Light & Motion Taz 1200 Bike Light Review
The Taz 1200 bike light by Light and Motion is a high powered model that’s designed for commuting and mountain biking. This light is about as bright as a car headlight, and small enough to fit nicely into the palm of your hand. Weighing in at a little over seven ounces, the light can be easily attached to handlebars in just a few seconds.
Bike safety is always a priority for the avid cyclist, but many riders out there don’t take the necessary precautions they need to in order to remain safe on the road at night. At the very least, a cyclist should wear a proper fitting helmet and use a bike light for night time riding.
Riding around town on your bike can be dangerous due to other drivers, especially in high traffic areas. But did you know the risk of getting into a collision with a vehicle almost doubles at night? In fact, most car and bike collisions occur during the night and often occur because the cyclist was not using a bike light and the driver was unable to see them.
If you’ve decided to get your act together and purchase the necessary accessories that will keep you safe on your bike, one of your first purchases should be this popular model by Light & Motion.
Bike Light by Light and Motion Assessment
On its highest level, the Taz light makes your bike very visible to drivers and other cyclists. People who used this light felt very safe riding it on crowded busy streets. However, unlike the Philips BF48L20BBLX1 Battery Driven Bike Light, this model can barely operate at the highest setting for more than an hour. Even when a cyclists switches from high to medium levels, the battery still won’t last long enough for a mountain biking trip. Because of this, most cyclists recommend this model for city riding only.
This light features an excellent beam pattern because it’s even and wide, casting the light on the road ahead of the cyclist instead of up into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
Described as compact, it’s also heavier than many models in this price range. Like most models of bike lights it can attach to the handlebars fast and easy, making it ideal if you have more than one bike. However, it doesn’t have the same easy one handed operation that the Nite Rider Lumina model is famous for.
According to consumers, the high power mode lasts for about an hour, which is very short for mountain biking. Because of this, most cyclists solely use the medium setting, which offers approximately three hours of battery life.
While some consumers felt that the light was much heavier than other models in this price range, others stated that despite the weight, the light stays in place just fine.
This model comes with four tape stickers for use on more than one bike and works to prevent the light from moving around. You’ll need to swivel the light to a forty-five degree angle either left or right and crank the rubber strap down. Next, turn the light forward and adjust accordingly and that’s it. Even on bumpy terrain you shouldn’t experience any shift in light.
Taz Pros and Cons
Pros: Offers extremely bright light output and excellent light distribution. The light is perfect for bike path or city riding. The design is compact and simple. An attractive light, the overall build is sleek and sturdy. The best feature for many consumers is the side lighting. The light’s warm LED illumination is easy on the eyes. The fact that the light it casts is wide works to light up the cyclist’s entire field of view.
Cons: Many consumers had complaints regarding how hot the light gets, stating it has relatively poor cooling capabilities. The light head isn’t removable from the mounting base, which was a big downside for many consumers. This means you will need to readjust the light when moving the light between bikes or when the light is charging off the bike. Consumers also complained that there is no option for an external booster battery pack. Battery life was the most common consumer complaint, stating that even on the low setting the light will only work for a few hours. If you’re planning on a longer bike ride you may need to bring a backup light. The light is not able to charge when in use, which really affects its overall functionality. If the cyclist could simply connect the light to a USB bank, then they wouldn’t need to worry about the light dying during a ride.
While the mount is sufficient, it doesn’t seem to hold tight enough or stay in put for the duration of a ride. Most cyclists complained that they had to frequently adjust the light because vibration will cause it to nosedive slowly over time.
Light & Motion Bike Light Conclusion and Rating
This model definitely received some mixed feedback from consumers. Avid cyclists who enjoy taking their bike out for longer rides and off-roading had plenty of negative things to say about the Taz, while consumers who used their bike around town as a daily commuter felt that the light was more than adequate and were very satisfied with it.
So, what’s the truth? Is this bike light worth the purchase or not?
The answer is pretty simple, really. If you’re someone who loves to spend hours on their bike exploring and mountain biking, then this model is just not powerful enough for you. If you enjoy riding your bike around town or to and from work, the light offers long enough battery life and is powerful enough to allow you to ride safely at night.
Overall, The Light and Motion Taz 1200 bike light is a well-built model that can meet the needs of certain types of cyclists. Consumers who purchased the Taz gave it a rating of four and a half out of five stars for easy mounting, pricing, illumination and ease of use.