. Wireless switch to control the light easily and safely battery without releasing the grip
5. Auto power-save function when the battery is low
6. USB-C charging with runtime extension and USB-C discharging as a power bank to charge your bike computer or mobile phone
7. Durable anodized aluminum body for better heat dissipation and IPX7 water-proof design for riding in heavy rain
8. Built-in brightness level memory circuit and thermal protection circuit
The casing is made out of ‘aircraft grade’ aluminium rather than plastic, and it has a robust (and expensive) feel to it.
Well-thought-out and easy to use with a pleasingly straightforward design.
It’s good, but did have a tendency to move around when riding over rough ground. The fastening system is also a little fiddly because of the severe angle of the clip – it’s angled downward underneath the light, which means you need to remove the light from the mount to fasten it.
With an impressive rating of IPX7 (able to survive submersion in water for an hour), this light should be able withstand even the harshest elements. This makes it a great option if you ride even in torrential rain.
Very impressive battery life. It ran on the high, 1,800-lumen setting for two hours before switching to the Pulse Flashing for another 90 minutes – so 3:30 before running completely dead. However, the 4-hour charge time from flat to full isn’t that fast.
Very bright, illuminated the way ahead of me very effectively.
It isn’t light but given how powerful it is, that’s not surprising.
Good value compared with others.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Similar options on the market tend to cost more. For example, the Sigma Buster 1600 Headlight with handlebar mount https://road.cc/content/review/sigma-buster-1600-headlight-handlebar-mount-312025 is £109.99 for only 1,600 lumens max. Similarly, the Cateye AMPP1700 https://road.cc/content/review/cateye-ampp1700-311549 is £139.99, and again for a lower max output, this time of 1,700 lumens.
Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose
I was really impressed with the Ravemen’s performance. The brightness was great, the beam threw light clearly at the road and out ahead, allowing me to see very well, even in the pitch black. Battery life is also good for the output.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the light
The beam was really bright, the 1,800-lumen high great for using at night for dark rides in the countryside. It helped me to clearly see the road ahead as well as ensure I could be seen by other road users. I can also see its ability to double up as a powerbank useful if I was bikepacking or doing a particularly long ride.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light
The mount isn’t as secure as some; when riding over rough terrain the light moved a little.
Did you enjoy using the light? Yes
Would you consider buying the light? Yes
Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It’s excellent. The battery life is great, it’s brilliant to use at night, and the added features are a very nice bonus. I felt really safe when using this light and once the time was up on the High setting, being able to use it for another couple of hours on lower settings, even flashing, helped me to feel safe and still protected.
About the tester
Age: 25 Height: 173cm Weight: 65kg
I usually ride: Road bike My best bike is: Road bike
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
4 thoughts on “Ravemen K1800”
Surprised this light doesn’t
Surprised this light doesn’t come with the bolted handlebar bracket, If needed the bracket with the bolt is the ABM05 and its 7.99. I have this bracket on my PR1400 Ravemen front light and it never slips off road, I think all their mounts have the same slide in slide out system.
How long does it run before
How long does it run before it steps down from 1,800 lumen level, and how many lumens does it push out after step down?
It literally tellls you the
It literally tellls you the 1800lm run time in the section marked Runtimes.
how long does it run on 1000
how long does it run on 1000 and 500? As the 1800 is too short for me