Kranx 800 Spot Front Light

105g £34.99

kranx bicycle front light review starter

The Kranx 800 Spot Front Light is, unsurprisingly a spot light with a max of 800lumens illumination. Although it comes at a very reasonable price and there are compromises, again unsurprisingly, compared with models twice the price. However, it does have some very nice touches, too, that make it effective in its field and a very likeable entry level rechargeable light – the target audience is just that, but I think it has something to offer more experienced (not faster!) riders such as me.

Pros: lock out, mounting options, sensible range of modes, simple to operate.

Cons: run times on the short side, bracket feels lightweight, lower flash would suit me better.

Spec

Bear in mind that this is an entry level light. Forget your high-speed winter training on country lanes, wild nights off-roading, and all night Audax.

Inside the box, apart from the torch type light with mount affixed, the ubiquitous USB charge cable, a watch strap bracket, and a Go-Pro-style adaptor. There are adequate instructions, although nothing about the charge indicator. However, it is all pretty logical.

The lens can be removed from the casing to reveal the single LED. At the opposite end is the charging port with a rubber cover. The switch is on top, the removable Garmin-style half-twist mount. Inside is a 2500mAh lithium battery. Some might point out that the casing is not designed to be a great heat sink, but we are not talking extended periods of retina-tingling output so this is not really an issue. However, do expect the lens end of the light to get hot if you keep things high for a long time.

Bracket and mount 3.5/5

There are mounting options. The Go-Pro adaptor is plastic and you’ll need the bolt from your Go-Pro or find a substitute. There’s also a watch strap type bracket to fit around the bars. This is partly protected by a rubber covering to protect the bars, although you may add your own home-made shim to add protection should you wish. The strap should encompass all bar sizes. Both mounts have a Garmin-style half-twist bracket. This is a really nice touch, making other mounting options possible – Garmin, other lights that employ a similar system, and so on. It also enhances portability between bikes.

In fairness the mounts feel lighter-weight than more expensive models – but that is to be expected given the price point. Both are adequate and I have had no problem keeping things steady and stable.

Switch 4/5

A frim push activates the light, toggles through modes, and locks out unwanted activation. This is operable in full-finger gloves. It is also the charge indicator. As ever, when the light turns red, either break out the substitute or get home quick: whichever, time for a recharge. I reckon there’s about twenty percent left on red, but given the likelihood that you’ll use multiple modes, this is not really a real-world figure. Green for a full charge, blue for the bit in between. A single short press when the light is off gives you the chance to check the charge without turning the light on. When the light is on, the switch flashes green, blue, or red to indicate charge remaining.

I am easily confused, but the switch does not act as the indicator when the battery is charging. A small light next to the charging port does that job. It took me a while to spot this. Doh!

Care, water-resistance, and durability 3.75/5

Given that Kranx state that IPX6 means water-resistant to spray but not very heavy rain, I felt I should add a bit more than usual on what my experience of rain was during testing. The IPX6 test is actually the most intense level of testing that involves spraying with high pressure jets: to get IPX7 equipment needs to survive submersion to one metre for thirty minutes.

The criteria for these levels also state that the equipment suffers no harmful effects from water ingress. I guess that Kranx warning is because of the port cover and the removable lens, but I could be wrong.

Taking that into account, and avoiding the semantics of what constitutes heavy rain, I wondered if Kranx were not underselling things a bit. We have many types of rain in the UK, including what I’d regard as heavy. Unscientific though it might be, I’d say that if you are out in heavy rain, you’ll know it. Having ridden for over an hour in heavy rain with the Kranx 800 spot providing the guiding light I have noticed no ingress of water into the workings and seen no reduction in performance. Still, caveat emptor!

Charge and run times 3.5/5

Charging has taken between two and a quarter hours and two and a half. The latter was after accidentally running the light right down to zero. Times like this are pretty good; easily time to charge between morning and evening commutes, for example, even if that has to be a stealth operation.

