The Gloworm X2 1200 Lumen Light has one of the best light to size to weight ratios in the world! The 1200 lumen X2 is the result of months of testing and developing. CNC machined from a single block of 6061-T6 Alloy and weighing it a mere 79g this waterproof unit turns night into day. The X2's output is optimised for your activity, with IMT (Intelligent Mode Technology), you have the choice of four programmes: Trail (optimised for Mountain Biking), Commuter (optimisied for commuting), Adventure (optimised for adventure races, trail running etc), Bush (optimised for tramping/hiking). Each of these programmes are user selectable at any time and each have differnet runtimes based on their set light output. A remote switch keeps your hand on the controls and the small size means there's no massive weight hanging from the top of your helmet. A huge benfit of its design is the ability to mount on the front of the helmet meaning you'll never catch your light on another overhanging tree. Additionally it can also mount on the handlebar or on the supplied headstrap.
Strengths: I got an X2 a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it. Here's why: it is light, bright (way brighter than my last lights and so bright that I can ride technical single track at full throttle with no problems) and has a great run time (2.5 hours on 1200 lumens and 3.5 on 900, which is what I use most of the time). There are a couple of other really cool things too: you can mount the light forward on your helmet so it will never get caught by low hanging branches, you can very easily tilt the light so that you can search the ground for the car keys you just dropped or chat to other riders without blinding them. The remote switch is also great and allows you to change light settings on the fly if you wish. The light has around ten different light settings split into four different programs so you can use the light, for example, as an emergency beacon (1200 lumen flash every 3 secs) or as a super bright 1300 lumen light. I stay in the trail (read: MTB) mode all the time and simply switch between 900 and 1200 lumen while riding and down to 300 at the car park. You cycle through modes by clicking a button which is easy and you never cycle through a blinking mode or off mode which is great. The last thing I really like is that you can attach the light in 10 secs to your helmet without any tools and without having to fix anything permanently. Keeps the helmet looking great for day rides and, good Lord, riding on the road...
Weaknesses: This is tricky as I have not found anything I really don't like. Perhaps the battery extension cord could be a smidgen longer. I am 5'11 (180cm) and all is good. However, if you are really tall (taller than 6'4, 190cm) and you want to put the light on your helmet and the battery pack in your jersey pocket) the extension cord may be getting a little short. That's easily fixed though by moving the light slightly further back on the helmet or not routing the cable throug the back of your helmet vents which is what I do.
Bottom Line:
I really think these are great lights: plenty of output, light, small, easy to use, really robust, watertight, and versatile (you can tilt the light, have a number of different light settings, and you can change optics too but I am very happy with the spot-frost optic I have).
If you want one light for your bar or helmet and ride hard for 2.5-3.5 hours with a single battery, the gloworm X2 could be it!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ckesinis
a Cross Country Rider
from Athens, Greece
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2012
Strengths: Very small and attractive package, for the amount of light !!!
The eccentric mount , places it centered , in front of the stem .
The remote switch allows quick access , without moving your hand from the bar, thus you can manage the output while riding, to prolong the life of the battery , when needed .
The four easily accessed programs, make it versatile, depending of the type of riding ...
I 've got also two road bikes and the light is so powerful that when I commute or ride on crowded streets , everyone pays attention to see what is coming , so I enjoy much more safety in crossroads and while riding in heavy traffic , even in daylight, were I prefer to switch it in strobo mode ..
Weaknesses: The light is not a very spot light , even with the two spot lenses on, instead the flood/spot combination , but it does what I expected to do , it ' s neat and combined with a spot on the helmet , you can go very fast ...
The color of the LEDs is well balanced, not so warm / reddish, nor blue ...
Bottom Line:
I 'd buy also next generation , improved light , because the manufacturer is very responsive to feedback from the buyers and he really wants us pleased with this very attractive light !
I think that is a very competitive light for the price, small and very well made , and suitable for many types of riding, road, MTB, city ...
Switching between modes , you can go for hours in the dark...
It stands out of the bulk of lights at similar prices ...
Road racers/randonneurs would enjoy it also well !
