One of the popular trends in the bike light market is the development of bike headlights with sharp beam cutoffs and bright output to let you see the road without blinding others. The new LightSKIN U8 that we have in this review is one of the newest lights in this field with a bright 1000 lumen output and dual beam lens design. With a retail price of $145, the 1000 lumen U8 offers a unique dual beam design with a sharp beam cutoff that focuses the light on the ground. The U8 is powered by a 5000 mAh Li-ion battery which consists of a non-removable 21700 battery and a 2.5 hour rating in the maximum power mode. LightSKIN has also includes a number of premium features with the light including a wireless remote, USB-C charging and a clever dual-sided Garmin mount.
The LightSKIN U8 combines advanced sharp beam cutoff dual beam lens design with a clever dual-sided Garmin design.
| Retail Price | $145 |
| Rating | 9.0 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (g) | 186 (headlight), 23 (mount), 14 (remote) |
| Likes | + Dual sided mounting with reversible Garmin mount + Sharp beam cutoff with low and high beam + Bright output and compact form factor |
| Dislikes | – Confusing indicator colors – Wireless remote cannot turn light on or off – Flash modes are not separated from standard modes |
| Where to Buy (US) | LightSKIN |
UNBOXING
The LightSKIN U8 comes in a small white box with a clear plastic window that shows off the lens design. Branding and specs are printed directly on the box along with illustrations of the remote. Inside the box you’ll find:
- U8 Headlight
- Wireless remote w/ two different length rubber straps
- Plastic handlebar mount
- Garmin to GoPro adapter
- Allen key (for swapping mount side)
- USB-C charging cable
- USB-A to USB-C converter
- Instruction manual
This is one of the first devices we’ve seen that includes a USB-A to USB-C converter dongle. With USB-C being so common these days it’s surprising that LightSKIN felt they needed to include it.
MOUNTING
One of the most clever features of the U8 is the dual sided mounting bracket that lets you place the U8 under an out-front mount or on top of handlebars. LightSKIN has achieved this by developing a bolt-on Garmin mount that can be installed on the bottom or top of the light. It’s a simple idea that requires a few minutes to swap but gives you the flexibility to mount the light in both orientations while keeping the benefits of the sharp beam cutoff. Otherwise, the mount has a standard plastic Garmin quarter turn adapter that can be used with their provided handlebar bracket or any third-party mount. Note, this design is similar to the KNOG Blinder 900 headlight, however, LightSKIN has chosen a bolt-on rather than a clip design.
FIT & FINISH
The LightSKIN U8 combines a traditional all-in-one headlight design with modern lens and mounting features. It has a long rectangular form factor that is primarily driven by an internal 5000mAh non-removable 21700 Li-ion battery. The light has a smooth metal body with U8 and LightSKIN branding printed on the sides in a contrasting white color. There is a USB-C charging port on the rear which lets you charge the light or use this as a power bank to charge other devices. LightSKIN has also incorporated on-the-go charging which means you can run the light in everything but the maximum output modes while charging. There are two rubber buttons on top of the light to control the mode and intensity.
As we’ve seen with other LightSKIN lights like the NACA Road and their integrated handlebar lights, they know how to design a sharp beam cutoff. The U8 features dual design with a sharp beam cutoff of both elements that have a 3.4 degree spread. On the top you have the low beam which uses an aspherical TIR (total internal reflection) lens that creates a nice sharp beam cutoff with wide horizontal spread. The high beam is located on the bottom and uses what LightSKIN calls a MLA (micro lens array) head lamp technology design that helps see further. It’s a compact but effective design that eliminates glare for oncoming traffic and has minimal artifacts in the beam. Small cutouts on the sides of the lens ensure there is also nice side visibility which is critical when riding in urban environments.
USER INTERFACE
The U8 can be controlled using the two rubber buttons mounted on top of the light. Pressing either button while the light is off turns on the backlight which is a four level battery status indicator. The color will either be green or blue depending on whether the high or low beam was previously on which is a bit confusing. The battery state is indicated by a solid light, flashing light, alternating to red flashing or a red solid color. Holding the top button turns the light on and off, while a short press cycles between low and high beams. Pressing the bottom button cycles through the different output intensities of the current beam mode. Note, because the headlight only separates low and high beam modes you still have to cycle through flash modes when changing intensities which can be distracting at night.
LightSKIN also includes a three button wireless remote to remotely operate the headlight. Unlike most remotes which feel cheap and flimsy (e.g. Lupine SL), this one feels quite substantial and well built with three buttons placed in a circle. The top left button switches between the high and low beam while the top right switches between modes. You can also activate the full brightness mode by holding the bottom button. All the buttons are backlit with a single blue LED which can be confusing as it doesn’t match the green and blue colors on the headlight. Also this remote can’t actually turn the headlight on or off fully, instead it only works when the headlight is first manually turned on. Because of this major limitation, the remote can only turn the light onto a “stand by” mode by holding the top left button.
LIGHT OUTPUT
The LightSKIN U8 offers seven total output modes distributed between the low and high beam. Within the low beam mode there are three constant intensities to choose from: low (8.3hr runtime), medium (5hr) and the 500 lumen high mode (3.5hr). There is also an inline night flash mode that alternates between a low and higher powered mode with a claimed runtime of 16 hours. Activating the high beam mode illuminates both lighting elements with two constant modes and a daytime flash mode. The two constant modes are normal (4hr) and the 1000 lumen high (2.5hr) mode. A bright daytime flash mode alternates between on and off to ensure you are visible in any condition and has a long runtime of 18 hours.
Thanks to the advanced lens design, both the low and high beam modes have sharp beam cutoffs with no artifacts above the cutoff line. Below the cutoff the beams both have a more irregular shape with a hot spot in the center and some additional spread around it. While it’s not as nice as crisp as lights like the Lupine SL Mono, the lens design is an improvement over simpler reflector designs like the Trek Commuter Pro RT. We found the medium and high level outputs to be more than enough for faster riding, while the lower levels and daytime flash option are great for urban riding. The small side cutouts on the lens also add side visibility which is always a nice feature.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the LightSKIN U8 has a nice modern lens and clever mounting design. LightSKIN has taken their knowledge of lens design and created a bright headlight with long run times thanks to the more traditional form factor. The dual beam combines two sharp beam cutoffs to ensure you can light up the road at night or stay visible in urban settings. Our favorite feature of the U8 is the dual-sided mount design which uses a bolt on Garmin mount that can be placed on the top or bottom surface of the headlight. It’s a feature we hope more brands utilize as it lets you retain the directional sharp-beam cutoff design while still safely mounting the light under an out-front mount or above it. The main negatives with the headlight is that the indicator lights can be confusing, the remote is not capable of turning the light fully on or off and that you have to cycle through flash modes to change intensity. That said, if you’re looking for a modern headlight that won’t blind oncoming traffic then the LightSKIN U8 is a great choice.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by LightSKIN. 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.