Grinder Review: Helmet Lights Grouptest

Exposure Lights Diablo Mk.3

Price: £199.99
From: Exposure Lights www.exposurelights.com

It’s the physical design and dimensions of the Diablo that contribute to its greatness, as well as its illuminating prowess. The ball-and-socket helmet mount is justifiably celebrated. It is simply brilliant and brilliantly simple. The light is easy to locate and adjust on-the-fly. The feel of the socket swivel action is spot-on for adjustability, stability and security. The weight of the light is just on the brink of noticeability and comfort: you may have to tighten your helmet’s rear retention system a bit more for aggressive riding and/or over rough terrain. The button on the back (a previous weak link with Exposure lights) is now much better in operation, although it can sometimes take a few attempts when turning the light on or off. Double-click to turn it on. Cycling through the three different power settings is swift and straightforward. Hurray for a light that doesn’t cycle through a flashing or off mode – flashing mode is possible via a long press of the button. Off is achieved by an even longer press of the button. It takes a ride or two to get a feel for the timings but then it becomes second nature. The 975 lumen output is sufficient for riding off-road at night without having another bar-mounted light. The angle of the beam is biased a bit more towards depth penetration than close-up flood, which can be slightly limiting in twisty and/or technical terrain. The burn times aren’t leave-it-on-full-power amazing but they’re perfectly serviceable for your normal, two-hour night ride (piggyback battery packs are available too).

Overall: Great to ride by. Lovely to live with. Some small niggles aside, it’s still the helmet light of choice.

Review Info