Lezyne Fusion Drive Pro 600+

The Lezyne Fusion Drive Pro 600+ is a low-cost front light that packs enough of a punch to help guide you through the darker evenings and for daylight running. It's tough, waterproof and its one-button setup makes it simple to operate. It did make me feel visible on the road too – but I didn't quite feel it was powerful enough on its own for riding on unlit lanes.

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This has a CNC-machined body that makes it by far the sturdiest-feeling bike light I've ever used. I'm unsure how much the cooling fins actually cool the light, but the light never got close to getting too warm while I was using it, and those fins also give it super-sleek look.

Lezyne says that this light is 'budget-friendly', and I think its price is very reasonable. But the lower cost is also reflected in its quite modest power output when it comes to riding in the dark.

With its 1900mAh battery, you can expect up to 36 hours of running time in day flash mode, though this goes down to just two hours in its blast mode. In this setting, don't expect a super-powerful beam that will illuminate your way on unlit rural roads or lanes – if you do so you'll only be disappointed. I think this light is actually best suited to riding on illuminated urban roads where it provides enough power for you to stand out in the dark.

The mounting system on the underside lets you completely rotate the light when it's mounted, and there's also a charging port with a rubber bung to keep out water. This contributes to the light's impressive IPX7 rating, which means it can survive being temporarily immersed in water, not that we'd recommend this. As you'd expect with this rating, the bung didn't come undone and it did a good job of keeping the rain out. And during testing, you won't be surprised to hear I have ridden in some truly atrocious conditions – and the light withstood everything.

Unlike some of its rivals, it's good to see that Lezyne has opted for the faster and more up-to-date USB-C charging cable, though it's slightly surprising that Lezyne hasn't included a cable with the package. That said, there's a fairly good chance most of us have USB-C cables kicking around. It's also compatible with the Lezyne Infinite Light Power Pack+, which lets you charge the light on the go if you're planning extra-long riding adventures.

In addition to the light's day flash and blast modes, you have the option of economy (100 lumens for 10 hours) and enduro (300 lumens for five hours). You also get femto and pulse modes, which are very much daytime options. As with the day flash mode femto will give you 36 hours – this is because it only uses 20 lumens and it flashes quite slowly compared to the day flash's patterned flash. The pulse mode delivers 100 lumens for up to 12 hours.

Value

At £50, this is reasonably priced, and you are getting a super-tough and well-made light for your money. But bear in mind that it is not ideal if you are going to be riding dark lanes deep into the night. That said, it works very well as a be-seen light, which is what I've been mainly using it for, though for a be-seen light it is a little on the bit bulky side.

It's the same price as the NiteRider Lumina Micro 650 (review to come), though NiteRider has yet to catch up with the times and hasn't made the move to the faster-charging USB-C. The NiteRider Lumina Micro 900 recently reviewed by Laurence offers a good performance, for an extra tenner.

Another option at the same price as the Lezyne is the Proviz LED360 Sirius. But while Stu liked the Proviz's beam pattern, he was less much impressed with the cheap feel of the light.

Conclusion

Simply put, this is very much best used as a be-seen light rather than an out-and-out night-time-running light. It has a pleasingly simple operating system and the whole light feels very sturdy. But the power output isn't quite enough to use by itself on unlit routes when the sun falls below the horizon.

Verdict

Tough, waterproof, well-built and with a long battery life – but I'd have liked a bit more power