As a road cyclist or commuter you want a lightweight and daytime visible headlight that is also powerful enough to light up the road in low visibility conditions. Magicshine’s new HORI series of lights was specifically designed to satisfy these constraints by combining an anti-glare lens with a compact form factor. With a retail price of only $59.99, the HORI 900 is one of Magicshine’s smallest headlights. Despite the small size, the light puts out 900 lumens out of a dual lens which has an anti-glare main lens as well as DRLS for daytime riding. The HORI 900 is also compatible with Magicshine’s FTR LightSync Controller which lets you control the headlight and a compatible taillight with a single remote.
The Magicshine Hori 900 bike headlight combines a compact form factor with a unique dual sided mount and dual LED design.
| Rating | 9.3 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $59.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 108 |
| Likes | + Compact form factor for the runtime and output + DRL mode is perfect for daytime riding + Dual sided mounting for additional flexibility |
| Dislikes | – No side visibility with inset lens – Some flash modes require optional remote or app to customize – Too thick to put underneath computer |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine HORI 900 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 900 headlight
- Wahoo top plate
- Decorative cover
- GoPro adapter
- USB-C charging cable
- Allen key
- User manual
Note, the Magicshine FTR LightSync Control remote is not included with the base-price version of the HORI 900 but available separately or as a package.
MOUNTING
One of the unique features of the HORI lights is the dual-sided Garmin mounts along with an additional Wahoo top plate. Out of the box, you have a standard mail top Garmin mount on the top side as well as a female mount on the top and a male one on the bottom. That means you can mount the light below an out-front mount or even between a computer and a mount. This design is very similar to the sandwich style lights like the Ravemen FR160 or KOM Cycling Quick Release lights but it’s more powerful. Magicshine offers the HORI light separately or with their out-front mounts if you don’t already own one. If you mount the light underneath an out front mount you’ll likely need a to use the GoPro to Garmin adapter which adds a bit of height but lets you adjust the angle of the light. The light also comes with a Wahoo adapter that can be swapped on the top of the headlight by removing one bolt. You can also swap the male Garmin bottom mount and place it on top and cover the bottom hole with the provided cover piece.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Magicshine HORI 900 has a compact all-in-one form factor with a compact battery integrated into it. It’s one of the smallest headlights that Magicshine has which makes it perfect for road cyclists or commuters as it won’t clutter your handlebars. The size is approximately 1” x 2” x 2.25” (58 x 50 x 32 mm) for the metal body without taking the mounts into account. It is a nearly square light with beveled edges and a rounded rear section for additional clearance. Magicshine has added glossy black accent lines along the sides along with simple HORI 900 branding on the sides. There is an illuminated power button on the left side that shows the current battery status along with a matching rectangular rubber cover on the other side to protect the USB-C port.
One of the best features of the HORI 900 is the anti-glare lens which uses an advanced lens design to create a sharp beam cutoff from a single LED. It’s an aspherical lens that has a droplet-like shaped inner lens behind an outer flat lens that creates a trapezoidal shaped beam pattern. Magicshine has also added two DRLS along the sides with vertical diffusers that creates two vertical lines for daytime visibility. It’s a nice touch as the DRL mode gives you up to 30 hours of runtime in the flash mode and is great for long road rides. Magicshine has designed the light to be used in the DRL mode only, the headlight only or a combination of both in different modes. The only downside of this lens design is that there is no side visibility as the lens is inset slightly into the body of the light.
USER INTERFACE
As far as the user interface, you have a single illuminated button to directly control the light. Holding the button turns the light on and off while holding it for 3 seconds with the light off toggles the lockout mode. There is a two mode menu where a single press toggles between the available output levels while a double press toggles between DRL mode and the combination light mode. In the combination mode you have three constant modes between low, medium and high while the DLR mode toggles between constant and flash mode. The button itself is illuminated to display the battery status and even illuminates when you tap it with the light off as a quick battery status check mode. Out of the box, the light comes in a locked mode, ideal for traveling with to avoid accidentally turning on the light, which can be enabled or disabled by holding the power button for about 5 seconds with the light off.
The HORI 900 is also compatible with Magicshine’s FTR LightSync which lets you control this headlight and a compatible taillight with their remote. Magicshine does not include a remote with this light, but you can purchase it separately. Once you pair it you can power the HORI 900 and a taillight on and off with a single button press. The remote also unlocks two additional flash modes by tapping the top square button to switch between a special day flash and night flash mode. With the under mount design of the headlight, the remote makes it a lot easier to control the light directly from the handle bars which is more convenient
LIGHT OUTPUT
Magicshine has programmed the HORI 900 with seven modes for both daytime and nighttime riding. The DRL only mode has two modes: constant (200 lumen / 3.5 hr runtime) and a bright flash mode (50 lumen / 30 hr). It’s very similar to the daytime flash mode with an irregular flashing pattern that helps ensure people notice it. The constant DRL mode is very dim and just provides a glow that’s great for riding in fog or city riding. In the combination mode there is a low (200 lumen / 3.5 hr), medium (400 lumen / 2.5 hr) and high (900 lumen / 1.5 hr) which turn on both LEDs. Obviously, for night time riding you’ll want to use the combo mode with at least medium or high mode to illuminate the road.
With the optional remote, you can also access the daytime flash (50 lumen / 30.5 hr) and a night flash (200 lumen / 15 hr) modes. Interestly, the daytime flash mode is just an on/off flashing pattern using the DRLs which is less effective than the other DRL flash mode. Nighttime flash keeps the DRLs on while flashing the main LED which can be less distracting at night. As with the Magicshine EVO lights, the beam pattern on the sharp-beam cutoff lens has a distinctive trapezoidal shape. There are some artifacts at the edges and a brighter band at the top but it’s quite a bit cleaner than simpler top-mounted LED lens designs that lights like the Trek Commuter Pro utilize. It has a nice wide shape that illuminates bike paths and about a car lane width. As with other sharp beam cut-off lights, this style light can be a bit distracting while doing sharp turns as you don’t have as wide of a beam.
We liked the standard DRL flash mode as it’s bright and has an irregular pattern that ensures you’re visible during the day. Even with only 50 lumens, it’s bright enough to be seen and has a tall lens that gives the light a unique shape. At night the medium or higher flash mode are needed to illuminate dark trails. The runtimes of 1.5-2.5 hours in those brighter constant modes are impressive given the small size of the light and 2000mAh internal battery. For riders looking for more runtime, the USB-C port also supports on-the-go charging which allows you to access all the modes while charging the light.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine HORI 900 to be a well designed and compact bike headlight that’s great for road cycling. The nearly square shape and dual mount design of the HORI 900 fits well on road bikes while still providing 900 lumen output. Magicshine has incorporated dual sided mounting that even lets you put a computer on top of the light. We liked the simple user interface and the sharp beam cutoff of the main LED that eliminates glare for oncoming riders. We’re happy to see more bike lights on the market with sophisticated lens designs. Our only complaints with the light is that there is no side visibility with the inset lens, the remote costs extra and that it’s a bit too tall to really use between an out-front-mount and cycling computer. That said, the Magicshine HORI 900 is a great bike headlight for cyclists looking for day or nighttime visibility in a small package.
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.