Comparison of Series Review 3: Become apart at night. Optimal lighting considerations for night runs [West Light Edition]

Monday, October 29, 2018

Westlight , headlamp , comparison , trail running , UltrAspire , SILVA

Written by Kohei Tsushima

The third in our light comparison review series is the Westlight. What are the benefits of attaching a light to your waist? How do you attach it? We'll answer those questions and compare two of the most popular Westlight products

table of contents

What we want from Westlight
Test run impressions of the popular Westlight
- UltrAspire Lumen 600R
- SILVA TRAIL RUNNER 3
Conclusion
(Reference) Summary of evaluation results and spec comparison table
Looking for reviewers

What we want from Westlight

A headlamp illuminates the distance, and a hand lamp illuminates a spot. Many people use this two-light setup for night runs, but adding a waist light to this will illuminate the blind spots around your feet, giving you a much greater sense of security when running. The light source is placed even lower than a hand lamp, which has the advantage of making it easier to see unevenness in the road surface, and in the mountains at night, the view you see will change considerably depending on whether or not you have a waist light. Some people don't even carry a hand lamp, and using a waist light instead is a great advantage when running in the mountains, as it means you can have both hands free

There are a variety of light options, from those specifically designed as waistlights to headlamps attached to the waist. When using a headlamp as a waistlight, you need to be careful about the belt size. Since this is a device that is normally worn on the head, it may not be adjustable enough. In this case, you will need to remove the light unit and attach it to a different belt, so make sure beforehand that the entire light unit can be removed, like the Trail Runner 3 introduced here or the LEDLENSER MH10, which we previously compared in our headlamp section

Test run impressions of the popular Westlight

UltrAspire Lumen 600R

Lumen 600R

UltrAspire

20,304 yen

Approximately 150g

Size/Weight ★★☆ Lighting power ★★★ Functionality ★★☆

The Lumen 600R was specifically designed for use as a waistlight, so its functionality and ease of use are undeniable. Its exceptional brightness and evenly diffused light illuminates areas up to 15 meters ahead. The angle can be adjusted up and down by 90 degrees, for a total of 180 degrees, making it ideal for situations where you need to illuminate directly below on a steep downhill slope. This adjustment range is important for a waistlight, as sometimes you might find that using a headlamp as a waistlight doesn't illuminate directly below

Light distribution image

As you'd expect from UltrAspire, which handles a wide range of backpacks, this one fits perfectly. The light unit is a little heavy, but if you secure it firmly with the wide belt (fits sizes 66-106cm), it won't shake around while you're riding. There are four brightness modes, including three levels and SOS. These can be changed with the push of a button, so it's easy to use, changing the brightness for downhill and uphill climbs. The button is small, but has a firm feel when pressed, making it easy to operate even when wearing gloves

With the separately sold rechargeable battery (18650 lithium-ion battery), it can be used for 13 hours in Medium mode (231lm), which is what you will likely use most often. It's great that you don't need to change the battery overnight

This is ◎

Bright, even, diffused light

This is a shame

The size and weight are a bit concerning
price

SILVA TRAIL RUNNER 3

TRAIL RUNNER 3

SILVA

12,420 yen

Approximately 121g

Size/Weight ★★★ Lighting Power ★★☆ Functionality ★★☆

SILVA is known for its compasses, but the Trail Runner is a long-selling light model. Equipped with two LEDs of different color temperatures, both illuminate to produce an exquisite white light. The intelligent light provides a very wide, flat beam, and its small body and light weight of just 92g (batteries not included) make it stress-free to wear anywhere. In addition to its wide beam, the wide angle adjustment from top to bottom makes it a popular choice for waist lighting

Light distribution image

There are three brightness settings: Hi (250lm), Low (50lm), and flashing. Compared to the previous model, the Trail Runner 2, the Hi setting has been increased from 160lm to 250lm. However, the Trail Runner's brightness is difficult to sense due to the lens, so it didn't feel as bright as the numbers suggest. The battery is three AAA batteries, and the specs say it can be used for 30 hours on Hi setting, but it peaks at the beginning and then gets dimmer, so in practice I think it will last about half that long. The only downside is that the battery case is difficult to open, making it hard to change the batteries. This is something I would have liked to see improved, as it was with the previous model

My secret favorite is the belt used with the Trail Runner 3. Thanks to the silicone anti-slip lining, it is less likely to slip or move around when worn over clothing. The light unit can be easily removed, so it can be attached not only to the waist but also to the chest belt of a backpack

This is ◎

Light and small

This is a shame

I want a little more brightness
Difficult to replace the battery

Conclusion

If you simply want to illuminate your feet, the Lumen 600R is ideal, but its weight and size inevitably make it feel like you're wearing something around your waist. If you carry gels or other nutritional supplements in your waist pockets, the Lumen 600R's large belt will mean you'll have to sacrifice that. On the other hand, the Treyle Runner 3 is incredibly light and stress-free. While it may not be bright enough when used alone, it's within an acceptable range if you only use it as a supplement to illuminate your feet. The choice depends on whether you prioritize brightness or lightness, but I think runners who start races like Hasetsune wearing a light should prioritize this feature

(Reference) Summary of evaluation results and spec comparison table

Item name	UltrAspire Lumen 600R	SILVA TRAIL RUNNER 3
image
Reference price (tax included)	20,304 yen	12,420 yen
Size/Weight	★★★★☆	★★★★★
Irradiation power	★★★★★	★★★★☆
Functionality	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Specs
item	UltrAspire Lumen 600R	SILVA TRAIL RUNNER 3
Weight (with battery)	Approximately 150	Approximately 121
Catalog Maximum Light	600lm	250lm
Catalog maximum irradiation distance		65m
Maximum irradiation time (HIGH)	13h (mid mode)	Approximately 30h
Catalog Maximum Irradiation Time (LOW)		Approximately 90h
Waterproof level	IPX6	IPX5
Dimming	3 levels + SOS	Strong, weak, flashing
charging	Dedicated USB battery (sold separately)	3 x AAA alkaline batteries

Tsushima Kohei

A runner who loves travel and nature. As I climbed the mountains everywhere, I walked all the way to Tibet to see Everest. I became a working adult and became addicted to running, which I started to relieve my lack of exercise, and was unable to satisfy myself in the full marathon and ended up running the Ultra Marathon (100km) and Ultra Trail (100mile). He is currently taking on the Grand Slam of a citizen runner (3rd marathon, 10th ultra marathon, complete the summit of Fuji Mountain Climbing Race), and is currently challenging domestic and international races to reach even greater heights! We post reviews of races and gears that we have run.
Blog: Because it is there

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