Description

The Planet Bike Beamer 3 Headlight features a QuickCam bracket mount that adjusts or removes in seconds. Features: 3 Super bright white LEDs visible up to 2,000 ft. Soft touch Power Switch accesses flashing + Steady modes. QuickCam bracket mounts, adjusts or removes in seconds. Up to 100 hours run time on 2 AA Batteries (included)

Customer Reviews

 Excellent product and company - Aug 19, 2010

This is a well constructed light that is easy to install. It is also very easy to temporarily remove for theft prevention. The customer service is also excellent - the company replaced a part we accidentally lost in a quick and easy transaction. We will continue to buy more products from Planet Bike!!

 Better than I had first thought - Aug 06, 2010

This light is just a bit smaller than I thought it was, (the picture made me think it was bigger) however, that makes no difference. It's STILL as bright as the other reviewers said it was, (more for 'BEING seen', than 'seeing') but I had it on flash mode (which I usually do) and I could see it reflecting in signs (stop, playground, crosswalk, street, etc.) at least 2-3 blocks away, and this was only at dusk, with a little sunlight still peeking through! This light may be small (which I like by the way) but it STILL gives off some VERY decent light. Since a few people mentioned that it had a bad mount, I wanted to test that. The mount itself IS rather touchy, and would seem to break easily. I think 'Planet Bike' should work on that design. OTHERWISE, after I mounted it, (I needed to use some electrical tape to space it, and a 'zip tie' to keep the clip on the 'quick-cam mount' in place) I took it down some rough roads to see if it would stay in place, and it DID! it's a good light, and though I have'nt exposed it to rain, yet (albeit I ride everyday,) i'd recommend to anyone!

 good price, well designed - Aug 02, 2010

This light can't be beat for the bargain it is, but if you are looking for more visibilty, so as not to get hit by someone like an A.D.D. driver texting a message far more important than your human life, you might want to look into another light or mount two of these. I mounted two, (they are really narrow, two fit just fine and you can flash one and burn the other steady). They use 2 AA batteries and have a long run time, also the lights detach right off the quick mounts and are pocket size.

 Powerful Light and Excellent Quality - Jul 23, 2010

Searched for a while on Amazon for a bike lights and am very pleased with the purchase. Very very bright, great quality and a very easy to attach bracket.

Would recommend this light without reservation. Live and bike in Manhattan with this light and they cannot miss you!

 Worth the purchase - Jun 22, 2010

Light is great quality. Shines a nice bright beam in front of you to see clear at night. Snaps on and off easily. The mounting bracket could be better. It doesn't seem to tighten down as firm as it should, but at least it stays in place okay.

 doesn't handle getting wet - May 11, 2010

the light worked well, I liked the clamp and the brightness and the batteries seemed to last forever. But the light can't handle getting wet. Mine got stuck in 'on' mode and wouldn't turn off. condensation was visible in the lens. I took the batteries out and when I put them back in it would only turn on some of the time and would turn off during a ride.not recommended.

 perfect for my use - May 09, 2010

I bought a pair of lights, a habit I have from decades ago when battery life was short and reliability shaky. The idea was that there is more light and a broader beam, usually, and if batteries on one died mid-trip there is still one light working. I've realized something else since, from a motorist's perspective. Two lights are more visible than one. It helps to associate the light with a bicycle.
That said. One of these lights provides enough light for my urban commuting. I want the light to be bright enough that I can see hazards in the road and that I can be seen. I also want to preserve my night vision so when there is other light I can see around me. That one light is sufficient is demonstrated by the fact that the second light does not significantly change my illumination comfort. I still prefer a brace of lights for the second reason.
These lights are thoughtfully designed. Illumination suits me perfectly. A small feature I really like is the dim side-lighting illuminating my handlebars, again aiding identification of my vehicle by a motorist. LEDs extend battery life to where it no longer concerns me. I pack spares. Flashing LEDs redouble battery life, and I have found that strobe frequency is again thoughtful. It is slow enough that I am not bothered by it, yet it is fast enough that I don't feel a sense of discontinuity. The flashing still pictures I see have the same sense of continuity as a continuous beam light. Battery life is doubled without sacrificing comfort or function. Thus, I run the flashing mode. Finally, these lights make great flashlights, dismounting easily, comfortable in the hand.
These are a product from a reliable manufacturer, and the price was right. These are a bargain.

 Worth The Money! - May 08, 2010

Only used once, but there's stuff to say:

First, do NOT forget how economical this light is... if you NEED more light, check out the 1W and 2W PB lights.

Mounting: I found the mount to be well designed, able to use very small increments to adjust. That being said, I got the a point where I could clamp it, but one more turn tighter (the cam that "locks" is on a screw, so you can make fine fit adjustments) and I could not (wasn't willing to try and force it, I needed the light the day I installed it... it COULD be that I could go that one more step). As such, one can adjust the beam up and down as the mount did a bit of sliding on the bars. The fact of the length of the light itself helped add leverage. HOWEVER, during the ride (15 miles over sometimes bumpy stuff) it seemed to stay put. So this is most likely NOT a real issue. Not to mention that it can be helpful. I can easily see times when I may want to spot closer to me and times I wanted it farther away. So it looks like I have to turn it on, then micro adjust it before I take off, at least it DOES stay put once it's on and you're riding.

