BBB ScoutCombo Light

The BBB ScoutCombo is a slightly quirky front and rear helmet light, which in its highest setting pumps out 200 lumens up front, 10 at the rear.

The Combo is encased in a sleek, well finished and very sturdy aluminium casing. Much bigger than some at 31x32x86mm, it tips the scales at 100g, which I noticed for all of about 10 minutes. Lens and body have survived regular, unintentional whacks from low-hanging tree branches, washing lines and other fixtures with only a few minor swirls in the finish.

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Up front we have an XPG Cree diode and a COB (Chips on Board) unit at the rear. These are fuelled by a 3.7-volt 1000mAh lithium polymer cell, which charges from mains or tablet/PC and the charge indicator usually flips from red to blue in around 100 minutes, using that familiar, almost universal USB cable.

The kit includes a GoPro-esque adjustable bracket and similarly dependable 23mm wide Velcro strap – no hint of annoying wobble here, even when blasting across churned bridlepath. This also seems as universally compatible as you'll find. I've had no problems attaching it to standard trail, touring, commuting or race lids.

The rear lens doubles as a very positive switch, a cinch to locate on-the-fly and wearing full-finger gloves, but requires a two-second press to engage – no risk of unwanted power-ups.

Front

There are four front settings: low, standard, high and flash; double prods then bring on three flashing 'combos'. Thankfully, a memory function defaults to your last choice, aiding quick getaways.

Standard is the default and I don't have the figures, but compared with the Moon Aerolite I'd say it's around the 60-lumen mark.

The front produces a surprisingly pure and, moreover, useful pool of light, free of halos and similar imperfections, which, when angled correctly, gives a decent view of conditions ahead.

Standard is good enough for suburban riding to around 15mph; high for semi-rural bits at similar pace. It's hardly jaw-dropping, but reassuring should your main system pack up unexpectedly, or you are still running a pre-standlight dynamo (ones that don't hold a charge, and go off when you stop).

> More power? Check out our front light beam comparison engine

The wide beam and exposed cutout sections on the side of the lens also provides some welcome additional presence, especially along unlit roads, or when entering the flow of traffic.

Helmet-mounting points the light where you are looking – whether reinforcing a hand signal or just reading road signs. It also ensured I registered on most drivers' radars much faster, I felt, than a comparable commuter light run in constant – visibility was around 90 metres on a clear night along unlit roads, dipping to 40-50 around town.

High is also perfect for tackling roadside mechanicals miles from anywhere. Standard and low are fine for pannier rummaging, map reading, locating keys or those moments when you've returned from a ride, flicked the garage light on, only for the fluorescent tube to blow....

Run as steady only and in top returned 1hr 30mins from a full charge, though thankfully it flashes intermittently to indicate when reserves are running low.

Rear

The rear is also far more powerful than numbers suggest, helped in no small part by the COB technology. It has just two modes, constant and flashing. Constant produces an assertive red spot, which, because of its location, seemed to prick most people's consciousness from 80 metres or so.

I've tended to leave this on flashing, which is extrovert and on par with better quality standalone blinkies packing approximately 20 lumens. It's an assertive pulsing rather than a rabid retina tickler, and did seem to encourage people to back off in slow moving traffic.

> Read more road.cc reviews of rear lights

The double flashing mode is a decent daylight option, especially on darker afternoons. At dusk and beyond we're talking visibility to 200m in semi-rural contexts, 110m or so through town. It sips reserves too – 8 hours before the low battery indicator chimed in, whereupon it took another 25 before shutting down completely.

Peripheral bleed is good regardless of mode, thanks in part to the lens, but it also projects extremely accurately, so no dazzling issues. That said, it can be a little intense at close quarters.

Ultimately, I like the ScoutCombo and was extremely grateful to it while tending a flat on a particularly dark and blustery night. Quality of output is surprisingly practical, too. The only thing I struggle with is the price... While not outlandish, and it is more powerful than Moon's compact Aerolite, it's twice the price, which may alienate some looking for a secondary/safety light.

Verdict

Good output and well made, but pricey for a secondary light compared with others