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Planet Bike is a very reputable company when it comes to bike lights. The Planet Bike Beamer 5 Headlight is no exception. It is in a lot of ways your standard front blinkie/headlight: It blinks, has a steady mode, uses LEDs, and attaches to your handlebars. Throw in good quality, some nice design features, and a great handlebar mounting system and you have a solid blinkie.
Planet Bike Beamer 5 Headlight Features
- New 4X brighter Nichia eXtreme V 2.0 LEDs
- 5 white LEDs make you visible and illuminate your way
- Flashing and steady modes
- Quick CamTM bracket mounts, adjusts or removes in seconds w/o tools
- Up to 100 hrs run time on flashing, 50 hrs on steady
- Batteries: 2 AA batteries (included)
- Weight: 95 grams (with batteries)
- Price: $34.99
Planet Bike Beamer 5 Headlight Review
The Planet Bike Beamer 5 Headlight is a great blinkie. The 5 LEDs are bright. I haven’t used the previous model to see if in fact the “300% brighter than traditional LEDs” claim is true, but I can definitely say that they are super bright and brighter than some other LED blinkies I’ve used in the past. My preferred use for this light is in flashing mode as a light to be seen by. I tried to use the steady mode as a light to see by and I found that it was inadequate in this scenario. It was easy to out-ride the light and it didn’t give enough light to really see the details of the road ahead. In steady mode, it is still a good light to be seen by, although I prefer flashing mode.
There are a couple of design features that I really like about this light. First and foremost is the power button. The button is flush with the casing and you have to press it in past the casing to operate it. Seems very minor, but this has prevented the light getting turned on inside my bag as things gets jostled around when riding. I haven’t had it come on by accident once. With some previous lights I’ve used the power button is raised off the casing the light was get turned on in my bag frequently. I am very happy to not pull this light out of my bag at night to find the batteries dead. Second design feature that I really like is the cut away on the sides of the light. Combine that with the super bright LEDs and you have good side lighting to help you be seen from the sides.
The third thing I really like about this light is the Quick CamTM bracket mount for your handlebars. This is the best mounting system I’ve used for a handlebar light. At first it does take a little adjusting to get it just right, but then it’s literally two seconds to get it off your bars and onto your other bike. It locks down and won’t rotate while you are riding. One downside to this that I’ve come across is there have a been few times when I’ve flipped the cam lever open while riding and the light has rotated around the bars. This was mostly my own fault as I was monkeying around while riding. The lock to hold the light in place is secure and is strong. I don’t think I’ll run into any issues with it breaking during the wicked cold months.
Battery life seems good. I haven’t run it out yet and I’ve been using it daily for awhile now. I would prefer a rechargeable option, but of course that would increase the price. Definitely pair this light with rechargeable batteries.
Overall this is a great light. It is a lot better as a blinkie as opposed to a light to see by.
The Good
- 5 LEDs are super bright
- Good side lighting
- Good battery life
- Quick CamTM bracket is amazing
- Lower chance of accidental power on in the bag with the flush power button
The Bad
- Isn’t bright enough to light up the detail of the road, use this as a blinkie
- No rechargeable option
Bottom Line:
The Beamer 5 Headlight is a great blinkie. If you’re looking for something to help increase your visibility the Beamer 5 is a great option. The price is good, the design is good, and the Quick CamTM bracket is superior to other handlebar mounts that I’ve seen.
;)
