Oxford Bright Spot USB LED Lightset

The Oxford BrightSpot USB LEDs are easy-to-use emergency backup lights. They're not bright enough for use on their own, day or night, but they're handy to have in your commuting backpack, or to have on your summer road bike in case you're kept out later than expected.

You can pick up little blinky lights for a few quid these days from pretty much any supermarket in the land, so why pay more for the BrightSpots? Well, first up, they are rechargeable so you lose that expense of buying button batteries every few weeks, plus you've got the knowledge that they aren't going to run out of juice on you mid-ride. They'll also stand up to the elements too, resisting pretty much anything the weather can throw at them.

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In the pack you get a front and rear which attaches to the seatpost or handlebar with a simple rubber strap and catch, including various positions to allow a tight fit on different diameter components.

Turning them on and off is easy: you just press and hold the lens for a couple of seconds, and a quick press when on allows you to change the mode. There are four of these: a high and low steady, plus a rapid and slow flash.

Taking the front light first, with the steady low setting you'll get just shy of five hours burn time, but to be honest the power output is that low that this mode is of limited use. Even the 40-lumen high setting isn't that bright; my preference would be for the flashing modes.

Both of these use the same 40-lumen output, and the rapid flash is the best one for getting you noticed, although it isn't quite bright enough to stand out in daylight should you need to filter through traffic. I found city centre traffic didn't notice me in their mirrors as quickly as they did with the Moon Mizar I was also testing.

The rear follows the same theme, with 40 lumens being replaced with 15. Again, though, for me it falls short of the output I feel comfortable with. Car lights are getting brighter with many now taking to LEDs for rear lights and indicators, which means lights like the Oxfords can easily become swamped in a sea of glare from surrounding traffic and streetlighting.

I'm not completely down on the BrightSpots, though. They have their place as secondary lighting or maybe being left on the best summer bike should you get caught out and arrive home in the setting sun, or maybe kept in your commuting bag in case you come across some unexpected fog.

Being USB rechargeable means they can be kept topped up too. Charging is simple, you literally unscrew the rear half of the aluminium body and plug in the USB cable. A full charge from flat takes two and a half hours.

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At £19.99 the lights are a pretty minimal investment, plus the longevity is there. I gave them a good soaking with the power shower plus they've been used on many wet rides, and while a tiny amount of water did make it inside the body where you'll find the charger mount, there were no issues with them not working.

On the whole, as a set of emergency lights I'd say the Oxford BrightSpots are a worthwhile investment, but you'll need something brighter if you do a lot of riding in the dark.

Verdict

Decent enough emergency backup for low light conditions, but need to be brighter for day or night use on their own