OLIGHT RN1500 REVIEW

BIKE LIGHT THAT BRINGS BANG FOR THE BUCK

Review by Drew Rohde
Photos by Dusten Ryen

A few months back we got an email from Olight asking if we’d be interested in testing a bike light that would deliver value and illumination to our after-dark activities. Typically, we do our light testing in the shoulder months where daylight is short, but this summer has been so hot that sneaking out for an evening rip has been the ticket for many of our testers. Normally we love having as much light as possible since it lets us push hard and see as much as we possibly can. However, we realize that not all our rides, or riders out there, want to drop hundreds of dollars when they can ride for free during the daylight hours. If that’s you, then this super affordable, budget-friendly bike light is worth a look. It’s small, can fit in just about any pack and will punch enough light in front of you to finish any ride after the sun has set. The Olight RN1500 is sold individually or can be purchased as part of a kit with a taillight as well. We just tested the RN1500 headlight since we don’t spend much time on the road.

As you probably guessed by the light’s name, the RN1500 puts out 1,500 lumens in High mode. Other modes include Medium (750w), Low (300w) or two flashing modes. Olight claims the RN1500 light throws a beam 538ft (164m) out, and while we don’t have a tape measure that long, we’d say it seems close, although the light at that distance isn’t super usable, which is alright since we don’t usually ride fast enough to need to see that far out. Run times vary depending on power modes but go from 12.5 hours in Low to 100 minutes in High thanks to the internally housed 21700 battery cell.

Charging the 3.6V 500mAh battery is easy thanks to the USB-C charging port, which can also be used to charge other devices. The battery powers a Luminus SST-40 with an anti-glare beam light. The Olight RN1500 weighs in at 174g and is roughly 4.21 inches long by 1.22 inches around. It comes in a nice carton with a handlebar mount, GoPro mount, three silicone straps, charging cable and manual. A 3mm Hex wrench is also included and needed to snug up the bar mount straps. The unit attaches to the mount via a Garmin-style mount and is quick and easy to use.

Overall, the Olight RN1500 is an easy unit to recommend for riders who are looking for a budget bike light. If you are not in the market for an endurance or race-level night light setup, this is worth a look. We will be packing the RN1500 in our bag from now on anytime we head out towards the end of the day, or need a little help pushing our rides just a little bit longer in the shoulder months. The light is sufficient and is more than enough to tackle some trail riding or commuting.

Be sure to use “Wolfpack” for 10% on all qualifying products are the Olight website.

Price: $79.95
Website: Olightstore.com