Named after the three-headed dog from Greek mythology, the Moon Sport Cerberus is a unique three COB LED bike taillight design. The multi-element Cerberus taillight retails for $46.99 and in this latest iteration has a 150 maximum lumen output. Power comes from an integrated 500mAh Li-Po battery that can be recharged in 2 hours with a modern USB Type-C charging port. There are also five different output modes to choose from, two steady modes and three flash options to cover daytime or nighttime riding. As with other Moon Sport products, the Cerberus output modes can also be fully customized with a Variable Lumen System (VLS) which allows the output of each mode to be adjusted independently. The other clever design feature of the Cerberus is the hinged mounting posts that allow the taillight to be mounted on round or aero seatposts without changing out any parts.
Inspired by Greek mythology, the Moon Sport Cerberus uses a 150 lumen three COB LED design for daytime visibility and excellent side visibility.
| Retail Price | $46.99 |
| Rating | 8.5/10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 36 |
| Likes | + USB Type-C + Three COB LED design offers excellent visibility + Clever hinged mount design works on variety of seatposts |
| Dislikes | – No body clip – Lacks smart features such as light sensor – Buttons are difficult to use with gloves on |
| Where to Buy (US) | Moon Sport |
UNBOXING
The Moon Sport Cerberus taillight comes in a flat cardboard box with a sleek black and yellow color scheme. An open center section allows you to interact with the taillight and see design details. Inside you’ll find:
- Cerberus taillight
- 2x Rubber strap for mounting
- USB Type-C charging cable
- User manual
As with other Moon Sport devices the USB Type-C charging cable is bright yellow to match the brand logo.
MOUNTING
The Cerberus uses an industry standard rubber o-ring style mount that offers a quick and tool-free mounting or removal from the bike. With the taillight weighing only 36 grams, the rubber o-ring is more than enough to hold it securely in place. What’s clever about the Cerberus is the hinged plastic mounts on the base of the taillight instead of being molded directly on. This allows the Cerberus to be mounted on round as well as aero seatposts without any modifications or additional parts. The hinges also lie nearly flat which means the taillight can even be mounted on a flat rack or other locations as long as you can wrap the o-ring around. Moon Sport also includes two different sized o-rings to accommodate different diameter seatposts right out of the box.
FIT & FINISH
With a three COB LED design, the Moon Sport Cerberus has a unique design that stands out on the bike. A center COB LED strip runs down the center of the taillight to provide rear visibility while two side COB LED stripes allow for improved side visibility. When illuminated, the COB LED strips provide a uniform glow that looks modern. The two side COB strips also have a Nike-like swoosh that follows the contour of the taillight. With its rectangular profile, the Cerberus sits flush and hides behind seatposts for an integrated appearance. Branding on the light is limited to a Moon Sport logo on one side and “Cerberus“ in a white modern font on the other side.
The Cerberus has a two button interface with both buttons on the top left side of the taillight. The power button is on the top while the one below it is primarily used for the VLS feature. Aside from debossed icons on the buttons, there isn’t any tactile or material difference to them. Because of this, we found the buttons difficult to use with gloves as they are hard to differentiate from the taillight housing. Between the buttons is also an indicator LED that is used to show when charging is active as well as indicate low battery. As with other rechargeable taillights, the battery indicator is subtle and easy to overlook. There is an “auto safe” mode that extends the runtime when the battery is low, but you’ll still need to remember to charge the light regularly to avoid running out of battery while riding.
FEATURES
As with other Moon Sport products like the U Headlamp, the Cerberus has some unique features.
- VARIABLE LUMEN SYSTEM: This is a feature Moon Sport has incorporated into most of their lights and allows you to adjust the output of each mode independently. Once activated, the light ramps up from minimum to maximum power for that mode (note it flashes at each extreme to indicate a max/min has been reached) slowly until you select the desired level. The chosen output value overrides the factory defaults allowing for full customization. Although it’s a cool feature to see, we imagine most users won’t utilize it as the factory defaults are more than sufficient.
- LOCKOUT MODE: This is often called a “transport mode” that prevents the taillight from accidentally being turned on. The taillight is shipped with lock out mode enabled to avoid the battery from being drained during shipping. It’s a useful feature that’s relatively easy to enable and disable. With the mode active, the taillight simply flashes anytime a button is pressed.
USER INTERFACE
The Cerberus has a two button interface to cycle through modes and access the VLS feature. Although the buttons themselves lack tactile feel, once you’ve read the instruction manual, the operation of the light is fairly straightforward. The top button is the “power button” and does the following:
- Short Press: turns light on (light off) / switch between output options for current mode (light on).
- Double Press: switches between constant and flash modes.
- 8 Second Hold (light off): enables or disables the lockout mode.
The second “output button” is primarily used for the VLS feature:
- Long Hold: activates the VLS mode and ramps the output from min to max mode slowly, release the button at the desired output
For the VLS setting, you can also restore all the modes back to the factory defaults by holding both the power and output button together until the COB LEDs light up sequentially. The interactive ramping design of the VLS system is much easier to use than the confusing LED blinking design the Lupine Rotlicht utilizes. We also appreciate the fact that Moon Sport has separated the constant and flash modes with the double press interaction. Even though the Cerberus only has five output modes, it does have a more complicated menu configuration than other taillights on the market that requires at least reading the instruction manual once.
LIGHT OUTPUT
The Cerberus comes programmed with five output modes: two constant modes and three flash modes. The two constant modes have a default lumen output of 25 and 50 lumens with run-times of 3:30 and 1:45 (hr:min) respectively. Most riders will likely take advantage of the flash modes as they offer higher runtime and better night time visibility. The three flash modes are a standard on/off, a steady flash, and brightest daytime flash. Steady flash is unique as it leaves the two side COB LEDs illuminated while flashing the center LED. All the other output modes operate the three COB LEDs in unison. Run-times for flash modes vary from 13:45 upto 19:00 (hr:min) with daytime flash the only mode with 150 lumen output.
With the VLS feature, each mode can also be adjusted between the minimum and maximum settings pertaining to the mode. Constant modes are limited to 5-50 lumen while flash and steady flash are limited to 10-100 lumen. Daytime flash can be adjusted to the full range of 10-150 lumen which can push the runtime all the way to 140 hours in the lowest 10 lumen setting. Although the three COB LED design of the Cerberus improves side visibility, due to the narrow profile of the taillight side visibility is limited to around 270°. If you’re looking for better side visibility, larger lights like the NiteRider Bullet 200 should be considered. Also while the COB LED design looks more visually attractive and is visible during daytime, the beam is less focused than lights like the Bontrager Ion RT or Light and Motion Vya Switch which means the Cerberus isn’t as visible from longer distances.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Moon Sport Cerberus taillight to be bright and sleek. The combination of the COB LEDs and the 150 lumen output allows the Cerberus to be visible during day or night. We also liked the sleek rectangular design with three COB LED strips as it sits flush behind seatposts for an integrated look and improves side visibility. While the Cerberus lacks smart features or integrated sensors, the unique design and clever hinged mounts that work on standard and aero seatposts without any modifications set the taillight apart. Even without an app, all the modes can be customized by using the variable lumen system to adjust the output per mode. Even though the Cerberus isn’t the brightest or smartest taillight on the market, the sleek design and features make it a great option.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Moon Sport. 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.