Review: See.Sense ICON Lights

It is always great to see a company that has taken on-board customer feedback, and developed a product as a result. I reviewed the original light set from See.Sense, a Kick-Starter funded Irish company, back in 2015. I was impressed. See.Sense pioneered the intelligent, sensor-driven light concept with the original See.Sense 2.0, and throughout continued testing, it has shown itself to be a great product, both for safety and longevity.

As with any product though, there were a few minor niggles. So, See.Sense took on the feedback, and have recently released the all new ICON light set, reviewed here...


Updated Design

The physical design of the See.Sense ICON is noticeably different from its predecessor; the units are more compact, more weatherproof and better thought out.

Rather than the shaped plastic body on the 2.0, the ICON lights have a shaped rubber backplate, with different mouldings for front and rear. This new design provides a more secure hold on the handlebar or seatpost, and avoids slippage or marking. Ever the developers, See.Sense are also releasing new versions of these rubber back-panels, for aero posts and rucksack clips. Neat stuff.

The rubber backplate doubles up as a bung, to cover the micro USB charging port. Both the positioning of the charging port at the rear of the light, and the more secure rubber bung, makes water ingress into the unit far less likely than on the older design 2.0 units. The ICON is actually rated with IP67 weather-proofing. A clever bit of development, fuelled by customer feedback.
The rubber backplate/bung provides a more secure fit for the ICON light set, as well as better weather-proofing


Ultra-bright

The ICON has updated LEDs too, compared to the See.Sense 2.0. The ICON front utilises two CREE LEDs, to output 320 lumens of power; the rear also has two CREE units, giving out a more than adequate 190 lumens.

These are impressively bright; certainly enough to be seen in even broad daylight. For those that really want to be a sun-like beacon on the road though, there is also an ICON "+" version, with even more power output (420 front, 250 rear lumen output!).

The beam angles are impressively wide, too. This noticeably helps your side-on visibility at junctions and in traffic. The only downside of this, is that the front light can be a bit dazzling on your handlebars; so it is worth utilising the provided rubber shade, to avoid it being a distraction.
It is worth utilising the rubber shade for the See.Sense ICON Front light, to avoid dazzling distraction!


Intelligent

Finally, the real highlight of these lights, is their brain power!

Much like the See.Sense 2.0, the See.Sense ICON is fitted with sensors, which detect unit movement, light changes and motion. These sensors feedback to the light on how it should conduct its output: whether that is flashing angrily, as it senses a car approaching too close; or blasting a short burst as you rumble over potholes, warning following drivers you might need to swerve. Then, as you get onto small quiet lanes, the power and flash intensity dims; helping to conserve battery life. It is without doubt, intelligent stuff!

The ICON differs from the See.Sense 2.0 though, in the fact that it will connect via Bluetooth to the See.Sense App, which allows you to tailor the on-board computer even further. You can adjust the brightness, flash programme and view battery life (which is very respectable), all from your phone. This new-found capability also allows you to update the lights with new software, as and when it is released, which will make sure you are making the most of the clever sensor technology.

The App technology provides a few more clever additions, too. The first, is an anti-theft mechanism, which utilises the motion sensor in the lights, and will send an alert to your phone if the bike moves whilst you're in the café or shop (you need to be in Bluetooth range). The second is crash alerts, which I actually haven't experimented with yet, but utilise the sensors in the lights, combined with GPS functionality in the App, to detect when you might have had a crash; then send an automated SMS to a loved-one when it does. Both potentially useful features!



Summary

To sum up, these See.Sense ICON lights have taken the already impressive technology displayed in the See.Sense 2.0, and improved upon it! They are more intelligent, more durable, more reliable and have greater functionality.

I have been using the 2.0 light set since I first tested them, and honestly believe they make a noticeable difference to your road presence, over standard bike lights. With the new and improved ICON on the scene though, I have a new Every Ride Carry.

View the See.Sense ICON Light Set at chainreactioncycles.com (Link)
Simple, but effective mounting, on the See.Sense ICON

The See.Sense ICON lights have taken the already impressive technology displayed in the See.Sense 2.0, and improved upon it


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