Moon LX760

The Moon LX760  is a versatile USB rechargeable front light, ideal for both the urban commuter and if you're travelling the country lanes in complete darkness. Plenty of modes and a nifty little remote control are just some of the highlights.

Using a single Cree XM-L2 (U2) LED, the Moon has a maximum claimed output of 760 lumens, as the name suggests. That's plenty of punch for such a small package. It's not just about power figures, though, as the Moon uses that light very well thanks to a decent beam spread.

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In use, you have a bright centre spot which is 17 degrees wide according to Moon's website, with the rest of the light being spread at 84 degrees. The spot is slightly greater in width than it is in height, so even though there is some light spread upwards it's not massively bright and I never had any issues with dazzling oncoming traffic.

A tool-free fitting handlebar clamp (it's tightened by a thrumbscrew) means you can tweak the beam on-the-fly to get the positioning spot on. The clamp is certainly very solid and secure, even if it does look a little on the clunky, agricultural side – to my mind it's definitely an improvement over the rubber o-rings seen on some competitors.

Going back to the modes, the 760-lumen setting is what Moon calls Overdrive, and the LX760 will pump it out for just under two hours; Moon claims 2:20, but I never quite achieved that. Below that you get another six modes, all of which are very sensible drops in power to make the light usable in any conditions to preserve battery life.

The 530-lumen High mode is the one I used most as it was perfect for riding on main roads and the lanes as long as your mph is kept to the high teens, low 20s. Anything quicker than that and you need to knock it up to Overdrive.

Standard and Low modes come next with 340 and 150 lumens respectively, with the latter lasting for over 15 hours. It's more of a 'be seen by' light rather than a 'see where you're going' one.

The 380-lumen Strobe and Flashing modes certainly get you seen in the light pollution of many urban streets, although the Strobe can be a little antisocial. I didn't keep it on too long if I was stuck behind the same car for a while.

You also get an SOS mode should you find yourself in trouble and need to attract someone's attention.

You can select each mode either by the backlit button on top of the unit, or by the included remote control. The remote makes things a lot easier as you can set it up so you don't have to move your hands from the bar. It's connected by a cable that plugs into the USB charging slot, although it can be a bit of a faff if you have to plug it in in the dark.

Each differing mode has its own colour on the backlit button so you know exactly where you are, and it'll start flashing red when the battery is on its last legs. From flat, a full charge will take up to four hours depending on how you are getting the juice in, wall socket or USB on your computer.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights and our beam comparison engine here

Riding in the rain, the Moon LX760 showed no issues with water ingress even without the remote plugged in. It is in fact a very well built light, even if it does look a little dated compared with the likes of Exposure or Hope's machined aluminium bodies.

Overall, the Moon LX760 is a really capable light. I'd say its only real issue is that it lacks enough brightness for really high speed riding in the lanes and on descents, although the beam pattern makes up for some of that loss. Otherwise, it's an impressive performer, and really easy to set up with horizontal adjustability and that thumbscrew bracket.

At £89.99 it's right on the money for this style of light, and the fact that you can currently get it online for about £25 less than that makes it a bit of a bargain.

Verdict

Impressive output and burn times from a quality light and it's very easy to use too