Review: Lezyne Pro Smart Rear LED Light

(2022) Often when selling road bikes, a product regularly pushed is a blinking light. The customer, thinking I am trying to pad the sale, gets defensive by stating a light won’t be necessary because the intention is to only ride during the day. To which a readied response is that 99% of all rides occur during the day, so a light is crucial, particularly during daylight hours. Even here shoppers will push back. Blinking lights are as important as full water bottles.

A previous light on the bike had to be upgraded because of two reasons: the light was no longer bright and it was barely - if at all - waterproof. When shopping around, reputation was important and Lezyne’s Pro Smart Rear LED light kept attracting attention. Lezyne makes quality items, many of which reside on our work bench. Their lights have also gained a reputation of being stoutly constructed and strong attention to detail. A lot of trust was put into the light.

Lezyne offers lights using Smart Connect. Purchase a front light for the bike that is also Smart Connect, download the Lezyne LED Ally app, and a rider can sync lights from a phone. Because the lights are Bluetooth connected, it is possible to control the lights from a Garmin head unit. Further, light settings can be selected from the phone app while riding. Starting from a bright town setting and headed into rural back roads could be tailored with a quick switch via the app (or head unit). 

The Pro Smart Rear LED light was replacing an old battery-powered system. A fellow rider with the same ancient light was alerted that the light was off, but further inspection displayed dangerously dim lights. The illusion of illumination is a safety issue. With the Pro Smart Rear LED, a rider can expect 75 lumens on daytime flash. This comes in handy to catch the attention of an approaching motorist or to help differentiate during sun/ shade contrasts. With such high lumens for daytime, the Pro Smart Rear LED performs wonderfully in night rides. 

Lezyne takes care of the obstacle of batteries by making the Pro Smart USB rechargeable. Fresh off a charge the light provides 19.5 hours of illumination according to Lezyne, removing those skipped trips to the store to purchase more batteries (and convincing ourselves lights wouldn’t be needed that day). The integrated USB stick and the rest of the light is rated highly for waterproof durability. These two benefits alone solved the issues with the old rear light. 

Having added nighttime rides to our rotation, often the back end of the bike was aglow with pulsing red light from the Lezyne Pro Smart. With its rubber strap, the device can fit nearly any seat post to make sure riders are seen, particularly during the day. These are the lights made to catch motorists’ attention to encourage them to consider our place on the road before their next move. With the Lezyne Pro Smart Rear LED light, riders can have a small feeling of confidence that this little device is on their side to provide more safety than hoping drivers will see us on willpower alone. With full customization through the phone app and powerful lumens, this reasonably-priced light performs well beyond just blinking off the back of the bike.