Stated run times are: Steady High (800lumens) 1.5 hours; Medium (630) 2.5; Low (480) 3.5; Eco (200) 7.5; Slow flash (480) 13; Fast flash (200) 5.5. These are very competitive for this price point, but not great. Equally, there are some more expensive front lights that have similar times in the higher modes. With extensive sections of unlit road and canal towpath on my commute, for example, I’d probably get a single day of commuting when daylight hours are short. However, run times for a day running flash or when amongst traffic (slow flash at 480lumens or fast flash at 200)) are very helpful.

Overall, run times are most suitable for urban or suburban cycling, with occasional forays into the pitch dark. I’d generally be looking at 1000lumens for nocturnal ventures down unlit country lanes, at least at anything above a distinctly moderate pace.

Modes and performance 3.75/5

First up, I have not used the slow flash very much. Combined with my B&M dynamo light, fast flash seemed a good option on a drizzly ride home one night. This seemed to grab interest on the unlit lanes at a hundred metres or so – combined with a main light. In heavier traffic in the bright lights of the city it also did a good job, although I got one or two nasty looks in traffic queues. Still, people were paying attention. It is also a worthwhile daytime runner, but I have tended to go to slow flash on the sunniest days when rain has cleared and the sun glares down. In general, I have found the 480lumens slow flash a bit much at night. It certainly gives presence at a couple of hundred yards on straight unlit roads, but I found it too bright a flash for my own comfort. In some ways a 75 or 100 lumen flash would be better for night riding. However, this is not intended to play the role of a blinkie. We’ll leave my personal preference -and it is just that - there.

Next, to the steady modes. Eco mode is very much a “be seen” mode, fine for suburban cycling when traffic is light, but I have pushed up to low mode (480lumens) or fast flash (combined with another light) when traffic has got heavier. Both are effective, anecdotally, at around fifty to a hundred metres, depending on ambient light etc.

To really get a good view of the road ahead, you need to get into medium to high modes.

Whilst I have managed a steady twelve mph along an unlit canal towpath on the medium mode (630lumens), but this was very familiar territory. In any case, I felt a lot more comfortable when putting it up to the highest level, especially on sections of familiar unlit road. As such, I’ve happily made a decent 15-17mph, in the 800 lumens (left above) mode (I’d describe myself as a pretty cautious cyclist). However, for commuting I have found the 630 lumens mode (right above) surprisingly effective on the unlit section; it seems to give more light that expected.

On particularly dark nights, especially with rain, I have added the 800 mode to my B&M dynamo light to give that little extra visibility when needed, dropping it down or turning off when the moon has come out or the ambient light improved.

A clear white beam gives a focussed column of light. Some peripheral presence is offered by the cut-back lens – not uncommon, but a consideration sometimes missing, even in more expensive lights. Although this is a spot, there’s plenty of peripheral bleed illuminating verges and kerbs to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Value 4/5

The Kranx 800 Spot has some features that you’d find in higher priced models (lock out, adaptable mounting systems). You would not expect it to have programmable functions and remote controls. The mounts may lack the durability and aesthetics of more expensive lights, but this is hardly a deal breaker, especially as this is not the kind of light you’ll use for bashing out miles of bumpy gravel or high-speed winter training.

Ravemen’s LR500 lacks the top end of the Kranx 800 lumens mode, but packs a lot of punch with more sophisticated lens technology. It is a little more expensive, but for the general rider who sticks to lit roads it may offer a good alternative. The Ravemen CR500 has more bells and whistles, but is significantly more expensive.

Back to 800lumens lights, I liked the Ravemen CR800. Significantly more expensive, it punches above its weight. Granted, I was a faster rider when I tested it, but it offered more for those night-tripping frolics for a few unlit extra miles on the way home from work.

One can fork out nearly £150 for an 800 lumen light from Garmin, but we are talking a different beast to the Kranx.

Summary

I have come to appreciate the simple qualities of the Kranx 800 Spot. Paired with a dynamo lamp or on its own, it offers a good deal. True, it will not go on my big trips, but for day to day riding, where heading into the pitch dark is relatively short duration (thirty minutes or so), it is a likeable and easy to use light at the entry level. Even as an experienced cyclist, there’s a lot to like.

Verdict: 3.75/5 entry level light that offers a good deal for not very much.

Steve Dyster

https://www.bob-elliot.co.uk/viewdetailV2.php?target=35813

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2024

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