Favorite Trail: Tatoi state, plenty of trails ....
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At: Gloworm presales
Similar Products Used: Magicshine 808,
A Lux-RC 333 module in an easy2LED housing,
Bike Setup: Giant Anthem / Fox RP23 shox
Marzocchi Marathon SL fork
WTB laserdisc Trail wheels
2x9 SLX /XT setup...
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Submitted by
Giant_Lander
a All Mountain Rider
from Athens, Greece
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2012
Strengths: Compact, light, tons of flood with decent throw. Lot's of runtime
Weaknesses: Weak battery case
Not much of a thrower
Bottom Line:
Great all around light with loads of runtime. Sturdy and clever light head design, prompt feedback straight from the manufacturer. Top bargain!
For serious singletrack riding, you need another light source and this one makes for a great bar light. For general and road riding, it's more than enough!
Similar Products Used: P7 torches, 3XMCE custom lights, 3X xpg 1000 lumens light by lux-rc, 7up xpg light
Bike Setup: Trek Remedy 9.8 2012, xt/xtr spec with Tricon DT wheelset
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
agoura_biker
a All Mountain Rider
from Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2012
Strengths: really small for the amount of light!
high quality
exceptional value
Weaknesses: not really a weakness, but puts out a wall of light rather than a tight spot
not much difference in apparent brightness between high and boost levels
Bottom Line:
The X2 is nicely designed and constructed. Having heard several comments now about how small the light is, I was prepared, but...MAN it is small! I was expecting something more like the size of my Gemini Xera, but it's quite a bit smaller in diameter. The lighthead is very light.
I'm using this as a handlebar light. It mounted easily, and I really like how the lighthead can be centered in front of the stem, leaving room on the top of the stem for my Garmin Edge.
For such a small size, it's amazing how much light the X2 puts out. The beam is quite wide in the standard flood-spot arrangement. It worked well as a bar light. However, I could use a bit more focus and throw, so I'm going to swap the flood optic for another spot and go spot-spot for the next ride. (It is really nice that an extra optic was included for free to make this possible, though they are cheap to buy.)
I actually expected the light to be a bit brighter. I thought it would dominate my Xera on my helmet since the Xera is nominally 800 lumens while the X2 is 1200 lumens, and it did look a lot brighter in my garage, but on the trail they seemed about the same brightness. The Xera isn't a tight spot, either. I think the difference is that the X2 light really covers the whole terrain. It does illuminate distant objects, but you don't get the feeling of a lot of light in the distance (maybe because the foreground is so bright). Perhaps the X2 will seem brighter with the spot-spot combination. In any case, the combination of X2 on the bars and Xera on the helmet is great! The X2 really covered the trail well, and the Xera gave extra illumination as needed, especially around corners.
The light sequence program is nicely thought out. I used the trail mode, though it is easy to switch to other programs. The low was good for general riding and especially climbing. It's easy to get to the "special" mode of dim (100 lumens) when desired (in other programs, the special mode is flash or strobe), and easy to get back to the regular modes.The battery life seemed very good. I did a one-hour ride and the battery indicator was on 80% at the end. I rode on high or boost on the flats and downhill and mostly on low on the climbs (probably 30 minutes).
The remote for this light is very convenient. It was a good length for my handlebars, and it's really convenient to switch modes without having to move your hands far. With the velcro strip that came with my light, I found that the remote slide around. Gloworm is going to switch to adhesive velcro for the future, I think, and in any case this is easily solved.
May main issue with the light, and it's a minor one, is that there is not much difference between the light output at high and boost in the trail program mode. You can see a little bit of brightening, the light gets whiter, but it really is surprising how little difference in coverage is apparent. This is supposed to be the difference between 900 lumens and 1200 lumens, which should be big! I do notice that the branches up high were well lit, so it could be that a change in the optics will make it seem brighter. Regardless, the amount of light was very usable and it lit up the trail very well, so I'm happy with the combination.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the light. I think it is by far the best value out there! It's a great design, really lightweight and small for the amount of light, and a good price. The combo with the Xera as a helmet light worked really well, everything I was hoping for.
