Jan 20, 2017

Operation Light Up Your Run: Knuckle Lights Rechargeable Review | BibRavePro

Disclaimer: I received the Knuckle Lights: Rechargeable to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador, tell them I sent you), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

My days are often quite full. Fitting in running, generally then means running early. Unfortunately, that often puts me out before the sun. Running in the dark means making yourself safe and making yourself seen. Bright clothes, reflective gear, and most importantly, lights. A good light helps you see where you're going, and help others see you, especially those "others" in cars. Running with a flashlight can be a pain. Holding something in your hand, trying to point it to see in front of you throws you off your natural stride. There is, however, a better way.

The Better Way

The better way to run with a flashlight is with Knuckle Lights. These little beauties are better than flashlights. They're worn on your hand, so nothing to hold. Each hand gets a bright, wide beam, lighting up everything you need in front of you. The first time I used them, I was amazed at the coverage. The feature a wide-flood LED beam with 280 lumens total (140 per light). That is not messing around. They feature an adjustable strap for the hand, perfect for whatever size hand you have, or whatever extra your gloves might add in the winter. In pure infomercial style, I must also say, "but wait, there's more!" They also feature a charging dock and magnetic connection. That means when you're done, they snap together with the magnets and you drop them in the dock and you're ready to go the next time you need them.

How do they work?

I already alluded to how well they work. The 280 lumens and "wide-flood LED" is no exaggeration. The coverage of the light in front of me was fantastic. With one I each hand, I really could hardly notice the movement. When you use a normal flashlight, it's moving around with you no matter how hard you try. With Knuckle Lights, you get a wide coverage area, so as your hands move, between the two of them, you keep great coverage in front of you. It's surprisingly fantastic. They have 3 settings: high, low, and blinking. The last is perfect if you're running in a well lit area, so you might not need them to see the path, but you get that extra safety of being seen.


They adjust well and comfortably to the hand. If you're using gloves, I suggest adjusting them before you go out though, just to avoid the gloved finger fumbling. They're also quite light. The Knuckle Lights site lists them as less than 3 ounces each, making them super lightweight.  In addition to the recharge-ability (which I really appreciate), they're also IPX-6 waterproof, which basically means you should be good to go with whatever mother nature throws at you.


I took these on a bunch of runs, because I generally have to run in the morning if I'm going to get my run in. Unfortunately, right now in the winter that means I'm out and back before the sun's even up. These have been a huge blessing. I do run somewhere fairly well let, but there are a couple of spots with a streetlight out that leaves you guess. Now, I can throw these on and just go. Plus, only the hilly path is well lit. The nice easy flat path is not. Now, at least I can have an easy run if I want some mornings.

3 Special Steps

I've been watching a little bit too much Special Agent Oso lately, so I have the 3 special steps for Knuckle Lights, just like Paw Pilot would give you.

Codename: Operation Light Up Your Run!
Step 1: Drop the lights in the charger.
Step 2: Slide them onto your hands. Here's a tip, you may need to adjust them to fit just right.
Step 3: Turn them on.
Now you're ready to light up your run!


The Takeaway

I'm all about being safe on my runs. Blinking clip on lights, the bright colors, whatever I need. Until recently, I kept a tiny flashlight in the front pocket of my Orange Mud HydraQuiver. Now, I no longer need to do this. These are so so so much better. If you run in the early morning or at night time, these are a great product to have on hand (see what I did there?). Great light coverage, bright, rechargeable, lightweight, they're all around fantastic!

#bibchat

This week's #bibchat will feature Knuckle Lights. Stop by on Tuesday, January 24th at 9pm EST to join in the good times that is bibchat. Interact with the team, with other BibRavePros, and all the other like minded runners that participate each week. You can plan on a giveaway as we always do, so there's always that added bonus for showing up.

Do you run in the dark? Do you carry a flashlight or use something else?