Exposure Link Daybright

The Exposure Link Daybright is a secondary helmet light that adds 360-degree visibility and is great for being seen in heavy traffic. Designed and made in the UK, build quality is exceptional, it's very tough and run-times are reasonable bearing in mind its size and two LEDs.

• Pros: Great build quality, secure clamp, plenty of power for being seen
• Cons: Not easy to operate while riding, operation itself takes a bit of learning

The Link Daybright is the little brother of the £85 Link Plus Daybright that Liam reviewed here. Functionality is exactly the same, but the Link Daybright's run-times are exactly half those of the Link Plus Daybright because of its smaller battery. Output is also slightly lower.

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I would say that as a secondary light for adding dimensionality to your visibility, for being seen rather than to see by, the basic Link does the job and is the one I would go for. Because it shines directly into other road users' eyes, since it follows the direction of your head, a blindingly powerful front light isn't necessary, and is even a nuisance. The Link is also lighter than the Link Plus, and of course it's cheaper.

I won't repeat everything Liam said, but regarding ease of use when it's in place on the helmet, there's the same issue: the power button, which also cycles between modes, isn't the easiest to operate in thick gloves. It doesn't feel prominent enough and can be easy to miss. In thinner gloves and with bare hands it's easy to find. The simplest and safest way is to start it before you set off.

Usability

As for the modes themselves, there are seven for each of the three power levels. You select a power level by holding down the power button and waiting for flashes: one for High, two for Medium and three for Low. When you've selected your power level you can cycle between seven modes, combinations of steady/flashing, front on/rear off, rear off/front on and so on.

Unless you are familiar with Exposure lights' operation, it can take a bit of learning. It's especially easy to forget whether it's one flash or three for High. The etched graphics on the casing, which give you the run-times of the various modes, don't tell you this as they do with the Exposure TraceR Daybright rear light. Fortunately the light's memory function was better than mine: you can just set your preferred power level and mode, use the light, and the next time you switch it on it returns to the setting you last used.

The front light isn't powerful enough to see by – you'll need an output of upwards of 300 lumens for that, and the Link Daybright supplies a maximum of 100. The rear, at 35, is bright enough, though. To me it doesn't look any dimmer than the 75-lumen Exposure TraceR – both are equally blinding if you look directly at them (not advisable).

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The clamp holds the light securely. However, I couldn't use it with an Abus Gamechanger aero helmet, which didn't have a vent in the right place, and using it with a Bontrager Velocis it clamped over the MIPS liner, preventing it from sliding as it is designed to do in an impact.

You can angle the light once clipped into the clamp, but as both lights won't always be visible from all angles, particularly if you're in a tuck and your head is low, it's essential to also use fixed lights.

Battery life is between 1:30 and 24 hours – meaning if you have both lights on constant/high you're going to burn through the charge very quickly. As a secondary light, low power flash for both LEDs gets you 12 hours, which covers a week of commutes and a weekend ride for most of us.

Value

Exposure is arguably the leader in helmet lights and certainly makes some of the best quality and most aesthetically pleasing ones. The Cateye Volt 400 Duplex is slightly more expensive at £69.99 and has a higher output, but it's not as neat a solution, either in terms of its clamp or the light itself.

The Exposure Link Plus Daybright already mentioned costs £85 and does exactly the same as the basic Link but is bigger, more powerful and has twice the run-times.

Verdict

As a 'to be seen' helmet light, the Link Daybright has plenty of power, is tough, versatile and nicely designed