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Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light

Using one ultra bright white LED within Cateye's patented Opticube lens, this light has an output in excess of 1500 candlepower and a maximum 50 hour run time! The EL-530 sports a stylish gunmetal lens housing and includes a magnetic switch, making it totally waterproof and weather resistant.
Average Customer Rating:
4.085 out of 5
4.1
 out of 
5
(318 Reviews) 318
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (318 reviews)
5 stars
130
4 stars
123
3 stars
36
2 stars
20
1 star
9
262 of 318(82%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Questions & Answers:
13 Questions | 74 Answers
Customer Reviews for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Review 1 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Value:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Performance:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Dougthedoc
City: Leicester, UK
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Featured Review
Road Cyclist
Date:November 23, 2009
A light to put the others in the shade!
Pros: Adjustable, Great Value, High Quality, awesomely bright!
"Having spent many winter evenings riding into roadside ditches because oncoming vehicles have dazzled me with their undipped headlights, I was truly fed up.
Then I bought one of these, and my world is transformed!!! This light is awesome: the central beam is like a searchlight and is so bright all oncoming vehicles promptly dip their lights (i think they think I'm a motorcycle or something). It's stunningly bright too so debris and potholes are brightly lit when there's no traffic, and the light is bright enough to still allow you to see even in the face of oncoming traffic.
Around the bright beam there is enough peripheral spill to give a wide field of vision too. It's fabulous!! Get one, and scare the traffic!!"
10 of 10 found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Value:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Performance:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
timp
City: Portsmouth
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Featured Review
Mountain Biker
Date:November 20, 2009
Excellent Cycle Light
Pros: Attractive, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality, Rugged, Versatile
"Fantastic light - one of the more expensive options, but well worth it.
The light is very well constructed and a decent size, throwing out a superb beam of light - perfect for the dark, rainy mornings and evenings we have been having recently. Feel much more confident cycling after dark with this.
Very easy to fit too - simple bracket which locks into place securely and holds the light firmly in position.
All in all, an excellent package and well worth your money."
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
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Rossy46
Ross Barden
 
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Poorly constructed, bright
Posted January 15, 2012
This is bright and good value for money, I use rechargeable AA batteries so cheap to run.
The foot on the light started to crack and break early on so I have to use a strap for added security for fear it will crack further and fall off. As a final resort I will have to use araldite to fix it to the bracket and them remove the bracket from the bike when parked.
. Fitting and removing is not easy as it feels stif which can make it prone to flying off.
The LED doesn't like being dropped (from other users experience).
I would shop for a sturdier construction in future.
comments (1)
comment (1)
Review 3 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Value:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Performance:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
beltz
City: bristol
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Commuter
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Featured Review
Commuter
Date:October 27, 2009
Pros: Adjustable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality
"After reading the reviews on the cateye el530 i went ahead and ordered one and wow, its blinding.Fitting batteries was a synch and mounting onto handle bars was a doddle,it took minutes and is securely attached.The on -off switch is easily opperated even with gloves on and transparent side panels make it easy to tell if its on or off.Most importantly the beam,its powerful.The main spot definetely lets car drivers know your coming and a wide spead of light lights your way.Only been using for a couple weeks so can not comment on battery life, but shows no sign of power drop yet. I would recommend this light to any bike user."
Review 4 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Value:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Performance:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
beneldude
City: Darlington
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Featured Review
Road Cyclist
Date:October 21, 2009
Let there be light
Pros: Adjustable, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, void and dark. Strewn with potholes, grates and manhole covers. And God made the slippy cobbles, cracks in the tarmac and annoyingly tough thorns which penetrate even supposed puncture proof tyres. God then realised he should perhaps rethink this darkness and on the 2nd day created the Cateye EL530 and all was bright.
Desiged to fit easily (within 20 secs!) on any size of celestial handlebar and to be angled just right for optimum shining. The beam has a large 'white light' circumference with central bright spot easily illuminating the above mentioned hazards and also letting on coming traffic and pedestrians know you are there. The turn/flip power button also a clever feature to ensure no accidental wasting of precious battery life. There can be no better light for the money; I looked at several and read reviews and almost opted for the next step up but am extremely glad I chose this one. Add to that a set of decent re-chargeble batteries and you have the equivalent of a £100 light for less than half the price.
And God saw the Catete EL530 and every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good indeed.
Here endeth the lesson."
15 of 15 found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Aardvarrk
City: Perth Aus
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Date:February 7, 2012
CateyeEL530
Pros: High Quality, Adjustable, Versatile
"On my second EL 530 as light is perfect for my early winter mornings and late afternoon dusk / dark rides to and from work.
Light emitted is more that ample for unlit cycle paths and minor roads alike and is bright enough to indentify obstacles or hazards with enough time to react if set up right.
Adjustment is a simple matter with mounting bracket and can be made on the go with security of the light. I would recommend on installation A dab of thread sealant to prevent the mounting plate from vibrating loose. (road vibration was enough to loosen plate and manifests with a skaky light initially)
Not robust enough for falling off the bike at speed (not mounted properly after using as a domestic touch) so do be sure to check it has locked in after fitting;(.
"
Review 6 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
2 / 5
Avg 2 / 5 from
RobinOfBletchley
City: Milton Keynes
Date:February 6, 2012
Good light but...
Reviewer Images
User submitted photo
click to enlarge
Cons: Wears Out Easily, Poor Fit
"I find this light ok for riding around on lit lights but need something brighter for unlit roads so have been using this to supplement my old Cateye Stadium light.
I have had this for less than 2 years now and have encountered a problem: the light rattles on the handlebar mount and I believe as such has caused the mounting surface of the light body to chip away that much that it won't be too long before it either won't fit on it or drop off when going over the next big bump! See photo. Also, I found it impossible to do up the handlebar mount tight enough so it slips whilst riding and have to adjust it periodically unlike the old mounts.
Just bought a Moon X-Power 300 to replace this and is much better and at present, is on clearance which is only slightly more in price."
 
