Launched as a part of Lezyne’s large overhaul of its mild vary in 2023, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ builds on the extremely well-liked Strip hind lights by the model. The brand new Strip Drive Professional 400+, because the identify says, has a most lumen brightness of 400. It sits in direction of the higher finish of Lezyne’s vary of lights, solely surpassed by the Laser Drive, and two Ai-braking outfitted Alert 250 and Strip Drive Professional fashions.
The large promoting factors of the Strip Drive Professional are the 270˚ visibility, 80 hour battery life, and 7 totally different modes for working in a assorted vary of climate and lightweight circumstances. With that battery life and brightness, the Lezyne is a step forward of many different hind lights which have featured in our consumers information to the greatest bike lights with out being exceptionally dearer.
In truth, the worth of £55 places Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ on the identical value as our Finest all-round Price range rear mild, the Bontrager Flare RT, whereas that includes considerably extra highly effective specs. The ladder strap additionally permits for becoming to conventional spherical seat posts or aero ones.
(Picture credit score: Will Jones)
Design and specs
Because the identify suggests, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ delivers a most lumen output of 400 lumens through its 10 LED lights. That is solely throughout its excessive powered Day Flash 2 mode, one of many seven modes obtainable, however nonetheless boasting an 18 hour runtime. Moreover, there’s Financial system mode with 15 lumens and 26 hour runtime, two 80 lumen strong beam and pulse choices, a 50 lumen flash, the aforementioned Day Flash modes 1 and a pair of (200 and 400 lumen), and at last the 80 hour 5 lumen Femto mode.
The Femto mode is much decrease powered however makes use of a variety of various flashes, durations, and brightnesses to ship a fairly uneven and due to this fact noticeable flash sequence. All these modes kind a part of the 270˚ visibility with an open facet design of the sunshine to accommodate this vary.
(Picture credit score: Will Jones)
The 1900 mAh battery helps support this spectacular most battery life, however even the shorter lasting modes supply first rate durations. Recharging is carried out through USB-C, with quick charging 2.0 and three.0 supported, though no cable is provided. The battery port itself is discovered on the backside of the sunshine, however Lezyne says that is waterproof. An IPX7 waterproof score ought to maintain it working successfully in any climate circumstances in a position to be ridden in. IPX7 means it’s waterproof even when submerged as much as 1m deep for as much as half-hour, so that you needn’t fear about tyre spray in the event you aren’t working fenders.
With dimensions of 70mm, 37mm, 47mm, and a weight of 70g with out the strap and 80g with, it’s a compact mild. A ladder strap is used to connect the Lezyne Journey Drive Professional 400+ to an array of seatposts, be that spherical or deeper formed aero seatposts. The principle physique of the sunshine is an influence resistant rubber, which ought to assist shield it within the unlucky occasion of it falling from the bike.
All the mild options are managed by a single button on the prime of the sunshine. A brief press offers a battery indication (inexperienced for 75-100%, crimson/inexperienced for 25-75%, and crimson for 0-25%), whereas a protracted press turns the sunshine on or off. Single press adjustments the sunshine mode in a sequential order. Given there are seven modes it does imply you’ll have to cycle via a good bit to seek out the one you are after.
Efficiency
From the second I turned the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ on inside after unpacking it, I used to be immediately met with a room bathed in a shiny crimson mild. In terms of shear energy from the lumens, the 400 lumen Day Flash 2 mode is extremely shiny to the purpose that it could actually illuminate the street behind you fairly properly. Sure, you don’t want that many lumens when using to be seen to different street customers, however that stage of brightness does make you extremely seen from a long way away, and is very helpful for daylight visibility when the distinction is decrease. It additionally boosts the facet visibility, which though doesn’t fairly have the identical brightness because the rear dealing with view, continues to be very good for being extremely seen facet on.
Usually when using out on the street, I’ve been protecting it in Day Flash 2 mode. I don’t assume a rear mild needs to be wanted as an excuse for individuals driving vehicles to truly see individuals using bikes, however I’d nonetheless fairly take the measure. Even with the battery life being decrease on this setting than the extra eco modes, I’ve solely charged the sunshine twice over a 3 month interval of use. This leads me to take Lezyne’s battery life claims at face worth based mostly on testing and modes used.
