Hope District Plus Rear Light review

Hope do provide extra special pieces of kit that work thoroughly well, though is a rear light with an external battery a little overkill at £95?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

The pulsing modes seem to work best eliminating any black out moments, with the rapid pulse action being brilliantly eye catching. Without doubt this is a great light that gives more than enough power to be seen from behind, but at £95 we think it maybe a little overkill, especially when you can buy simple, smaller and cheaper rear lights that are just as powerful and work just as well.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Bright

  • +

    Powerful

  • +

    Great battery life

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Price

  • -

    External battery

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

We rated Hope’s R4 front light for its overall design, power and usability giving you a one light that does all for on and off road. Thankfully, in terms of build quality and design it seems to have transferred across to the District Plus rear light too.

With an inner plastic shim the mount allows you to tilt to adjust beam direction

With an inner plastic shim the mount allows you to tilt to adjust beam direction

Fixed by a similar Bayonet mount seen on the R4, which is a simple push and twist quick release that allows you to attach and remove the light easily from the tool mounted clamp. The mount itself sits on the seatpost (aero seatpost options available too) and allows for tilt adjustment upon an inner plastic shim.

The simple QR Bayonet seatpost mount is robust and easy to use

The simple QR Bayonet seatpost mount is robust and easy to use

Six modes separated by three static and three flash beams cover all safety needs at the back. Good battery life ranging from 15 hours with a 135 max lumen output on constant to 20 hours on a simple flash mode.

Hope’s District Plus rear light is supplied with the two-cell battery or if used with a Hope front light, can be split (via a cable splitter sold separately with the four-cell battery.

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Symon Lewis joined Cycling Weekly as an Editorial Assistant in 2010, he went on to become a Tech Writer in 2014 before being promoted to Tech Editor in 2015 before taking on a role managing Video and Tech in 2019. Lewis discovered cycling via Herne Hill Velodrome, where he was renowned for his prolific performances, and spent two years as a coach at the South London velodrome.