Review of Cateye HL-EL530 LED Bicycle Headlight

Cateye HL-EL530 LED Bicycle Headlight
By: Cateye Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 24
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Great until it breaks. Not very rugged

On: 2008-07-03

The battery connectors and housing are flimsy and poorly designed. Works great until it breaks or an electrical connection sticks open or closed.

Decent Slow to Medium Speed Commuter Lamp

On: 2008-05-27

Overall, not a bad lamp, but somewhat limited in its application. After fiddling with the throw distance within varying ambient light levels and riding speeds, my impression is that this lamp is best used for slow to medium speed commuter/street cycling (8-12 MPH) on relatively safe (paved) streets. At about 10 feet throw distance, the main lighted area is only about 1-2 feet in diameter, which is by design, but makes the lamp not too useful for higher speed riding over rugged terrain where rapid directional adjustments are likely required. Extending the throw distance beyond 10 feet wasnt useful for me; although, the lamp is certainly bright enough to effectively illuminate the road at further distances. The plastic lens seems relatively soft, and would possibly scratch if mud or dust is wiped off directly; although, I didnt give this a try, and wouldnt recommend it. There are only two modes for the lamp: on and off, which isnt really an issue for me since I rarely need or use "low beam" or "blink" modes. A nice feature for this lamp, since it has a concentrated beam, would be a focusable beam like nicer flashlights have.

The lamp certainly is bright, which is a bonus for commuting; oncoming traffic shouldnt have trouble seeing it at a safe distance. The clamp works decent as well; I rarely had to adjust the lamp position once I tightened the clamp sufficiently. It seems to last quite a while with Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. The switch is quite easy to operate, but perhaps too easy if the lamp is carried in a bag (i.e. it can turn on inadvertently, draining the batteries).

Cateye Headlight

On: 2008-04-20

Hello,

I have purchased this product couple weeks ago and I am very happy with it. The light is stong and very efficient. Goodluck at shopping for everyone.

Simply the best!

On: 2008-04-08

LED light that has a rated life of more than 10,000 hours,1500 candlepower, 90 hour run time, choice of mounting systems flexfit or standard, uses 4 AA rechargable or standard batteries, waterproof to 30 meters, casts a clear circle of white light, with ambiant light across the entire road, quick-release mount to move from one bike to the next or use it as a great walk-around flashlight. Nothing compares at anywhere near this price! Some reviewers are comparing this light to high-output units with large rechargable battery packs which are not in the same class. I use this light approximately 10-12 hours a week; charging the batteries monthly. I ride in the country with no additional lighting and have never had a problem with visibility. The light switch uses a magnet for the solid state sensor inside the sealed case. This along with the front lense mounting system over the battery compartment makes the light totally waterproof. If you want more light output, mount a second light and still save yourself hundreds of dollars.

Cateye quality is not what it used to be....

On: 2008-04-08

My old cateye Halogen headlight (HL-500) was legendary in its toughness, 10 years with routine drops and spills. I cant say the same for the new OptiCube LED models. Ive had both the HL-EL500 and the newer HL-EL530 LED lights stop working after falling only once from handlebar heights(just about 3.5 ft). Nothing visibly broken or cracked, no loose parts, just a $45-$55 paper weight. The problem is limited to the reflector/bulb housing unit, for which Cateye does not sell replacements, so once it breaks you have to replace the whole thing. No complaints about the brightness when it worked, but a bike-light needs to be tough and should withstand small drops at least as well as your average cell-phone. MagLite can make nearly indestructable and waterproof flashlights that sell for under $35, why cant CatEye? Its about time we stopped getting ripped off by bike light manufacturers.

Best headlight short of high intensity discharge.

On: 2008-03-05

Cateye and its OptiCube technology strike again. One small led provides enough illumination at night to make even the darkest routes a breeze to travel through. The HL-EL530 is large and hefty, but that adds to its ruggedness and durability in my eyes. Buy it, you wont be disappointed.

Great lamp - Not very rugged

On: 2008-01-29

I have used my Cateye bicycle light for about a year now. It has very good battery lift with rechargeable energizer batteries. The light itself is very strong and provides great illumination on the road surface.

My only complaint with the device is that the way the lamp connects to the main battery compartment is poorly designed. I found this out when the light accidentally dropped out of my side coat pocket. A drop of 4 feet cracked the plastic side latches. While, a drop of this height might have rendered any lamp useless, due to the construction of the Cateye there is really no easy way to fix the lamp so it will work again. How do I recycle one of these?

