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Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro Review

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Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro Review (Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro)
Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   Planet Bike
By Chris McNamara and Max Neale  ⋅  Jun 29, 2014
44
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Brightness - 40% 5.0
  • Beam Quality - 25% 1.0
  • Battery Life - 20% 6.0
  • Portability - 15% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro didn't fare well in our tests. Yes, it's affordable, but its beam field and brightness are not impressive compared to the competition. The beam is narrow and low-powered, not providing much light for your ride.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Narrow beam pattern
Not bright enough
AAA batteries expensive over long-term
No battery life indicator
New Updates - September 2016
Planet Bike has released a new version of this light, featuring a name change and amber side lights. The new model is called the Planet Bike Blaze 140 SL. Read on to find out more!

Our Analysis and Test Results

The New Planet Bike Blaze 140 SL vs. The Older Version


Besides changing its name to the Planet Bike Blaze 140 SL, this model now features amber side lenses for side illumination. According to the manufacturer, this addition increases the visibility of the light to 275 degrees. The new version is still the same size as its predecessor, as well as maintaining the same lumen output. Lastly, the price has dropped to $39.99, ten dollar cheaper than the original.

Check out the side-by-side comparison below, with the latest version, the Blaze 140 SL, pictured on the left and the older version shown on the right.

Planet Bike Blaze 140 SL
Planet Bike Blaze 140 SL
Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro
Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt Micro

Hands-On Review



Brightness


This light scores relatively low in brightness. We measured its maximum beam distance to be 490 ft, which is above average. However, other bike lights reach as far as 573 ft. Below, see how the brightness and beam pattern of the Blaze 2 Watt stands against the Light and Motion Urban 550.

Beam Distance Photos

Planet Bike Blaze 2 watt
Light and Motion Urban 550

planet bike blaze 2 watt micro

Value


Low performance + high battery cost = poor value.

Conclusion


Due to its poor performance overall, this is far from our top recommendations of bike lights.

Chris McNamara and Max Neale