The new Magicshine Ray 3000 offers impressive output that is paired with a large battery for riders looking for a bright light for long endurance rides. It’s one of the latest lights in the Ray headlight lineup and has modern connectivity features to support ANT+ and Magicshine’s own FTR LightSync features. The headlight retails for $159.99 and, as the product name implies, offers 3000 lumen of output. Runtimes range from 3 to 33 hours depending on the mode with a large 10000 mAh battery. A standard bottom-located Garmin mount is integrated into the body along with ANT+ and FTR LightSync connectivity with the included FTR LightSync remote.
The Magicshine Ray 3000 offers dual beam optics for on-road and off-road use along with a large battery to support the 3000 lumen output.
| Rating | 9.5 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $159.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 286 (headlight), 25 (mount) |
| Likes | + Dual beam with a sharp beam cutoff and a cone beam for off-road use + Modern connectivity with an included FTR LightSync remote + Long runtime with a 10000 mAh battery |
| Dislikes | – Does not support under-sided mounting |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine Ray 3000 comes in a compact cardboard box with Magicshine’s distinctive black and orange color scheme printed on it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Ray 3000 headlight
- USB-C charging cable
- Handlebar mount w/ shims
- FTR LightSync remote
- User manual
- Warranty card
The included FTR LightSync remote is a nice perk that lets you control the headlight and a compatible taillight from the handlebars.
MOUNTING
Underneath the Magicshine Ray 3000 you’ll find a standard quarter turn Garmin mount that is bolted onto the base. It’s nice to see the bolt-on design as you can replace the mount if you were to have a failure or broke it in a crash. This style mount uses two raised tabs on each side which slide into corresponding slots on a corresponding mount. With the sharp beam cutoff of the Ray 3000, you can only mount this light facing upward which means you cannot place it underneath out front mounts like the other Magicshine EVO lights. Magicshine does include a simple mount which has a metal clamp design with a Garmin mount on top. The mount design works well, but with the bottom placement of the Garmin you are limited in where you place the Ray 3000 on your bike.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Magicshine Ray 3000 has a classic rectangular design of Magicshine’s previous lights. To achieve the impressive 3000 lumen output, this light has a massive 10,000 mAh battery which results in a large and heavy light. The exterior of the light is constructed from black anodized aluminium and it’s about 4.5 inches long, 1 1/4″ inches tall, and almost 2 inches wide. Three angular cuts along the sides of the headlight break up the otherwise smooth body with Ray 3000 printed in white. The top of the light has a backlit rubber power button and a Magicshine logo. There is a large rubber cover to protect the USB-C charging port which helps the light achieve an IPX6 rating.
Magicshine has been slowly adding sharp beam cutoffs to all their lights, which includes this Ray 3000’s dual beam design. One side of the light has a sharp beam cutoff with an aspherical lens design that focuses the light on the ground. It’s a lens design that is similar to the dual beam Magicshine HORI 1300 and other Magicshine lights which creates a trapezoidal shape that eliminates any glare for oncoming traffic. The Ray 3000 also has a standard cone beam lens with a second LED that is activated in the high beam mode. Each LED is capable of 1500 lumen, so together in the high beam mode you get the impressive 3000 lumen output. There are also small cutouts along the edge of the body to create side visibility as well as a small shield on top to prevent glare when you are riding out of the saddle.
USER INTERFACE
The Magicshine Ray 3000 has the familiar one button user interface with a two level menu as other Magicshine lights. Pressing the button with the light off will turn on the button’s backlight to show a three level battery status with a green or red colored indicator. Note, the green color is shown for 21-100% which is a large range but is still better than most lights which have a single low battery indicator. Holding the button for three seconds activates the lockout mode which prevents the light from turning on accidentally, and is helpful for traveling with the light. You can disable the lockout mode by holding the button again until the backlight color goes green. A short hold turns the light on and off, while a single press cycles through the mode options. Double pressing the button toggles between low beam and high beam modes. There is also a flash mode, but you have to use the included FTR LightSync remote to access it.
The FTR LightSync remote is included with the Ray 3000 and has a two button interface with a bright center LED indicator. Both buttons have the same shape, but one has a square graphic while the other has a circle. Holding either button turns the light on and off, but double pressing the square button cycles through the two flash modes. A single press of the square button jumps to the maximum 3000 lumen mode. Double pressing the circle button toggles between low and high beam, while a single press cycles through the available modes. Finally, you can also connect the Ray 3000 to your computer using ANT+ if your computer support light networks. With higher-end computers such as the Garmin Edge 850 or the Bryton S810 you can let the GPS control the headlight or manually switch the current mode directly from the computer.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Magicshine has pre-programmed the Ray 3000 with six constant modes and two flash modes. The constant modes are split between a low beam (sharp beam cutoff LED only) and high beam (sharp beam cutoff LED + standard LED). The low beam mode ranges from 375 – 1500 lumen with runtimes from 22.5 to 4.5. The output is double between each mode which makes it easy to visually see the difference between the modes. In the low beam mode the Ray 3000 produces a trapezoidal shape beam that is nearly identical to the Magicshine EVO and Hori lights. There are some color artifacts at the edge of beam due to the lens design, but it’s otherwise nice and sharp with a brighter band at the top of the beam.
In the high beam mode both LEDs are activated and you have double the output with a combination beam that has the trapezoidal shape with a cone beam for more visibility overlaid on it. The output ranges from 750 to the full 3000 lumens along with claimed runtimes of 13.5 to 3 hours. That means at full power you can expect about 3 hours of runtime, however, as with any light you will see a gradual lumen reduction due to heat buildup. Given the large size of the Ray 3000, the two flash modes (i.e. day flash with 1500 lumen / 33 hr runtime and night flash 165-900 lumen / 24.5 hr runtime) are a bit overkill for normal use. It’s daytime bright, but you’d obviously want a more compact light if your a road cyclists such as the Magicshine Hori 700.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine Ray 3000 to be a bright and versatile headlight. To create the Ray 3000, Magicshine has taken their dual beam design and added a massive battery to create a bright headlight with long runtime. With the 10,000 mAh battery, the headlight is perfect for long rides or gravel riding where runtime is critical. We liked the combo lens design which retains a sharp beam cutoff low beam and a dual high beam for off-road use or rural roads. The sharp beam cutoff means you can use the light on busy trails without blinding oncoming traffic, while still having the full 3000 lumens in high mode for trails or empty roads. The main downside of this light is that it does not support under-side mounting. That said, the Magicshine Ray 3000 is a bright headlight with versatile beam design for riders looking for long runtimes and bright output.
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.