The Magicshine HORI series has focused on headlights with dual mount sandwich style designs to seamlessly integrate between GPS computers and mounts. We have the latest HORI 700 here in this review which is the most compact and thinnest HORI light in the lineup. With a retail price of $45.99, the HORI 700 offers 700 lumen output from four LEDs. The HORI 700 retains the dual mount design with Garmin mounts on the top and bottom of the headlight. There is also a USB-C charging port to charge the 2200 mAh battery with up to 22.5 hour runtime available for daytime or nighttime riding.
The Magicshine HORI 700 shares the same sandwich mount-GPS design as other HORI lights but offers a thinner and more compact design.
| Rating | 9.0 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $45.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 90 |
| Likes | + Compact form factor thanks to smaller battery + Wide beam with multi-LED configuration + Side visibility and multi-level LED battery status indicator |
| Dislikes | – Fixed LED angle – Additional adapters for Wahoo / Bryton are not included – Lacks a true daytime flash mode with irregular pattern |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine HORI 700 comes in a compact cardboard box with Magicshine’s distinctive black and orange color scheme printed on it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Hori 700 headlight
- USB-C charging cable
- User manual
Note, there are no additional adapters included with the light.
MOUNTING
The Magicshine HORI 700 is designed to be a sandwich style light that sits between an out-front mount and a GPS cycling computer. That’s why it has a male Garmin mount on the bottom and a female Garmin mount on the top. These are the standard quarter turn Garmin mounts which lock into place securely. There are no adapters for Wahoo or Bryton included, but both adapters have exposed screws on so they could be replaced. This light is also directional, so you want to keep it mounted with the glare shield on top and the branding pointed upright to avoid adding more glare. Thanks to the thinner body of this light, it’s closer to the thickness of a GPS cycling computer so it looks sleeker when installed on a bike.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the HORI 700 inherits the same rectangular design with rounded rear that you’ll find on the other HORI lights. With this version, the light is smaller and lighter thanks to the lower output and more compact multi LED lens. The HORI 700 is 57.2 x 54.2 x 31.9 mm or 2.25 x 2.1 x 1.25 inches which is thin enough to blend into handlebars. It is constructed from high-impact plastic with a 2200mAh internal battery and Magicshine branding printed onto the sides. To keep the price down, the HORI 700 lacks many of the connectivity options like ANT+ and the FTR LightSync control. Instead the light has a more traditional LED lens and a simple single button user interface with multi-level battery status indicator. The other side of the light has a rubber cover to protect the USB-C charging port.
The HORI 700 has a four LED setup placed in a row to create a wide beam. Unlike the other HORI models, there is no fancy sharp beam cutoff lens design. Instead it is a simple cone shaped beam which creates a wide illumination pattern with glare. To reduce the glare, the LEDs are positioned with a 10 degree downward angle to focus the light on the ground. This lets you mount an out-front-mount level, while the LEDs are tilted downward for less glare. The edges of the lens also have cutouts which help with side visibility. There is even a glare shield integrated into the body which eliminates glare if you are sprinting or out of the saddle.
USER INTERFACE
To operate the HORI 700 there is a single illuminated power button on the left side. It’s the same design you’ll find on other Magicshine lights with the same soft rubber texture. Holding the button turns the light on and off, while a single press cycles through the available modes. There is a two level menu with the three constant modes on one level, and a double press to toggle to the two flash modes. There is also a lockout feature which can be activated by holding the button with the light off that is convenient for travel or storage to prevent the light from being accidently turned on. Again, the HORI 700 lacks the smart features or ANT+ and BLE connectivity of the other HORI lights so you cannot control it from a GPS computer or an FTR LightSync remote.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Magicshine has programmed the HORI 700 with five modes: three constant options and two flash options.. The constant modes are a standard progression from low (100 lumen, 12 hr runtime), medium (300 lumen, 5.5 hr) to high (700 lumen, 3.5 hr). The flash modes are standard on-off patterns with a daytime flash (100 lumen, 22.5 hr) that flashes the outer two LEDs while leaving the inner two off. There is also a night flash (100 lumen, 14 hr) that keeps the outer two LEDs on while flashing the inner two to make it less disruptive at night. With all the modes, the edge of the lens is illuminated and provides excellent side visibility. We also appreciate that Magicshine keeps the constant and flash modes separated so you do not have to cycling through flash mode to change the intensity of the light.
While the HORI 700 lacks the sharp beam cutoff of the HORI 900, the four LED setup works well to light up the road. We found it to be bright enough for faster riding in the medium or high modes for night time riding. During the day, the light is daytime visible but we would have liked to see a more erratic flash pattern like those found on the Trek Ion or Cateye Nano60. The current flash modes are just a standard on/off pattern instead of a more nuanced flash pattern or something that used the LEDs in a more elaborate that used the four LEDs in different orders. The HORI 700 is also more compact than the Ravemen FR500 and Ravemen FR1100 lights which means it looks sleeker installed on the bike.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine HORI 700 to be bright and well designed and bright light. Magicshine has created a smaller and lighter HORI by simplifying the lens design to standard LEDs arranged in a row. The result in a sleeker light that hides beneath GPS computer better than higher output Magicshine HORI models. We were impressed with the bight output of the for nighttime riding and daytime riding. It’s also easy to use with Magicshine’s intuitive features such as a multi-level battery status indicator and a two-level mode menu to separate flash modes from the constant modes. The main negatives of this light are the fixed beam angle, the fact that the light only comes with Garmin adapters and the lack of an erratic daytime flash pattern. That said, the Magicshine HORI 700 is a welcome addition to the HORI lineup for riders looking for something sleek but with nighttime visibility.
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.