Reviews

Moon LX-760 front light – review

Quality light for the price with multiple functions and mounting options

Moon’s LX-760 offers, as you may have guessed, a 760 lumen output and a range of mounting options in a smart little package. A sleek plastic case holds a Panasonic lithium ion battery, and the generous burn times and side visibility contribute to making this a really impressive light.

The LX-760 comes with a helmet and handlebar mount as standard as well as a USB charger and a remote control cable. If you decide to mount it on your helmet, it’s secured with a velcro strap which is wide enough to avoid compressing the helmet foam as long as you don’t securely it too tightly.

The Moon LX-760 has seven modes ranging from 150 lumens to 760 lumens

But if you choose to mount it on the handlebars, the mount is rock solid and attached using a simple thumb screw to tighten or release. It’s quite unobtrusive without the light mounted, but perhaps not quite as graceful as those used by other brands.

The remote control is a great little feature if you use it as a helmet light because you can cycle through the functions without having to reach all the way up on top. That said, it isn’t wireless, so you’ll also need to mount the controller on your helmet, but it gives you a bit more flexibility in where it is. If the light’s mounted to your handlebar then the remote control also means you can change modes without taking your hands off the tops.

There are seven different functions on the LX-760 – overdrive, high, standard, low, flashing, strobe and SOS – and battery length varies according to which one you choose. Perhaps unsurprisingly I found standard to be the one I used most as it offers a good balance of burn time and brightness (340 lumens, 5h 55m). Similarly, the beam pattern is wide enough to offer some peripheral vision but with enough centre focus for clarity while riding at night. The full list of run times can be found on the Moon website but, with brightness ranging from 150 lumens (15h 20m) to the full 760 lumens (2h 20m), it’s a versatile light for either commuting or night riding.

Recharging is handled by a simply USB cable and the one supplied is, happily, long enough that it won’t leave the light dangling from your computer, making the light easy to store while it’s charging. Charge time is average – Moon reckon four hours for a full charge, but I think it’s probably closer to five. There is a handy and accurate warning light system that changes colour as battery life decreases, so you shouldn’t find yourself caught short.

Build quality is good, although the light has a very plastic feel, and though that never affected performance at all I wonder how it would cope if dropped repeatedly. Although the most effective strategy, obviously, is to try and not drop it. Still, a rubberised cover might help in longevity terms.

Looks-wise it does seem a little dated, although with lights as long as the performance is there then looks don’t really matter.

Good quality mounts for both handlebars and helmet are a big selling point for the LX-760

Conclusion

While riding in a whole variety of conditions – including torrential rain at night – I was consistently impressed with light colour and quality, and also the quality of the package for your money. If you’re a rider looking for a dedicated helmet light or even just a bright light without breaking the budget, this is a very viable option.