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review
Lights - front
Cateye Omni 5 HL-LD155 front lightCateye TD-L155

Cateye Omni 5 HL-LD155 front light

7
by David Arthur @davearthur
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Nov 13, 2012

3
£16.99

VERDICT:

7
10
If you need a long burning and bright light for commuting or as a backup, this is well designed and good value
Weight: 
19g
Contact: 
www.zyro.co.uk
How we test

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The Omni 5 is a brand new front light from Cateye and offers a near full 180 degree range of visibility making it a a very good commuting light in its own right or as an emergency backup light to a brighter main beam.

Inside the new lens are five LEDs and the light they produce is reflected through prisms carefully placed to split their beams. This ensures there is a healthy amount of light reflected sideways as well as straight ahead, and really seems to work.

When you're commuting through town you don't just want a front light to be visible from ahead, but you want to have good side visibility, particularly at roundabouts and other junctions where traffic might be approaching from the side. The Omni 5 spits out a huge amount of light in all directions and helps you stand out far more than many other lights... it's a confidence boost on busy and dimly lit streets.

The light is easy to fit to the handlebars with simple tool-free FlexTight. The light unit slots into the bracket and can easily be removed. When fixed in place the light is very stable - it doesn't bounce around at all.

Located at the side is the button that operates the light. A long press turns it on and off, a short press cycles through the three available modes, rapid, flash and constant. Battery life is impressive making it a light you can fit and forget for quite a while (of course depending on how long your commute is).

In rapid and constant the battery life is 40-hours while in flash mode it's a huge 120-hours. That's from two AAA batteries that are easily replaceable when time comes to swap them for a fresh pair.

It's a compact light and doesn't take up much space on the handlebars. It's an excellent choice for city commuting cyclists and its huge range of visibility makes it a clear winner over similar lights that only project light forwards.

And as well as commuting duties, it's also a good backup light for cyclists doing a lot of training in the evenings after work, complementing a brighter main light.

They produce the same light for the back as well, and a pair would make a good setup.

Verdict

If you need a long burning and bright light for commuting or as a backup, this is well designed and good value.

 

road.cc test report

Make and model: Cateye Omni 5 front light

Size tested: n/a

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?

Five bright LEDs deliver great brightness with impressive runtime. New Omni Directional Technology increases safety while three modes – rapid, flashing and constant, let you select the right level of visibility. With two AAA batteries, the Omni 5 will run up to 120 hours. The simple, tool-free FlexTight bracket and included clothing clip allow you to easily attach the Omni 5 anywhere you'd like.

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

Dimension： 36.0 X 75.0 X 21.9mm

Weight： 41.8grams (light unit and battery)

Light source： White LED X5

Battery： AAA alkaline battery X2

Runtime： Approx 40hrs in constant, 120hrs in flashing, and 40hrs in rapid mode

Mount size： φ22.2～32.0mm (FlexTight SP-12-F)

Other： Clothing clip included

Rate the light for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Solidly made and sturdy construction and the tool-free clamp is well made and secure.

Rate the light for design and ease of use. How simple was the light to use?
 
7/10

Fitting the light is a doddle taking just two minutes before you're up and running and the one button operation is simple.

Rate the light for the design and usability of the clamping system/s
 
7/10

No tools needed - it's a simple and effective clamp.

Rate the light for waterproofing. How did it stand up to the elements?
 
6/10

It has survived some heavy rain so far.

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

It'll last between 40 and 120 hours from just two AAA batteries so you can fit-and-forget.

Rate the light for performance:
 
7/10

The near 360 degree range of light improves visibility compared to many other lights and ensures you're just as visible from the side as from the front.

Rate the light for durability:
 
7/10

It's designed to survive the rigours of daily commuting.

Rate the light for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10

It's light enough that to not need worrying about, it is a commuting light after all.

Rate the light for value:
 
7/10

For the light output and range of visibility and ease of use, plus the extended battery life, it is good value.

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

For commuting it's head and shoulders above other lights in this category; not as stylish as other lights perhaps, but it works brilliantly.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the light

The wide range of visibility produced by the lens.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the light

It's quite chunky on the front of the bike.

Did you enjoy using the light? Yes.

Would you consider buying the light? Yes.

Would you recommend the light to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

Light
LED commuter light
Front light
Commuter light
Cateye Omni 5 front light
Cateye
David Arthur @davearthur

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes. 

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3 comments

Avatar
Jon Fray | 12 years ago
0 likes

How much is it? £17!!!
I owned a similar designed CatEye lamp which also had the switch on the end. An earlier design had the switch on the back. The switch on the end was so sensitive that it kept switching on if I put it in a pocket or bag, so it used batteries like nobody's business. Without any particularly rough handling within a month the rubber cap on the switch had cracked and become detached. The switch failed to work.

The kidney-shaped lights sold as RSP (currently £4 at Evans) or £8 the pair from Wilkinson are a much better buy. Smart do them (£5 for the rear one). The swicth is on the back and very can be rarely is switched on accidentally.

Avatar
Tony Farrelly | 12 years ago
0 likes

Good point FMOAB… not being too pedantic at all

Avatar
FMOAB | 12 years ago
0 likes

Not wanting to be too pedantic, but "a near full 360 degree range of visibility"? 180 degree surely?

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