Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

I bought this as an early birthday gift to myself AND I was upgrading my current 5 year old lighting system — perfect timing...

I'm a nighttime/pre-dawn (I leave when its dark and return when its dark) commuter who doesn't own a car.

Initially, I was taken aback by the price then I began to investigate further.

1. The rechargeable battery is built in (no more opening/cracking case doors and dropping batteries). Nothing to remove or install.

2. The front headlight is tiny with amber lenses on each side, its diameter is about that of a quarter and the lense a dime. It is BRIGHT — DO NOT BE FOOLED BY ITS SIZE. It has 3 modes: high, med, blinking (high). Casts a powerful beam on the road and it is permanently attached to a clip that allows (on the fly) up and down adjustment. Would not use it alone without a bar mount headlight, although it would do in a pinch.

3. The rear light is roughly 3.5" wide with 3 LEDs complete with built in reflector. Its bright too and would work as a stand alone. It always blinks regardless of mode selected.

4. Speaking of modes, the 2 lights are connected by a discreet spiraled cord. To turn on lights push the fingertip sized black rubber button on the top of the headlight. You can't have the front on, rear off and vice versa, they are meant to work together.

5. Recharging is pleasantly simple. The rear light has a permanently attached hard rubber flap that reveals a port for the supplied USB cable. Light and Motion's website states that it can be charged using "most" cell phone chargers. I own an iPhone — just attach the cable to the light and the other end to the "block" and it charges (<4 hrs). I have also charged with the cable attached to my laptop.

6. Weight. Its so light I don't know its there. My helmet is a "Bell Citi" by Bell.

7. Mounts. There are two, one for the front and rear. The front comes with a plastic oval shaped plate to be placed inside the helmet that acts like a "stopper" (my vents are widely spaced apart) and a flat rectangular shaped base with black rubber backing that the light snaps "up" into on the outside of the helmet. Pay close attention to the pictograms on the inside of the box for direction.

The rear mount utilizes a hook and loop strap and the base is square shaped with rubber bumpers on the back (the rear light snaps into base). Once again, pay close attention to the pictograms on the inside of box for direction.

8. Cost analysis and environmental impact. Rechargeable batteries aren't cheap and eventually need replacement, especially AAAs coming in a 4 pack. I needn't discuss conventional batteries. Nothing to toss away!

I've had this light set 3 days, its always run on the high setting and I recharge it daily. When it runs low an indicator light will appear on the bottom left corner of the rear light. When charging, the light blinks green, when fully charged, the light will be a solid green. I don't allow my lights to get that low to see an indicator light. On high its supposed to last about 2.5 hours, more on the medium setting and longer for the blinking setting.

The front headlight commands attention. When cycling, motorists were flashing their high beams at me even though I was not directly looking at them and my beam was set to medium! One lady asked "Where did you get your helmet lights from?" while at a red light.

My light set up is as follows: Front - Cygolite 200 (bar mounted - high setting), small Cateye model from 5 years ago (stem mounted - flashing).

Back - Vis 180 (Light and Motion) rear light (seat post mounted - high pulsing mode), small yet blinding "Firefly" light from Road ID attached to backpack (flashing mode).

Keep in mind, you can never have to many lights and each one compliments the other.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

The usb connector broke away after about 5 months of use. They use a cheap circuit card and the only thing holding the usb connector on is a couple of dabs of solder. If they insist on using the usb, they need to do a connection failure test. This is the most expensive light I ever bought and it had the shortest life span.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

I ride a lot at night. Working 9-5 means that when fall comes it's hard to get in the miles. I use a complete Dinotte system (1200 lumens) with a 400 lumen taillight - so that's pretty massive lighting system and I can ride it at full speed on a road bike no sweat. However, that still doesn't do anything for drivers from the side - a big worry for me.

I've ridden with other battery/headlamp systems and they are always distressingly heavy. This one is so nice and light and the little 120 lumen beam really punches above it's weight. It's quite a strong spot light and you can look right at a car and shine the driver (without blinding them) to get their attention at an intersection. It's also appropriate for a light to get you home in an emergency if your main light goes belly up (NEVER ride without a backup light - learned that one the hard way). Again, the beam on this little guy is really good with adequate spill and a nice hot spot like you would want for a headlamp.

The systems is so very light that you really don't know it's there.

My son is at the University and uses his bike for his main transportation. I've gotten him the Princeton Tec taillight offered here at REI and then I'm going to get him one of these for added protection. In an urban setting, this is more than enough light for full commuting (not so in more rural settings). Urban - great as the sole light. For a backup light it's perfect and for being able to get the attention of drivers at cross roads it's also perfect.

My only criticism of this is that it is not possible to turn on just the headlight (front). That would be nice to do when you have to fix a flat or adjust equipment instead of going around flashing like mad.

