2015 Lights Shootout

The Light & Motion Taz 1500 is all about beam pattern. We'll even go out on a limb and say it has the best beam pattern of any self-contained bike light. The only thing that held it back was it wasn't quite bright enough when it was initially introduced at under 1000 Lumens. The beam pattern is so big that it needed a lot of light to execute good throw and even spread.

With the Taz 1500, now it is bright enough. It's ideal for riding fast or even using by itself. For the ultimate speed setup, complement it with a bright helmet light and you're off to the races.

Test loop with the Taz 1500. Camera is on a locked ISO setting and is set to Wide Angle mode

Of course it is self-contained without replaceable batteries, so run time is the limiting factor. Although it is a flashlight style light, it is too big and bulky with the non-removable mount to use as a flashlight.

But if it's uncompromising self-contained performance that you want, the Taz 1500 delivers with a bright, even and wide beam pattern that even has a pleasant yellow color tint that allows you to see shadows and trail contours clearly.

Beam Pattern Photo

We photographed the lights in the same location setting with the same camera settings. The photos were taken in the back yard that is approximately 25 yards long. These photos feature many objects and a distinct background to analyze detail and beam pattern. Compare all Beam Patterns here »

Light & Motion Taz 1500 Backyard Beam Pattern

Integrating Sphere Measured Lumens

This light measured 1404 Lumens in an integrating sphere. Claimed Lumens by the manufacturer is 1500 Lumens. The Lumen-hour graph below shows how the light performs over the first three minutes of its battery cycle. Compare all Lumen Tests here »

Light & Motion Taz 1500 Lumen Chart

Strengths

  • Big, wide and efficient beam pattern
  • Bright enough to have range and width with such a big pattern
  • Side lighting is handy for commuting and can be controlled separately
  • USB charging is intelligent and can fast charge
  • Quality and company support is outstanding
  • Mount is simple but very efficient

Weaknesses

  • Too bulky to be used as a flashlight
  • Battery is not field replaceable so run time is limited
  • 1404 measured lumens is plenty bright but it's not 1500 lumens as claimed

Specifications

  • Price: $300
  • Claimed Lumens: 1500 Lumens
  • Measured Lumens: 1404 Lumens
  • Lumens per $: 4.68 Lumens
  • Lumens per gram: 6.50 Lumens
  • Time on High: 1:30 Hours
  • Charge Time: 4:00/8:00 Hours
  • Mounted Weight: 216 grams
  • Category: Flashlight/High End

Overall Rating

4.5 Flamin' Chili Peppers
4.5 out of 5 Flamin' Chili Peppers

For more information visit www.lightandmotion.com.

This article is part of Mtbr and RoadBikeReview's 2015 Lights Shootout. To see all the bike lights tested CLICK HERE.