The new Magicshine URBO bike light set consists of the ultra-light FL and TL headlight and taillight. It’s a compact and portable light set that offers a sharp beam cutoff headlight and smart features for safety and performance. Retail price for the light set is $46.98 with the headlight and taillight available separately for $24.99 and $21.99 respectively. The URBO lights are a new design from Magicshine that offers a sharp beam cutoff for the headlight and a single dispersed LED design for the taillight. The headlight is rated for 300 lumen while the taillight is 50 lumen. Both of the lights have miniaturized quarter turn mounts and USB-C charging ports.
The Magicshine URBO headlight and taillight combination are lightweight and bright bike lights with modern features.
| Retail Price | $46.98 ($24.99 / $21.99 separately) |
| Rating | 9.0 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 58 (taillight), 41 (taillight) |
| Likes | + Headlight has an advanced sharp beam-cutoff lens + Compact form factor with easy to use miniaturized quarter turn mounts + Unique forged carbon fiber exterior appearance |
| Dislikes | – The basic taillight lens design seems out of place compared to the headlight – Headlight lacks side visibility with inset lens |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine URBO light set comes in two orange and black boxes – one for the headlight and one for the taillight. Each box has glossy graphic of the lights printed on it and specs on the side and rear. Inside the boxes you’ll find:
- URBO headlight and taillight
- Seatpost mount with multiple adapters
- Handlebar mount
- Saddle rail mount w/ zip ties for taillight
- USB-C charging cables
- User manuals
Note, the VIVEE 50 is compatible with FTR LightSync but the remote is not included.
MOUNTING
Magicshine has utilized a miniaturized Garmin quarter turn mount design for both the URBO headlight and taillight. It’s the same mount design used as other Magicshine Seemee products and is even compatible with some Ravemen mounts. Each light comes with a rubber mount with a long strap and hooks that can be placed on the seatpost or handlebar. The handlebar version has no built-in angle offset in order to keep the headlight parallel with the ground. Magicshine also includes a plastic saddle rail mount with backup zip ties to hold them in place for riders that want to place the taillight underneath the saddle. The mounts are secure with no wobble and make it easy to quickly remove the lights from the bike.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the URBO lights are a new design from Magicshine that combines a square shape with a unique forged carbon fiber appearance. The headlight and taillight are similar in design with square shapes and angled housing but the headlight is actually a fair bit larger than the taillight. That’s mostly due to the unique aspherical lens design of the headlight that requires more space than traditional lenses. The headlight also has a larger 900 mAh battery compared to the 600 mAh battery in the taillight. As far as dimensions, the headlight is about 1.5 x 1.5 inches (38mm) while the taillight is about 1.25 x 1.25 inches (32 mm). Both of the lights have a faux forged carbon fiber finish which look surprisingly realistic despite the plastic construction. There is also a large illuminated power button on top of both lights to control them with the USB-C ports placed inside the center of the mounts.
One of the unique features of this light set is the URBO FL headlight which is one of the most compact sharp beam cutoff lights we’ve seen from Magicshine. It takes the aspherical lens design we’ve seen with the EVO and HORI bike lights, but makes it smaller to fit a more commuter friendly package. There is a curved inner lens that distorts the light down onto the ground to eliminate any glare. It’s a nice design to see at this price point as most lights, including the Seemee 150 headlight, have basic diffusers or cone beams. There is no side visibility though, as Magicshine has not added any side markers or cutouts to help with side visibility.
While the URBO FL headlight goes with an advanced lens design, the URBO TL taillight is surprisingly basic. There is a single LED in the middle of a frosted and smooth lens. Magicshine has extended the lens to the edge of the body which results in excellent side visibility as the entire lens is illuminated. With the light off, the taillight has a white appearance which looks interesting with only a small hint that there is a single LED in the center. Compared to the Magicshine Seemee taillights with COB LED rings and other features, the URBO FL seems much simpler. It is still quite bright with a 50 lumen max output and multiple flash modes to choose from. Magicshine has also added a smart brake sensor option that switches the light to full power constant mode for a few seconds if braking is detected.
USER INTERFACE
The Magicshine URBO lights use a single button user interface with a large illuminated rubber button placed at the top of the lights. A short press of the button with the light off will turn on the LED indicator to provide a 3 level status with green, red or flashing red indicators. Holding the button turns the light on and off, while a single press with the light on cycles through the available modes. Magicshine has a single level menu for the taillight that cycles through the five modes while the headlight has a two level menu. The two constant modes are separated from the flashing modes with a double press of the button. It’s a nice feature that ensures you can change the output intensity without having to cycle through flash when you are riding at night.
Magicshine also lets you disable the taillight’s brake sensor by double pressing the power button and then holding for three seconds – the sensor is on if the indicator turns a constant cyan and it is off when it flashes cyan. Both lights also have a lock mode that can be toggled by holding the button for five seconds with the light off. The feature is convenient for traveling with the lights where the button might get accidentally pressed.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Magicshine has kept the output modes simple or both the headlight and taillight. The headlight has only four modes, two constant options and two flash options. There is a low mode (100 lumen / 10.5 hr runtime) and a maximum output high mode (300 lumen / 3 hr). There are also two aptly named flash modes: night time flash (100-300 lumen / 7 hr) and a daytime flash (0-300 lumen / 14.5 hr). With the fancy lens design, the headlight creates a distinctive U shaped beam that looks a lot brighter than the 300 lumen would suggest. Even the daytime mode is bright enough for daytime use and has an erratic flash pattern that helps attract attention.
The URBO TL taillight has one more mode for a total of five to choose from. There are two constant modes: low (6 lumen / 37 hr) and a high option (15 lumen / 10.5 hr). There is also a nighttime lash that alternates between low to high constant modes and has a 16 hour runtime. The most useful mode is daytime flash which is a more eye catching erratic flash pattern that achieves the full 50 lumen and 46 hr runtime. For the most runtime, there is also an eco flash option that is 10 lumens and 82 hr runtime. While the headlight is bright, it lacks the side visibility that the URBO taillight has with its wrap around lens. The taillight also has a brake sensor, but like with other Magicshine lights it’s overly sensitive so it can really reduce the overall runtime. Otherwise, the two URBO lights are surprisingly bright for the small size.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine URBO lights to be bright and compact options for daytime or nighttime riding. Magicshine has used a compact sharp beam cutoff lens for the headlight to create a focused beam that eliminates glare for oncoming traffic. The taillight gets a simpler treatment with a frosted lens and single LED. The light set is quite affordable despite having some smart features like a smart sensor. We found the lights to be bright enough for night time riding with good runtime despite the small size. Magicshine has also added nice touches like separating the flash modes from the constant modes for the headlight which ensures you don’t have to activate flash modes to switch between constant modes. The main downsides of the light is the fact that the headlight has no side visibility and the fact that the taillight has a basic lens design compared to the headlight. That said, the Magicshine
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.