Cateye AMPP2200

The Cateye AMPP2200 is a very sturdily made and high-powered front light that's bright enough for most road and off-road riding. Its one-button system is simple to use and the light slots into Cateye's well-regarded bar mount, which is versatile and reliable. As you would expect from a light that costs just shy of £200, charging times and battery life are competitive, with the caveat of just an hour on the highest setting.

Having tested some strangely tricky-to-use lights, it's nice to see one that is resolutely plug and play. The AMPP2200 is pretty much idiot-proof: there is one illuminated, raised top button that turns it on and off and cycles through the different modes.

There are seven of these: five full-beam settings and two flashing patterns. Included in this is Ultra Boost, which, with a double-click, releases the full whack of 2,200 lumens. This is incredibly bright and really only necessary in extremely dark riding circumstances – plus it only lasts an hour.

I found the range of settings ample for my uses, which is generally cycling on city roads both night and day (flashing beam) or along country roads during the day and sometimes twilight (solid beam). Under street lighting or when it's more minimal, there's a good range of solid modes to choose from – the five solid modes go 200, 400, 800, 1,500 and 2,200 lumens.

Windows at the side of the light let you see that it's on and working, and drivers and other riders can also register it from side-on.

The higher outputs make the AMPP2200 suitable for gravel riding in the dark – especially since the mount is so reliable. I found the beam provided a great spread for visibility and wasn't too concentrated on just the road ahead.

The light has a lock mode and a memory mode, so it returns to its last mode when you turn it on. I found this a particular time saver because I spend a lot of time using one setting, so it's irritating if I have to cycle through them with every use. Also, you need to cycle past flashing settings to get to the solid beam modes, which I know is a bugbear for some. (Though you can double-click from whatever mode you're in to Ultra Boost, and back again, so that could be a way to avoid the flashing modes – if you have the battery life.)

Charging & battery life

Talking of which... the Cateye takes advantage of the faster charging speeds of USB-C, accessible through a small protected port underneath the light. Recharge time for the 5,000mAh lithium-ion battery is listed as four hours, which was consistent with my experience, but unfortunately you can't use the light while charging, so it's not ideal for dark expeditions where you need the full beam for long stretches, because, as I said above, full beam battery life isn't amazing.

The 2,200-lumen Ultra Boost only lasts an hour, and High (1,500 lumens) an hour and a half. You do get 12 hours from the Enduro mode, though – a useful 200 lumens – and three hours from the middle 800-lumen mode (Cateye quotes 2.5).

The excellent 200-lumen flashing option will run for 60 hours, which – for me – is weeks and weeks of commuting time.

The on/off button acts as the battery indicator, changing to three different colours to indicate how much charge remains.

Mount

Unglamorous as it might be, the Cateye's FlexTight mount – which ships with many of its lights – is excellent. Unlike many mounts it will fit onto any handlebar, which makes moving it between bikes easy. Its plastic twist-on locking nut creates a totally secure bond so that you can ride in total confidence over rough surfaces, knowing your light will remain in situ. I'll come on to the sturdiness of the light, but the fact that the mount is so good should extend the light's lifespan further.

Once the mount is installed, the light slides in and a reassuring click lets you know you're good to go. The lever to decouple the light is slightly fiddly to reach, especially if it's very cold and you're wearing gloves, but this is a small trade-off for the benefits of the design.

Weight & construction

At 213g it's certainly not light, but it's wrapped in a strong aluminium shell that holds up well to rough treatment. It scuffs up but it's in no danger of cracking or splitting. It's not a slight light either, measuring 117mm in length, which is the entire diameter of my palm.

Cateye says it has an IPX4 water resistance rating; that's not as high as some competitors, but I never had any issues with the light's performance in bad weather.

Value

So, how does it compare with rivals?

Well, for the AMPP2200's asking price of £179.99 you could get the excellent Knog Blinder front and rear light set that I've been reviewing concurrently and ride home with change in your pocket. But then you would lose out on the additional 900 lumens the Cateye is packing. If you need those extra lumens, the Cateye is definitely worth considering.

There are cheaper high-powered options – you can pick up the Magicshine Allty 2500s for £119.99, for example, but I found it a pain to use, despite the high lumen count and handy Garmin-style mount.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best front bike lights

And you can pay more for lower output – the Exposure Joystick Mk17 is £190, has a max output of 1,150 lumens and for some reason is still using USB-A, meaning slow charging and annoying compatibility issues. Mike still loved its performance, though.

He was also impressed by the Gaciron Raptor-3000's output for the price. It's not without its annoyances, but 3,000 lumens for around £95 is hard to beat.

Conclusion

If you need north of 2,000 lumens for the occasional blast then the Cateye is very good. The beam offers plenty of variety and great coverage over the road, both for being seen and seeing. The design is simple but functional, and this feeds into a light that should last for many years.

Verdict

Well-designed light with a big bonus lumen setting