The Magicshine Allty series of all-in-one rechargeable bicycle lights offers an impressive range of lights with compact sizes and unique features. At the top of the Allty series are the Allty 1000 and the Allty 2000 lights which feature dedicated daytime running lights (DRL) and integrated Garmin style quarter-turn mounts. Today we’ll be reviewing the Magicshine Allty 1000 which uses a single Cree LED instead of the dual Cree LEDs of the Allty 2000. At an affordable $84.99 retail price, the Allty 1000 represents a strong commuter light offering from Magicshine.
What sets the Allty 1000 apart from the typical bike commuter light at this price point are the impressive features and sleek visual design.The rounded square shape, CNC aluminium housing and built in Garmin quarter-turn style mount mean you can use the Allty 1000 on standard out-in-front or Garmin compatible handlebar mounts meaning you won’t need to purchase optional adapters to mount the light, as you would with standard commuter lights. Although the battery is not replaceable, the 21700 Li-ion battery also provides impressive capacity and contributes to the compact form factor.
The Magicshine Allty 1000 is a competitive and modern all-in-one commuter bike light. The dedicated DRL mode and the Garmin style quarter-turn mount are two features that sets the Allty 1000 apart.
| Category | Bicycle Head Light |
| Rating | 8.8/10 |
| Retail Price | $84.99 |
| Likes | + Integrated DRL + Built-in Garmin quarter turn mount + 21700 Li-ion battery |
| Dislikes | – Integrated non-replaceable battery – Limited run-time on higher modes – Lack of beam cut-off |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Allty 1000 is packaged in a clear plastic box with the light prominently displayed on the front of the package. Although the packaging obscures the lens and the DRL feature, the high-contrast black/orange color scheme make the packaging stand out.
Inside the packaging you’ll find:
- Allty 1000 Headlight with integrated 4000 mAh 21700 Li-ion battery
- Garmin style handlebar mount + 3 rubber straps
- Allen key for mount
- Micro USB charging cable
- User Manual
The different length straps allow for the mount to be used on different radius handlebars and is similar to the Eagle style mounts from previous lights.
MOUNTING
As with the more expensive Allty 2000, the Allty 1000 features a Garmin style quarter turn mount directly molded into the housing. Although this may not seem significant, it’s a great step toward standardized mounting of bike lights. Having gone through a number of lights (and lost plenty of mounts in the process), it’s hard to put it in words how frustrating it is to try to match proprietary mounts to the correct bike light as your collection grows. Many companies offer optional adapters to overcome this, but these are costly and inconsistent depending on the manufacturer.
The Garmin style mount means the Allty 1000 can be used with standard out-in-front mounts, which have become increasingly popular over the years. Using the Magicshine TTA mount, we’ve found that these style mounts free up your handle bar and let you center the light in front of your bike. Included with the Allty 1000 is a simple plastic handlebar mount that requires an allen key to install it. It uses a similar strap design as the Monteer 1400 and Eagle F3, which is a little cumbersome to install. We found the provided handlebar mount to work well, although it does require additional horizontal space as you need to twist the light to install it.
We would recommend purchasing an out-in-front style mount, if you don’t already own one. With the Allty 1000 (and the Allty 2000), you can also mount the light upside down as there is no beam cutoff. The downside to an upside down mount is that the battery indicator and controls are not as accessible. We are hopeful Magicshine and other brands will redesign their lights to accommodate this (with perhaps a flippable mount on the light itself?).
FIT & FINISH
In terms of aesthetics, the Allty 1000 is a modern and compact commuter style headlight. While most commuter lights are still round with mixed use of plastic/metal, the Allty 1000 has a rounded square profile. The upper portion of the housing is CNC aluminium with a frosted finish, while the bottom portion appears to be matte. Due to an integrated battery design, which no doubt helps it achieve an impressive IPX7 rating, the entire light is sealed. Unlike the Monteer 1400 or Allty 2000 there is no rear door hence keeping it clean.
Out front, the Allty 1000 features a DRL light (composed of 12 low-powered LEDs) and a high output Cree LED XP-L V6. The outer lens features vertical diffusers to spread the DRL light for better spread, while the Cree LED portion has a dimpled reflector for a more diffused beam pattern. As with the Allty 2000, the lens housing protrudes slightly below the main body allowing the Allty 1000 to have a lower profile when on the mount. We measured the Allty 1000 to be only 130 grams (the mount is an additional 16g) which is much lighter than Magicshine Monteer 1400. The USB port is located on the underside of the light and is a standard micro USB port. An improvement would be to use a USB Type-C style port as the Fenix BC21R v2 does which would reduce the number of charging cables you’ll need to keep around.
To operate the Allty 1000 there is a single button on top that is easy to use with good tactile feedback. Unlike the Magicshine lights of the past, the battery status isn’t indicated using an illuminated button. Instead there is a slick LED ring around the button which is easier to see and give the Allty 1000 a more modern appearance. A long press turns the light on/off with mode memory insuring you start in the same mode you turned it off at. Additionally, a double click allows you to access the flash modes which is a major improvement over having to cycle through flashing mode to change power settings.
LIGHT OUTPUT
The Magicshine Allty 1000 has an FL-1 rated 1000 lumens of maximum output with 6 unique output modes. The first mode is a DRL only mode, which runs the 25 lumen LEDs on the upper portion of the light for upto a claimed 28.5 hours. This is a unique feature that allows you to run the Allty 1000 during the daytime as a ‘be seen’ light without draining the primary battery. The other 5 modes use both the DRL as well as the primary LED at different power levels. The primary LED uses a total internal reflection (TIR) lens with a dimpled cover that results in a uniformly distributed beam.
There are an additional three constant modes: low (250 lumens/12.5 hours), medium (500 lumens/4 hours) and high (1000 lumens/1.8 hours). We found the low setting to be too dim for riding at night, and typically found ourselves using the medium or high settings. The large power output steps between the constant modes makes it easy to visually differentiate what mode your in. However, we do wish there was a medium-high mode with 750 lumens as the run-time on high is limited to under 2 hours. On the road, the beam patterns are more of a spot style output with less horizontal spread and more throw. With the lack of a beam cutoff, you’ll also need to tilt the Allty 1000 downward to avoid blinding people.
There are an additional two flash modes: flash 1 (0/1000 lumens, 3 hours) and flash 2 (0/500 lumens, 7.2 hours). In the first flash mode, there is an irregular pulsing that works well to attract attention. However, at the full 1000 lumens its likely too bright for regular use. The second flash mode is a lower powered simple on/off pulse that works well for urban riding. A quick double press of the power button will turn on the flash modes which means you don’t have to cycle through the flash modes just to change the power mode. There are also some side cut outs on the front of the lens that improve the side visibility of the light.
THE VERDICT
Overall, the Magicshine Allty 1000 is a competitive and modern all-in-one commuter bike light. The dedicated DRL mode and the Garmin style quarter-turn mount are two features that set the Allty 1000 apart. Although it lacks the higher output and an OLED display screen of the Allty 2000, the lower retail price makes the Allty 1000 an easy light to recommend for those that are more budget conscious. Particularly, if you compare the Allty 1000 to the Magicshine Monteer 1400 or other commuter lights like the Light & Motion Urban series you’ll see they’ve incorporated features and design details not typically available at this price point. However, we’d ideally like to see some of the features of the Fenix BC21R v2 bike light incorporated into the Allty series of lights. An Allty with replaceable battery and at least a basic beam cutoff would be close to the ideal commuter bike light. Nevertheless, having ridden with Magicshine lights over the years, it’s great to see the continued improvement and innovation of their all-in-one bike lights.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Magicshine. 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.