smart lunar 35 lux

[rowan 46]

I bought a pair of Smart lunar 35 lux for my commuter. Cost £22.95 discounted from rrp of £45.99
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/LISMRT35FR-BLK/smart-lunar-35-lux-front-light---black
I ordered from on-one on tuesday night and recieved the goods this morning. so no complaints about the service.
As a commuter light it's fine well made solid plastic, solid mounts and a bright light that will get you seen by cars. However I am disappointed in them. They produce a spot of light so that you can't actually see anything with them. If you are a commuter who uses city roads these lights are great the lights are very bright and you will definitely be seen by oncoming cars. If however you use a cycle path that's more than a bit away from the road these lights will not cut it they don't produce a wide enough beam to provide much useful information. I think I will be going back to my Lidl lights they are not as well made but they nave a brighter and more useful spread of light. To sum up a good looking well made light very bright but only to be used as an ancillary light to get you seen

 

[mcshroom]

Strangely that's not my experience of the same light. I use my (single) Lunar 35 as a winter commuting light in rural Cumbria, often with a 1W backup light doing a bit of close spotting behind the lunar's beam.

It is not as easy to see with as brighter lights such as magicshines, and the lines created round the beam when projected on the road are not brilliant, but as a seeing light on roads it works perfectly well for me I have occasionally had to back off on downhills due to lack of vision, and do sometimes have problems with seeing the edge of little back roads due to the slight blue temperature of the light (I've had this with other cree LED lights as well). {It may be that I travel more slowly than rowan }

Regarding ruggedness, the light is plastic, but well put together. Mine has survived two winters commuting including down to -8[sup]o[/sup]C and in snow and heavy rain. The clip is secure enough and quick to get on and off the handlebars. One thing to watch, though, is that it needs something like a screwdriver to unhook the ratcheting mechanism on the mount strap if you are moving from smaller to larger bars.

The torch runs off of two AA batteries (batteries slide in lengthways to individual tubes), and is unregulated, thus the lights get dimmer with use. Rechargeables work with the light, and I use 2500 - 2700 mAh NiMHs. I have also got some 2900mAh batteries, but they are a very tight fit in the light, and I need to use pliers to remove them.

There are three light settings, which in order are 1W, 2W and Flashing. The 1W setting on these lights does seem significantly dimmer than the 2W setting, and I have not really found a time when it would be useful, other than limping home on almost flat batteries. The flasher setting is at 2W, and a steady pace.

 

[PpPete]

On max it's somewhere between first & second setting on the Hope Vision - another light which is more spot than flood.

Mine goes in the bag if there is a only small chance I might need lights to get home, or as a secondary to either the Hope or the dyno light.

Very pleased with it, but I got mine when Planet-X were knocking them out even cheaper. £14.99 IIRC.

 

[Chris James]

Just happened to notice this thread as I finally got chance to go out with my newish Smart Lunar 35 lights (I bought the back one too) last night. Again bought from Planet X.

I did a 20 mile or so circuit up to the moors above Holmfirth (total darkness and plenty of potholes) and then back along the valleys along roads I know pretty well. I was descending at up to 30 mph on the one front light happily enough.

I think the light is incredible for the size. In lit areas with lots of traffic then it gets washed out a bit, but in totally dark back roads its performance impressed me no end. Especially for the money.

I ran it on full power continuously, the lower power setting is a bit weedy.