The iGPSPORT TL30 is the brand’s smart taillight that is designed to complement their GPS computers and other accessories. It’s a simple taillight design that uses a compact form factor and multi-element LED design to optimize visibility. Retail price on the taillight is an attractive $29.90 with the taillight capable of 50 lumen output. iGPSPORT has used a combination of a COB LED ring and focused center LED to optimize visibility from any angle. The taillight also has some smart features such as a brake sensor and ambient light sensor to automatically turn the light on in darker conditions that can be enabled via the iGPSPORT app. There is even a custom output mode that can be fully customized via the app which is a unique feature at this price point.
The iGPSPORT TL30 combines a budget friendly price with 50 lumen output and smart features that utilize motion and light sensors.
| Retail Price | $29.90 |
| Rating | 9.1 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (g) | 23 (taillight), 7 (mount) |
| Likes | + Compact form factor that sits flush against seat post + Combination clip mount is a clever detail + Great side visibility with dual element LED design |
| Dislikes | – No battery status checker on the actual taillight – Auto-off mode isn’t as useful as a smart day / night mode switch with daytime visibility |
| Where to Buy (US) | iGPSPORT |
UNBOXING
The iGPSPORT TL30 comes in a white cardboard box with white and orange colors scheme and a glossy tail light printed on it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- TL30 taillight
- Magnetic charging cable
- Seatpost mount + 2x o-rings
- User manual
The TL30 has a simple design with two different straps to accommodate different diameter seat posts.
MOUNTING
The iGPSPORT TL30 uses a two piece mount design with a rubber strap style base and a clip-on connection on the taillight base. It’s a simple yet effective design that allows you to clip the TL30 directly onto clothing, backpacks or saddle bags without the need to swap any parts. The seat post mount itself is a simple rubber strap style design that wraps around hooks on the plastic mount base. There are two different length rubber straps provided with the TL30 to accommodate different diameter seat posts. While we generally prefer Garmin mounts or miniaturized versions of it like those found on Magicshine tail lights, this clip-on design works well for commuting or urban riding as you don’t need to purchase separate mounts. Note, the clip on its own has a small gap which means it doesn’t hold work well on thin straps so we’d recommend using caution.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the iGPSPORT TL30 has a small gem-like design with a compact shape and rounded square profile. It is a very compact light that is only 42 x 40 x 19 mm and looks quite thin as the red lens is thicker than the black plastic base. To optimize the long distance and near distance visibility, the TL30 has a dual element LED design. There is a focused LED in the center along with a ring of LEDs around it. The focused LED ensures you are visible from long distances away while the COB LED right provides a uniform illumination that is visible from nearly any angle. iGPSPORT has also used a transparent lens with curved design which has excellent side visibility as the entire lens is illuminated.
One of the surprising features of the TL30 is that it uses a magnetic charging cable instead of a standard USB plug. Although this means you have to use the provided cable to charge the taillight, the magnetic design results in a much slimmer product Rather than having protruding ports and rubber covers which are potential leak spots for water, the backside of the TL30 is completely flat with only two round metal pieces exposed on the base. As far as battery status, there isn’t much more than a small LED indicator near the power button which will go red if the battery is very low. To get an accurate battery status, the tail light can be connected to the iGPSPORT app to view the remaining percentage and time.
The iGPSPORT TL30 has a single rubber button located on the top of the taillight. A long hold turns the light on and off while a single press cycles through the six available modes. It’s a straightforward design with mode memory which means most people will just leave it in their favorite mode and forget about it. What’s a bit confusing is the additional “standby” mode which is the sixth mode In this mode the tail light is off but still has a flashing green light to indicate it’s awake. We’re not sure what the point of this mode is as a user selectable option, as you’d be better turning the light off. We suspect iGPSPORT will remove it from the selectable menu as they’ve done with the iGPSPORT VS1200 and reserve the standby mode for the auto-sleep and smart light sensing modes to automatically enter and exit the mode.
iGPSPORT APP
To access the smart features of the iGPSPORT TL30 the tail light can be paired with the free iGPSPORT app. It is the same app that is used with iGPSPORT’s GPS computers and is available both on Android and Apple devices. Under the “devices” tab the TL30 can be selected and connected using a bluetooth connection. Once the light is paired you have a simple display screen that shows the current mode, remaining battery life and firmware version of the headlight. The device page is fairly basic with a link to the user manual and the only available sub-pages being “tail light mode”, “intelligent function configuration” and “firmware update.”
