Zefal Supervision F1500 Front Light

As the name suggests, the Zefal Supervision F1500 Front Light puts out a maximum 1,500 lumens. It's really bright and is excellent for seeing with, no matter how dark, though it is on the bulkier side.

The Supervision F1500 is designed to mount on top of your handlebar with the included bar mount, or attached to a GoPro mount with the also-included GoPro adaptor. Either way, there is a quick release available to make it nice and easy to take the light on or off to charge or for safekeeping.

Also included in the box is a wired remote button that you can position for easier access while riding; it allows you to switch through the modes, along with powering the light on and off. I found it a bit unnecessary, but you might find it useful.

With the light mounted under my Garmin using the GoPro adaptor, it was ready to go – once I'd turned it on... To do this you press and hold the single button – for three seconds, which can be a little annoying if you're trying to get going quickly.

Modes & run-times

Once on, a single tap will take you through the three available solid modes: low, medium and high – 100, 800 and 1,500 lumens respectively. Zefal claims a battery life of 19 hours, 3 hours 15 minutes, and 1 hour 40 for these modes.

When the battery has only 20% power left, it will automatically go into the 100-lumen mode.

In real world testing, I've found the battery lasts a little longer than claimed, but this only accounts for getting down to 20%; after that you get another 2 hours on the 100-lumen mode, which is good for not leaving you totally stranded, though it's definitely a get-you-home option rather than a ride-all-night setting.

A double-tap on the button takes you into the flashing mode: a 500-lumen day flash, and a 200-lumen steady flash, with claims of 18 and 65-hour run-times.

For my dark, early morning commutes, this light has really performed well. I've found the 800-lumen mode excellent, unless I'm going down a hill or super twisty lane, when I've bumped it up to 1,500 lumens. I've not once found myself wishing for any more power.

The beam pattern is nice and wide without being too spread out that you lose details. It isn't as crisp a beam as some lights I've used, such as from Magicshine, but it's plenty good enough to pick out potholes and other road furniture.

I have, a couple of times, accidentally left the light on the 1,500 lumen mode, and was surprised that it ran out quicker than I expected, so be careful of that.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best front bike lights

Being quite a large device, it definitely weighs a chunk, and has caused my Garmin mount to rotate ever so slightly over bumpy roads. This is a little frustrating, but just required me to tighten my mount a little – something else to bear in mind.

Using it underneath my Garmin mount, I've needed to keep on top of keeping the lens clean, as it's had quite a lot of road spray on it, leading to a murkier output. But this is a problem faced by any low-mounted lights. It's rated to IPX6 for waterproofing; I've ridden with it in all sorts of British winter weather and it hasn't skipped a beat.

Charging

The light charges via a USB-C port on the back, which is covered by a rubber flap that keeps out any rain and spray. A full charge took around 2 hours 30 minutes, which is a little longer than claimed, but still pretty good.

The light can be used while it's charging, but only in the lowest constant mode, so isn't very useful if you like long night rides.

Battery monitoring is pretty good, with five blue LEDs, each denoting a 20% increment in battery life, giving you a pretty accurate representation of the level remaining. This can only be seen when the light is on – there's no option to check battery life when the light is off.

Value & conclusion

Coming in at £124.99, this isn't a cheap option compared with some lights I've reviewed, such as the Magicshine EVO 1300, which has an RRP of £79.99, but then again, the Zefal has another couple hundred lumens, and slightly longer run-times.

Lezyne offers its 1800+ Superdrive for £150, which Steve thought was very bright, but big and heavy, a little like the Zefal. The Lezyne offers a little more lumens than the Zefal, but this comes at extra cost.

There are options that are both brighter and cheaper, too, such as the Gaciron Raptor-3000 – a 3,000-lumen light for less than £100 – though it wasn't without its niggles.

In my opinion this light is at the top end of what you'd need on the road; the ability to put it into a really bright mode is great, but for most road riding the 800-lumen option is all you really need. The battery life is decent, too. Overall, it's a dependable light to see with throughout the year, a good offering from Zefal.

Verdict

Not the sleekest design, but a very bright light with decent battery life, great for seeing with