Review & Giveaway: Planet Bike Blaze Headlight

It's February in Vancouver--chilly, rainy & lately we've had a lot of fog. Not exactly ideal conditions for cycling, though I shouldn't complain, as we've had virtually no snow & temperatures haven't dipped below zero celsius during the daytime in weeks. Still, it's a good time of year to have a really good light, which is what this post is all about. I have had the chance to try out a Planet Bike Blaze 2W over the last couple of months. I think it's a great headlight so I'm excited to give one away here on The Sprog! Before I get into the contest details, let me tell you about the light.

Like the Superflash Turbo taillight I reviewed in November, the Blaze has the highly visible irregular SuperFlash™ pattern, as well as high & low power beam. I realized that the high would be great for seeing where you're going in unlit streets (if you live in a less urban area than I do) as well as in fog. When I was riding to a cocktail party downtown along the separated Dunsmuir bike lane in December I got the chance to see how visible the light really was. It was getting dark & I was watching carefully the old right hook across the bike lane. I saw a car a half block ahead of me start to move into my path. The passenger saw the Blaze SuperFlash™ & I could see her tell the driver to stop. On my way home, around 9pm in full dark (or as dark as it ever gets in the city) I could see street signs reflecting the strobing light of my Blaze back to me two full blocks away.

If you ever ride at night, having a really visible front light is vital. Though I always worry about the cars that are behind me because I can't see them, it's the ones that are in front & beside me that I really need to worry about. The ones behind you have got their headlights on you. If you're entering an intersection & don't have a bright head light, the headlights of cars crossing your path may not show you until it's too late. With two watts of LED power, the Blaze is plenty bright (146 Lumens) & doesn't suck a lot of battery power. Planet Bike says you should get 18 hours out of two AA batteries (which are included--yes!) on the flashing setting.

Installing the Blaze is pretty easy--it's got Planet Bike's QuickCam™ bracket mounts, which adjust or can be removed quickly without tools. The light clicks on & off the handlebar mount easily so you can pop it in a pocket to take with you when you lock your bike somewhere. Not super light, the Blaze weighs 144g with batteries. It's a nice looking light & I love the 'hood' that it has over the top so it doesn't shine in your eyes as you ride. The cutaways at the sides allow the LED to be visible from the sides as well, which is a bonus for safety on the road.

The Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt head light retails for about $60. Definitely a lot more than some of the cheap little ones out there, but I believe it's well worth the price. UPDATE: You can buy the Planet Bike Blaze 2-Watt LED Headlight on Amazon.ca for just $28! (affiliate link)


Now for the contest: Planet Bike is giving away one Blaze 2-Watt head light. You've got until 11:59pm Thursday February 14 to enter. You can get multiple entries for following me & Planet Bike on Twitter & Facebook, as well as tweeting about the giveaway (daily if you like). The more of those that you do, the higher chance you have of winning. :) Just make sure to do the action (tweet, comment, etc) AND tell Rafflecopter that you did it in the form below so your entry will be counted! If you have any questions at all or something isn't working for you, please email me (lisa.corriveau AT gmail.com) & I'll help sort it out. :)

Good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


About Planet Bike
Did you know that Planet Bike gives 25% of their profits to bike advocacy? Learn more about the company & their vision for a greener, healthier future here. 


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