Light Unit: One MAJOR design flaw. The button, nicely encased in a rubber boot, is located totally wrong. It is way too far forward, and a tad stiff. The result is that there's no way you can NOT change the angle pressing it. Even if you brace the underside, you still can alter how the beam plays. The button SHOULD be directly in line over the bars which it is mounted on.

Light Itself: I was pleasantly surprised . It's really not so bad, especially for a [...] buck light. I like that it has a sharp pattern, that means an elongated "oval" spread out in front of me. If they had to spread out farther left and right, it would diminish the intensity of the light where it DID hit the road. The ride was in a Park so it had sections where I could not see the light (more than bright enough from Park lampposts) to pretty dark spaces, no lampposts, under trees). The darker it got, the more I could see the light.

Overall: Obviously, one has to temper the amount of light it puts out with cost, AND how one uses it. For me, this is a perfect combo as I live in a very urban city and only really need it for the occasional Park rides. I could IMAGINE it being very useful in other situations, but certainly NOT for riding hell bent with no moonlight through a dense forest. BUT at a far more leisurely pace, I'd find it useful in that situation, although I'd probably prefer a 2W light.

I'd say it gives one somewhat more value than the price might indicate.

 Poor Fit - May 03, 2010

I couldn't get this thing fitted to my bike correctly. There are two ways to tighten it. There is a part that screws on and a strap that is pulled tight. I made this thing as tight as I could get it and it was still very loose on my bike. However, I was unable to untighten it after that. I had to cut it off the bike and throw it away. Maybe on a mountain bike or other larger frame bikes this would fit alright. I have a Trek 7100 which is a hybrid (road/mountain) and the frame just seemed to be too small for this thing. Very disappointing.

 Awesome light. Very bright. - Apr 14, 2010

What is there to say about a light? I have no complaints. This light is very bright, it looks cool, was easy to install (took me about 5 minutes and I'm no bike guru), came with batteries, and it claims the batteries last 100 hours. I have not yet used it for 100 hours so I can't attest to that but assuming it's true, I would be very happy. It has two modes, flashing and constant. I have just used the constant mode but I guess some people might prefer flashing. Let's not forget that Planet Bike donates 25% of their profits to bicycle advocacy so they are always a good company to support.

 Good value - Mar 05, 2010

This light has two practical safety functions:

It helps make your presence on the road more apparent to on coming traffic. The light is bright enough from even a few hundred feet that a driver would have to be extremely oblivious and distracted not to see it.

Perhaps more importantly, the light will illuminate street signs and signals that are made with a reflective material at distances of over 450 feet away (I measured using google maps). When I first used the light (in flashing mode), I was genuinely shocked to see how the street signs up to two blocks ahead of me were pulsating. I say that this is important because it helps you spot stop signs in the distance - assuming you're being a safe cyclist, biking in a lane, with traffic, abiding by traffic laws, you're probably most likely to get killed by accidently running a stop sign. When I bike home from work at night, I take streets that have no traffic lights and only stop signs, so being able to spot them is very important for me.

The light attaches to your handle bar through via a mount; the light can easily slid off the mount so you don't have to bike around with it during the day, nor leave it on the bike when it's parked outside.

The light does what it needs to do for a reasonable price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

 Great Light - Mar 02, 2010

I am impressed by the amount of light that the Planet Bike Beamer bicycle light provides. If you ride at night, you should own put one of these lights on every bike in the family. I would recommend to everyone.

 Really Bright Light - Feb 27, 2010

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RWFIZ73TPJ95M This bike light is pretty good. It's bright and it flashes. I like the flash because it catches peoples attention when your on the road.

 Good light for the price - Feb 18, 2010

I purchased this light to use on my commute to and from work in Seattle. The price was great and I have been very happy so far (I have had it about 3 months as of writing this). The positives include:

- The fact that the light only takes 2 AA batteries. Many similar lights seem to require 3 or more, or use watch type batteries
- Battery life seems good so far. Not sure how many hours I have used it, but I usually ride about 30 minutes per day with it on steady, about 3 times a week and I have been using it for about 3 months now without having to switch the batteries.
- The ease of use - the power button is nice and large and it just takes one click to start it flashing, one more click for a constant light, one final click to switch it off.
- The light is very bright and extremely visible. Pointing straight forward instead of down towards the ground the light projects very far and still remains bright
- Nice and compact.

The negatives don't really take away from the light, but they are things that I might consider changing or paying more for on another light:

- The light is definitely more of a spotlight that a floodlight, so while the beam is nice and strong, it does not light up a huge area, just a 2' circle where it is pointed. If you need a light to be seen, rather than to see, this light works great.
- The bracket is not the greatest. It takes a little messing with to get it working right, but nothing major and once on it holds nicely.

