Planet Bike Blaze 2W Micro
  • 139 claimed lumens
  • 12h measured battery life
  • Spot
  • flashing mode
  • no pulse mode
  • 2 brightness levels
  • internal AA batteries
  • removable battery
  • Included mounts: Slide-on
  • Optional mounts: Helmet
$40

The Blaze 2W Micro is very similar to the previous Blaze lights, but is smaller, lighter, and has slightly better battery life.

Series review: Planet Bike's time-tested headlight series

Review by , Sept. 12, 2013, midnight

All of Planet Bike's Blaze headlights share similar designs and features, and use the same mount. The main pros and cons apply to all three lights.

Pros:

  • Better side visibility than some other lights, due to the cut-away on the side that lets light through.
  • SuperFlash pattern is very attention-grabbing.
  • Has high and low brightness settings.
  • Easy on/off mounting, but mount stays on bike, so it’s harder to transfer between bikes.
  • Planet Bike donates 25% of their profits to cycling advocacy!
  • Replaceable AA batteries.

Cons:

  • Non-rechargeable (unless you use your own rechargeable batteries).
  • Mount is not as sturdy as some other manufacturers.
  • Poor voltage regulation: light dims as the battery wears down. This is improved significantly in the Blze 2W Micro compared to the other Blaze lights.

Review: A small but welcome update to the Blaze series

Review by , Sept. 12, 2013, midnight

  • Same basic design as Blaze 2W and 1W.
  • Smaller size (same size as Planet Bike Blinky 5).
  • Longer battery life with brighter LED.
  • Better voltage regulator keeps the light from dropping off quite as fast.

There is hardly any difference in price between the Blaze 1W and Blaze 2W, although the 1W did have better battery life. However, the 2W Micro beats both on battery life. If you're going to get a Planet Bike headlight, suffice it to say that the 2W Micro is the better light: It keeps everything I like about the previous Blaze lights while adding some subtle improvements to brightness and battery life.

$40