I’ve always been a bit of a night owl. I like riding when the streets are quiet, and the nighttime critters are out and about. I even enjoy that slight fear that sometimes creeps in when you don’t know if that was a cat you just saw out of the corner of your eye, or if it was El Cucuy himself.
Having a solid headlight helps. Knog kindly sent over its latest and greatest for review: The Blinder 1300. Now, I’ve run the gamut of headlights and helmet-mounted rigs in my day – everything from nighttime dirt biking in the deserts and woods to mountain bikes and even urban BMX.
Outside of a hard-wired rig or one with a separate battery pack, the Knog Blinder 1300 is by far the brightest I’ve used yet. And it’s not simply just bright – it’s actually a well-designed beam pattern, a perfect blend of flood and spot that gives you a wide, usable beam and casts far enough to really get after it. Its six LEDs combine three narrow beams with three wide ones at a 23-degree angle, casting a 1,300-lumen punch that lights up about 390 feet (120 m) downrange while still keeping your peripheral lit.
JS @ New Atlas
I know the Knog is called a “bike light,” but I mounted it to my ST3 Pro scooter and went out exploring some of the darkest areas of town at zero-dark-thirty last night (it sure beats riding in the Texas heat during the day).
First, don’t judge me – I like scooters. Second, I could easily ride to the scooter’s top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) on pitch-black streets with only the Knog lighting my way and not out-riding my ability to see. For comparison, in pitch black with the stock scooter headlight, about 14 mph (23 km/h) is nudging the danger zone of “I might hit a pothole I didn’t see coming and need to finish my ride in the back of an ambulance.” Anything faster than that is just a gamble.
Knog
And I didn’t just ride all the glassy-smooth bike trails either. The Knog uses a press-fit mount – which is attached by a silicone quick-release strap or an included GoPro compatible mount – that locks into place with a satisfying snap. You know, the kind of mount that’s perfect for losing an expensive piece of gear somewhere along a trail (yes, that’s sarcasm based on personal experience). I ripped my scoot’ down some hardpack with a few small jumps and turtle heads, hit speed bumps, curbs, and even blasted through one parking lot that I’m genuinely surprised hasn’t generated any lawsuits yet.
I was actively trying to yeet the Blinder 1300 from my bars, but it held fast without even so much as vibration. Color me impressed. But, honestly, I’d still like to see a little Velcro strap or something over the top – even if only for peace of mind.
Another cool bit about the way it mounts – besides hanging on like it’s super-glued to your bike when you’re riding – is that when you want to pop it off, it’s just a little push on the tab and bloop, it pops right off for easy charging or handheld flashlight use, or just to pocket it for safekeeping.
JS @ New Atlas
The light is powered by a 5,000-mAh 21700 li-ion cell (the same type used in modern EVs), giving 1.5 hours on full brightness and up to a wild 120 hours in Eco Flash mode (in case you forget to charge it? What’s the record for non-stop pedaling, anyways?). It’s USB-C rechargeable (about five hours for a full charge), IP67-waterproof (nighttime rain rides, for the win!), and made from CNC-machined 6061 aluminum (stuff NASA and SpaceX use!) – rugged, compact, and has a nice little heft to it, weighing 6.3 oz (180 g).
It has six different lighting modes, one that should come with an epilepsy warning:
- High Steady pumps out the full 1,300 lumens for about 1.5 hours
- Medium Steady about halves it, 650 lumens, and doubles the battery life
- Low Steady about 8 hours of 230 lumen riding
- Steady Pulse throws out a rhythmic 420 lumens for eight hours
- Strobe mode drops the brightness to 230 lumens for 16 hours
- Eco Flash pulses at 150 lumens for 120 hours straight
JS @ New Atlas
Random fact from my ride: I was last-night-years-old the first time I ever broke up an opossum fight.
All in all, I’m a big fan of auxiliary lighting. I own five flashlights, one of which costs way more than I’m willing to admit. I own a handheld spotlight that almost allows me to see the future. My car has a 26-inch light bar on the bumper … even my RV has a 52-inch Nilight light bar mounted to it. In my opinion, you can never have too much light on hand when the darkness sets in.
Knog
That being said, I’m pretty stoked on the Knog and it’s going to stay mounted to my daily ride. As a whole, it looks like the company makes quality stuff for bicyclists (and scooterists). Our editor, Ben Coxworth, was also pretty happy with Knog’s Oi Prima, the “bell for people who don’t like bells.”
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – it’s designed in Melbourne, just like New Atlas, so it’s gotta be great! Its suggested retail price is US$109.99.
Product page: Knog Blinder 1300
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