I am going to ship it back to the manufacturer to see if I can get a replacement or recycle it. In the future I will look for something more rugged.

nice light for commute

On: 2008-01-25

I bought this after going thru my 2nd Nite Rider set (bad wiring). It is plenty good for both seeing and being seen, as a matter of fact, it is a lot brighter than the $160 Nite Rider I replaced. I bike along an unlit 10 wide path that is oftentimes littered with fallen tree limbs, etc. It is great on even the darkest and rainiest rides. Battery life so far real good, Ive used it for 5 hours so far, and it uses 4 AAs, so I will replace the alkaline AAs provided with it with 2600 MA NiMH rechargeables. This is a well built little light at a great price!

Cateye HL-EL530 LED Bicycle Headlight

On: 2008-01-13

Its great for a night ride in the park or on the road. The beam is very bright and focused.
I have used it for the last two weeks and it really changed the way that I see and the way others see me at night.
I would say that when it comes to the "value for money business", this is one of the best bike light that you can get.

Very Satisfied...

On: 2008-01-07

The unit works very well. It is bright and covers a big area in front of the bike. Couple of minor comments; the unit is a bit bulky and heavy, and the mount does not feel very secure, but every thing is working great so far.

Best Light I've bought yet!!!!!!!

On: 2008-01-04

I bought this to replace my Cateye EL500, the results couldnt be better! I can see!! I CAN SEE!!! Not only can the cars see me, I can SEE the road in front of the bike!! This is well worth the money. I know others expect it to work and be as bright as a motorcycle headlight, well, its not. Its made for a bicycle. If you need more light, then use 2. I would. Happy and Safe Cycling!!

Don't expect too much

On: 2007-12-02

I dont know much about wattage and candle power, but I do know whether a light is bright enough to use as a single source for night rides, and this light is not good enough for that. It does not have enough power. In my case, the light just seems to evaporate into the ambient light cast by street lights. Youll be able to have enough light in one small area only but the light is not diffuse enough or strong enough to light up a larger area that youll want to be able to see for safe night riding. Ive been commuting at night for years now, and have found that a minimum wattage for a good bike light is about 10 watts. I supppose this light puts out only 1 watt.

I used this light for several years as a backup light. I put it on the handlebars and had it there in case my main system went out. It served that function well. But if you buy it thinking it can be a good and inexpensive solution, as a single light for riding at night, youll be disappointed.

Don't expect too much

On: 2007-12-01

I dont know much about wattage and candle power, but I do know whether a light is bright enough to use as a single source for night rides, and this light is not good enough for that. It does not have enough power. In my case, the light just seems to evaporate into the ambient light cast by street lights. Youll be able to have enough light in one small area only but the light is not diffuse enough or strong enough to light up a larger area that youll want to be able to see for safe night riding. Ive been commuting at night for years now, and have found that a minimum wattage for a good bike light is about 10 watts. I supppose this light puts out only 1 watt.

I used this light for several years as a backup light. I put it on the handlebars and had it there in case my main system went out. It served that function well. But if you buy it thinking it can be a good and inexpensive solution, as a single light for riding at night, youll be disappointed.

Exactly as expected

On: 2007-11-29

The HL-EL530 was exactly as expected. An excellent low cost option, good for lighting around dark or dimly lit streets. It slides on and off its holder very easily, and was easy to set up on my bike. The light output is good, shines a circular light with a bright spot in the middle. Definitely not enough light for safe trail riding at night, although I do it anyway on a trail I know well. Overall, I got what I expected.

Bright but no Xenon

On: 2007-11-27

I bike to and from work most days and bought this light for those dark nights when I work late. While it is brighter than a lot of other choices out there it definitely doesnt turn a dark road into a well-lit one.
The biggest flaw with this light is that it puts out a very, very bright center spot and a fairly weak corona around this small spot. When biking along the corona simply doesnt give you enough visibility to see an object in the road with a lot of time to avoid it.
Thankfully I bike somewhere that has enough ambient light from street lights that I dont have a lot of dark spots to worry about, but if that isnt you, spend more money to get a more powerful light.

Nice but narrow light!

On: 2007-10-18

I bought this unit because it is quite bright and it mounts on my unusual wing-shaped and wide handlebars. I like it, but the light beam is really narrow. If you aim it 7 to 10 feet in front of you, the illumination is a bright two foot circle of light and a dim glow out from that point. Id prefer a wider (though fainter) beam... or a more gradual diffusion of light, starting bright in the center and growing dimmer... gradually... as it works farther away from the center.

The light is functional, doesnt weigh too much and is easy on batteries (so far... Ive only used it for four hours!). Mounting works well, but the set screw for the left-right adjust on the bracket was too loose.

Unit vibrates a little, but not too bad. Only other annoyance is light reflection off my brake cable. I have to tie it back with a velcro strip when I want to use the light.

