Worth: £59.99 / €59.95 / $59.95
Lumens: 600
Modes: 6
Battery life: 2 hours full beam, 120 hours Eco Flash
Weight: 155g claimed, 137g (simply gentle), 158g gentle and mount
The Knog Blinder Professional 600 sits within the model’s revamped Blinder line of lights. The Professional fashions function a revised design and new battery tech, whereas additionally changing into cheaper per lumen than the earlier Blinder vary of lights. A Blinder 900 and 1300 lumen choice are additionally obtainable.
A CNC-machined 6061 aluminum physique and elongated profile give it a modern look. The star of the present is the brand new battery tech, just like what Tesla makes use of, providing the very best power-to-weight when it comes to battery efficiency in response to Knog.
Utilizing two vast and two slender beam bulbs, it affords an important vary of illumination when driving. At £59.99, the worth places it somewhat larger than the likes of the Lezyne Fusion Drive Professional 600+, and just like the Cateye AMPP 800. Nonetheless, with an aluminium physique, it’s a good bit cheaper than the comparable choices from Publicity Lights.
However how does that premium end stack up with the efficiency degree of this gentle?
Design and specs
The Knog Blinder vary of lights have been round for a very good whereas now, however the newest iteration of Blinder Professional lights adjustments up a variety of design parts of the vary. The Knog Blinder Professional 600 now includes a longer rectangular tube formed physique relatively than the earlier brief and vast design, whereas the development consists of a CNC-machined 6061 aluminum physique giving it a premium really feel. It’s waterproofed to a typical of IP67, that means 6 for a high rating towards solids/mud, and seven towards water that means it’s waterproof to as much as 1 meter depth. Completely able to coping with any rain, then.
Different floor adjustments embody using a single button now for all gentle modes and controls. Holding the button down turns the sunshine on or off, a fast press provides a battery indication, single press whereas the sunshine is powered on adjustments gentle depth, whereas a double press adjustments between stable beam and flash modes.
As for the lights themselves, the Knog Blinder Professional 600 makes use of 4 bulbs in whole, with two devoted for a widespread bloom, and the opposite two a highlight beam for extra vary. With 600 lumens max energy, Knog claims this enables for a very good visibility 80 meters up the street.
One other model new function to the Knog Blinder Professional 600 is the brand new battery tech. It makes use of a 18, for 650 3.7V lithium ion battery, which apparently gives the best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. Knog’s claimed battery life for the sunshine is 2 hours of run time on the total blast 600 lumen setting, whereas the Eco Flash mode utilizing simply 90 lumens can final for 120 hours. Cost time, finished by way of USB-C charging is claimed to be round 4 hours.
To offer suggestions on the battery, the on/off button includes a halo encompass of LEDs with stable inexperienced exhibiting 50-100% cost, yellow for 25-50%, crimson for 10-25%, and crimson flash for 10% or underneath.
For mounting onto handlebars, the 600 comes with a high or backside mounted bar mount with elastic ladder. The sunshine might be fitted in any orientation to permit easy accessibility to the management button. A GoPro type mount to sling the Knog Blinder 600 beneath a motorbike laptop is an additional buy, however is included with the Blinder 900 and 1300.
Efficiency
Arriving with greater than 50% cost, I used to be wanting to get began with the sunshine. Immediately, I ran right into a small problem that might not be well-known to most customers. The sunshine can solely stay in a single mode till it receives its first full cost, a particular demo mode. A very simple repair, however one which did depart me initially fairly puzzled. After that preliminary hiccup, the sunshine was extremely simple to arrange and use.
Having a typical bar mount means just about any street or flat bars accommodate the sunshine, however could battle on wider profile aero street bars or built-in bar/stem mixtures. Used on each a typical spherical street bar and a Black Inc built-in bar/stem the sunshine remained safe although. It’s also possible to match the sunshine on any of its 4 sides onto the mount, making it simple to set the button up at no matter orientation most accurately fits you, that means mounting on a fork leg ought to be doable, although I by no means tried this.
The one button perform is beautifully simple to make use of. Merely holding till the sunshine activates or off could be very intuitive, whereas a single press to see what the battery standing is turns into helpful the evening earlier than a experience if you wish to examine if you want to cost it or not.
With the sunshine truly on, switching between stable beam and flash modes simply requires a double press of the button to undergo the three modes in every of those setting. Strong beam has a 600, 300, and 150 lumen setting, whereas flash has a 150/300 lumen pulse, 150 lumen stroke, and 90 lumen eco flash.
As for the lights themselves, it’s a little bit of a narrative of two halves. For daytime driving, I discovered the 600 a extremely spectacular gentle to make use of. With 8 hours of battery life on the regular pulse setting, you get a relentless beam with a 300 lumen pulse to attract consideration. This was my private favorite for day time driving whereas the climate has been a bit murky, and that 8 hours lasts me a couple of week of the time I spend driving open air at the moment. 120 hours for the Eco Flash is extremely spectacular and may final most individuals greater than a month with regards to the summer season in lighter commutes. I usually experience with only a rear gentle on throughout sunlight hours, however having the Knog at my disposal has transformed me to a daytime entrance gentle consumer given I don’t should cost one more factor after each different experience or so.
The place the sunshine begins to battle a bit is with regards to nighttime driving. Residing in a city, my rides all begin and end in streetlight lit areas. In these circumstances the 600 does effectively, illuminating additional up the street and giving higher readability of any potholes or drain covers I’d relatively keep away from. The bloom is excellent giving a large subject of illumination, whereas the beam is nice in these circumstances as talked about, giving good superior warning of obstacles.
