Magicshine Seemee 30 Combo

The Magicshine Seemee 30 Combo is a set of 30 lumen LED lights aiming to get you seen. The slim profile means they easily attach to seat posts, seat stays, forks or handlebars, and features such as infrared ambient light sensors are rarely found at this price. They're easy to use, stuffed with useful features and very visible around town.

Unboxing these lights you find two identical units, a rubber strap for each and a micro-USB cable. On the back of each light is a detachable rubber pad which not only reduces slippage, but also minimizes scratching to a bike.

I've mounted these in various places on multiple bikes without any issues – they're slim enough to mount to a fork leg or seat stay if space is at a premium – and the straps are long enough to run over handlebar brake/gear cables.

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The rear sits securely on both 27.2mm and 30.9mm posts, but the scooped back of the rubber mount is unlikely to sit well with aero posts. (Note the 2-4mm thick mount, which runs the length of the back and doubles as the USB port cover, was left off for these pictures. The photographer has since been fired. Into the freezing void of space. In flip-flops.)

Maximum output is 30 lumens, which is a fair bit more than many of this ilk. This means that in their brightest settings the lights can be seen from about half a mile away but more importantly can cut through the noise in a busy urban environment.

The Lezyne Femto USB Drive set, as a contrasting example, puts out 15 lumens (front) and just five lumens (rear).

Side visibility for the Seemee 30 is also good (230 degrees), which helps to get you seen at junctions and roundabouts, and the chip-on-board LED design gives great lumen density and uniform lighting.

Front and rear lights feature the same modes, although the run times do vary slightly as producing red light requires slightly more energy. For the record, the claims are:

• Constant: High (30 lumens – 2 hrs), Medium (14 lumens – 4 hrs), Low (7 lumens - 9.5 hrs)
• Flash: Flash (7 lumens – 40 hrs), Breathe (0-30 lumens – 4.5 hrs), Comet (0-30 lumens – 5.5 hrs)
• Smart: Day (30 lumens – 15.5 hrs), Night (3-30 lumens – 10.5 hrs)

Out in the real world, the run times prove accurate to within around five percent.

Both Breathe and Comet flash modes still kick out 30 lumens, which is very eye catching, but the pause between each pulse is a little long for my liking and could be missed by a quick glance.

Consequently I was drawn towards the Smart modes, where the ambient light sensor detects darkness and keeps a three-lumen light burning between flashes.

To check the charge level, a single press gives either a solid light (20-100% left) or a flashing one (under 20%). Below 5% an emergency flash mode activates, halting usual operation but offering 20 minutes before cutting out completely.

Operation is simple, and I've been chucking these in a backpack all month and not once had them turn on accidentally (that takes a two-second press). Once on, a single press scrolls through the intensities, while a double press selects solid, flash or smart functions.

This simplicity means they're easily operated on the move, and the memory function is a welcome feature not often found at this price point.

Light damage

All good, then? Mostly. On returning from a wet commute about three weeks in I found the rear light wouldn't turn off. Odd, I thought – the IPX6 rating should be more than enough to keep out the road spray. It soon became apparent the issue was terminal, though, with the light turning on and off as it pleased. The culprit, I can only assume, was water ingress.

Magicshine sent out a new set the problem is covered under the warranty, and it's worth noting that my original set was stamped 'sample' and consequently could come from a different production run to the retail versions that replaced them.

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The second set, which I've been using for over four weeks now, have since seen some truly biblical downpours and multiple trips to the sink/shower for punishment, and have performed flawlessly. Given the front and rear units are the same design, and three of the four tested were fine, it seems the problem was a manufacturing error rather than a design flaw.

Value

Your £24.99 gets a lot of light for the money. There are cheaper options available, such as the Oxford Bright Spot USB light set at £19.99, but that isn't as bright despite the claimed output being higher.

Alternatives with similar features and burn times to the Magicshine all seem to cost more: the very lightweight Knog Plus Twinpack also lasts between two and 40 hours, but lacks smart modes and costs £31.99, while the Fabric Lumacell light set similarly lacks smart modes and is £36.99.

The Magicshine Seemee 30 Combo is an excellent choice for commuting and town use, offering great visibility, easy operation and strong value. Even the failure of one test unit doesn't put us off, as the replacement – like the warranty service – works perfectly.

Verdict

Great features, good burn times and excellent visibility for the price