Oxford UltraTorch CL1000 front light review: solid performance from a light that's starting to look dated

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The Oxford Ultratorch is a larger light with a 1,000-lumen output that provides good illumination for unlit roads.

However, the peak-output runtime is quite short at 1 hour 15 minutes.

The LED data panel and two-way toggling of the output level enable easy use in an affordable light priced at £55. Ingress protection is lower than other options, though.

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Oxford Ultratorch CL1000 specifications and details

The Ultratorch clips quickly and firmly into its mount, which bolts to the handlebar and can cope with multiple bar diameters. There’s no out-front or GoPro mounting option included.

The Oxford Ultratorch includes a USB output as well as a Micro-USB input under its rear rubber bung, enabling you to use it as a power bank.

It’s the only one of six lights in our 2025 group test to still use a Micro-USB charging cable, with four of the rest using USB-C (the Exposure Sirius uses a ‘SmartPort’ connection).

The IPX4 ingress protection is the lowest of the six lights tested and indicates that the Oxford Ultratorch can cope with splashes of water only, so it might not be the best choice for rainy nights.

Oxford Ultratorch CL1000 performance

We previously reviewed the Oxford Ultratorch in 2021. It’s testament to how much front lights have evolved in the past four years that we described it as compact back then, while it was by far the largest, and also the heaviest, of the six lights in this group test by 50g.

The top output mode provides probably the brightest illumination of the six lights I tested, suggesting that Oxford has made good use of the 1,000 lumens on offer.

The lighting pattern doesn’t have a pronounced centre, instead offering a wide flood of light, with both good throw down the road and illumination of the verges, which gives you the confidence to ride at speed.

The Ultratorch’s large USB display shows you a series of bars indicating the remaining battery capacity. There’s also a numeric display of the remaining runtime, which I found handy and is a feature unique to this design.

The light’s runtime on full power is the shortest of the six lights on test, though.

After 1 hour 15 minutes, it had stepped down to a lower output, with the claimed runtime extended to 9 hours 30 minutes. It was still emitting light at this level after the other lights had gone out.

A useful feature that’s unique to the Ultratorch, among the lights on test, is the provision of separate toggle-up and toggle-down buttons, so you don’t need to scroll through multiple light modes if you want to switch from a lower to a higher-output constant mode and back again.

Even in lower modes, there’s adequate lighting to keep up pace with confidence and it’s easy to dial the light level up or down without plunging yourself into a low-output flashing mode, as is the case with many lights.

In our previous review, we noted a tendency to rattle in its mount, but I didn’t notice this when using the light this time round, and there was no beam shake even over less smooth road surfaces.

Oxford Ultratorch CL1000 bottom line

Despite the rather outdated shape and large format, the Oxford Ultratorch performs well, offering high output at a price that’s a little lower than the competition.

The provision of two-way mode switching and additional runtime information makes it easier to use than many competing designs, although the peak runtime is on the short side.

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