It is a totally different story when you get into the unlit roads nevertheless. Getting out into the countryside and travelling at a mean of 30kph, the total beam 600 lumens weren’t fairly sufficient for me. I discovered the space illuminated in entrance of me was not nice, so at pace or on descents I used to be having to be hyperaware of obstacles in entrance of me coming about in a short time. At decrease speeds it’s effective, however the 600 lumens and highlight are simply not highly effective sufficient for pitch darkish driving. In equity to Knog, that is marketed as extra of a commuter gentle, so seemingly driving in city environments which can be extra lit up. However nonetheless, for overlaying a broader vary of commuters, a brighter gentle is required.
That new battery tech does appear to have labored effectively for the Blinder. For nighttime rides, I ran the Knog concurrently with a 1250 lumen gentle from Specialised to check each brightness and battery. As talked about earlier than, brightness sensible the Knog is just not fairly up there, however battery life is a critical sturdy level.
Each the Knog Blinder 600 and the opposite gentle weigh roughly the identical and have an identical measurement total. After I set the Specialised gentle to an identical lumens although, the battery life was considerably decrease than the Knog. Working the total beam, the Knog was simply in a position to handle two hours with out working into any points. Solely as soon as did the battery dip under 10%, at which level the sunshine switches to the 150 lumen setting. Nonetheless, even after doing that and working at underneath 10%, the Blinder 600 managed one other 50 minutes of driving and nonetheless didn’t quit. The daylight modes have additionally been infallible, with me unable to expire the Eco Flash mode throughout the testing period.
I’d say Knog’s battery life estimates have been pretty conservative, and that the sunshine truly outperforms by an inexpensive quantity. Even driving in freezing circumstances, recognized to drop battery life in fairly just a few lithium battery units, this appeared to don’t have any impact on the Knog. It will possibly take some time to recharge at 4 hours, however once more this isn’t poor efficiency comparatively.
My solely actual gripe with the Knog, and the 600 particularly, is the exclusion of the GoPro type mount providing. It’s not only a very sensible approach of mounting a lightweight, proper underneath the bike laptop, but additionally safer. The Knog is an extended gentle, so if it isn’t mounted centrally on its mount, the size or it may generate some torque to maneuver it round over tough surfaces.
The Knog GoPro mount additionally includes a tightening mechanism in order to supply a safer match. The rationale this is a matter with the 600, is that the 900 and 1300 include the extra mount as commonplace. Paying £10-15 with postage for the mount, relying on the place you look, appears a waste when the extra highly effective Knog Blinder Professional 900 is £20 dearer than the 600.
Worth
At £59.99, the Knog Blinder Professional 600 comes out fairly effectively within the 500-700 lumen entrance bike vary of lights. It’s truly cheaper than the earlier Knog Blinder 600 gentle, even with the improved battery know-how. The Lezyne Fusion Drive Professional 600+ and Cateye AMPP 800 are a bit cheaper taking a look at total worth. Nonetheless, though max energy battery life is just not nearly as good on these two choices, the Lezyne does supply an extended eco battery life at 360 hours for the 600 lumen flash. The Cateye is just not nearly as good on battery life, however does additionally function an alloy physique for a extra premium end the identical because the Lezyne, however can be extra highly effective with 800 lumens.
The place each of those lights fall down is practicality of mounting factors, as each are on high of the flats mounted with no underneath or GoPro mount type choices as commonplace, or in any respect for the Lezyne. That’s not make or break, however is my overwhelming private desire for a clear interface and easy accessibility and management.
When in comparison with the opposite lights within the Knog vary, that is the place the 600 begins to falter. As beforehand talked about, the inclusion of the GoPro mount with the 900 implies that successfully the 2 items are a really related worth, and the 900 is extra highly effective. Sure, should you don’t need a GoPro mount, it can save you £20 with the 600. However given the pitch black efficiency being somewhat missing, I’d be inclined to go for the 900 regardless to have that information that on darkish nation lanes I might have higher visibility. All whereas having the identical max battery life however with larger lumens on every mode.
Verdict
The place the Knog Blinder Professional 600 actually lights up, is used as a commuter gentle for city or metropolis driving. The 600 lumens and sensible gentle unfold work fantastically for highlighting any exhausting to see obstacles alongside the roads and enhancing peripheral imaginative and prescient. For daylight driving the flash modes are additionally incredible providing actually nice visibility with enhanced battery life. This did earn it a spot in our Greatest bike lights roundup.
For pitch black nation lanes nevertheless, the 600 lumens beam is just not actually sufficient to comfortably gentle up the street in entrance whereas travelling at commonplace driving speeds. Nonetheless, the battery life on full beam is considerably higher than marketed, lasting simply greater than two hours with one other hour or so in reverse on the decrease beam setting.
The one actual problem for the 600 is the existence of the 900. Coming in at 50% extra highly effective and together with a £20 GoPro mount for a grand whole of £20 makes it considerably higher worth for individuals who wish to use a GoPro type mount.
| Attributes | Notes | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Design and aesthetics | I like how modern the aluminium physique seems to be and the way simply the mount works. The slender design could be very unobtrusive as effectively | 10/10 |
| Mild high quality | The beam and bloom work in tangent very effectively, however lacks energy in darkish nation lanes at pace | 7/10 |
| Management scheme | One buttons switches between modes, whereas the sunshine might be mounted over or underneath bars with the button accessible. Loses a degree for having a demo mode that may solely be deactivated with a full preliminary cost. | 9/10 |
| Battery life and charging | Brilliantly lengthy battery life, however does take a very long time to cost. Energy drops at 10% battery life too however then lasts for a very long time after. | 9/10 |
| Worth | This gentle suffers in worth as a result of the 900 specification options extra mounts, extra lumens, and isn’t much more costly. If you would like this gentle, get the 900. | 6/10 |
| Total ranking | Row 5 – Cell 1 | 82% |