(Picture credit score: Will Jones)
Utilizing it for nighttime rides, the Pulse has been my go-to. The 80 lumen efficiency on the height of the heart beat is brilliantly shiny, whereas the dearth of flash shouldn’t dazzle different street customers, with the marginally downwards angle of the sunshine when fitted to a seatpost additionally help on this. With a 14 hour battery life, this mode nonetheless has a formidable lifespan. As for the opposite modes, though they don’t characteristic the identical punch with the brightness, they nonetheless supply a mode that’s extra highly effective than plenty of the rivals to this mild, all whereas offering an extended runtime very often.
Different parts of this mild that I actually like are the warmth dissipation. Leyzne has used its personal Superior warmth sink know-how to cut back thermal buildup. Most distinguished on its aluminium entrance lights with fins to extend floor space, at 400 lumens this rear mild ought to get a bit heat when left working. Nevertheless even left on my desk at full energy, there have been no heating points. I additionally love the simplicity of the on/off button and it’s design. It’s considerably raised from the physique of the sunshine, so switching on or altering modes when using is an absolute breeze even with thick gloves on. There have additionally been no points with water ingress even when testing via some pretty horrific wet circumstances lately.
(Picture credit score: Will Jones)
It isn’t all rosy nonetheless with the sunshine, as there are a few issues which will current a problem to some customers. Firstly, the ladder seatpost strap is implausible, and retains the sunshine very safe on spherical and aero tubed seatposts. Nevertheless, it’s on the quick facet, so on notably deep tubes like significantly aero focussed street and time trial bikes, it’s not fairly lengthy sufficient to wrap round absolutely.
The opposite subject is the exclusion of a charging cable. This may very well be seen although as a product of the EU laws and the standardisation of USB-C charging. This entire initiative has been designed partly to cut back cable waste, the place half a dozen gadgets might require a separate cost cable every. I do have a number of USB-C cables mendacity round for different merchandise, so the dearth of cost cable is of no subject to me. Nevertheless for some it might be, so it’s value highlighting.
Worth
As talked about earlier than, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ truly is available in on the identical value as our greatest worth price range rear bike mild, whereas packing greater than double the lumens of any of the lights examined in that group check. Add to {that a} longer runtime and coming in at an analogous or solely marginally dearer value and the worth of this mild is outstanding.
For this reason it wins our strongest rear bike mild class. Some parts such because the angling of the sunshine could also be questionable, however I feel this helps scale back dazzling with out impacting visibility. Whereas the quantity of modes could also be superfluous to some, it manages to supply a special possibility for just about any situation.
There are cheaper lights obtainable, however there isn’t something fairly as excessive powered obtainable at the moment, not to mention at this value and with this battery life.
The one factor that pulls me away barely from this mild is the presence of the Strip Drive Professional 400+ with Ai Alert. I’m but to check this, however for £5 extra you get Lezyne’s Ai brake mild which adjustments the lighting based mostly on when you’re braking. Helpful for signalling intent to different street customers, particularly in excessive site visitors areas.
(Picture credit score: Will Jones)
Verdict
With exceptionally excessive energy and brightness, with copious straightforward to make use of modes to accommodate most using and lightweight circumstances, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ is a powerhouse of a rear mild. With 400 lumens on the Day Flash 2 mode, it is without doubt one of the brightest hind lights obtainable. In the meantime decrease energy, but nonetheless highly effective, choices give a terrific vary of potential battery life choices with 80 hours being the utmost.
The ladder match system means it matches most seatpost with ease, however the size of the ladder does restrict it on deeper aero tubing. The dearth of USB-C could also be a detrimental to some as properly, though personally I see it as a step in direction of reduces electrical waste.
All this efficiency and practicality comes at a really affordable value, with the lumens/£ being exceptionally good. It’s a implausible rear mild that I personally discover nearly unimaginable to seek out fault with.
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Testing scorecard and notes
Attributes
Notes
Score
Design and aesthetics
Matches on most seatposts with relative ease and doesn’t transfer round. Solely draw back is especially broad aero seatposts don’t accommodate the ladder strap as properly.
9/10
Gentle high quality
The daytime flash is extremely shiny and the standout characteristic, simply as shiny in nighttime to attract consideration on the street. Different flash modes are helpful for many biking eventualities in varied mild circumstances.
10/10
Management scheme
One button controls the whole lot with very good ease, there are not any difficulties. The button can also be straightforward to make use of when carrying gloves.
10/10
Battery life and charging
Battery life has the potential to be very lengthy, however within the extra highly effective day flash the battery life just isn’t as spectacular, though nonetheless excellent.
9/10
Worth
I’m not going to dock it a degree for excluding the charging cable, as a part of the EU change to USB-C is to cut back the variety of superfluous chargers. Nice mild for a terrific value.