Overall a great light for the price and definitely recommended.

 Disappointing - Feb 13, 2010

I purchased the light because it seemed to be well made, but was disappointed with the Quick Cam Bracket mount, plus the front section that is removable for replacing batteries came off 1 day while I was riding on a quite smooth bike trail and the batteries fell out. Also, I ride a three wheel recumbant trike which rides harder than a conventional bicycle and I cannot get the quick cam mount to hold securely, every few miles I have to reaim the headlight because it starts to tilt down at the front. I have tightened the cam until I was afraid of breaking the mount when I locked in position, not to mention I prefer a more secure mount so I can leave it on the bike, not to mention the extreme effort required to lock it back on. If I leave it on the bike it is far too easy to remove for the purpose of vandalism or theft.Planet Bike Beamer 3 LED Bicycle Light with Quick Cam Bracket Mount

 Super Bright - Feb 05, 2010

I got this for my sister who takes her bike places around dusk. It's bright enough to light up any potential safety hazards.

 Best LED light I own (and I have 6) - Jan 07, 2010

This light is the best LED light I own, especially for only 3 LEDs. The pattern of light is like a spot light and is bright and white. I can see trail details in a approximate 15 foot circle in detail at least 20 feet out, and larger details like trees, cars, etc. out to about 50'. It is also very easy to install, and stays in place well no matter the amount of bounce (I ride a mountain/comfort bike). I Like that when you want to remove it, you can either slide the light off the mount easily, or if you wanted to mount it on another bike, the quick release clip is just a "flick" away from release.

Aside from the solid mount where you can easily remove the light for using the light to assist will fixing a flat at night, I love how solid the light is. Most of my other LED lights have an issue with the rear spring the batteries make connection with, and if bounced around, the light will flicker. This one does not.

If I have a failure with the original (I used this light all last year without even replacing the batteries), I will replace it with the same make and model.

 Very bright - Dec 29, 2009

The beam is very bright. Wish the default setting was steady light vs blinking, but not that big a deal. Handle-bar connection was a bit more work than I thought it needed to be; not easy to attach/remove all the time. Better to attach and then leave it on.

 a SMALL, blinding spot :( - Dec 16, 2009

*
I am truly surprised at the great reviews for this light; It's just another small spot of light on the road, two or three feet in front of the bike, which makes it totally useless as any kind of headlight either in city streets with lighting, or in pitch-dark (unless you want to scan the spot in front of your wheel for potholes while you ride).

update: I found a Cateye EL220 for $27 that blew this out of the water :)

 Great light! - Dec 06, 2009

I love the light. It appears to be very well made and solid. The only drawback I noticed is my handlebars are pretty small in diameter and I had a hard time getting the bracket adjusted in order to secure the light to the handlebars but it seems to be staying on just fine now. The quick release removal feature for the light is nice when you are leaving the bike somewhere so no one can steal the light. I'm glad I bought this.

 Like a head light! - Nov 30, 2009

So far so good. I've only used this light three times, but it works like a charm and provides more light than the light I had prior. It creates enough light to actually see what's in front of me.

 perfect for city use on multiple bikes - Nov 09, 2009

I live in an urban area and ride mostly on lit streets. I need something that will make me seen. This light does that well.

I also have two primary bicycles. The Quick Cam mount really works well if you're planning on switching the mount between bikes. The mount isn't as solid as one that you affix permanently, it will not hold steady if you're on a lot of bouncy terrain, but that rarely is an issue for me.

Overall, I'm very happy with this light and it does its job well.

 Not so great - Nov 09, 2009

The light is decent at best. While I ride in an urban environment, there are some places that are almost entirely dark. This light simply isn't good enough.

The worst thing is the bracket. It's a pain to put on and off, and on my bike at least, I could never get it to stay on correctly. Every bump I would go over, the thing would dislodge and point to the ground.

For $20, I didn't expect much, but it's definitely not worth it unless you're on an extreme budget. My safety at night is far more valuable, so I will upgrade and spend a bit more.

 Fine Headlight; Clumsy to Mount - Nov 06, 2009

Fine headlight. Bright beam and suitable for ordinary bicycling, assuming you do not bicycle a lot on dark and narrow roads (where bicycles with any amount of lighting would be dangerous). My gripe was with the tricky and complicated mounting. It has a screw mechanism for adjustment of a tightening strap, which must be latched in place. It was hard to figure out, but then proved too weak on its own to stay in place satisfactorily. The fix is easy, though. Tape your handlebar with a friction tape that will prevent the mounting strap from rotating. I would buy this one again, but the manufacturers could have saved me a lot of annoyance. They should have supplied a short rubber strip, as some other bike handlebar device manufacturers do.

 Great Light - Nov 06, 2009

I used this several times already. I had absolutely no problem with the mounting bracket and found it fairly easy to install. The light is bright enough to light my path in pitch black. Great little light for anyone looking to keep safe at night.