With a further eight weeks until the change of the clock, lights remain high on our test agenda.
The Stella 500 from Light and Motion is, as the name suggests, a light with a 500-lumen maximum output, so one that will need to be on its mettle to guide us along unlit rural roads, but which we expect to take urban riding in its stride.
The headline output is one of six offered by a unit that favours a traditional separation of power source and lamp. Both attach with robust, permanently attached rubber straps, that offer tool-free mounting.
Opinion is divided among those who favour a cable-free, integrated unit, and those for whom visible cabling and a separate battery represents no real issue. The recently-tested Hope R1 LED was a simple-enough unit to use. The two share the distinction of a helmet mount option as well as the bar mount that we have selected. Where they differ, however, is in the length of cable attached to the head unit. Whereas the short section of coiled cable attached to the R1 amounted to little more than a ‘tail’, Light and Motion have fitted the Stella 500’s lamp with a 127cm cable, which has offered us no better option than to coil it, and secure the excess with zip ties.
A further similarity with the Hope R1 is the top-mounted button, which allows easy access to the various modes of the Stella 500. By pressing and quickly releasing the button to turn on the power, the user gains access to a sequence of four outputs: maximum (500 lumens), medium (275 lumens), low (140 lumens), and a flashing, 140-lumen ‘pulse’ mode. By holding down the power button when switching on the unit, the user accesses a sequence of just two outputs: high and medium, which offers potential as an effective ‘main’ and ‘dipped’ beam facility.
We measured the Stella 500’s battery pack at 80mm x 50mm. It’s finished with a smart rubber cap, which adds a further 10mm to its overall length, but which looks like it might provide a waterproof seal. The cable is marked with a smart silver arrow, which indicates the direction in which it should be connected. There’s a corresponding silver dot on then rubber seal that crowns the battery pack.
An identical cable accompanies the supplied battery charger, one that Light and Motion claims will fully charge the Stella 500 in 2.75 hours. By coincidence, 2.75 hours is the claimed maximum run time on the maximum, 500 lumen output.
We’ll be finding out how the Stella 500 performs on early morning and night-time missions. Check back soon for a full review.
Price: £150
Colour: black
Website: Light and Motion
UK distributor: Madison
