Gemini Lights are new to the UK this year and the Xera Flashlight is the Canadian firm’s latest torch.
The company was founded with an ambition to “give you the best products without the premium price tag” – we’ll be finding out whether the Xera Flashlight fulfils that promise. First let’s look at the tech spec.
The Xera Flashlight is, on the face of it, Gemini’s most suitable light for road riding as it’s a slim and compact unit with a self-contained battery. Gemini’s other lights – the Xera, Olympia and Duo systems – are powered by a separate battery pack which straps to the toptube.
The Xera Flashlight has four modes and a maximum output of a claimed 850 Lumens on full power (Gemini say it will run at this output for 90 minutes), making this a light suitable for night riding on unlit roads. Alternatively, you can run the light at 60 per cent (510 Lumens for three hours), 20 per cent (170 Lumens for ten hours) or on flashing mode. The light is operated by a single button on the rear. Hold it down to turn the light on or off, and gently press the button to cycle through the four modes.
Gemini use a Cree XM-L U2 LED emitter and the Xera Flashlight has an interchangeable optic lens, with 16-degree and 14-degree optics supplied in the box. The light’s powered by a Panasonic 3100mAh lithium ion battery which is removed by unscrewing the rear end of the light and charged using a mains-powered charger.
The light is mounted using a simple U-shaped clip that the light snaps into, which is then itself attached to the ‘bars using an o-ring (two sizes are supplied).
A seemingly competitive price of £105.99 completes what looks, on the face of it, a promising package for a light which is powerful enough for night riding and versatile enough to also be used while commuting. Now it’s time to strap the Xera Flashlight to the ‘bars and find find out whether it fulfils that potential.
