Best Bike Lights on the Market

For years my go to night riding lights have been a Pro 2200 Race light on my helmet and the Lumina 1200 on my handlebars (both from Niterider). I’ve been using this setup for 6+ years and they have done the job excellently. I have never felt like I didn’t have enough light but lugging the bulky battery in a backpack was a requirement. Over the last few years I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about this company from the midwest called Outbound. Every opinion in the bike world can be a polarizing one with people eagerly lining up behind their keyboards to refute whatever opinion you may have. Yet oddly enough, I’ve heard nothing but good things about these lights. When there’s a unanimous opinion in the bike world you have to check it out. That led me to pick up a Hangover helmet light to replace my wired dinosaur I had been using for years.

Before we get into performance it is really awesome to be able to ditch the proprietary charging system that my Niterider uses for a commonplace USB-C. Its form factor and ease of use are also major pros, I no longer needed to use a backpack to transport the large battery to power my helmet light. In the age of hip packs this was a pleasant change as the only time I would get my trusty EVOC riding pack out was for night rides. With a single large button and 3 power settings it is incredibly simple to use. The size of the button also makes it a breeze to operate with large, bulky winter riding gloves. 

Now onto performance; how could a light that is 1200 lumens less powerful compete with my old light? I asked myself this question as I started off into the woods on my inaugural ride. As I dropped into my descent, that question was quickly answered. I realized that sheer lumens is certainly not the most important aspect of night riding. The beam path and how the light hits the trail matters a whole lot more. My peripheral vision actually had light across it, unlike before where it felt like riding through a tunnel of light. The Hangover’s wide beam path really inspired confidence, while the brightness of the light didn’t wash out the trail in front of me. I was utterly blown away, a light that is half as powerful is out performing what I thought as the perfect light for my uses. My Niterider also gets extremely hot to the touch after it runs for anything over 30 minutes. To the point where touching any place on the light felt like a game of hot potato.. Although the Hangover still gets hot (it's putting out a lot of light!) The construction and materials used lends itself to be more manageable on the hands even after running for extended periods. The Pro Race from Niterider has a smaller form factor of the light itself (not including the battery it must be attached to) but because it’s so small a lot of the surface is very hot and can be hard to handle at times after rides. . 

Outbound has done well at innovating something as simple as the power modes. While almost all lights that exist have a set of power modes. Most often low, medium and high. Outbound follows this formula but adds another mode called “adaptive”. In this mode the light starts out on its brightest and gradually works to the medium. The benefits of this feature are increased run time as the light slowly dims over 30-45 minutes but does it in a way that gives your eyes time to adjust. I was skeptical my first time using it but in real time I barely noticed the light getting dimmer. This feature lets you get 4 hours of run time vs 2 using purely the high setting. It really is ingenious. I had never thought about eye adjustment at night in regards to power setting.

Speaking of run time, Outbound is the first light I’ve used that has pass through charging. For your typical night rides this might not be a big selling point but for bike packing and long gravel rides this is a game changer. Having the ability to use the light for as long as you have power banks is incredible. For the less prepared folks it also gives you some leeway if you forget to charge your light before a ride you can charge it while using it on the climb up (assuming you keep a spare power bank in your vehicle). 

For better or worse my mantra when thinking about night riding had always been “what’s the max amount of lumens I can strap to myself?” Outbound took a step back and came up with some new solutions to the question of what makes a riding light good. Their commitment to thinking outside the box led to creating a product that isn’t as powerful as its competitors yet still does a better job. I can’t say I was surprised they lived up to the hype but I can confidently give Outbound a stamp of approval. From the casual commuter to the dedicated downhiller these lights are for everyone who needs to see at night while riding.