Great light for what it is

On: 2007-09-13

This light stands nicely on its own merits. It is much brighter than the 5mm leds and has a very tight hotspot with useful spill.
A new (brighter) emitter and some diffusion film to even out the hotspot will make it my perfect light for nighttime riding in and near town.

thoughts and ideas

On: 2007-09-12

The tight beam is good for seeing the road ahead, but not terribly good for being seen. A birght spot with a dim but broad corona. I think an extra little flashing LED front light might be in order.

Battery life seems good, cant expect something for nothing.

I had the opticube light, forget the model name. It had 5 leds, it was quite good, but outclassed by this light.

The switch is of a pointless, gimmicky nature. Its easy for the light to turn on as it bounces around inside a pannier, for example. I covered mine with a velcro shield.

What I would like to see is a light with a dipper option, so you can point the light down/up as desired, like a cars headlights. Either built into the reflector or the handlebar mount.

Another thing; my tactical flashlight puts out a constant light intensity until it can do so no longer, at which point it just turns off rather than fade away. This would be a good (optional) feature for a bike light (with caveats of course). Im forever cycling with a light that noticeable fades during my ride. Imagine a constant output light with a small LCD showing how much time you have left. This is not beyond a competent amateur electronic engineer to design.

Also, it has no flashing option; which could be nice. Taken to the extreme, an imperceptibly rapid pulsing of the light allows for higher instantaneous output levels.

Also, if you have a previous cateye/opticube/what-not, note that the handlebar fixture might be compatible still. My old fixture seems superior perhaps to the one that comes with this light.

Great light, easy to install

On: 2007-09-12

I have been very happy with the light. I actually bought two, and I have no complaints. They work great, especially for the price.

Great light, easy to install

On: 2007-09-11

I have been very happy with the light. I actually bought two, and I have no complaints. They work great, especially for the price.

Bright, but not what I expected.

On: 2007-09-06

This headlight is pretty bright, but I must say I was expecting a bit more (for the price). I dont know what type of L.E.D. this light uses (probably a 1 watt) but im pretty sure it is not the luxon 2 wich is the brightest available to date. I use a L.E.D. headlamp at work wich uses the luxon 2 and it only runs on 3 AA batteries and it is extremely bright with a much wider light beam. Thats another complaint I have with this light, the light beam is very narrow and not adjustable. The field of view is somewhat limited. I will say I have not encounterd the problem of the light bouncing around everywhere going over bumps as I read in another review(I would attribute this to the user, as mine is very secure.) Bottom line, this is sill going to be one of the brightest L.E.D. lights available untill use of the luxon 2 becomes more widespread.(whats the holdup, light emiting diodes are not new technology!) Overall this is a great headlight for road use, but if you plan on using it on the trail you will probably need at least 2 or purchase a more expensive halogen system.

Cateye headlight

On: 2007-08-23

Im disappointed with this product because of: 1. It throws a round beam 2. Not as bright as I thought it would be. I have a maglight led flashlight that is way brighter.

This product may be ok for the occasional slow speed (<5 MPH) bike rider

great for a battery light

On: 2007-08-18

far better than the xenon incandescent lights with same battery configurations. Very bright focused beam and light scatters in an even pattern around the beam. I always use two battery headlights one is a backup. This is my brightest yet.

Cateye HL-EL530

On: 2007-07-20

Good bright lite for every day commuting on bike to work, but I do wish it has a flashing option. Battery seems to last so far, I had it for above a month, over an hour ride daily and still on the same batteries. Much better than my old traditional light.

Cateye HL-EL530

On: 2007-07-19

Good bright lite for every day commuting on bike to work, but I do wish it has a flashing option. Battery seems to last so far, I had it for above a month, over an hour ride daily and still on the same batteries. Much better than my old traditional light.

Powerful yes, but...

On: 2007-03-19

This light is great. Small enough & very bright. Only complaint is that the lightning pattern is very tight (spot)... Would like it better if it was somewhat wider... bit more light to the sides would make it 5 stars.

Great Light - Excellent Battery Life

On: 2007-01-06

I used the cateye for months on the ride home from work in the dark. The Colorado country roads that I ride are unlit for about half the ride and the cateye does acceptably at lighting the way for me. My ride is only 30 minutes, and Im not sure the cateye produces enough light for a really long night ride (say an hour or more).

Great Light - Excellent Battery Life

On: 2007-01-05

I used the cateye for months on the ride home from work in the dark. The Colorado country roads that I ride are unlit for about half the ride and the cateye does acceptably at lighting the way for me. My ride is only 30 minutes, and Im not sure the cateye produces enough light for a really long night ride (say an hour or more).