While iGPSPORT is best known for their budget friendly bike GPS computers, they also have bike lights and a radar unit. In this review, we’ll be looking at their SR30 bike taillight and radar combination which offers competitive features and an affordable price point. The SR30 was originally shown at Eurobike 2023 but it’s now available globally and already had a few software refinements. Retail price on the iGPSPORT SR30 is a competitive $119.99 and the radar offers a 150m radar detection along with modern features. The SR30 uses a standard Garmin quarter turn style mount built into the base along with a USB-C charging port. In terms of output, the SR30 puts out up to 65 lumen output with a multi-element LED design.
The iGPSPORT SR30 is an affordable bike radar that has reliable radar performance and a good taillight design.
| Retail Price | $119.99 |
| Rating | 9.1 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 69 (radar), 38 (mount) |
| Likes | + Competitive price + Surprisingly reliable detection and algorithm + Side visibility with separate side markers |
| Dislikes | – Derivative styling that doesn’t improve taillight design of Garmin Varia – Lacks a multi-level battery status indicator |
| Where to Buy (US) | iGPSPORT |
UNBOXING
The iGPSPORT SR30 comes in a white cardboard box with eye-catching graphics of the radar printed on the exterior. Inside the box you’ll find:
- SR30 radar
- USB-C charging cable
- Mount base
- Aero mount pad + round seat post pad
- 3x rubber mounting straps for different seatposts
- Lanyard
- User manual
iGPSPORT includes multiple mount pads and o-rings to accommodate different bike setups.
MOUNTING
The iGPSPORT SR30 uses a standard Garmin quarter turn mount design with the tabs rotated 90 degrees from the actual Garmin Varia radar. It’s a secure and simple design that uses two protruding tabs that lock into place on a corresponding mount. The radar comes with a thick rubber pad that attaches to a plastic base that can be used on aero seatposts or round seatposts. A thick rubber o-ring slides on to hooks cut into the plastic base which hold the mount securely to the bike. It’s a surprisingly effective design as the o-rings are thick and there are multiple length options to accommodate different circumference seatposts. The thick rubber pad also has a built in angle offset which keeps the radar parallel with the ground.
FIT AND FINISH
Visually, the iGPSPORT SR30 has a sleek rectangular profile with a large flat radar detection surface. There is a focused LED on the top portion of the SR30 along with a transparent red cutout along edges. It’s hard to ignore the fact that the SR30 looks very similar to a Garmin Varia with the two side marker LEDs and wrap-around side red lens cutout. It’s a sleek design that looks and feels premium as the red lens helps make the SR30 look thin and modern. iGPSPORT has used a triangular shaped red lens design to help differentiate the SR30 as well as angular cuts on the large radar surface to break up the otherwise large radar area. Branding on the radar is limited to a white iGSPORT along the face and a well sized power button on the top.
The lens design of the SR30 uses a three LED setup with a highly focused one on the main face and two separate side markers on the sides. As with the Garmin Varia, the side markers partially illuminate the side cutouts and provide excellent side visibility. There is also a small LED indicator on the bottom of the face which functions as the low battery indicator and also is illuminated when the taillight is in the radar only mode. The user interface on the SR30 has a simple one-level, one button design with six modes to choose from. A long hold turns the radar on or off while a single press cycles through the available modes. As with other radars on the market, the SR30 supports a radar only mode which turns of the taillight and provides longer runtimes.
LIGHT OUTPUT
iGSPORT has incorporated six different output mode into the SR30 with multiple constant and flash modes to accommodate any riding condition. There are two constant modes with a 20 lumen high mode and a 6 lumen low mode that’s great for group rides. An additional pulse mode turns the light on and off and then gradually increases the brightness up to 20 lumen. Night flash is a steady 20 lumen flashing mode while day flash puts out the full 65 lumen output for daytime visibility. The final sixth mode is a radar only mode that turns off all the LEDs while keeping the radar detection active. iGPSPORT does not publish the runtimes of the various modes but claims a 20 hour runtime which we are guessing is for the night time flash or more conservative output modes. We observed around 15 hours using the daytime flash mode which is still a long enough runtime to do quite a few rides before recharging.
The SR30 has a dual element design with the focused center LED and the two side markers which provide some side visibility. We wish iGPSPORT had used a more refined lens design for the focused LED though, as the current design has good but not great long distance visibility. The Trek CarBack’s focused LED is an example of a better lens design and felt brighter even though it’s only about 25 lumen brighter at 90 lumens. Otherwise the SR30 has good side visibility and a slim design that can easily be mistaken for the Garmin Varia. It’s a more modern look than the Magene / Magicshine Seemee 508 and works well in both daytime and nighttime. The SR30 also adjusts its output pattern when a vehicle approaches to help alert drivers which is a nice feature that should improve riders safety.
RADAR DETECTION
While other new radars like the Bryton Gardia initially had issues with the radar performance that were resolved with additional software updates, the iGPSPORT SR30 worked great right out of the box. We think that’s partially due to the fact that the SR30 has already been out on the market for awhile so they’ve had a chance to dial in the algorithm. The SR30 paired easily with all our GPS computers including their own iGPSPORT BSC300 with no drop outs or connection issues. iGPSPORT has implemented the standard multi-level alerts with green, yellow and red indicators to help identify fast moving vehicles and notify you when all vehicles have passed. The 150m detection range seemed consistent even on windy roads and was able to detect vehicles well before we could hear them. We found it to be very helpful particularly on faster county roads as you’d know when vehicles are approaching so we could do safe maneuvers around parked vehicles or debris on the shoulder.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the iGPSPORT SR30 to be a well priced and tuned bike radar. The radar performance was surprisingly accurate and responsive with very minimal false positives and reliable detection range that sees cars well before you hear them. iGPSPORT has incorporated a nice multi-element LED design and a robust o-ring style mount that worked well on our round seatposts. The SR30 also undercuts the Garmin Varia and Trek CarBack radars by quite a bit with it’s competitive $120 price point. As far as negatives, we wish iGPSPORT had refined or improved on the focused LED design and incorporated a multi-level battery status indicator. That said, the iGPSPORT SR30 is an affordable and reliable bike rear radar that checks all the right boxes.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by iGPSPORT. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.