Magicshine’s EVO lineup of headlights offer sharp beam cutoffs with high output LEDs to light up the road without blinding oncoming traffic. The Magicshine EVO 1100 is one of the latest additions to the EVO lineup and is one of the most affordable models. Retail price on the EVO 1100 is only $69.99 which is impressive given the 1100 lumen output. As with the EVO lights, the EVO 1100 has a sharp beam cutoff that eliminates glare. The headlight has a unique square-shape with aluminum housing and top-mounted GoPro adapter that is designed to be mounted under out-front mounts. Magicshine also includes a wireless remote with the EVO 1100 for more convenient operation.
The Magicshine EVO 1100 is the budget friendly headlight that combines a sharp beam cutoff and unique GoPro undermount design.
| Rating | 9.3 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $69.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 113 (headlight), 44 (out-front mount), 15 (remote) |
| Likes | + Budget friendly with bright output + Removable GoPro adapter for easy mounting + Sharp beam cutoff eliminates glare for oncoming traffic |
| Dislikes | – Beam artifacts at edges – Flash mode is only accessible through remote |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine EVO 1100 comes in a premium looking black and orange cardboard box with a glossy graphic of the EVO 1100 on the front. Specs and features are printed along the sides and back. Inside the box you’ll find:
- EVO 1100 headlight
- Wireless remote
- Dual sided out-front mount w/ Garmin puck + GoPro
- Wahoo puck + tools
- USB-C charging cable
- User manual
Note, the EVO 1100 uses the standard wireless remote and not the newer Magicshine FTR LightControl remote which can power on a compatible headlight / taillight with one button.
MOUNTING
Magicshine has designed the EVO 1100 to be mounted underneath the handlebar or out-front mounts. There is a top-mounted GoPro adapter with the familiar two prong design that should work with nearly any GoPro compatible mount. What’s cool about this design is that Magicshine has made the GoPro adapter removable from the housing by pushing down the front button to release only the prongs. That means you can remove the light from a mount without having to undo the thumbscrew of the GoPro mount which can be tedious. There is a simple plastic tab holding the adapter in place which prevents the headlight from rattling. Magicshine also includes a plastic out-front mount with the EVO 1100 which is a dual sided mount. It’s a nice feature at this price point and lets you mount a computer on top, and the headlight below it.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the EVO 1100 is simply a smaller variation of the more expensive EVO 1700 headlight. That means the EVO 1100 shares the same unusual underneath mounting design with an almost square profile. It’s a strange looking light that is taller than it is longer and has an aspherical curved lens to achieve the sharp beam cutoff. Where the EVO 1700 looks more like a retro CRT television, the EVO 1100 shorter height has a sleeker and more compact appearance. Magicshine actually offers the EVO 1100 in two color options: all-black or the white version we have in this review. It’s an attractive design with a white aluminum body with sharp bevels and gray plastic rear cover, mounting hardware and buttons.
There is no chrome ring around the lens which makes the EVO 1100 look a bit more modern compared to the EVO 1700. The body of the headlight is aluminum with sharp beveled corners to add a bit of character to the light. With the white version, the body is white while the rear cover, GoPro mount and buttons are gray. There are also diagonal graphics along the sides of the body with Magicshine printed on them. To achieve a symmetric look, Magicshine has placed the USB-C charging port on the opposite side of the power button. There is a thick rubber cover over the port which keeps water out of the headlight.
USER INTERFACE
The EVO 1100 has a single button interface with a large rubber button on the left side. There is an LED indicator on the button which provides a three-level battery status indicator if you do a short press, which is one of our favorite features of the Magicshine lights. A long hold turns the headlight on and off while a short press cycles through the available modes. There are only four modes on the EVO 1100 with three constant modes and one flash option. Using the button on the headlight you can only cycle through low, medium and high with the flash mode only available via the remote.
In contrast to the EVO 1700 and EVO 1300, the EVO 1100 only has a low beam which reduces the number of output modes down. Magicshine has also made the headlight compatible with the Magicshine app which lets you customize the output and even rearrange the modes in the menu. With how simple this light is, we don’t really see a need for the customization feature as the default modes are well designed. The only advantage of using the Magicshine App for this light would be to add flash mode back to the main level so you could access flash mode directly from the power button on the EVO 1100 body.
Magicshine includes a two-button wireless remote with the headlight to make it easier to operate the light. The remote is the MJ 6508 model that is included with many of Magicshine’s lights and has a nice backlight with a square and circle button. You can turn the light on or off by doing a long hold of either button, or cycle through all the modes pressing the circle button. The remote also separates the constant modes from the flash modes, making the flash mode only accessible by double clicking the square button. A single press of the square button activates the full 1100 lumen constant mode which lets you switch to full power and then revert back to your previous mode with another button press.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Magcshine has programmed four modes into EVO 1100 with only a standard low beam. That means you cannot switch to a high beam for additional visibility as you can with the EVO 1300 or EVO 1700. However, the single beam mode simplifies the modes on the EVO 1100 to three constant modes and a single flash mode. The constant modes are: low (250lm / 7.5 hr runtime), 550lm / 4 hr) and high (1100 lm / 2.5 hr). The single flash mode is a standard on/off that uses the full 1100 lumen output and has a 15.5 hr runtime. With such large jumps between the output modes it is easy to differentiate the constant modes while riding.
As with the other EVO modes the EVO 1100 has a distinctive trapezoidal beam shape with a sharp beam cutoff that eliminates any glare. The beam is a bit smaller and not as bright as the other EVO models but still has a wide shape that lights up the entire bike trail. Compared to Lupine lights, the beam isn’t as clean though as there are some yellow discolorations along the edges of the beam and a brighter top region. It’s still an impressive light given the sharp beam cutoff and budget friendly price point. We also liked the flash mode which works well for daytime riding but would have liked to have been able to access the mode without using the remote. Also, it’s worth noting that the EVO 1100 lacks side markers or any side indicators to help with side visibility.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine EVO 1100 to be a well priced headlight with modern features. Although it lacks an StVZO certification, the EVO 1100 has a sharp beam cutoff with a unique aspherical lens that allows you to use the full 1100 lumen without blinding others. The EVO 1100 shares the same unique square shape and a top mounted GoPro mount. Magicshine has also incorporated a clever removable GoPro mount that lets you quickly install and remove the light without worrying about tedious thumbscrews. The beam shape on the EVO 1100 has a nice wide trapezoidal shape that lights up the road. As far as negatives, the flash mode is only accessible using the remote and there are some artifacts along the edges of the beam. That said, the EVO 1100 offers bright output and a sharp beam cutoff at an affordable price point.
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.