Infini Sword Super Bright 30 COB rear light

The Infini Sword Super Bright 30 COB rear light is a super-sleek, inline design with five modes and a total output of 50 lumens. It's very user-friendly and, for the most part, plenty powerful enough for most types of riding. My only real bugbear concerns the rigid, rubberised strap.

• Pros: Sleek design, bright, easy to use
• Cons: Strap is a stretch (literally) to fit 27mm seatpost diameters

In keeping with its contemporaries, Infini has gone the chip on board (COB) route, cramming 30 diodes on the circuit board. A strip of aluminium is designed to dissipate heat build-up. We get proportionately brighter lights, since more diodes can share the same space, and the heat sink supposedly means there's no trade-off in terms of lifespan.

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The Sword is fuelled by a lithium polymer battery, which in practical terms is at least two years' hard use. There is a useful battery life/charge indicator which flashes to denote low power in the two steady settings and turns constant when reserves are dwindling in the three flashing modes.

Body and lens composites feel really solid. It also employs a rubberised press-fit shim, rather like the Cateye Rapid X. There is a choice of two sizes, which ensure a flush fit against the host tubing. This seemingly offers the charge port some additional protection from silt and spray. Since we're on the subject, it meets IPX4 standards for waterproofing, which is heavy rain in the real world. I've had no problems, even when it's been in situ while I've been washing and rinsing the bike down.

Charging shouldn't be a frequent event if run in the two flashing settings, which are reckoned good for 200 hours apiece between charges. The cable is a bit on the short side, fine for refuelling from laptop ports but not ideal for mains. Bargain on three hours from your laptop, 15 minutes less from the mains if you've run the battery pancake flat.

Mount

This is the familiar, watch-strap type that slips around two lugs either side of the light's shell. On the plus side, it's designed to achieve reliable tenure to all sorts of tubing diameters, from seatstays to seatposts, and it is positively leech-like, so no risk of it moving out of alignment. It's not very stretchy though, and persuading it to embrace standard 27.2mm diameter posts proved surprisingly difficult even with some careful pre-stretching. A softer material would be welcomed.

Switch

Ironically, the switch is less positive than many but intuitive to use, even in the dark and wearing winter-weight full-finger gloves. A continuous, two-second press powers up, subsequent nudges shift it through the modes, and a further two-second press powers it down. The memory function sees it default to that last chosen.

Performance

Fifty lumens is quite intense but stops short of being overpowering, although I've been inclined to staircase down to the low steady setting on social rides. It also chomps through reserves pretty quickly. Infini cites an hour, so not particularly practical. I've managed between 56 and 58 minutes, so close to the claim.

As my only source of rear light I've chosen this mode for shorter, misty runs and it's effective, visible from 100 metres or so, nearer 200m on a clear night/early morning along open roads. Bargain on 125/150m through town.

Low steady seems around the 20 lumen, maybe 25, mark, which returns 2 hours and is still very assertive. Open road punch is around 180 metres, 100m through suburban stretches.

In common with others of this shape, peripheral prowess is good rather than great. It's not a patch on Cateye's Rapid X, which has proportionately more presence when tackling roundabouts and junctions, but is superior to some, such as NiteRider's Sabre 50.

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Pulsing has been my default, since it's bright and oscillates at just the right pace. Infini reckons six hours' run-time and again, that's about what I've got from a full charge – enough for almost a week's middle distance commuting between charges. Visibility to others seems to be around the 180/100 metre mark, in the sticks and around town respectively. Oscillation snares driver attention quite nicely at junctions and roundabouts.

At this point you're probably getting the impression that it's level pegging with a wealth of similar models but not exceptional. That was my feeling too, but what's notable here is the unbelievably frugal flashing modes.

I was convinced the 200 hours cited for the flashing 1 and 2 was a misprint; 20 hours would have been impressive and perfect for all-nighters, a week's touring or just general riding. Suffice to say, after three weeks or so of testing ours is still going strong, with no hint of fade, although I've had another powerful blinkie on standby these past few night rides just in case.

Conclusion

When all's said and done, the Infini Sword offers tremendous bang for very modest buck. If you want to run a sleek single rear light it's a reasonable option for most types of riding.

Verdict

Sleek rear light with some lovely touches, but the mounting strap needs revising