Reviews

Knog Blinder Mob The Face rear light – review

Good looking, solid performing light for urban riding

Boasting the oddest name in bike lights along with its compact but effective design, Knog’s Blinder Mob The Face is an effective little rear light. It has four LEDs offering 44 lumens, and a totally waterproof UV-resistant industrial grade silicone case with a polycarbonate lens. In short, it’s a solid light for urban commuters.

Knog claim the light weighs in at 35g, but our scales read 45g – though 10g isn’t something to get overly anxious about especially as the light is still compact and unnoticeable on the bike. I liked the robust silicone outer as it makes the light look good as well as functioning well. In urban areas the light does a great job, but I feel that it lacks a little punch once you move out of lit streets and onto country lanes. It’s far from weak, but I don’t think it has the impact you’d want on rural commutes.

In the city limits, though, it’s great for keeping noticed. The various flash patterns are handy for keeping jaded motorists aware and there are five different options to choose from including a handy low flash for when the battery is low. Beam focus is wide (with a claimed visibility range of 1000m) and there’s a little side visibility, but the light could do with more.

The USB charger on The Face is integrated into the mount, although we feel that a cover might help it to last a little longer in poor weather, despite Knog’s claims that it will last without and problems

Run time is a claimed five hours on steady/low. I managed around four and a half, which isn’t that bad. Eco Flash mode, on the other hand, can manage up to 76 hours and while I didn’t manage to test that exactly, I did leave the light on over a weekend and it was well over two days before it started to fade.

One of the interesting features is the integrated USB charging band which doubles as part of the clamp. My initial concerns that dirt and grit would cause issues here over time as even though it faces the seatpost, it’s comparatively exposed. It’s also not protected by the waterproof body, and I’d like to see a cover added which would also increase the surface available to grip to the seatpost. Knog say the charger wont be damaged by exposure, but that’ll be truly tested after a winter of riding.

The light comes with different rubber bands for mounting, meaning that it’ll fit seat posts with diameters from 22m all the way up to 32+ and aero seatposts as well

The cam-style quick release is pretty effective, but could have been made from aluminium as the plastic feels a little brittle and again, under part against the quality of the housing. That said, the lights will fit almost every bike under the moon as it comes with straps to fit seatposts from 22-32mm in diameter which also includes aero-style seatposts.

One aspect of the design that irked me was how the lights are slightly set into the casing. This means that the little inlets can fill up with grime and interfere with the effectiveness of the light. It’s not so bad in the city, but leaf fall and ditch wash soon clog it up riding in the country. A more streamlined shape to the light would have lessened this.

Conclusion

The Kong Blinder Mob Face is a solid little light at a pretty good price point. It looks great and has the key features to back up those looks with substance. As a commuter’s light it’ll do a great job in town and street lit areas. But on rural back lanes I’d want more lumens to make drivers aware of your presence from a distance in bad weather.