Proviz LED360 Sirius Front Bike Light

The Proviz LED360 Sirius throws out a claimed 600 lumens by way of a decent beam pattern, backed up by better-than-average battery life. The benefits end there, though, as this is one of the cheapest feeling lights I have ever held, it has the minimum amount of weather resistance you need for the UK conditions, and the bracket isn't the most stable. Check out our guide to the best bike lights for more options.

A couple of months back Dave reviewed the Proviz LED360 Rigel bike light and was very impressed – 9/10 impressed in fact. Unfortunately those good vibes don't spread across the entire light range.

Priced at £49.99 (currently reduced to £34.99), the Sirius isn't a cheap light, but if feels it. It's made from a combination of aluminium and thermoplastics, and feels very, very plasticky. It's huge as well.

That's a shame really, as performance-wise things aren't too bad.

Modes & run-times

It has a claimed max output of 600 lumens from the single CREE XD 16 LED on its highest mode, which the 2,600mAh battery will support for two hours – a burn-time that I found to be realistic.

There are two other solid modes – medium (2.5hrs) and low (3.5hrs), which I'm guessing are around 300 lumens and 150 lumens, going by the highest setting. And then you get two flashing modes, fast flash and low flash, which give 7 hours and 14 hours of battery life.

The modes are scrolled through by a click of the power button, and yes, you do have to go through the flashing modes to get back to the highest solid mode. A pain, but not uncommon on lights at this price point.

Battery life is shown by way of four LEDs on top of the light, with all four showing green when fully charged, which is achievable within about 3.5 hours from flat.

The green LEDs go out as the power drops, with the final one turning red when the battery is on its last legs. It's a bit primitive, but if you are heading out with a fully charged light you can keep an eye on your ride time.

Beam & brightness

The beam pattern is quite pleasing, with a central spot from the LED itself, while the reflector is curved from top to bottom which gives a low and wide flood. It's not claimed to be StVZO compliant or anything, but it could be considered sociable to oncoming eyes.

The brightness is pretty good – on both of the two higher modes I'd say I could ride comfortably on the back lanes, although I couldn't take the descents as fast as I normally would.

> Check out our beam comparison engine to help you choose the best front bike light

So, as a light source it works pretty well, and it's quite hardy too. I did have a bit of an off with it fitted to my gravel bike and the Proviz took the brunt of the impact against the compacted gravel trail with just a small scuff to show for its efforts.

Protection against the elements is poor, though, with just an IPX4 rating, which means it's resistant to water splashes from any direction. The USB port is covered, which helps, and it's underneath the light so protected from the worst of the weather, but giving the Proviz a blast from the bathroom shower to replicate heavy rain saw it turn off quite quickly, and then it needed to be dried on the radiator for a few hours before it would work again. I'd expect to see at least IPX6 at this price.

Mount

The mount is simple, as in it uses a quick release fastener to clamp it to the handlebar, and it's designed to work on a range of diameters.

The light slides into position before locking in place, and there is a small amount of side to side adjustment to cope with bars that flare back towards you.

It can be tightened, but it still allowed a bit of play, which meant that the Sirius rattled on any surface that wasn't smooth – so about 90 per cent of the time then.

Value

At £50, there is a lot of competition, and the Proviz doesn't stand up that well in comparison.

Shaun tested the Ravemen CR600 back in 2021, and while it is a fiver more, it is constructed from aluminium, comes with a T-shaped beam that limits upwards glare, and you also get a remote for it.

Burn-times are shorter for the 600-lumen high mode at 1.4hrs, while the 300 and 150 lumens give 2.4hrs and 4.5hrs respectively. It has a IPX6 rating, though.

The Oxford Ultratorch Headlight CL500, tested by Steve in January, has, as you've probably guessed by the name, a max output of 500 lumens, and it comes with a full aluminium alloy body. Like the Proviz, it's only rated to IPX4, and has a run-time of just under two hours on full, but it costs just £37.99.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the Proviz is overpriced for what it is. Its actual performance is pretty good, it just lacks the refinement I'd expect for this kind of money. As Dave's review attests, there are better lights in the Proviz line-up.

Verdict

Good beam pattern and battery life, but minimal rain protection