Review: Gloworm X2 offers a mighty, tiny, fully customizable trail bike light

Looking for the minimalist, weight-weenie approved mountain bike light for night riding? The Gloworm X2 packs all the features of the larger XSV we reviewed recently, and makes their smaller and lighter. The X2’s compact package still pumps out plenty of light, lets you customize the output and beam pattern, and even choose the battery size. Here’s why it’s worth a look…

One of the coolest things about this brand is the ability to customize output, but it can be a little tricky. In this video, we show how to customize the Gloworm X2 (and XSV) lumen output, how to change the bulbs, and how to setup the Gloworm remote control buttons. Even if you already own the lights, this video is a handy tutorial on how to set everything up. Keep reading for still shots of the beam pattern comparisons, actual weights and the specs.

What’s in the box? How much does it weigh?

The Gloworm X2 comes with their 1700 lumen two-LED head unit that uses CREE “bulbs” behind the replaceable lens elements. There are two kits, the standard ($265 USD) and the adventure ($212 USD), the difference being which battery you want. The standard one is a 4-cell 6800mAh battery good for a claimed 3 hour run time (with general mixed settings use). The smaller adventure battery is a 2-cell 3400mAh with 1.5 hour run time.

Other bits are a GoPro-style helmet mount and clip, wall charger, 31.8mm handlebar clamp, extension cable, spare bolts and small parts, and the various lens elements:

The X2 comes with:

• 2x Spot lenses (96% light transmission, 17º angle)
• Flood lens (84%, 25º)
• Wide lens (87%, 40º)

The Flood is exclusive to the X2, where the XSV gets a honeycomb option with a bit different pattern. The X2’s lens elements are slightly smaller than the XSV and are not interchangeable.

The light is just 85g, with the GoPro-style “feet” attached to the bottom. This lets you mount it to any standard GoPro mounts you already own, or the one that comes with it. I recommend using an actual GoPro brand mount as it feels sturdier and holds more tightly than the Gloworm one.

The Adventure battery is 141g and the Standard battery is 247g. The extension cable, which lets you run the battery in a jersey pocket or hydration pack is just 31g.

Other than the size and lens count, the tech features are all identical to the XSV, check that review for a complete overview.

Gloworm X2 beam pattern comparison

The light comes with both Spot lenses installed, which gives you the brightest output but the narrowest beam pattern (shown above).

The Spot / Flood combo (above) throws a bit more light off to the sides…

…and the Wide / Spot (above) brings more light to the sides at a closer range.

The Wide / Flood combo (above) gives you the widest beam combination.

Is the Gloworm X2 bright enough?

Yes, actually. While 1700 lumens may not sound like much these days, there was a time not so long ago that that figure was at the high end. It was plenty of light then, and it’s plenty of light now. The fact that they can put out that much brightness from such a small, light package is impressive. It’s also what makes this one of our favorites, especially when you add in all of the customization options.

It throws the light really far down the trail, encouraging you to look further ahead (assuming you angle it as such), which can help you ride faster. The light is bright, but not so “white” as to make things look unnatural…it’s juuuust warm enough to be pleasing.

For the price, it’s a solid light that should provide many years of use. We recommend it highly and continue to use it on our own night rides. They’re available direct with a separate North American warehouse for quicker shipping in the US and Canada, through bike shops, and at JensonUSA ($209 for Adventure, $229 for Standard).

Learn more at Glowormlites.co.nz