Bookman Curve Rear Light

If design-led LEDs are your thing, look no further. The Bookman Curve Rear Light combines an output powerful enough for daytime as well as after-dark use, looks good, and is easy to fit and remove. It's not the cheapest, but it is well made and reliable.

Available in six different colours, there's no mistaking the Scandinavian design pedigree behind this wedge-shaped rear light. The light itself contains three LEDs, one superbright in the centre and one either side of that, all housed in a sturdy plastic case.

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A shaped wedge at the back allows for seatpost angles when mounting, and a stretchy silicone band clips into the body of the light to fasten it in place. This fastening also doubles as the on/off and mode switch (you can see how it works in this online video), while on the other side of the light body is the Micro-USB charging port.

Because of the attachment band and the shape of the light, it's only really suitable for mounting on a seatpost or seat tube. It is possible to mount it onto a light loop on a bag or the like, but it does flop about a bit, thanks to its shape and weight. However, thanks to the wedge at the rear of the unit, there are no problems with the angle of the light once it's on the seatpost.

The silicone band makes mounting a doddle, and it's good and secure once on thanks to the inherent grippiness of the silicone. It stays put without any movement, and fits a variety of sizes and shapes of seatpost/tube.

The light has four modes and two brightness settings, with a simple combination of presses to toggle between. On its brightest setting the manufacturer claims 37 lumens, which isn't particularly high for a rear light, sitting somewhere in the mid-ground of power, but I thought it bright enough for daylight safety use – it was enough to elicit whinging from my fellow rider that it was hurting his eyes. The claimed life on this highest setting is two and a half hours and it delivered that reliably, and frequently with a bit more.

In its power-saving less bright mode or the flashing options, it lasts for up to 32 hours, which is plenty long enough for a few commutes or to ensure that most of the time it's simply a grab and go.

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Charging time is nice and short, at less than two hours from dead, and a micro USB cable is included with the light, making it handy for the office or home.

One of the nicest features of the light, apart from its cool looks, is the curved shape that gives good light spill at angles as well as just straight back, making you more visible from all around. Coupled with that daytime visibility, it makes it a good choice for added safety on low-sun wintry rides.

In terms of value for money, the spectrum of rear lights is so diverse, it's very hard to judge. However, for a light of roughly equivalent brightness, it's looking in the right sort of ballpark, particularly in light of the build quality and that little extra design edge that you might be happy to pay a premium for. It's £10 more than the Ravemen TR30M rear light (£29.99) but that is marginally less bright at 30 lumens max and also has a shorter run-time on max. The Gemini Juno 100 rear light is also £29.99 and packs a massive punch of 100 lumens max power and a decent run-time. The Knog Lil Cobber rear light comes in at a pricier £44.99 for 50 lumens max.

There's a lot of personal preference in terms of features vs brightness vs sturdiness of build vs looks, though, and for me at least the Bookman came out pretty well in terms of being a good looking, straightforward to use and reasonably bright light with good battery life. I'd have liked a bit more flexibility in how it mounted, but it does a great job for low-sun additional safety and commutes, as well as being a good combo with a light mounted elsewhere (I love a two-light back-up setup).

All in all, it looks good, does a reliable and serviceable job of increasing visibility both after dark and in low sun/fog, and it won't break the bank.

Verdict

Well designed and well made, easy to use, reliable and effective – and looks cool too