NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200

The NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200 is a relatively compact front light that packs a powerful 1,200-lumen beam, but its battery life is short in the highest modes, and the charge port cover on ours wasn't the most secure, which could compromise waterproofing.

> Buy now: NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200 for £99.99 from Amazon

With its 1,200-lumen Boost mode, the Lumina Pro 1200 falls into the category of 'light to see with' rather than 'be seen'. However, with a claimed maximum burn-time for that Boost mode of just 55 minutes (which I found closer to 45 in testing), the light feels like it's reaching a bit too far to be a reliable choice for night riding.

It comes in a cardboard box with a plastic handlebar mount and – allegedly – a USB-C charge cable, though ours must have got lost in transit.

2024 Niterider Lumina Pro 1200 - USB port.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The bar mount is very adjustable but quite clunky looking. It has a large threaded screw and plastic dial to tighten it around a bar, and can fit up to a 35mm diameter so will work on virtually any bike.

2024 Niterider Lumina Pro 1200 - mount.jpg (credit: road.cc)

On the top of the light are two buttons – one to increase brightness, and one to reduce it, each back-lit with a coloured LED to show which mode you're in. Above these are four green LEDs to indicate remaining battery life. These blink as the battery drains, which is a little distracting (and perhaps uses up power).

2024 Niterider Lumina Pro 1200 - top.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The body of the light is made of fibreglass-reinforced nylon, with aluminium heatsinks running along the length of it. In theory, these should help dissipate heat away from the light to reduce build-up when running high modes for extended periods of time. In practice, this light gets stupidly hot – when removing it from the mount after a ride where I'd used it entirely on Boost mode, I was shocked at just how hot it had become. Even pressing the buttons to turn the light off felt pretty uncomfortable. In fairness to NiteRider, it does quote "! Warning Hot Surfaces ! Do not use the Lumina™ as a hand-held lighting device when in high and boost modes!" on its website, but there's no such warning on the box itself.

2024 Niterider Lumina Pro 1200 - side.jpg (credit: road.cc)

I used the light in a variety of conditions. In the daytime, running it at lower outputs, it worked fine as a be-seen light, though for such use a much sleeker, smaller, less obtrusive option would work better.

I also used it in complete darkness on unlit country lanes in the Boost mode – which I think is about the minimum you need for these conditions. While the beam shape is good, throwing a clear spot a good distance away as well as flooding the surrounding road with a bit of light too, the run-time is just not sufficient if you regularly ride for more than 50 minutes in these conditions.

2024 Niterider Lumina Pro 1200 - front.jpg (credit: road.cc)

If it came with a more flexible mount (or a variety of mounting options), its relatively small form factor, good spot light, and sub-200g weight could make it a fair contender for a helmet light – were it not for the outrageously hot body when running at maximum output...

Over a month of testing, the rubber seal for the USB-C charge port has come unplugged from the body of the light and I haven't been able to reseal it – so it now just sort of limply hangs below the light. If you turn the light on with the USB-C port open, you can see light around the charge port itself – which suggests it's not completely sealed and relies on the external rubber seal. NiteRider states the light is IP64 rated, which means it's "protected from dust and water splashes from any direction" – so it's not claimed to be waterproof (other lights we've reviewed have higher waterproof ratings).

2024 NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200 port protection.jpeg (credit: road.cc)

NiteRider's 'limited lifetime warranty' covers "any defects in mechanical components (housings, covers, mounts and fasteners) and LEDs", so hold onto your receipt just in case...

Value

At first glance the light doesn't look bad value: £130 for a 1,200-lumen offering – you wouldn't get near an Exposure Joystick for that money, a light with a lower output and a narrower beam – except that those 1,200 lumens are only available for a claimed 55 minutes (less in my experience).

For £85 you could have Lezyne's Lite Drive 1200+, which runs for about 2 hours at 1,200 lumens, the BBB Strike Duo 1200 for £75, with a run-time of around an hour and a half (1:45hrs claimed) on its brightest setting, or the Gaciron KIWI-1200 Anti-Glare Bike Front Light, which offers about 90 minutes at full power, for less than £50.

You can even spend less and get a brighter light with longer run-times – the Zefal Supervision F1500 is now £99.99 and runs for an hour and 40 minutes in its 1,500-lumen mode.

Conclusion

Overall, the NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200 has a lot of potential, but falls short on run-time in Boost mode and presents a potentially dangerous level of heat management. If you need a light to see with at night, I would look at those listed above, or you can find more options in our guide to the best front bike lights.

> Buy now: NiteRider Lumina Pro 1200 for £99.99 from Amazon

Verdict

A lot of potential let down by short run-times and questionable heat management