Blackburn Central 300 Front Light

The Blackburn Central 300 Front Light is an extremely practical option if you're looking for a commuting light that will do duty mainly on urban and suburban roads. A class typical 300-lumen output on full power and four other modes gives all the firepower that's needed for town and suburban riding, with just enough bite for shorter semi-rural sections.

Build quality is typically Blackburn and backed by a lifetime warranty. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the lithium ion battery is also replaceable. Cree diodes and decent lenses – all present here – are what we have come to expect as standard, ditto the ring-type window that allows peripheral light to bleed through.

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Aluminium is increasingly common at this end of the market but the Central's aluminium/composite hybrid construction feels reassuringly robust and complies with ANSI FL1 – which basically means that it does what it claims to do in terms of output and run times. It also meets IP65 standards for weatherproofing.

Full charge times are pretty much what I've come to expect from this genre of rechargeable lights: 5 hours sounds decidedly pedestrian given some 1000-lumen master blasters will fully refuel in 2.5 via the mains, but this shouldn't be too frequent, assuming you're not attempting long distances in top mode.

The pea-type centre-mounted switch is a cinch to locate and just the right side of positive. It doesn't engage easily in pockets or when bouncing around in panniers but is easily commanded in gloved hands and on the fly. It also incorporates the battery life indicator.

Green denotes 100-75%, amber 75-25% and when reserves slip below this, it turns red – sufficient visual warning for all but the most ditzy in my book. On power-up 150 lumens (medium) is the default, and a subsequent prod unleashes the full 300.

Now, the lens employs a hybrid-flood and spot system, which aroused some scepticism from me. On balance, models such as Oxford produce a purer, dare I say more usable light when tackling semi-rural locales at a decent lick, and don't seem to lose anything in terms of spread. Nonetheless, I was still able to hustle along at 18mph with ample warning of holes, glass and other dangerous booby-trapping that is becoming disturbingly popular just now.

Blackburn reckons this pool of light is visible to other traffic at 108m, optimum figures in the ideal world. In practice it's nearer 60 through town and 100 along B roads on a clear night.

> Check out our guide to the best front lights and our beam comparison engine

So far it's returned nigh-on 2 hours, and without dimming toward the final throes. Its 150 setting strikes the best balance between power and economy for general town work, or indeed dusk – I've managed between 3hrs 55mins and 3hrs 57mins all told.

The combination of beam patterns also compensates for the narrow window when tackling entering the flow of traffic, while forward projection means most traffic spotted me at 50m.

Dipping down to 80 lumens provides enough presence in well-lit city centres, on par with, if not better than, some cheap but cheerful LED dynamo lamps, and only sips at battery reserves: 8 hours is quoted, 7hrs 56mins was realised and accurate enough.

Pulse and flash are also 80 lumens. Absolutely bang on for murky mornings and dingy afternoons, they oscillate provocatively and are different enough not to get drowned out by competing illumination. Run times of 16hrs (15:56) and 20hrs (19:53) mean they're good companions to dynamos if you didn't mind the additional clutter, or took the helmet-mounted route.

Talking of which, the Central's mount is a clever vibration-damping rubberised hybrid, which borrows heavily from action cameras. A circular section rests atop the helmet absorbing vibration, so light stays where it's intended – and proved useful when paired to a more powerful unit on unlit roads. Forget any off-road pretensions, though – output and beam pattern aren't suitable.

The watch strap style bracket works equally well on standard and oversized handlebar diameters; fork legs too, if you felt so inclined.

Verdict

Capable and innovative torch-type lamp for general riding