Great product.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

A driver just pulled up to me: "Great visibility! You're one cyclist that's not going to get hit." Nice.It seems that all of the one/two star reviews are dissatisfied with the out-of-the-box quality of this light. I get that: the first light I purchased died within a week (headlight screw fell out; flasher function died). But that's why you buy stuff at REI: you call, they send you a replacement, and a return label for what broke (if only if it was so simple with boyfriends!). My replacement is holding up just fine.I most love that it's a fixture on my helmet and I don't have to worry about removing lights from the bike every time I park.I am thrilled that it's rechargeable and love the colleague techno geek admiration of my "USB helmet."Both lights are very securely attached to the helmet, and are very easy to remove.True 360-visibility; love the side strobes!Cons? - False sense of security: I feel super visible and am concerned that I am beginning to subconsciously feel invincible.- There is plenty of opinion out there (German government, for one) that bicycles should not use rear strobe lights because drivers have a harder time gauging distance, and likely other factors. I prefer the strobe light because it more clearly differentiates you as a cyclist and the strobe is distinctive within urban settings where there are lots of red lights. I agree that since it is a controversial issue, it would be better to have a toggle switch on the light to give the user this option. I'd give this product overall five stars, but have rated it a four since quality control at the manufacturer is an issue.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

This product increases safety for bike commuters. Most of the time I can shine the beam onto drivers and they react quickly by slowing down or stopping. With twice the lumens the light would reach the other drivers that are more than 50 feet away, and function better when there is low-light (before darkness). It is well designed. A slightly longer battery life would also improve this product.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

This is a fantastic commuter light that can do a bit of double duty. I use it to commute with and trail (MTB) ride. I've had it for ~8 months.

First, commuting. This is a fantastic light. The ability to make yourself noticed by 'spotting' a driver coming at you from the side is awesome. It's also nice to be able to turn the light away from walkers/joggers. The light output is fantastic, and a great (spot) pattern for urban riding. I don't feel I'm outrunning this light until ~18 MPH on an unpaved, dark multi use trail. I love the fact that my expensive light comes into the grocery store with me, instead of staying on my bike or requiring remounting. I'm even using it when I commute during the day as a daytime blinky. It's also stood up to some serious rain and mud this winter without a problem.

Second, trail riding. It does a good job when paired with a wide beam bar light as long as your trails are technical or windy enough to keep the speed down to 15-17. I generally use it to 'climb in' to rides that require a 30+ minute fire road climb to singletrack. I'll start in the early monrning and time it so I'm finished with the climb by the sun pops up. The light gets me to the fun with plenty of light and it's hot holding me back with weight on the descent or climb out. It has never come off my head, even on rough trails.

Third, charging. I'm red/green colorblind, as are one in ten males. I hate the single LED (usually red/green) charge indicators most light companies use. L&M did this, but thoughtfully included a pulse/no-pulse addition. So, while it's tough for me to see, I know when it goes from pulse to no-pulse after 5 hours that I'm good to go. The light charges over USB and there is no charger, only a USB cord. I use it with my iPhone charger and computer w/ no problems.

The light does have a few flaws and limitations. 1) The initial mounting of the rear light is tough. It takes some time and creativity. I've done it on multiple helmets and ended with success, but it seemed too hard. 2) It's not perfectly balanced. You'll probably notice this the first week or two of wearing it, but after that it'll just feel normal. I am sensitive to helmet light weight. 3) It's not a dedicated trail light. You can't turn off the rear blinky, a design I've come to like for it's simplicity - if the light is on, it's blinking, which can be a problem for friends while trail riding. 4) It doesn't have a smart charger, so be careful not to overcook the battery.

Service and delivery comments:

I've dealt with Light and Motion before and their support exceeded my expectations with a quick turnaround. That was with another light though, I've had no issues with the VIS360.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

Great for commuting.

More than adequate for navigating on unfamiliar roads

Poor for Randonnee riding as blinking tail lights degrade the night vision of riders behind you. Steady mode or headlight only mode should be an option.

Battery life too short for all night rides. Optional ability to use non-rechargables would be nice with the above steady modes integrated.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

I initially liked this light and recommended it. Customer service poor. They don't respond to e-mails reliably, don't answer phones reliably. Because of the short battery life (growing shorter over the year I've owned it), I sent it back to them. They sent it right back, without explanation and without a fix. Very disappointed.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

The Vis 360 is a great idea that is not well executed. I really had high hopes for this as a backup light system but returned it after one week of use. It is very light weight and simple to use, and not too hard to install. The front light has a nice concentrated beam but not powerful enough for use by itself. However, the system has several significant shortcomings. First, the battery life is not nearly as long as advertised. It is supposed to run 6 hours on low, 3 on medium and 1.5 on high. Mine was flashing the low battery indicator after about 1:15-1:30 hours of use, mainly on low. Second, I do not believe the taillight is as bright as billed. When I placed it alongside my $20 Planet Bike Superflash, the Superflash appeared brighter to me. It doesn't even compare with my Dinotte 140. Finally, L&M's quality control seems to be poor. My Vis 360 had the wrong mounting brackets in box and I had to request another one from the manufacturer. I bought another L&M light, the Urban 500, at the same time and it also had significant battery problems.

Comments about Light & Motion Vis 360 Front and Rear Helmet Bike Light System:

I bought this light only a few months ago, and the connection stopped working, while riding, in the dark. I was hosed! A light failure while on the road drastically impairs safety. Fortunately, I had a back up light on my handlebars.