My Product Recommendations
 
Review 7 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Allin
City: Thusis
Country:Switzerland
Age:25-34
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Mountain Biker
Date:February 4, 2012
Great light for city rides
Pros: High Quality, Rugged
Cons: Expensive
"This is my second - the first one has last for many years, just until I washed my bike with high pressure water and forgot to take off that lamp... doesn't like it ;-)"
Review 8 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
2 / 5
Avg 2 / 5 from
tjo20
Date:January 31, 2012
fragile
Pros: long battery life
Cons: fragile
"I used the EL530 on unlight roads and cycle paths, has a good strong beam, but narrow, not always possible to see potholes/fallen branches in time.
had the light in my jacket pocket bending down to pick up rucksack, light fell on laminated floor and has'nt worked since, I should have made sure the light was properely in the jacket pocket.
but poor it wasn't able to stand a 3ft fall (was crouching down). used it for about 3 weeks till it broke.
also when cycling past pedestrians, it does'nt have a lower power setting, was obviously blinding them, so ended up turning it off when passing someone and relying on my head torch."
Review 9 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Dusted
City: London
Date:January 21, 2012
Not as bright as other reviews say but good
Pros: Great Value, Good Fit
"Other reviews make out that this light is the hand of god, lighting up the road with a blinding supernova hanging from your handlebars. It's not that. It does provide enough light to see any immediate pot holes in the next 3-5 metres directly ahead and a little sight to the sides. There are brighter lights out there, but you can train with this one in pitch black and it's cheap!"
Review 10 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
dickbathurst
City: Adelaide
Country:Australia
Age:45-54
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Mountain Biker
Date:January 16, 2012
A Shining Light
Pros: Good Fit, bright
Cons: no flashing option
"I have an Cateye HL-EL320 LED on my bike & bought this one for my wife's bike.
Similar light pattern with a large lit area but a much brighter area in the middle.
This light is very bright, I thought mine was good, this one is like high beam.
"
Review 11 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
biggles925
City: Worthing
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:January 15, 2012
Then there was light
Pros: High Quality, Adjustable, Good Fit
"Brilliant light! casts a definate beam onto the road and is bright even on dark b-roads. Ultra bright to start with and then drops off after a few hours but still good enough to ride by. fits well and is eay to adjust if you need to change your beam height.
No chance of not being seen!
"
Review 12 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Cleoptra
Date:January 12, 2012
Brilliant gift
Pros: High Quality
"I purchased this item as a gift for a friend.He told me he was very impressed with the light and could not believe how much light it gave out. Brilliant product."
Review 13 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
DarkMaria
City: 東京
Country:Japan
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:New to sport
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:January 6, 2012
微妙かも
Pros: 高品質
Cons: かさばり
"品物はいいのですが
値段設定が高めかもしれません
もしかしたら国内の通販の方が安いかも・・
製品レビューとしては
単三電池を使えるので出先で電池切れになっても安心です
普段は単三の充電池を使えばランニングコストも抑えられると思います
光量は必用十分な感じでしょうか
中心部が明るく周辺部はやや暗いです
点灯時間が長いので二灯体制の補助灯にちょうどいいかも知れません
都市部ならメインで十分活躍してくれるはずです
あと大きくて重いのであしからず
"
Review 14 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
carlislemike
City: London via the great North of England
Age:55-64
Interest:Commuter
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Commuter
Date:January 3, 2012
Spot on!
Pros: Great Value, High Quality, Lightweight, Good Fit
"Great light for town and especially on the side roads."
Review 15 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
AJL04
Date:December 31, 2011
Great Light
Pros: Great Value, High Quality
"Nice and bright light and good value from Wiggle. Get one!"
Review 16 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Anonymous
Date:December 30, 2011
Great light
Pros: Attractive, Adjustable, Good Fit
"The power of this light is astonishing, you get what you pay for!"
Review 17 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
p4blo
City: Brisbane
Country:Australia
Age:25-34
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Mountain Biker
Date:December 30, 2011
Illuminating performance
Pros: Great Value
"Really happy with the luminosity of this light. You can more than easily see where you're going at night with this but if you couple it with a helmet mounted lamp you can't go wrong."
Review 18 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
2 / 5
Avg 2 / 5 from
Tuggo
Date:December 29, 2011
Pros: bright
Cons: no flashing mode, not rugged
"Bought two. One cracked when inserting the lens module. The second was dropped with barely a mark but never worked again. Could not recommend this unless you wear non-slip kid gloves. Bright but definitely not robust."
Review 19 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
CreweLabourDave
City: Middlewich
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:December 29, 2011
Great value headlight
Pros: Great Value, bright
"Fantastic for lighting up the road when I'm down unlit country lanes."
Review 20 for Cateye HL-EL530 LED Front Light
Overall:
3 / 5
Avg 3 / 5 from
LouisonBobet
City: London
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Female
Road Cyclist
Date:December 29, 2011
good buy
"I like it but it's a bit heavy and I don't think it's been made for racing bikes. I fixed it on my handle bar and the light projects a bit too low. I turned the fitting adjustable ring so it aims higher but now it's a bit too high, so if you have a racing frame perhaps you should opt for LEDs instead.
Otherwise the light is very powerful.
"
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