Knog Blinder Pro 900 + Mid Cobber Rear - Light Set

The Knog Blinder Pro 900 + Mid Cobber Rear Light Set is a great all-round combination, with loads of modes, decent battery life and easy recharging. You can buy each one separately, but getting them as a pair is a better value way to fully light your rides – a job they do really well.

Knog Blinder Pro 900 Front Light

The front light has a maximum output of 900 lumens and boasts 'industry leading battery tech', with a claimed 2-hour run-time on full beam.

It has three steady modes – Low, Medium and High – and three pulsing/flashing modes: Steady Pulse, Eco Flash, and Strobe.

I mostly used the 200-lumen Low steady for my daytime road rides, which has a claimed run-time of 8 hours; I thought that sounded pretty good, but it was even better – when I measured it at home it actually achieved 9 hours.

That said, battery life does seem to be affected by the cold – on my recent winter rides I've found the run-times significantly shorter. For example, the Medium setting should last 4 hours, but I'm regularly having to charge it after a couple of weeks' commuting, which equates to around 2-3 hours. Something to be aware of so you don't get caught out.

The range of light offered by the Blinder is good, and suitable for seeing far enough into the distance to identify obstacles or potholes. On any unlit or low-lit roads, you need the 900-lumen mode, but although I found it to be pretty good, I would opt for something more beefy if I was frequently riding on unlit roads.

My main use for the light was commuting; the Low steady mode was more than adequate for daytime riding, and the Medium good for riding at night on well-lit city roads.

Charging

It's a big thumbs-up for the USC-C charging port – something that just makes life so much easier. I never had to think about taking a separate charging cable into the office, and could charge it in any of my usual locations at home.

A neat little feature is the 'intelligent' silicone button, which uses uses different colours to indicate the remaining level of charge, with just a quick press of the button when it's off. Green indicates 100-50% charge remaining, yellow 50-25%, and red under 25%. When charging, a yellow flash indicates the light is being charged, which turns green when it's full.

Mounting

The light comes with two mounting options: a GoPro-style attachment and a firm rubber strap that can fit a range of handlebar diameters. I tested both. On my road bike I used the GoPro-style adaptor. This is compatible with common computer mounts such as Garmin and K-Edge and is a very neat solution, avoiding cluttered handlebars. However, the mini clamp on this mount was slightly loose, with no real adjustability, and the light did move position a little too much, especially on bumpy roads. The rubber strap mount was a much sturdier option, which I used on my commuter bike. It held the light very securely, and mounting and dismounting the light unit was extremely quick and easy.

Overall, the Blinder is a really good front light. Its build quality is great, it's super easy to use, and it's battery life is good.

Mid Cobber Rear Light

The Mid Cobber is a very bright rear light that I've really enjoyed using. Before I go any further, I must say that I very much agree with the comments Stu made in his standalone review of it back in 2019.

The first adjective that comes to mind is 'eye-catching'. The Cobber has a surface of Chip on Board (COB) LEDs that wraps around the mount and delivers an outstanding 330 degrees of light. I think this is a really important feature that enhances safety – often bike lights are very one-directional, and it's great to have a light that lets you be seen very clearly from the side.

It's also outstandingly bright – for a rear light, 170 lumens really is very powerful – indeed, you'd probably want to think about using one of the dimmer settings if you're in close proximity to drivers.

It has a wide range of modes, eight in total, which add to its eye-catching qualities. Personally, as a driver, I really hate flashing front lights, so always have them set to steady modes, but a rear light can be as funky as you like – and the Knog Cobber really gives a range of options to do this, from 15 lumens (Eco Flash) to 170 (Steady Pulse and Flash modes).

I really like the Rolling Flash (70lm) and Disco Flash (80lm) modes, which would be hard for any approaching drivers to ignore. Also worth noting is that you can customise the modes via Knog's ModeMaker app – a cool feature.

Run-times & charging

The battery life of the Cobber is pretty decent. On Eco Flash it can keep going for a claimed 100 hours. I didn't check that, but the light outperformed its claimed 2-hour run-time on Max mode (75lm) when tested at home. As with the Blinder, it struggled to achieve the same performance on cold winter rides, although I tended to have it set to Eco Flash to ensure it would never run the risk of going flat.

The Cobber recharges via a USB A port, and comes with a small extender wire to make this easy. Depending on the plug design, you can push it directly into a USB-A socket. If I was being picky, I'd love this to be USB-C too, though it was still convenient.

Mount

The Cobber mounts to the seatpost using a rather standard rubber band loop, with the body of the light able to slide on and off. The mount worked well on both my round and aero seatposts. The mounting is a little difficult, especially with cold hands, but once attached it is very secure.

One slight concern was that the light seemed rather wet in the inside of the mount after a drizzly ride; I wonder if this might cause the charging contacts to deteriorate over time, but the light is rated IP67 waterproof, so it's not an immediate concern, though it might be worth ensuring it's fully dried before charging.

To summarise, the Cobber is probably the best rear light I've used, primarily because of its 330-degree visibility. I felt comfortable sticking this on both my commuter and road bikes. Its battery life also meant I could be confident in it retaining full charge on my longer road rides.

Value

The set retails for £139.99, which isn't cheap, though there are some good deals to be had right now.

It's more expensive than the Kryptonite combination set we tested recently, which costs £105, but the Knog pair are more powerful and perform significantly better, going by Matt's review.

There are more expensive and fancier options, too, such as the Trek Commuter Pro, with Bluetooth connectivity, but again the performance doesn't sound like it matches the Knog lights.

For more options, check out our guides to the best front bike lights and the best rear bike lights.

Overall, I'd say the Knog set is a good price for what you get. I've always had good experience with the longevity of Knog lights, too, and the build quality of both the Blinder and Cobber is excellent, so I would expect them to be reliable for a good period of time.

It's also worth noting that the lights come with a two-year warranty. I've had to use this on a Knog light, and the warranty experience was really good.

Conclusion

This Knog light set delivers a really good all-round experience, for road riding or daily commuting. I've really enjoyed using it. The range of functionality, quick mounting and easy charging makes it a very appealing option at a decent price.

Verdict

Great pair of bike lights, suitable for a wide range of uses