Although Reelight is best known for their battery-free bike lights, they’ve recently introduced the LUX lineup of battery powered lights. The new Reelight Lux are versatile and stylish battery powered lights that can easily be used as headlights or for outdoor activities. Reelight offers the LUX in two variations, a €54 LUX 350 and the €67 LUX 700 variation we have here in this review. The LUX 700 blends styling elements from flashlights and bike lights such as a removable 2600 mAh 18650 battery and handlebar mount. There are six output modes with three constant modes and three flash modes. Runtimes go up to 77 hours in eco-flash and the light has a USB-C port for recharging.
The Reelight LUX 700 offers bright 700 lumen output with a convenient flashlight design and removable 18650 battery.
| Retail Price | €67 |
| Rating | 9.1 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (g) | 130 (headlight) / 16 (mount) / 4 (strap) |
| Likes | + Removable 18650 Lithium ion battery + Transparent lens has great side visibility at any angle + Transitions easily between bike and outdoor use |
| Dislikes | – Turning on the light requires a double press which can be confusing |
| Where to Buy (US) | Reelight |
UNBOXING
The Reelight LUX 700 headlight comes in an eco-friendly cardboard box with branding printed directly on to it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- LUX 700 headlight
- Detachable wrist strap
- Allen key
- 3x Rubber o-rings + handlebar mount
- USB-C charging cable
- User manual
The included three rubber straps should ensure the LUX 700 can be mounted on nearly any handlebar setup.
MOUNTING
The Reelight LUX 700 includes a flashlight style handlebar mount instead of traditional Garmin or tab designs. It’s a friction style design with a rubber coated U shape which securely holds the LUX 700. It’s a fairly wide which allows the LUX 700 to stay in place even over rougher roads. Installing the handlebar mount requires removing the orange rubber cover and detaching the bottom puck from the mount. Once that is removed you can hook the provided O-ring around the handlebar and into the slots. Once that’s set you can reattach the top half of the mount back on. The mount also allows 360 degree rotation as long as you don’t over-tighten the bolt. The downside of this mount design is that it cannot be mounted on out-front mounts, like the Topeak UTF, as it lacks a Garmin or GoPro adapter. It also requires a tool for the initial installation which isn’t as convenient as the cam-style mounts other brands like Fenix offers.
FIT & FINISH
The Reelight LUX 700 blends styling elements from traditional flashlights with convenient bike-specific features. Visually, the LUX has a tapered cylindrical form factor with a rubber coating that makes it easy to carry as a flashlight for outdoor activities. There is a single LED mounted on the front of the LUX with a simple transparent housing that extends about an inch from the front. While this design lacks any beam cutoff features, the transparent ring illuminates brightly when the light is on to ensure you’re visible from all angles. On the rear of the LUX you’ll find a threaded tail cap that can be twisted off to reveal an 18650 battery. Outside of Fenix bike lights like the BC21R or the BC26R, removable batteries are a rare feature that’s highly desirable to have. There is also a USB-C port on the underside of the LUX to recharge the battery, another modern touch not that is slowly becoming more common.
The user interface of the LUX 700 consists of a single top mounted power button. It’s a large rubber orange button that has great tactile feel but a slightly unusual menu design. A double press turns the light on in the constant modes while a triple press activates the flash options. We found it a bit counter-intuitive as a long hold typically turns lights on but suspect the double press design may prevent the LUX 700 from being accidentally turned on while being transported. In front of the power button is a wide 5 LED indicator. It’s another great feature that is used to indicate the battery status or recharging state. Compared to most bike lights that only have a low battery indicator, the multi-level indicator of the LUX 700 lets you better monitor the status of the battery and preemptively recharge it if you’re planning a long ride.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Reelight has incorporated six different output modes with three constant options and three flash options to choose from. The constant modes are high, medium and low with outputs of 700, 300 and 150 lumen. Runtimes vary from 1.3 hours to 7.3 hours depending on the chosen setting. The jumps between the modes are large which make them easy to differentiate while riding. The flash modes are pulse (i.e. a gradual ramping), strobe (i.e. high-frequency flashing) and eco-flash (i.e. a low powered on-off flash). Runtimes vary from 16-77 hours with the highest runtime being eco-flash option. The LUX 700 has a simple lens design which results in a cone shape beam with even distribution. While it’s not as bright as other lights on the market and may lack a beam cutoff, it’s more than bright enough for commuting or urban use.
We found the medium mode worked well on partially lit roads or urban settings while high mode is best reserved for dark trails. If you’re riding at high speeds we’d recommend a light with 1000 or more lumen though, as you’ll be able to see further distances. While there is no explicit daytime flash option, any of the flash modes work well for that purpose. However, the strobe mode might have too high of a frequency though as it can be very distracting. The best feature of the LUX light design is the transparent lens though, as it illuminates a ring around the light to ensure you remain visible even at side angles.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Reelight LUX 700 to be a versatile and well designed bike light. The LUX 700 blends elements from traditional flashlights and bike lights which allows it to be easily held in your hand or mounted on handlebars. Details such as the removable wrist strap are particularly useful for hiking or outdoor use. The light also has a removable 18650 Li-ion battery which makes the light future proof and a modern USB-C interface which is a rare combination. We were also impressed with the five LED battery status indicator which is a welcome upgrade from most lights which only have a low battery status indicator. The main downsides of the LUX 700 is the two press interface to turn on constant modes which can be confusing as most lights use a long hold. That said, if you’re looking for a stylish bike light with a removable battery that be used on or off the bike then the LUX 700 is a light we’d recommend.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Reelight. 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.