Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light

8
£37.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Very good back light that pumps out enough light to make you visible without blinding a rider behind you
Weight: 
37g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light is a well designed and strong performing rear light. It pumps out enough light to keep you visible and has a really good variety of placement options while also having a good battery life, so it can just be left for weeks until it needs charging.

As the nights roll in and the fair weather riders begin to retreat, it is increasingly necessary to get a decent set of lights to keep you visible to other road users. Knog has become one of the best known names in the industry in the past few years, bringing its Aussie style to bike lighting. So how does the Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light fare?

> Find your nearest dealer here

The light pumps out 44 lumens to keep you well lit without blinding the person riding/driving behind you. In recent years I have come to realise that being stuck behind somebody pumping out 100 lumens from their seatpost is one of my real pet peeves. Sure you can be seen mate, but the only other things I can see are blue dots. I'd say 44 lumens is about the right balance between good visibility and annoying the person behind you.

The light has five different sequences – steady high, steady low, strobe, fancy flash, eco flash. Using these different sequences impacts battery life, as you'd imagine. Knog claims these run times: steady high 2.5 hrs, steady low 5.6 hrs, strobe 4.5 hrs, fancy flash 6.6 hrs, eco flash 59 hrs. These seem about right, having done the 'light in a shoebox next to my desk in different modes' test to be sure. I used the eco flash for the majority of the review and only needed to charge it once in three weeks, which is impressive. I just left it on the seatpost until the LED indicator showed me that it needed charging and then did so.

Charging takes between 4-5 hours from the laptop, which is done through the USB attachment – which is part of the light. It means you need to make sure there is no water or dirt on it when plugging in, but given that it is pressed against the seatpost, there won't be too much to get in. You can also see how charged the light is through the LED battery indicator, which also lets you know when the light needs charging. It is worth noting that despite the USB being built in, the light itself is totally waterproof and dustproof and, having used it in biblical weather, I can attest to that.

> Read our guide to the best reflective clothing and accessories

One thing I really like about this light is the way it attaches to the seatpost. It comes with three different strap sizes that connect it directly to the bike rather than via a mount, making it considerably more versatile than some. My girlfriend's bike has a bolt in an awkward point on the seatpost, usually making it difficult to put a light on it, but this went on without an issue. Operation is also simple thanks to the positioning of the single button on the right hand side of the light. Holding it down turns it off/on and a short press changes the sequence.

The light weighs 37g according to the road.cc Scales of Truth, 2g more than the claimed 35g. This is about right and hardly likely to weigh you down.

An RRP of £37.99 for something this well made that works well is about right, I'd say. You can certainly get cheaper lights, but here you're getting very good quality and really good output.

Overall, I was really impressed with this light. It brings together simplicity, a nice attachment system and a good amount of light emitted. Battery life is also great, especially when used on eco flash, and charging is simple thanks to the built-in USB.

Verdict

Very good back light that pumps out enough light to make you visible without blinding a rider behind you

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Knog Blinder Mob Kid Grid Rear Light

Size tested: 42x42x62mm

Tell us what the light is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

An urban rear light to make sure you are seen by other road users.

Knog says: 'An attention seeking, limelight snatching party animal, perfect for those darkened inner city streets and urban commutes. Blasting out 44 [lumens] at the rear this bright bike light ensures that you'll be lit up like a beacon to all other road users up to 1.2 Km's away."

It manages to do what Knog claims, without blinding the person behind you in the process.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the light?

LIGHT OUTPUT : 44 lumens

DIMENSIONS : 42 x 42 x 62mm

WEIGHT : 35g

RUN TIMES : Steady high 2.5 hrs, Steady low 5.6 hrs, Strobe 4.5 hrs, Fancy flash 6.6 hrs, Eco flash 59 hrs.

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Well made and solid construction.

Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
8/10

Really easy to use through the single button on the side of the unit.

Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
8/10

I really liked the clamping system as it allows for use of a variety of seatposts.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
8/10

Used in fairly biblical weather without any issues.

Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
8/10

Dependent on sequence used, but when used on eco (as I tended to) it could be left for weeks without needing charging.

Rate the light for performance:
 
8/10

Made me considerably more visible on the road, which is all I needed it to.

Rate the light for durability:
 
8/10

Well made, waterproof and dustproof, so is likely to last for a long time.

