Lezyne 1100XL Macro Drive Front Light Review

It wasn't long ago that a decent front light cost a fortune and relied on a heavy battery system. Modern LEDs have come on enormously in the last few years and it's amazing how much brightness and run time you can get out of a small and relatively cheap light these days.

On its brightest setting this light is bright enough to light the way on a country lane on the flat, although I do have to back off a bit on the downhills. There are cheaper and smaller lights in the Lezyne range but it’s definitely worth going for this one if you’re doing any riding on unlit roads.

The "race mode" is a nice feature which lets you toggle easily between full and medium brightness if you're switching between dark lanes and lit streets.

The run times seem to be pretty close to Lezyne's quoted values, although they do drop a bit in very cold weather. You get plenty of warning when the battery level gets low and the light switches to a lower brightness when the battery is almost out so you shouldn't get stranded.

I have noticed some flickering from the LED at times, but this hasn't caused any serious issues yet. I've also had the battery not reach full charge a couple of times, which has been solved by fullly discharging and re-charging the light. This shouldn't really happen though and could indicate a problem with the battery in the longer term.

Overall this feels like a really nice quality light and I've found that I've ridden a lot more this winter as this light makes it so much easier.

One thing to watch is the brightness of this light combined with the fact you end up adjusting the angle when you reattach it after charging means you can easily dazzle drivers if it’s pointed too high.

I like Lezyne's engineering-led approach, which amongst other things means if you want to take things apart (I do) they make it straightforward. Undoing one small torx bolt allows the whole unit to slide apart. When you look at the parts laid out you can see how small the circuit board is compared to the battery.

Overall a really nicely engineered light that’s bright but not too expensive (there are plenty of online deals). Recommended.

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