MAGICSHINE MONTEER 8000S GALAXY V2.0 REMOTE
£339.99 https://magicshine.com
Last year’s winner retains its crown, with immense power and an incredible beam spread that’s second to none. Run times are just as impressive (dropping it down from max power to 4,400 lumens doubles battery life to well over three hours, and there’s still plenty of light on tap) and the new wireless remote is a great addition, too.
The 8000S truly lights up the entire trail, and it distributes the light evenly and broadly, both far ahead and out to the sides. This is thanks to the excellent beam pattern, which is so wide and well-controlled that the exits of turns are almost as bright as the central focal point. The breadth of the illumination means that even the extreme peripheries are lit up, and the beam shape and power deliver a night-riding experience that’s as close to daytime as it can be. Even the gnarliest, most technical trails packed with sharp switchbacks can be tackled with total confidence at high speed. And the light’s yellow/white hue makes colours pop, helping to improve clarity and context.
That new Bluetooth remote makes it much easier to toggle between outputs, as a second button swaps between high and lower-power modes. Being picky, including dedicated mode and battery life indicators would be the icing on the cake (the head unit’s single top-mounted button still doubles as a three-stage battery indicator), but run times are long enough to eliminate any battery anxiety. The IP65-rated head unit twists onto a secure out-front, Garmin-style mount, while the 10,000mAh battery pack doubles as a power bank. Its thin profile means it fits in places others can’t and the cable is amply long to mount it mid-ship.
ALEX SAYS “THE MONTEER’S BEAM PATTERN AND SHEER POWER ARE UNBEATABLE, ALONG WITH ITS IMPRESSIVE RUN TIMES. THE COMPETITION ARE GETTING NEARER TO ITS PERFORMANCE, BUT COST FAR MORE MONEY”