Selecting the “tail light mode” option lets you switch the current mode of the headlight directly from the app as well as modify the “custom” mode. Within this mode you can adjust the brightness of the outer COB LED and inner LED independently using sliders and select between constant, flashing or breathe illumination modes. It’s a cool feature that really lets you customize the appearance of the tail light but illuminates the COB ring together. That means you can’t add any eye-catching patterns to mimic other lights like the KNOG Blinder Traffic or change the color like you can with the Shanren Raz Pro. While we’re not sure if this customization is necessary for such a small tail light, the breathe mode option was our favorite.
What makes the headlight smart are the “intelligent function” options which includes a brake sensor, team synchronization, auto-sleep and intelligent light sensing. It’s a fair amount of tech for such a budget taillight and incorporates a motion sensor to detect if you’re riding and an ambient light sensor to adjust to the environment. Enabling the brake sensor allows the tail light to switch to high constant mode for 2 seconds if deceleration is detected. We found that it was well calibrated but had the normal false positives which can reduce runtimes. Team synchronization is only useful if you can convince a few friends or team to also purchase the TL30. With the smart light sensing the tail light automatically turns off in bright conditions and goes back to a high constant mode in low light conditions. As with the iGPSPORT VS1200 headlight, we wish iGPSPORT would have flipped the logic and implemented a more useful smart mode to switch between flash / high constant for daytime visibility.
LIGHT OUTPUT
iGPSPORT has incorporated five active modes into the TL30 taillight with two constant modes, two flash modes and one custom mode. iGPSPORT does not publish the lumen output per mode, but claims a 50 lumen maximum output for the TL30. The high constant mode has a claimed runtime of 5 hours while the low constant mode has a longer 15 hour runtime. In the constant modes, both the focused and COB LEDs are illuminated. There are also two standard on/off style flash modes with a high flash that has a 20 hour runtime and a low with a long 50 hour runtime. From the factory, the custom mode is programmed to be an eco constant mode but the brightness and illumination mode can be changed.
With the compact size of the TL30 the tail light means it sits flush against the seat post and looks good on the bike. The mostly translucent lens provides great side visibility and ensures the taillight is visible from side angles. For our riding, we left the smart features off and primarily used the high flash mode for daytime and nighttime visibility. The dual lighting design ensures the TL30 is visible from close and further distances away which we appreciated. At 50 lumen the TL30 isn’t as bright as lights like the Trek Flare RT or Magicshine Seemee 150 but it’s also quite affordable. It’s a nice commuter or urban tail light as it can also be clipped onto backpacks or clothing as a secondary tail light. The long runtime also means you don’t have to charge the tail light very often.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the iGPSPORT TL30 to be a compact and well designed bike tail light. iGPSPORT has utilized a dual lighting design with an attractive COB LED ring for uniform illumination and a focused center LED for long distance visibility. The 50 lumen tail light is day time bright and has a compact form factor that sits flush against seat posts. We liked the LED design and multi-piece mount that has an integrated body clip. In our opinion, the smart features don’t add much value and lack the smart day / night mode we’d prefer over the auto-off during day feature of the optional smart light sensing mode. The other improvement we wish the TL30 had was a multi-level battery status indicator directly on the tail light. That said, the iGPSPORT TL30 offers a nice balance of features and visibility at an attractive price point.
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.