Rate the light for weight:
 
7/10

Some are heavier, some are lighter, this sits about where I expected.

Rate the light for value:
 
5/10

About right for what it is.

Tell us how the light performed overall when used for its designed purpose

I was really impressed with the light. It wasn't so bright as to blind the person behind me but still gave me a good level of visibility to other road users.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

The range of attachment options was a real plus.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

Nothing in particular.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Yes

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

It does exactly what I need, lighting me up nicely, not blinding the person behind, and has impressive enough battery life that I could leave it for weeks between charges.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

Add new comment

12 comments

Avatar
dottigirl | 7 years ago
0 likes

Was just about to leave a comment about the straps breaking, but I see several others got here before me.
Too many weaknesses in the design, especially if you are putting it to decent use. Front has gone twice at the hook, the rear has split along the rubber. The lights themselves have been OK.

The Lezyne lights with bands I'm currently using seem to be much more robust.

Avatar
fenix | 7 years ago
0 likes

Not had this one but have had other lights with rubber straps and they've been fine. So they can be done properly - just not by  Knogg ?

 

Lots of us use those rubber straps for our garmin mounts - so there shouldnt be an issue.

Avatar
Bikebikebike replied to fenix | 7 years ago
0 likes
fenix wrote:

Not had this one but have had other lights with rubber straps and they've been fine. So they can be done properly - just not by  Knogg ?

 

Lots of us use those rubber straps for our garmin mounts - so there shouldnt be an issue.

 

I've used my Knog Boomer for ages and it's great.  Gets moved between bikes all the time. I've just bought another (pink one as they are much cheaper) as they are so handy.

Avatar
Redvee | 7 years ago
0 likes

Like others have said they are a good light but let down by the strap breaking. I've had a ghekko light on the headtube with no issue apart from when I refitted it after a battery change and the band wasn't over the clip fully and it fell off and broke the plastic clip, the rubber band is a lot thicker and unlikely to break.

Avatar
Prosper0 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Had two straps break on me and to their credit had both replaced. Silly situation to be in though. 

 

Nothing in the review about side angle viewing? Critical in city riding. Often a weak spot with Knog lights in urban environments.

Avatar
imajez | 7 years ago
0 likes

I really like the Knog Frogs as they are so minimal I can leave them on bike without anyone noticing them or stealing them and they still output a decent light to be seen by - which also lasts a darn good while. Being left on bike permanently means I don't forget them if I go out when still lots of sunshine, so they are on all four bikes both front and rear .But sadly the rubber can indeed break on them. One did it after only a few days, the other two took a while longer. Evans replaced then no issue, but if they snap and fall off then you've lost them. indecision

Avatar
Eg3ftp1 | 7 years ago
1 like

I've had several knog lights snap on me which is annoying as they're an expensive light to have made instantly useless by some weak rubber. Their customer support is great though, they've sent me two free replacements, and these new models all have a removable strap which you can order free spares of from the knog website(postage cost only), so I'm giving them a go again.

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 7 years ago
2 likes

I've been using a Knog blinder R70 rear for about a year. My commute is fairly short and I have secure parking so the light doesn't come off every day, however I find the rubber strap really convenient and secure. When it does need charging it's very straight forward as long as you have the short usb extension handy.

I would tend to agree that 40ish lumens is probably about right for a rear light, my R70 is a bit over the top after dark, in traffic, bit like driving around with fog lights on. I wouldn't like to be following it at close quarters.

Have just bought a kid grid front on the strength of my experience with the R70 and this review.

Avatar
Vegita8 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Would recommend it unless you have to remove it more often (not just only when needs charging) in which case the rubber will snap.

Avatar
Cupov | 7 years ago
0 likes

Had a couple but had to send back as rubber kept snapping. Won't bother with them again.

Avatar
NPlus1Bikelights replied to Cupov | 7 years ago
0 likes
Cupov wrote:

Had a couple but had to send back as rubber kept snapping. Won't bother with them again.

One thing I continue to avoid on bike lights is rubber mountings after a CatEye Rapid Mini vanished- there are some great localised magnetic options that I wish would become more common

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
4 likes

Disappointing. Says 'blinder' but doesn't blind people. Would not buy.

Latest Comments