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Blackburn Central 300 Front Light

7
£39.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Capable and innovative torch-type lamp for general riding
Weight: 
160g
Contact: 

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.

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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.

> Find your nearest dealer here

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.

Blackburn Central 300 Front Light - side.jpg

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.

Blackburn Central 300 Front Light - mount.jpg

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

road.cc test report

Make and model: Blackburn Central 300 Front Light

Size tested: 300 max lumens

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?

Blackburn says: "INCREDIBLY VERSATILE COMMUTER LIGHT

"The central 300 provide loads of light at a great value, and also has more mounting options than one can imagine."

Decent output and very well conceived for general riding/commuting but more lumens are needed for regular nocturnal rides beyond the suburbs.

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

*No tools required

*Lithium-ion battery

*Waterproof to IP-65 standard

*5 hour recharge time

*Lumens: High 300, Med 150, Low 80, Pulse 80, Strobe 80

*Runtime: High 2hrs, Med 4hrs, Low 8hrs, Pulse 20hrs, Strobe 16hrs

*Distance: High 108m, Med 76m, Low 56m, Pulse 56m, Strobe 56m

*162g / 0.35lb

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

Intuitive.

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

Well thought out and well executed mount that morphs from bars to helmets more convincingly than most.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
7/10

Good enough in the everyday sense.

Rate the light for battery life. How long did it last? How long did it take to recharge?
 
7/10

Very competitive alongside those in this class, several modes allow easy tailoring to conditions and strike a good balance between output and economy.

Rate the light for performance:
 
7/10

Generally excellent, although the hybrid beam pattern lacked the outright quality of some 300 lumen competition through darker sections.

Rate the light for durability:
 
7/10

Very well made and backed by lifetime warranty. Replaceable battery is another plus.

Rate the light for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the light for value:
 
7/10

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

Overall, the Central 300 is a well conceived and versatile light for commuting and general riding. Intuitive and user-friendly, it doesn't quite match some in terms of the amount of light it throws out for navigating unlit roads but has a wealth of modes, decent build quality, excellent spares back up and an ingenious mounting system.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

Build, and versatile design.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

Nothing particular given the design brief, although does take a while to recharge fully.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes

Would you consider buying the light? Possibly

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Overall a decent lamp for suburban and urban commuting. However, the beam quality wasn't on par with others in this class, especially in semi rural contexts, and charge times are comparatively pedestrian. So good, but not very good.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70kg

I usually ride: Rough stuff tourer based around 4130 Univega mountain bike frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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