Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ review: Fantastically bright light that holds securely and lasts well.

Launched as a part of Lezyne’s massive overhaul of its mild vary in 2023, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ builds on the extremely common Strip taillights by the model. The brand new Strip Drive Professional 400+, because the title says, has a most lumen brightness of 400. It sits in the direction of the higher finish of Lezyne’s vary of lights, solely surpassed by the Laser Drive, and two Ai-braking geared up Alert 250 and Strip Drive Professional fashions.

The massive promoting factors of the Strip Drive Professional are the 270˚ visibility, 80 hour battery life, and 7 completely different modes for working in a different vary of climate and lightweight circumstances. With that battery life and brightness, the Lezyne is a step forward of many different taillights which have featured in our patrons information to the perfect bike lights with out being exceptionally dearer.

In reality, the worth of £55 places Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ on the similar worth as our Finest all-round Funds rear mild, the Bontrager Flare RT, whereas that includes considerably extra highly effective specs. The ladder strap additionally permits for becoming to conventional spherical seat posts or aero ones.

Design and specs

Because the title suggests, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ delivers a most lumen output of 400 lumens by way of its 10 LED lights. That is solely throughout its excessive powered Day Flash 2 mode, one of many seven modes obtainable, however nonetheless boasting an 18 hour runtime. Moreover, there may be Financial system mode with 15 lumens and 26 hour runtime, two 80 lumen strong beam and pulse choices, a 50 lumen flash, the aforementioned Day Flash modes 1 and a couple of (200 and 400 lumen), and eventually the 80 hour 5 lumen Femto mode.

The Femto mode is way decrease powered however makes use of a variety of various flashes, durations, and brightnesses to ship a moderately uneven and due to this fact noticeable flash sequence. All these modes kind a part of the 270˚ visibility with an open aspect design of the sunshine to accommodate this vary.

The 1900 mAh battery helps assist this spectacular most battery life, however even the shorter lasting modes supply first rate durations. Recharging is carried out by way of USB-C, with quick charging 2.0 and three.0 supported, though no cable is equipped. The battery port itself is discovered on the backside of the sunshine, however Lezyne says that is waterproof. An IPX7 waterproof score ought to maintain it working successfully in any climate circumstances in a position to be ridden in. IPX7 means it’s waterproof even when submerged as much as 1m deep for as much as half-hour, so that you needn’t fear about tyre spray in the event you aren’t operating fenders. 

With dimensions of 70mm, 37mm, 47mm, and a weight of 70g with out the strap and 80g with, it’s a compact mild. A ladder strap is used to connect the Lezyne Journey Drive Professional 400+ to an array of seatposts, be that spherical or deeper formed aero seatposts. The principle physique of the sunshine is an influence resistant rubber, which ought to assist defend it within the unlucky occasion of it falling from the bike. 

The entire mild options are managed by a single button on the high of the sunshine. A brief press offers a battery indication (inexperienced for 75-100%, purple/inexperienced for 25-75%, and purple for 0-25%), whereas an extended press turns the sunshine on or off. Single press adjustments the sunshine mode in a sequential order. Given there are seven modes it does imply you could have to cycle by a good bit to seek out the one you are after.

Efficiency

From the second I turned the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ on inside after unpacking it, I used to be immediately met with a room bathed in a shiny purple mild. In the case of shear energy from the lumens, the 400 lumen Day Flash 2 mode is extremely shiny to the purpose that it could actually illuminate the street behind you fairly effectively. Sure, you don’t want that many lumens when using to be seen to different street customers, however that stage of brightness does make you extremely seen from a long way away, and is very helpful for daylight visibility when the distinction is decrease. It additionally boosts the aspect visibility, which though doesn’t fairly have the identical brightness because the rear going through view, continues to be excellent for being extremely seen aspect on.

Typically when using out on the street, I’ve been preserving it in Day Flash 2 mode. I don’t assume a rear mild must be wanted as an excuse for individuals driving vehicles to truly see individuals using bikes, however I’d nonetheless moderately take the measure. Even with the battery life being decrease on this setting than the extra eco modes, I’ve solely charged the sunshine twice over a 3 month interval of use. This leads me to take Lezyne’s battery life claims at face worth based mostly on testing and modes used.

