Amphipod  Xinglet Optic Beam Max Vest

I like how light-weight it is. But I'm kind of a skinny guy, and it's quite snug; wouldn't recommend for folks of greater girth. I used this for running in the dark mornings of autumn & winter all of last year, and again this year--until now, just a few weeks into the dark season, and it finally broke: the USB female plug fell out of the unit, so now there's no way to charge it. Also, last year one of the LED cords came loose; but I was able to tuck it back in. So the construction and design qualities are a bit lacking. I'd say it's worth about $25. Definitely DO NOT pay $60 for this item!

Where to begin, Poor design all the way around. 1) awkward to adjust 2)falls apart very easily and really hard to put back together. If you pull the wrong tube to much it comes out of the sheath and is really hard to get it back in and it won’t light if you can’t get it back in. 3) hard to make fit so it doesn’t bounce or slowly start to ride up. 4)it is bright but that is the only good thing about it. 5) the way you take it on and off makes you have to put the on off switch on your back. Which means you can shut it off and turn it on while running. they should really discontinue this product and redesign the whole thing. It is by far the dumbest $60 I ever spent. They should be ashamed to sell this product for runners.

I bought this to use on my evening walks through the neighborhood, but the initial setup with double shoulder tubes is much too small to fit over multiple winter layers and a parka. Simple solution - slip the outside tube completely out of the velcro closure and slide everything around to fit.

The wiring fractured in the control section of the vest without any abuse. I was always careful when putting it on. After it would no longer work I dissected it and found how poorly it was designed. The wiring simply broke at an internal connection site. I hope to try and solder the wires back together when I have time.

Charging port pulled out with cord. :( Did not own this product for a year. Used fewer than 15 times.

Pros: Very effective as a safety vest. As a driver I've always noticed runners and walkers using the Max vest before others in their group. Cons: The vest is very awkward to put on and take off. I am tall and it just feels too small. Put on any bulky winter wear and you can forget using the vest, at least at my size. I was surprised that I needed to recharge the vest after nearly every use also. This isn't a major issue as I now plug it when I return home.

Difficult to continually adjust… light is very distracting in all modes so seeing road/terrain in front of you is impaired. Returned it

Easy to put on an off and offers good protection at night. Worth the cost.

I was specifically looking for a minimalist lighted vest for morning runs when I purchased this about 1 year ago. After a year of wearing it 1 to 3 days a week for less than an hour each time, the vest broke, and now only half of it lights up. Overall, I'd say this vest sucks, and it's not the breaking after a year of use that's the problem. It's not comfortable because the light pipes that go over your shoulders never flex or conform to your shoulders, so the whole vest tends to shift to one side or the other and stay there for the run. The battery lasts maybe 2.5 hrs. in total, but only the first hour provides full illumination; after that first hour, the lights become dimmer and dimmer. Finally, for some reason, the on/off button is on the rear of the vest, which is in the middle of your back when you run, so it's hard to change the light pattern or turn it on/off until you stop (or take it off).

I find my Max Vest to be both bright and with useful--as in getting a driver's attention as a reasonable distance--light colors/patterns. A big plus: built-in rechargeable power, with USB cord; no need to replace expensive button batteries. It could be larger; there's a limited range re: big enough for your arms without making it difficult to pull over your head.