ETC Tauri 60 Lumen Smart Rear Light

The ETC Tauri 60 Lumen Smart Rear Light is, indeed, a clever little thing with plenty of features: nine different outputs, auto on/off, a brake light function and various mounting options, all for less than 40 quid. You'll need a magnifying glass to read the instructions, mind.

• Pros: Brake light is quite effective; quick recharge
• Cons: Short battery life

Rather than using one or two LEDs for illumination, ETC has gone for COB (Chip on Board) technology where multiple LED chips are packaged together, 36 in total on the Tauri, which gives a uniform spread of output across the whole light face and quite a distinct, bright light to it – especially considering its modest 30-lumen max output in its highest brightness setting.

Yes, the Tauri is capable of 60 lumens, hence the name, but that is only when using its 'brake light' warning sensor. The rest of the time you are limited to 30, 17 or 9-lumen settings across the three modes: solid and two flashing.

Brake light

The brake light function can be turned off, but I left it on as it is quite effective. Sensors in the light detect when you have come to a sudden stop and it flashes, basically strobes at the higher 60-lumen brightness, until you set off again.

Motorists behind you might not realise that it is a brake light per se, but it certainly grabs attention to highlight that something has changed, especially if you were originally riding with it in the solid mode.

Having a fellow rider behind me to gauge how it worked, they noticed that the flashing would also be activated if I braked hard but didn't quite come to a full stop, while light braking into a bend or roundabout didn't set it off – which I'd say is exactly how I would want it.

The sensors are also used to automatically switch the light on and off. If no movement is detected for one minute the ETC shuts down until it senses vibration, at which point it'll come back on in its previous mode.

Run-times and output

Being quite a small light, battery capacity isn't massive and the run-times can be a little on the short side.

As I said earlier, there are three modes, with three brightness for each. In solid mode, high (30lm) lasts for 1hr 40mins, medium (17lm) for 3hrs 10mins, and low (9lm) for 5hrs 30mins.

Compare that to the Exposure TraceR Mk1 DayBright's max run-time of 3hrs at 75lm on a solid setting – not bad for a light that is one of the smallest models on the market.

Using the flashing modes, you can achieve burn-times between 3hrs and 15hrs depending on the brightness. I was a bit sceptical about the Tauri living up to the stated run-times – Magicshine front lights I've tested have struggled in this regard (ETC lights are made by Magicshine, with the Tauri being a rebranded Seemee 60) – and was pleasantly surprised, though it doesn't quite reach the full 16hrs claimed.

Charging

A nippy 1.5-2hr charge via micro-USB gets your battery from flat to full, depending on where your power is coming from.

Rated to IPX6, the ETC should and does resist high pressure, heavy sprays of water. Riding in heavy downpours with no mudguards saw no issues with water ingress from the spray being relentlessly chucked up by the rear wheel.

Cleverly, the ETC has its charge point hidden behind a rubber cover at the rear of the light which is then surrounded by the mount for a bit of added protection. Even the bathroom shower dishing out a soaking didn't affect anything.

Mount

The light attaches to the mount via a twist-and-lock motion and I had no problem with everything staying attached even when riding on gravel tracks.

The mount is a simple affair which is held to the seatpost by a rubber o-ring. It's pretty secure although it can vibrate around the post a bit or get nudged by your legs. The little rubber spacers keep this to a minimum, though.

In the pack there are two spacers that you stick to the back of the mount, one for aero seatposts, the other for standard round ones. Both are tapered to offset the seat angle so the light will point directly backwards as opposed to shining on the floor.

There is also a clip so you can attach the light to clothing or a rucksack.

Value

The ETC Tauri costs £36, which I think is a fair price, especially as it has given me absolutely no issues whatsoever in terms of performance or reliability.

I mentioned the Exposure TraceR above, and that's because it is one of my go-to lights. It's bright, compact and super-reliable. It's not massively cheap at £45, but you are getting more brightness and double the battery life of the ETC. To get the braking option of the ETC, though, you'll need the Mk2, which pushes the price up to £65.

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If you aren't interested in the brake light function, just brightness, there are plenty of lights out there for similar money, such as the Lezyne Strip Drive 150 Rear, which kicks out a cool 150 lumen and costs £35.

Overall, though, I'm really impressed with the ETC. The COB design makes it brighter than the numbers suggest, and the added functions are genuinely worth it.

Verdict

Brighter than its lumen count would have you expect, and the brake light function works well