Utilizing it for nighttime rides, the Pulse has been my go-to. The 80 lumen efficiency on the height of the heart beat is brilliantly shiny, whereas the dearth of flash shouldn’t dazzle different street customers, with the marginally downwards angle of the sunshine when fitted to a seatpost additionally help on this. With a 14 hour battery life, this mode nonetheless has a formidable lifespan. As for the opposite modes, though they don’t function the identical punch with the brightness, they nonetheless supply a mode that’s extra highly effective than a variety of the opponents to this mild, all whereas offering an extended runtime very often.

Different parts of this mild that I actually like are the warmth dissipation. Leyzne has used its personal Superior warmth sink know-how to cut back thermal buildup. Most outstanding on its aluminium entrance lights with fins to extend floor space, at 400 lumens this rear mild ought to get a bit heat when left operating. Nonetheless even left on my desk at full energy, there have been no heating points. I additionally love the simplicity of the on/off button and it’s design. It’s considerably raised from the physique of the sunshine, so switching on or altering modes when using is an absolute breeze even with thick gloves on. There have additionally been no points with water ingress even when testing by some pretty horrific wet circumstances not too long ago.

It isn’t all rosy nevertheless with the sunshine, as there are a few issues that will current a difficulty to some customers. Firstly, the ladder seatpost strap is improbable, and retains the sunshine very safe on spherical and aero tubed seatposts. Nonetheless, it’s on the quick aspect, so on notably deep tubes like significantly aero focussed street and time trial bikes, it’s not fairly lengthy sufficient to wrap round absolutely. 

The opposite subject is the exclusion of a charging cable. This could possibly be seen although as a product of the EU laws and the standardisation of USB-C charging. This complete initiative has been designed partly to cut back cable waste, the place half a dozen objects might require a separate cost cable every. I do have a number of USB-C cables mendacity round for different merchandise, so the dearth of cost cable is of no subject to me. Nonetheless for some it might be, so it’s value highlighting.

Worth

As talked about earlier than, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ really is available in on the similar worth as our greatest worth funds rear bike mild, whereas packing greater than double the lumens of any of the lights examined in that group take a look at. Add to {that a} longer runtime and coming in at an analogous or solely marginally dearer worth and the worth of this mild is outstanding.

Because of this it wins our strongest rear bike mild class. Some parts such because the angling of the sunshine could also be questionable, however I believe this helps cut back dazzling with out impacting visibility. Whereas the quantity of modes could also be superfluous to some, it manages to supply a unique choice for just about any state of affairs.

There are cheaper lights obtainable, however there isn’t something fairly as excessive powered obtainable presently, not to mention at this worth and with this battery life.

The one factor that pulls me away barely from this mild is the presence of the Strip Drive Professional 400+ with Ai Alert. I’m but to check this, however for £5 extra you get Lezyne’s Ai brake mild which adjustments the lighting based mostly on if you end up braking. Helpful for signalling intent to different street customers, particularly in excessive visitors areas.

Verdict

With exceptionally excessive energy and brightness, with copious straightforward to make use of modes to accommodate most using and lightweight circumstances, the Lezyne Strip Drive Professional 400+ is a powerhouse of a rear mild. With 400 lumens on the Day Flash 2 mode, it is among the brightest taillights obtainable. In the meantime decrease energy, but nonetheless highly effective, choices give a fantastic vary of potential battery life choices with 80 hours being the utmost.

The ladder match system means it suits most seatpost with ease, however the size of the ladder does restrict it on deeper aero tubing. The shortage of USB-C could also be a unfavorable to some as effectively, though personally I see it as a step in the direction of reduces electrical waste.

All this efficiency and practicality comes at a really cheap worth, with the lumens/£ being exceptionally good. It’s a improbable rear mild that I personally discover virtually unimaginable to seek out fault with.