In this review, we’ll be looking at the Magicshine Eagle F3 3000 Lumen bicycle LED headlight. I’ve been using the Eagle F3 for close to a year now for early morning rides and commuting on dark trails. Consistent with the Magicshine brand, the light offers an impressive 3000 lumens (listed as actual output instead of theoretical like some of the other products) for a relatively cheap $179.99 retail price. The Eagle F3 couples 4x Cree LEDs in the head unit with the largest battery pack currently available (MJ-6090, 8x Lithium ion batteries).

CategoryBicycle Head Light
Rating9.5/10
Retail Price$179.99
Likes + Over-stem mount
+ Excellent light output
Dislikes– Large form factor
– No blinking strobe mode
– Distracting battery indicator lights
Where to Buy (US) Magicshine
15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists”

The 3000 lumen Magicshine Eagle F3 is one of my favorite lights and earns a 9.5 out of 10.  Although it is large and lacks a blinking strobe mode, the Eagle F3 has excellent output, optics and over-stem mount.

While the Magicshine Eagle F3 has the high lumen output vs price typical of the brand, what makes this light stand out is the thoughtful design and lens optics.  With most of the other Magicshine lights, the lenses aren’t much more than transparent covers for the head unit. With the Eagle F3 the lens has been tuned for specific light modes.

UNBOXING

The Eagle F3 includes a very nice branded Magicshine carrying case with a zipper for easy storage and travel. Inside the carrying case are custom cut foam cutouts for the multiple components:

  • Light head unit
  • MJ-6090 battery pack with mount
  • Over-stem mount (“talon” design)
  • Multiple length straps for mount
  • Wireless remote
  • Wall charger
  • Extension cord
Magicshine Eagle F3 Unboxing
Unboxing

The straps are rubber back plastic pieces that feel and look like they are high quality. Note, the Eagle F3 uses orange 4 pin connectors that are only shared between a few other of the Magicshine products.

MOUNTING

The included ‘talon’ style mount, is one of my favorite aspects of the Eagle F3.  Unlike the rubber band mounts used by many of the other Magicshine lights, this one feels more secure and moves the light over the stem. This allows you to ride using all the hand positions without having a large light unit in your way.

Magicshine Eagle F3 Front View
Front View

The light itself is attached to the mount with a simple snap-in connection, allowing you to easily install and remove it. The mount itself does require an allen key to install/remove, but is low-profile so shouldn’t be an issue unless you have larger computers mounted in the same area.

Magicshine Eagle F3 Side View
Side View

FIT & FINISH

To operate the Eagle F3, there are two unlabeled buttons on the head unit itself.  Holding the left button turns the light on/off, while a fast press will cycle it through the 3 different modes (hybrid, spot and flood). The button on the right changes the light output setting between 5 different levels. Note, there is no blinking strobe mode which is unfortunate as it is a useful mode for city riding.  Also on the head unit there is a 5 LED battery indicator to give you feedback on the battery status. The battery indicator lights can be distracting while riding, as they are overly bright.

Magicshine Eagle F3 Top View
Top View

The large battery pack include a metal mounting bracket that can either use your bikes water bottle cage mounts or be strapped in using the provided straps. The battery is the largest available through Magicshine currently and is bulky as a result. As a positive, the higher capacity of the battery lets you ride longer between charges. Overall though, the light head unit is large and bulky compared to the MJ-906 or even the MJ-908.

LIGHT OUTPUT

The lens optics allow the Eagle F3 to have distinct beam patterns in the different operating modes. The different light modes activate the LEDs differently: all four for hybrid, spot bottom two only for flood and the top two only for spot mode.  As the names imply, spot mode modifies the beam pattern to be a tight circular focus. Flood mode utilizes the diffusers in the lens to disperse the beam more for a wider beam angle. I’ve found the hybrid mode is best for low visibility situations while the spot mode is great for faster rides as you’ll see further away.

Magicshine Eagle F3 Modes

I’ve found the lowest light setting is too dim to be used to see, but is a great way to conserve battery and be-seen when riding in well lit areas. Typically I use the second lowest setting for most of my ride, and the 3rd highest setting the very dark portions of my ride. The lens optics also allow the light to be less blinding for oncoming traffic compared to the other Magicshine lights.

THE VERDICT

All-in-all, the Magicshine Eagle F3 is an excellent high output light package.  Although it is bulky, the 3000 lumen output and lens optics make it perfect for almost any occasion.  Also the over-stem mount keeps the light out of the way when you’re riding. If it had a blinking mode, the light would easily earn a 10/10 rating.  As someone who owns a number of the Magicshine lights (including the MJ-908), the Eagle F3 is one of our favorites.

Disclaimer: 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 compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.

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