NiteRider Lumina 1200 Boost Headlight: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

For many places, the bi-yearly time change makes riding hours shorter. Well with the NiteRider Lumina 1200 Boost light that has all been changed. With 1200 powerful lumens you can now ride well into the night without sacrificing any time off the bike. With multiple mounts to choose from, the NiteRider Lumina 1200 Boost doesn't get mad about the daylight savings time and allows you to continue those after-work rides all winter long. Let's check out what Steve thinks about his Lumina 1200 Boost. 

Steve's Review:

NiteRider has always been one of the players at the front of the lighting pack. The Lumina 1200 Boost Headlight packs a powerful lighting punch with excellent run-time and easy control. It has a solid construction, elegant minimalism and comes with IP64 rating - meaning it is only rated against splashing water. The Lumina 1200 comes with a clamp that is a very stable mount that will not twist under impact. Another option is to mount it atop your helmet with the NiteRider Mako Helmet mount. 

I am a great fan of the simplicity of the NiteRider lights. The mount, for example, is just one single clamp design, which fits all sizes of handlebars and is fast and secure to attach. The light unit itself is robust, weatherproof, and has just one button that also doubles as a charge level indicator. Bike lights do not need to be super stylish — they need to work; that is the focus that NiteRider has maintained with their mount and unit designs.

On the Trail:

The Lumina 1200 Boost produces a generous widespread beam pattern. With Boost Mode providing a stunning 1200 lumens of maximum light output, this makes the Lumina 1200 highly capable for use when navigating through diverse riding conditions. The Lumina’s light is crisp, sharp and the beam spread is the most ideal shape for mounting to a helmet.

Battery life provides plenty of time for a long rides - about 2 hours at full power. This is at full power but switching to a lower power mode greatly increases battery life. Switching between modes isn’t the cleanest operation. The modes on the Lumina are in two groups, one with the lower-power and flash modes, and the other with the four highest-power modes. One big, blue button is easy to find and operate.

One thing I like is when you turn off the Lumina, it will remain in whatever group you last used when you turn it back on. It’s a nice feature when taking a short break on the trail.

Charging the Lumina is by far the easiest process as the charging port is free and clear of obstructions and I found I was more likely to plug it in right after a ride. Simply use the supplied Micro-USB cable to charge at home or work, via your computer or a wall socket plug. The button flashes during charging then goes solid blue when it's charged, and even if you leave it plugged in overnight the 'intellicharge' function prevents overcharging. A very handy feature is the lock mode, so it won't accidentally switch on in your bag. Press and hold the button for 7 seconds to activate and deactivate.

Final Thoughts:

The NiteRider Lumina 1200 Boost isn’t the brightest light, but it comes close enough that its superior beam pattern and user-friendly features give the NiteRider a good case for being a top pick if I had to choose one light to ride with. NiteRider has a long battery life with 2 hours of full power and no-nonsense build quality speaks performance and reliability. Go check it out for yourself.