Garmin ramped up the brightness while reducing the size of its new Varia UT800 headlight. With a claimed 800 lumens, the new light pairs with Garmin's Edge computers for automatic adjustment in brightness to ambient light and rider speed.
The Varia UT800 can work on its own as a standard light, with five different modes offering an inverse relationship in brightness and battery life, ranging from 1.5 hours on full blast to multiple hours on lower settings.
The Varia UT800 Urban Edition comes with an out-front mount that can hold a Garmin Edge computer above and the light below. The Varia UT800 Trail Edition includes a helmet mount.Both are $149 (UK pricing not immediately available).
Garmin claims the light is visible up to a mile away when on the 800-lumen setting.
The light is an update to the HL500, which had, you guessed it, a 500-lumen max output. The new light is a smaller cylinder, compared to the original rectangular prism.
The main point of differentiation is the interaction with a Garmin Edge GPS computer. When paired with a newer Edge computer, the Varia UT800 automatically adjusts its beam intensity based on speed and changing light conditions, Garmin claims.
The light can also be turned on and off with the paired Edge.
