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Item 797836
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 21 customers
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Like all planet bike lights, I think they could improve the mounting, but I'm not gonna let that subtract a whole star.
If your looking for a good light without going into the rechargeable (aka over a $100) range, this is the best that I've found, and I have searched far and wide. I commute over very, very, dark county roads and this gives me enough illumination to avoid the sharp rocks, broken glass, and road kill as long as I'm going under 20 mph. If your going to be doing serious trail riding after dark or if your going fast in unlit areas, I would recommend a higher end light.
For this price you get a very good white light, that seems to have a good balance of a focused beam with some side diffusion that I actually like. While I'm in town I like using the flash, the pattern sure is an eye catcher. Can't comment on the battery life or the water resistance as of yet.
I'm not going to lie, I've seen much brighter lights, but for this price range your not going to top it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Just got the 2-watt, compared it to my 1-watt Blaze and it is a heck of a lot brighter, as it should be.
Definitely worth an extra $10.
The only thing I'm not thrilled about is that it's glossy black. I prefer the matte finish on my 1 watt.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
I've been through the wringer with lights. I don't like the cost or the bother of rechargeable lights, which means I always end up with going after the cheapies.You can buy headlights for anywhere from $15 to $40 that are utter garbage. I've bought the no-name lights and they fall apart. I've bought the Cat-Eye lights and they sound like baby rattles.Finally I found a nice light. I have four main criteria for a light:* Affordable - at [$] this is the top of what I call affordable, but I paid a little extra for:* Bright - I ride a lot at night and I like speed, so I need a good beam. Also need a good flash for riding in heavy traffic* Durable - this is of key importance. The light must have a solid mount and can't rattle, blink, or fade when I hit road noise* Good Battery Life - I use rechargeable AA's, but I don't want to be recharging all the timeThis light hits on all four:* Affordable - pricey, but still under $100. You can save by getting the 1-watt model instead.* Bright - this throws a nice spot on the road. I rarely use the 2-watt mode, but it is definitely handy as an option.* Durable - the light feels like a rock. No rattles at all.* Good Battery Life - I haven't changed batteries yet after a month of occasional useOnly downsides of the light are that I would like to have had a slightly better mount. It's a little mushy, but it works OK. And, the "Superflash" mode is REALLY annoying. To the point that I don't use it in the dark because the reflections drive me crazy. "Superflash" is a nice idea, but how about a simple 1 second pulse so people aren't having seizures?Overall, though worth your money, no question.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Used in on a night time randonnee and was very impressed with it.
I also have a 1 watt, same make and name - quite useless.
I'm going to buy another so I have a pair mounted
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Was looking for s solid, inexpensive light for rides that start pre-dawn or run into dusk/early evening. The Blaze 2w fits the bill perfectly.
It's not a bad deal at full price, but when it goes on sale or you have a coupon it's even sharper. So much so that I bought two of them, and depending on how long I'm going to be in the dark for a given ride I'll run them both.
Beam pattern running just one is fine, but by running two at a time you can point one close in and the other a little further out. With this approach you can get the brightness/coverage of a single light costing more than twice what you'll pay for two of these. Plus, using standard AA batteries means you don't need to worry about charge times if you decide to take a ride at the last minute and have a re-chargeable light that's not ready to go. (Assuming you have fresh AA's in the house... but who doesn't?)
5-Star rating factors in price/performance ratio. As others have said, you will find brighter lights out there. But it's unlikely that you'll find a brighter/better light at the price you can find this light. (That said, light technology changes so fast, that by the time you read this review there could be something twice as good for half the price!)
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
After a few rain rides (I'm a Seattle bike commuter) there was condensation inside the lens and the light won't turn off or change from the steady "on" setting. I'm returning the light.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
I checked out & played with all the bike lights at REI, and this one is the brightest light for the price range. It does feel a bit heavy, and I was worried that the mount wasn't sturdy enough to hold the light, but I haven't had any issues at all and I've been riding with it almost daily for about a month now.
I can see what the other reviewers mean when they talk about the light beam being too narrow, if you're going around a dark corner, the light illuminates what's exactly in front of you, not peripherally. In a scenario where I rode on dark roads with no street lights, I'd probably opt for the more expensive double light setups instead so I could angle them differently, and have the light spread out more.
The light also interferes with my bike computer when it's turned on..I'm not sure which device is at fault, but be aware that it is possible.
Overall, I love this light, and I love how much I paid for it!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Why the high ratings? I bought this light based on them and am now considering returning it.
The plusses: lots of power and long reach.
The minusses:
* mount design is absolutely terrible. Fiddly to get on and off; hard to get tight enough; center of mass of light is not over the center of the mount; will never stay adjusted when going over bumps.
* light beam is wayyyyy too narrow for a commuter light (i.e. I do not wear a headlamp on my helmet in addition). There is absolutely no light outside of the narrow beam. Useless in tight corners.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Battery life on box is said to be 5 hours on high.
I got 15 out of AA Nimh rechargables by Rayovac.
Good beam spread.
Mount needs improvement --
Good battery compartment.
If I am going to ride at night - probably need two for better beam spread. but all the LED ones are like this.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt Front Bike Light:
Bought the 1/2W, not bright enough. Bought the 1W, not bright enough. Bought this 2W, now I can see the dimly painted yellow stripes on my local MUP at night on the way home. 5 stars for another half a watt.
I'm pleased to add that the 1/2W ended up on my helmet as a spotter for the front tire. All is well.
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