Well this turned into along post.....
Light roundup
My Current Lights - (Price March 2021)
MagicShine MJ-906 - ($280)
Cleanskin Duo - ($100)
Cleanskin Unite - ($70)
Azur zap 1000 - ($30-$50)
SolarStorm X3 - ($30)
TL DR
You get what you pay for, but cheap isn't always bad
Most of these lights I've had a while (MagicShines 2017 on the second set of batteries) with the Duo's being new. I'll comment on these as the primary use of MTBing but can also comment on ‘Gravel Bike’ use. All of these except the Azur's are overkill for city/lighted trail commuting and if you want to be a 'considerate' commuter you’ll need to account for other users (i.e. use on low setting and angle down). I’ve also had many other sets of lights over the 20+ years commuting at night, with MTBing at night only in the last 6+ years. I had the good old NiteRider Pro’s halogen’s when they were actually impressive, AyUps for a bit, as well as no brand e-bay lights etc. Modern lights are (generally) pretty bloody good.
The Lights (In order of ‘goodness’)
MagicShine MJ-906
These are pretty awesome lights, 4 years ago when I brought them they were also significantly cheaper! ($180 rather than $280). I use these as floodlights on the handlebars and have comparable output to mid-range Exposure lights. They throw enough light that I can see quite clearly. They included a taillight and handlebar remote, both of which I never use. They have a very broad beam with a consistent pattern, I use them without a helmet mounted light and am confident taking on intermediate trails as they throw out a LOT of light. As I don’t use a helmet light with these, Jumps / quick transition changes / dips and tight corners can leave dark spots or pools etc. I cooked the first battery and brought a well speced 8 cell battery to replace it. It used to get 1.5 hours on high, I now get 3ish. I like these lights, but given the increased cost and the Duo’s below, not sure if they justify the extra $180. No doubt there are some better contenders at that price point.
Cleanskin Duo
Similar breadth and quality of light (30/4 Update - in real world use the beam looks narrower and quite a bit dimmer showing less of the trail) as the MagicShine’s but not quite as bright, doesn’t quite saturate in front of you with the same amount of light. This leads to slightly less confidence with riding, but certainly enough for riding your local trails. I’ll need to spend more time with these but these seem a pretty good light for the money with enough light that my old eye don’t struggle. High on this is similar to medium on the MagicShines. Haven’t had enough long night rides to see battery performance, but I’ll be changing brightness to save power. This has a long cable on both light and battery which leads to a fair bit of spare cable to wrap around stuff, pro or con? Not sure. I’m keen to try It on the helmet as it’s tiny and combined with that long cord should work well, added bonus as it has a GoPro mount adaptor clip, but oddly not a helmet mount GoPro strap which the Cleanskin Unite came with. (It comes with the bar mount adaptor with a strap for the helmet, bit clunky and considering the Unite has a GoPro mount a bit weird). The battery, battery case, and light itself are very well constructed and I’m looking forward to seeing how these go after a couple of years.
Cleanskin Unite
Slightly narrower beam that the two above and less light again than the Duo’s. Not the raw horsepower of the first two, enough so that when I tested these as a solo handlebar mounted light on the MTB trails I did find myself wishing for more light, still serviceable but not as enjoyable. I’ve tried these as helmet mounted with the MagicShines and they help a little, but the raw horsepower of the MagicShines sort of, well, makes them pale in comparison. That being said, on green trails and defiantly gravel roads etc. these are an awesome light. The battery is a replaceable 18650 so will be easy to maintain if needed but my wife has been using one for just over a year 3-4 time a week on early morning rides with no noticeable battery performance hit. This comes with great accessories, handlebar mount, GoPro adaptor and Helmet Strap with GoPro mount and is also a very capable handheld torch. The manufacturing quality on these are good too, although the handlebar mount is a little… weird. I’m impressed with this light.
SolarStorm x3
These have an OK wide beam, wider than the Cleanskin Unite but not as wide as the Duo or MagicShine and the beam is a little patchier. In terms of brightness they are not as bright as the Unite, but the wider beams helps. These are certainly capable of taking on MTB trails, but you’ll need to go a bit slower, same as the Unite. Doable, but not as enjoyable. They are also $30!! I have used my set for close to 3 years with consistent use over winter, but rare charging over summer. The batteries are holding up fine. Using these with different batteries has some issues as it comes with a screw on collar that secures the plug. The plug seem a little looser so with a different battery and sufficient bouncing around I have had the plug come loose. Not often but it did happen.
Azur Zap 1000
Horrible light. I got these as I went somewhere without lights and was doing a ride (easy singletrack) The light beam was quite narrow and weak and it struggled to light the road getting to the ride let alone the easy single-track, if both these and the Unite’s are 1000 lumens I’d sack one of the calibrators used in measuring. Whilst the Unite’s feel like they are overperforming 1000 lumens, you’d need to be very generous to clock these at 1000. Insult to injury was that I relegated these to my pub bike and the bloody things stopped working after a month or so (emitter not battery). I now have backup battery for the SolarStorm’s. Before they crapped out they were usable on lighted bike paths and would get me home, but considering the cost of these compared to the SolarStorms AND they buggered up it’s not a contender.