Conclusion

We really liked the small torch-like shape of the Exposure Switch and its build quality impressed us greatly. At just 77g it’s the lightest on test by a big chunk, something that should not be overlooked: cyclists’ obsession with weight doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Inevitably, with everything shrunk down to a smaller scale and lower weight, operation can be a little fiddlier and the band that keeps water out of the charging port is a case in point.

The Niterider’s diminutive size was also a bonus and with an output of 450 lumens, it packed a decent punch. The charge time was very quick compared with the others on test, which is definitely something useful if you’ve forgotten to plug in your lights. We found the beam pattern was possibly not as focused as on some lights, but whether you like a spot or a flood of light depends on personal choice. It is very competitively priced since most retailers bundle it with a rear light.

The Cateye Volt is built to last and has the highest lumen count of the lights in this test. We also liked the double-click function that takes you back to the light’s highest output if you need more light quickly. The high-frequency flashing mode gave us plenty of confidence when commuting in traffic. Some people may prefer the Cateye’s sturdy knurled-knob fixing, to the rubber watch strap style that many small lights use, since it can be tightened more precisely.

The Guee’s ambient light sensor, which modulates the power output depending on natural light, is a great feature and is well executed here. We found its 181g weight to be on the heavy side though, and compared to some better-looking designs such as the Lezyne, it is not particularly aesthetically pleasing.

We liked the look of the Lezyne from the start — it’s sleek and attractive and comes in a variety of anodised colours to match your bike. Thankfully there’s plenty of function to go with the form and we found it very intuitive to operate; there is a mode to go with every type of night riding — even a race mode that is either full or dipped — and the price is very good. It’s hard to believe that it’s the cheapest in this test since everything about it suggests quality. It lost a mark because it switched itself on in a bag, but the other side of the coin is that a button that sits flush with the casing is not so easy to operate with gloved fingers. Therefore we award the Lezyne Lite Drive 700XL ‘best on test’.