I’ve been happily using cheep Chinese lights (Xeccon/One23) for a few years. They’ve used at least once a week, every week and have been pretty reliable for the price.

The Chinese lights are bright and great VFM but were very ‘spotty’ with hotspot in the middle, ring of light around that and then nothing outside of that ring.

I’ve recently splashed out on a Glowworm X2 and XS after testing a few of the offerings from Hope etc. and have been hugely impressed with them. I’m still playing around with optics (current just using the XS with 3 spot optics) and the quality of light is vastly improved, no hot spot just bright light with a nice fade to dark/no defined edge of the beam.

I ran chineese tat for a few years on my commuter, moved to an exposure strada on the bars and joystick on the helmet last year and it’s a world of difference in terms of quality and ease of use. Cable free is a revelation.

Ive used cheap chinese for a few years, mostly ok, apart from one of the chargers melting the first time it was used.
I mentioned it on here, and smudge/mtb batteries offered me a replacement charger, in exchange for a donation to a charity he supports.
The donation wouldn’t have covered the cost of a charger, so it was a very good deal for me.
So id recommended smudge unreservedly.
Also, my wife bought me an exposure light for my birthday last year, id recomend them too.
Ymmv of course, if you regularly smash things to bits maybe a cheap light will be better.

I’ve done the cheap ebay light vs Exposure thing now.

Used to use a couple of generic “2000” lumen versions, the type you get on Ebay for £20 with a battery. Used them infrequently (once a week in the winter) for several years, got through 3 lamp units and 5 batteries in about 4 years I guess. In pure financial terms, that’s not too bad I guess.

Then got a load of evans cycles vouchers that meant I could afford an Exposure Toro Mk8 earlier this year – what a difference! A really superb light.

I now use it multiple times a week, on both road and MTB.

Is it worth £250+ at face value? No, probably not. I would have had to got through a huge amount of the cheapie ones, but the performance difference is massive.

I see your budget is £200 ish – I think I’d go down the Exposure or Hope route if it were me.

I would definitely stay with non-Chinese lights – especially considering the cost is hardly any more, and you get the benefit of having a live person or company here to deal with in the event of failure.

I bought what I thought would be a good Chinese light of Amazon last year, and it lasted all of two full rides before its battery failed completely. I could turn it on, and the light would burn normally for about 20 minutes, but then while I was out on the dark roads, it would just turn off.

I’m looking at the candbseen roadie set for this winter, total cost: £60. MTB stuff also available.

Plus one of friends attended a fire in a house started by a Chinese light charger

Well I have a Chi cheapo which has lasted for three years without any problem. I don’t commute but it gets used throughout the year for mtb, road and pub rides and has never left me in darkness at the side of the road. However I bought one from a different outlet as a spare this year and it is nowhere near the quality of the first so there is obviously a hierarchy in cheap lights as well as competition between the big brands.