In the past, good light was expensive. The market was dominated by German and American products, which were of the highest quality but also correspondingly expensive. Then numerous cheap Chinese products were thrown onto the market. Accordingly, the differences in workmanship and durability varied greatly depending on the manufacturer. In the meantime, products from the Far East have improved in quality and can keep up with the well-known manufacturers.

The Xeccon brand was not very well known until now. We first noticed the lamps from this manufacturer during a visit to the Swiss distributor Intercycle. The products come from China, but are of very high quality. This soon becomes apparent when you take a closer look at these lights.

What the Xeccon has inside and with it

With the Zeta 5000R model, the name says it all - it stands for the number of lumens. However, our own experience tells us that the technical specifications of lumen and lux do not really say much about whether a lamp is really suitable for the trail. This is because the light pattern and diffusion are often more important than the light value.

The lamp head of the Zeta is of solid construction. It has a waterproof housing (IPX6 standard) and includes six high-performance LEDs from the American manufacturer Cree. The headlamp can be mounted on the handlebars using a rubber ring or on the helmet mount supplied.

Three brightness levels and a strobe function can be selected using a switch on the light or even more simply via the wireless Bluetooth remote control. The remote control is attached to the handlebars using Velcro tape.

According to the manufacturer, the rechargeable battery, which is stored in a splash-proof frame bag, should provide light for up to 20 hours. Up to three hours at full power.

Fiddle first, then ride

As with most providers, the helmet mount is fitted with a Velcro strap. This is long enough for most bike helmets. As already mentioned, the lamp head is attached to the holder with an elastic band. This is a somewhat fiddly affair, as the rubber easily becomes wedged on the bracket itself. It is helpful to have a pen or screwdriver to hand to make it easier to thread the ring through the bracket. The rubber band is the ideal length and tension. Even after five months of use on various helmets, the lamp still holds securely on the holder without slipping and the angle can still be adjusted very easily while riding.

The light cone of the Zeta 5000R is well focused and allows you to ride at high speed even on single trails. Despite the bundling, the light cone has a pleasant width and also illuminates forest roads in such a way that there is no tunnel vision. We have already had lights that were so bright that they even "burned away" the contrasts, which made it difficult for us to judge the heights and depths of roots or other obstacles. Despite the 5000 lumens, the Zeta doesn't do that. Its brightness is pleasant and not too bright.

The lamp was often in use from November to the end of March in icy cold conditions, but also in constant rain. No weather could harm it. As a rule, the lowest level was selected on forest roads and the highest level on trails. The battery lasted more than six hours cumulatively. The charging time was between four and six hours.

Conclusion

The Xeccon Zeta 5000R is an all-round carefree product that offers a lot of quality and good illumination for just 240 francs. Only the mounting of the handlebar bracket for the remote control is not optimally implemented. In the event of unintentional contact, it quickly slips out of the desired position.

www.xeccon.com