Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert 300 review

Lezyne has a range of Strip Drive rear lights in its arsenal. This Pro Alert model tops the bill with a huge 300-lumen maximum output and an alert mode, but its external design is practically identical to the rest of the range.

Here, the 300-lumen output is almost shockingly bright – fellow road users would have to be seriously negligent to miss you.

The alert mode is also broadly effective, but there are niggles to be aware of.

Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert details and specifications

The Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert is the flagship model of Lezyne’s rear-light range to carry the Strip Drive design.

For context, this is how the range stacks up at the time of writing:

• Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert (300 lumens max output alert tech)
• Lezyne Strip Drive Pro (300 lumens max output)
• Lezyne Strip Drive Alert (150 lumens max output alert tech)
• Lezyne Strip Drive (150 lumens max output)
• Lezyne Strip Drive Alert StVZO (35 lumens max output StVZO-compliant alert tech)
• Lezyne Strip Drive StVZO (35 lumens max output)

The light-emitting array is made up of five LEDs laid out in a vertical strip.

The array is ‘lensed’ by an elongated oval structure. The pronounced ridges of the lensing enable the LEDs to be refracted so they can be seen from the side as well as from directly behind.

Lezyne claims a 270-degree visible field.

The Strip Drive Pro Alert (like its siblings) attaches to the bike via a silicone ladder band, which can be removed entirely if desired.

The design of the light means it should only be attached to a seatpost. The off-vertical slant of the seatpost should enable the light’s output to be directed downwards and out of direct line with a driver’s eyes.

It’s not possible to customise this angle. For example, if you have a vertical seatpost (which are sometimes seen on time trial bikes), the light would shine directly backwards. Likewise, fitting the Strip Drive Pro Alert to a seatstay will shine the light upwards at whatever angle the stay sits.

Lezyne provides a small rubber shim to add stability when fitted to truncated or D-shape seatposts. If you have a particularly deep aero seatpost, you may struggle with the limited 8.5cm length of the ladder band.

The light charges via a Micro-USB port, accessible by a removable (but attached) cover.

The Strip Drive Pro Alert features five selectable modes via the single button on the top of the unit:

• 35 lumens, static mode – 8 hours claimed battery life
• 5 lumens, static mode – 28 hours claimed battery life
• 300 lumens, day flash mode – 6hr 15m claimed battery life
• 60 lumens, flash mode with alternating LEDs – 7hr 15m claimed battery life
• 60 lumens, flash mode with cascading LEDs – 8hr 30m claimed battery life

Each mode features an always-on alert function, powered by a built-in accelerometer. This brightens the output to 300 lumens temporarily when you brake steadily, and flashes in a disruptive manner when you brake hard or stop.

You can’t switch the alert function off.

The Strip Drive Pro Alert is unsurprisingly the most expensive of the range, but doesn’t necessarily break the bank at £57 / $59.99.

Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert performance

In short, if you want a rear light to ensure other road users know you’re there, the Strip Drive Pro Alert has to be on your shortlist.

The light only operates at 300 lumens when it flashes briefly during the day flash mode sequence, and when it’s brightening and disruptive flashing in various states of braking and stopping.

An output of 300 lumens is more than enough to be seen on even bright sunny days, let alone overcast autumnal light and at night. As the alert feature is always on, you’re guaranteed to get the full strength of the light at some point in time, whichever mode you settle on.

I personally felt reassured to have such a bright rear light fitted. There’s a confidence derived from knowing that, unless something untoward is going on, there's a very low chance of not being seen, whether in daylight or against a backdrop of competing lights in congested urban traffic.

However, the always-on nature of the alert function raises an issue with the claimed battery run times. The more often you brake, start and stop, the more often 300 lumens is output. This results in excess battery drainage.

It’s a common practice when testing lights to turn a fully charged light on and leave it next to a timer until it fully drains the battery. But with the alert function in permanent action, leaving it to drain without being disturbed produces misleading results compared to real life.

I got just shy of nine hours from my test unit left alone in the 35-lumen static mode, indicating that Lezyne has built in some leeway to account for the alert function being activated.

However, out on the road – through a balance of commuting and training rides – I experienced burn times closer to six hours in that same mode on a single charge.

Additionally, after one commute lasting 1hr 20m using this mode, I noticed the tiny red and green indicator LEDs lit up to show I had between 25 and 75 per cent battery life remaining.

That’s a huge range, which isn’t terribly helpful if I want to know I can confidently turn around and head home later in the day without charging the light. What if I had only 35 to 40 per cent left and had to return home in the dark?

That said, as long as I kept up a ‘peace of mind’ regular recharging regime, I was never close to running out. But I’d like to have the ability to switch off the alert mode, putting me in more control of expected burn times.

Five modes is plenty for a rear light, and you can prioritise battery life by opting for the 5-lumen economy mode, or use the day flash mode to really stand out from the crowd.

It’s easy to stick to day flash mode all the time, but I preferred using the static modes at night.

You can’t stop the light flaring up to its full output when you brake and stop, but you can save drivers on a main road at night from being repeatedly blasted with 300 lumens as they try to gauge how far away you are.

Being seen is one thing, but overpowering those around you unnecessarily is another.

This factor proved less of an issue when riding with friends. I didn’t get any comments about being blinded when braking, which I suspect is down to them being close to my rear wheel much of the time, and often positioned above the ‘beam’.

I found recharge times from near empty to be in line with the three-hour claim, and had no real issues with Micro-USB. USB-C would be a nice upgrade, if simply for the ease of plugging in, but it’s not worth worrying too hard over.

That said, for charging convenience, I’d like to have a cable with a bit more length than the 8cm unit supplied (plus the USB-A and Micro-USB connectors at either end).

Rivals to the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert include Exposure’s TraceR DayBright among a host of others in our best bike lights buyer’s guide.

Arguably, the rest of the Strip Drive range also offers compelling options for a little less money.

If you justifiably feel that 300 lumens is overkill and would be happy to settle for a still-powerful 150, or you do want 300 lumens from your day flash mode but would prefer to do without the battery-draining alert function, Lezyne has you covered.

Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert bottom line

Ultimately, the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert rear light is a brilliant light if you – above all else – prioritise being seen.

There are flaws – its always-on alert function can drain the battery in a slightly uncontrolled manner, and one could reasonably argue 300 lumens is unnecessarily bright. But there’s no denying the Strip Drive Pro Alert is a punchy and effective rear light.