It was just last week that we heard about the Otto, a simple-to-use bike tail light with some “smart” features. Well, the unrelated Luislight L300 could be considered the Otto’s headlight equivalent.
Created by German entrepreneurs Luis Marx and Leo Bruch, the L300 features a cylindrical carbon fiber body that quickly and easily pops on and off of an included magnetic handlebar mount. The light automatically powers up as soon as it’s placed on the mount, and powers down upon being taken off.
Because the mount is equipped with six neodymium magnets, the headlight should stay attached even when going over rough roads. That said, if it’s accidentally knocked off, an integrated accelerometer will detect the fall and cause it to start flashing, making it easier to find.
Keeping things simple, the L300 features just two output modes – High and Low – which are selected using a switch on the back. In High, it puts out 300 lumens for a claimed 4.5 hours per USB charge of its lithium-ion battery. The runtime climbs to nine hours while the output drops to 200 lumens in Low mode.
The headlight itself is waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, reportedly tipping the scales at 102 grams (3.6 oz).
Should you be interested, the Luislight L300 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of €69 (about US$83) will get you one. The planned retail price is €79 ($95).
Carbon fiber bike light powers up with a magnetic mount [New Atlas]