Ravemen’s CL01 is an unusual wrap-around bike taillight that offers a full 300 degree wide beam for visibility from any angle. The taillight has a horizontal form factor with wrap-around COB LED design that ensures you remain visible from any angle. Retail price for the taillight is an affordable $19.95 which includes a seatpost and saddle mount. The taillight has 30 lumen of output from the COB LEDs which is powered by a 200 mAh LiPo internal battery. Runtimes range from 5-45 hours depending on the mode and the taillight can be charged using the USB-C port. Ravemen has also incorporated an acceleration sensor to detect braking to help alert drivers behind you.
The Ravemen CL01 is an affordable smart bike taillight with a unique wrap-around COB LED form factor that offers great side visibility.
| Retail Price | $19.95 |
| Rating | 8.5 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 20 (taillight alone), 14 (seatpost mount), 4 (saddle rail mount) |
| Likes | + Budget friendly + Unique form factor with excellent side visibility + Ravemen includes saddle and seatpost mounts with the light |
| Dislikes | – Brake sensor is highly sensitive and can have false positives – COB LEDs lacks long-distance visibility of focused LED taillights |
| Where to Buy (US) | Ravemen |
UNBOXING
The Ravemen CL01 comes in a orange and black cardboard box that matches Ravemen branding along with a front cutout that shows off the taillight. Inside the box you’ll find:
- CL01 taillight
- Seatpost mount
- Saddle rail mount w/ zip ties
- USB-C charging cable
- Instruction manual
- Warranty card
Ravemen has done a good job minimizing waste with cardboard inner holders and compact packaging.
MOUNTING
Ravemen has designed the mount of the CL01 with the horizontal design in mind by using a thick quarter-turn design. It’s a very similar design to the miniaturized Garmin quarter turn mounts of other brands like Magicshine but is slightly wider and squared off. Ravemen includes two mounts with the taillight, a seatpost mount and a saddle rail mount. The seatpost mount is a standard rubber strap design with extrusions to handle round and aero seatposts. You simply twist the light onto the mount which has a very satisfying click sound and tight tolerances. Additionally, there is a saddle rail mount for an even sleeker installation that lets you tuck the taillight under your saddle. It’s a simple friction fit with an optional zip tie for extra security. The saddle rail mounting is probably the best way to mount this light if you don’t use a saddle rail as it makes the most sense with the elongated shape of the taillight.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Ravemen CL01 has an unusual horizontal form factor with wraparound lens. Ravemen has purposely made the taillight thin but elongated to maximize side visibility and allow the taillight to tuck under saddles. It’s a compact taillight that is only 61 x 32 x 15 mm or 2.4 x 1.3 x 0.6 inches which means it is about the size of a pack of gum. The CL01 is quite light with a plastic body and integrated 200 mAh internal battery. It’s a U-shaped light with the red wrap around lens around the edge and an illuminated power button on the top. The bottom of the has a tight rubber cover that conceals the USB-C charging port. Ravemen has added a slim twist on mount onto the rear of the body which has been trimmed to fit within the dimensions of the light.
The wrap-around COB LED is housed behind a red lens that mimics the design of the Ravemen FR160 headlights. Inside the lens the LEDs are uniformly spread with a single row of LEDs around the sides and a 3×4 row/column distribution at the rear of the taillight. Unlike other taillights like the Bontrager Flare or Ravemen TR500, there is no focused LED so long distance visibility is limited. The sides of the body are glossy while the top and bottom of the CL01 is a more matte finish.
USER INTERFACE
The Ravemen CL01 has a single button user interface with a backlight that shows the current battery status. A single press displays three states: green (40-100% battery), red (5-40%) and flashing red (>5%). Holding the button for a second turns the light on and off while a single press with the light on cycles through the modes. There is also an optional smart brake sensor and auto-sleep mode that uses an internal accelerometer. You can enable the feature by holding the power button for a few seconds until it flashes for 5 seconds. With the smart mode on the light automatically switches to a constant mode for 2 seconds when deceleration is detected. The sensor also allows the taillight to automatically go to a sleep mode if no motion is detected for an extended period of time.
LIGHT OUTPUT
As far as output modes, the CL01 has five pre-programmed options with two constant modes and three flash options. All the modes turn all the LEDs on at the same time but use different intensities or sequences. The constant modes are: high (5 lumen / 5 hours) and low (2 lm/ 10 hr). The flash modes are day flash (30 lm / 9.5 hr), rapid flash (5 lm / 11 hr) and slow flash (0.5 lm / 45 hr). For the full output the day flash mode which has an irregular on/off and fast flash. The maximum runtime is from the slow flash that has a nearly two day runtime.
As we mentioned before, the COB LED design of the CL01 looks attractive but lacks the long distance visibility of higher output taillights like the Magicshine Seemee 300 with its focused LEDs. The COB LEDs produce a nice glow that is visible from nearly any angle with the U shape of the lens. As far as the brake sensor, we found it to be a bit too sensitive which causes it to trigger the constant warning mode over potholes or speedbumps as well as when you are actually coming to a stop. While the change in mode does help attract people’s attention, the mode can drain the battery which is why we’d recommend leaving it off.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Ravemen CL01 to be an affordable and unique looking bike taillight. Ravemen’s use of a wrap-around COB LED lens gives the CL01 an eye-catching form factor that has great visibility from any angle. The light includes both the seatpost and saddle rail mount right out of the box which gives you more options for mounting. While it’s far from the brightest light on the market, the lens design and thin body make it a great option for commuters or urban riders. As far as negatives, we found the brake sensor to be overly sensitive and would highlight the fact that the COB LEDs lack the long distance visibility of focused LEDs found on other taillight models. That said, the Ravemen CL01 is a budget friendly bike taillight with a unique shape and great side visibility.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Ravemen. 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.