Cateye Volt 800 front light review

The Cateye Volt 800 is a front light and at impresses with its robustness and solid feel the first time you pick it up. However what you'll also notice is the 134g weight which is a little heavy.

This is a light to see with rather to be seen with. It features high (800 lumen), medium (400 lumen) and low (200 lumen) output constant modes, giving claimed runtimes of 2, 3.5 and 8 hours respectively. In addition there’s a flashing (claimed 80 hours of operating time) and an always-on with pulse mode (7 hours).

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Holding the top mounted switch down turns the Cateye Volt 800 on or off, and once it’s on a single click cycles the light through its five modes. A double click puts it back to its highest output. This set-up works well and ensures that you are never plunged into darkness when adjusting light intensity.

The top level constant light output is good for riding on darker roads, and although there are brighter options out there, the Cateye Volt 800 has a good level of output for a light of its size and weight. The flashing mode has quite a high frequency, which certainly garners intention while the pulsed mode is quite intense and much more battery-intensive. Additionally, the cartridge battery can be removed and replaced and easily purchased online (£19 as reviewed).

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The Cateye Volt 800's bracket fits very securely onto the handlebars without any play, so that the beam stays where it’s pointed even over uneven ground and off road. The standard Cateye bar mount has a large knurled knob to tighten it, so that it can be screwed firmly to the handlebars. It is also designed to resist all weather conditions.

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There’s also an optional helmet mount, although at 134 grams the light may be a bit too heavy for this to be a comfortable option. A further downside of the Volt 800 is that the recommended recharging time is a lengthy 5-11 hours if you want the best performance.

For more details visit the Zyro website.