REASONS TO BUY
Extremely bright
Super easy installation
Illuminated power button easy to use during the dark and with gloves on
REASONS TO AVOID
Time consuming mounting system
Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200 Review
Bright and easy to use but poor mounting system
Bright Eyes Rechargable 1200
Credit: Bright Eyes
Price: $100 List
By Gentrye Houghton ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Jan 14, 2018
RELATED: Best Bike Light Review
Our Verdict
The Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200 is an exceptionally bright light with an easy and secure yet time consuming mounting system. This light was almost too bright for commuting applications, but did not have the necessary beam pattern to excel in a mountain biking setting. This was one of three lights we tested with an external battery pack, which adds to the overall weight of the light, unless you're looking into the uniquely designed helmet mount Light and Motion Vis 360+.
Overall, the Bright Eyes Regeargeable scores above average, falling 13 points below our Editors' Choice winner, and outshining our Best Buy winner the Light and Motion Urban 350. If you're making long commutes, possibly from the outskirts of towns in rather poorly lit areas, then this is a great light to consider. However, we feel you may find our Editors' Choice Award winner, the NiteRider Lumina 750 a much more versatile option.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Bike Light |  Best Budget Bike Light for Brightness | Best Budget Bike Light for Portability | ||
| Price | $100 List $36.99 at Amazon | $120 List | $70 List | $57 List | $60 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Bright and easy to use but poor mounting system | This light is bright, swivels nicely and even has an illuminated on/off switch | Has a very poor beam quality, hard to remove from mount but it does have a long battery life | Great value with bright, narrow beam | Although this light has a 360 degree swivel, its not very bright and has a short battery life |
| Rating Categories | Bright Eyes Recharg... | NiteRider Lumina 750 | Cateye Volt 300 | Cygolite Metro 400 | Light and Motion Ur... |
| Brightness (40%) | |||||
| Beam Quality (25%) | |||||
| Battery Life (20%) | |||||
| Portablity (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Bright Eyes Recharg... | NiteRider Lumina 750 | Cateye Volt 300 | Cygolite Metro 400 | Light and Motion Ur... |
| Max Beam Distance (m) | 189 m | 180 m | 130 m | 120 m | 110 m |
| Battery Life (hours) | 2.0 hrs | 1.7 hrs | 2.9 hrs | 1.7 hrs | 1.5 hrs |
| Battery Type | USB Recharge | USB Recharge | USB Recharge | USB Recharge | USB Recharge |
| Mount Options | Handlebar | Handlebar/Helmet | Handlebar/Helmet | Handlebar | Handlebar |
| Installation | Rubber Bands | Tool-free | Tool-free | Tool-free | Attached |
| Swivel Mount | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 324 g, 11.4 oz | 182 g, 6.4 oz | 134 g, 4.7 oz | 142 g, 5 oz | 120 g, 4.2 oz |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Bright Eyes Rechargeable is one of the lightest and brightest models we tested. This light excels on the city streets, and is more recommended for rual commutes due to its extremely bright beam.
Performance Comparison
The Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200 lights up almost any trail.
Credit: Ryan Kenney
Brightness
The Bright Eyes Rechargeable scored an 8 out of 10 in this category, as we measured its maximum beam distance at almost 190-meters. The Allen Sports ASL5XR was the only light that measured further, with the light narrowly zoomed in. In the photograph below, you can see the comparison between the Bright Eyes on the left and the Allen Sports on the right, which is set to the middle of its zoom feature.
Beam Distance Photos
Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200
Allen Sports ASL5XR
Beam Quality
The Bright Eyes only earns a slightly above average score in terms of beam diameter and pattern, with 6 points out of a possible 10. This score falls a couple of points short of our Best Buy Award winner, the Light and Motion Urban 350, and on par with our other Best Buy candidate, the Cygolite Metro 400.
In the photo below, you can see a slight difference in the beam pattern of the Bright Eyes on the right as compared to the Metro 400 on the left; the Bright Eyes has a more narrow central spot with light illuminating the edges of your peripheral. Where as the Metro 400 has a slightly larger concentrated spot light, with considerably less light flooding the edges of your vision.
Beam Diameter and Pattern
Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200
Cygolite Metro 400
Battery Life
We measured the battery life for the Bright Eyes at around two hours with the beam on high. This is considerably less than both the NiteRider Pro 1800 and the Light and Motion Vis 360+, our other two lights containing battery packs. The Bright Eyes earns another 6 out of 10, and is instead more comparable to that of the battery life of the Allen Sports light, which we measured at 2.2 hours.
As you can see in this chart, which compares battery life with beam distance over time, the Bright Eyes maintains its constant maximum beam distance before drastically plunging into darkness. Whereas, the Allen Sports is a more gradual decline over time in terms of brightness.
Portability
This is the category that really weighed down the Bright Eyes Rechargeable, earning a below average score with 4 out of 10. Although installation is relatively easy, the external battery pack system as opposed to self contained systems like the Lumina 750 or the Urban 350, is more time consuming. We also scored this light low for removal at the bike rack. Again due to the battery pack, the Bright Eyes Rechargeable is less portable due to the addition of a battery pack that adds weight to your entire system and in your bag.
The battery pack is a bit larger than the light itself.
Credit: Micah James
Best Applications
This light is best used on long commutes in very poorly lit areas, where high visibility is imperative for your safety.
Value
When examining our Price vs. Value Chart, this light falls somewhere in the middle in terms performance and price. However, for a $100 price point there are higher performers available like the NiteRider Lumina 550.
Ryan using the Bright Eyes Rechargeable during his regular morning commute.
Credit: Gentrye Houghton
Conclusion
The Bright Eyes Rechargeable 1200 is an extremely bright light that's great if you're making long commutes, possibly from out in the boonies in rather poorly lit areas where safety is of the utmost concern. However, we feel you may find our Editors' Choice Award winner, the NiteRider Lumina 750, or the Light and Motion Vis 360+ to be more versatile options.
—Gentrye Houghton
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