Now that the dark mornings have arrived, I’ve started to utilize some form of lighting on my pre-dawn runs. Although most of my miles take place on well-lit streets, I do occasionally venture off road and typically wear one of my trusty headlamps to provide lighting when required. Headlamps are fine, but they can get a bit uncomfortable around the forehead. Also, some runners suffer from tunnel vision when focused on the narrow beam of light from a headlamp. The new UltrAspire Lumen 170 is a lighted waist pack that was recently advertised in UltraRunning magazine. Always keen to try new products, I reached out to UltrAspire for more details and was offered a 20% discount code in exchange for some product feedback and a blog review. Here we go…
The Lumen 170 is fully adjustable from 26″ to 42″ and fits very comfortably around your waist or hips. The belt secures quickly and easily at the rear thanks to the no-hassle buckle, with any excess strap material tucking neatly into the reflective loops located at each side of the belt. The hexagon-holed polyester mesh is breathable, slightly stretchy and looks to be very durable. I believe it’s the same material used in UltrAspire’s race vests, so is sure to stand up to the demands of regular use. The belt features a handy small, zip pocket (approximately 5″ x 2″) located to the right of the lamp. The pocket is not quite large enough to carry a smartphone, but is plenty big enough for an older style flip phone, keys, cash, credit cards, energy gels, batteries, and is easy to open/close using the red plastic tab. As for appearance, the belt is bright and modern-looking and features plenty of reflective detailing for great visibility on those morning/evening runs.
With regards to the lamp itself, the quality is excellent – aircraft-grade aluminum housing (which is water, dust, impact resistant) and a tempered glass lens. This is not your ordinary plastic-housed lamp that will crack and break after just a few weeks of use. Operating the lamp is very straightforward thanks to the push-button control located on the right side of the device. Push the button once for On (the High setting), press again sequentially for Medium, Low, Flashing and Off. Press the button after 4 seconds and the lamp will go straight to Off.
The lamp is held firmly in place by two silicon rings and can easily be rotated through 180° (90° up and 90° down). The rings do a great job of gripping the lamp so there’s no movement when in use. However, I did find the waist-mounted lamp to “bounce” more than a traditional headlamp. At 170 lumens, the High setting provides more than enough light for my morning jaunts around the local streets and soccer fields. Medium (66 lumens) is also pretty good, but the Low setting at 9 lumens is probably only useful for up-close reading of maps or something similar. I do like the way the waist-mounted Lumen 170 keeps the light lower on the road or trail which increases the depth of field and clarity, but wish there was an option to adjust the width of the beam.
The Lumen 170 requires 3 x AAA batteries, which frustratingly were not included with the purchase. Thankfully I had several rechargeable AAAs on standby which are still going strong after 8+ hours of use. The batteries are easy to swap out, but be aware of the pin that needs to be correctly aligned when screwing the cap back on. Might be a bit tricky if you’re out on the trail and the batteries die.
Summary: The Lumen 170 is lightweight (6.5 ounces), breathable and very comfortable to wear. Battery life is pretty impressive (10 hours on the High setting) and the front pocket is a neat addition. Quality of both the belt and lamp is excellent. The Lumen 170 also comes with a limited three-year warranty on the light for repair or replacement, and currently retails for $99.99.
Worth noting if you need a more powerful lamp; UltrAspire also sell the super-bright Lumen 600 – a similar product featuring a 3.7V rechargeable battery and an extra rear pocket that can accommodate a smartphone. The Lumen 600 currently retails for $179.99. Check out the UltrAspire website for more details.
From the UltrAspire Website:
- The Lumen’s light has a focused center with wide-angle peripheral light for a natural running experience.
- 180° directional rotation with a range of motion adjusting 90° up and 90° down and anywhere in between for the best depth of field over the road or trail ahead.
- Body of belt comprised of comfortable and breathable large-holed micro-fiber polyester mesh. The same mesh used in UltrAspire’s award winning race vests.
- Water, dust and impact resistant aircraft grade aluminum housing. Tempered glass lens for clarity.
- Easy operation of light: Push button once for “On” which is also the High setting. Press again sequentially for Medium, Low, S.O.S., and “Off” (Button pressed after 4 seconds will go straight to “Off”).
- Bright elastic binding for comfort and reflective hits for added visibility.
- Simple, user friendly and easy to adjust quick release buckle.
- Limited three-year warranty on the light for repair or replacement.
- 170 Lumens. Uses 3 AAA batteries (not included).
- Adjustable sizing from 26″ to 42″.
Disclaimer: The Lumen 170 was purchased at 20% off retail price on the UltrAspire Website. The discount was generously provided by UltrAspire.
Update [10/30/15]: I used the Lumen 170 at 24 The Hard Way last weekend and was impressed with its performance. Several runners asked about the lamp as it was one of the brightest on the trail.
- Battery life was excellent. 3 brand new AA batteries lasted from approximately 7:00 pm when it got dark to 7:30 am when there was enough light to feel comfortable running on the asphalt trail.
- Brightness and width of beam was impressive. Leading up the race I’ve been using the Lumen 170 each morning in training runs on semi-lit sidewalks with good results, but was amazed how much brighter the lamp was on the dark trail at Bluff Creek Park. Also, a slight adjustment to the angle of the lamp made a big difference to the beam width in front of me.
- Comfort. Compared to my usual race-day headlamp, the waist lamp was much more comfortable – no pressure on the forehead or straps digging in above the ears.
- Spectator and volunteer-friendly. I’m usually guilty of blinding aid station volunteers and support crew with my headlamp. This didn’t happen once with the waist-mounted Lumen 170.