Verified Light Output

Why we test our lights:

Super bright LEDs are quite new – they’ve changed the game by delivering significantly more light, using less power. Gone are the days of breakable bulbs and watt-rated brightness. LEDs are more sophisticated and require more precise measurement. The test results show that our products deliver more light to the trail than our competition—who many times claim substantially more output than they actually deliver. An independent testing laboratory took these measurements using calibrated instruments. These tests were performed on 2009 Light & Motion light systems.

Testing Protocol:

To measure light output, an tool called an integrating sphere is used. This sphere is required to test the lights to an NIST Standard. An integrating sphere is an instrument that captures all the light coming from a product, and measures every wavelength – from the reds you can barely see to the almost imperceptible blues. The computer attached to the integrating sphere does a little math to tell you how many lumens your light is actually producing. When you look at our charts, the area under the curve is how bright the light is. More area, more light.

The truth in testing comes from the NIST “Standard”. This Standard is an incredibly precise and expensive light bulb that is certified and documented at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Using this fancy light bulb as a reference means that the test is objective and accurate.

Why lumens?

Using a lumen measurement gives us the true measure of ALL the light coming out of a light head. Some lighting manufacturers still use lux or candlepower, which only tell you how bright a light is at a certain point. Light & Motion systems would look very good if we reported our measurements in candlepower. Our proprietary reflectors have the farthest throw on the market (equating to the brightest center point). However, it wouldn’t be accurate, since candlepower tells you nothing about the TOTAL amount of light is being emitted.

What is Kelvin, and why does it matter?

Kelvin is used to describe the tint of white light. A low Kelvin number (3,500) has a very yellow color, while a high kelvin number (10,000) has a very blue color. We aim for the sun and target a balanced 5,500 degrees Kelvin – about the color you’d find in mid-day light. This is important because our eyes have developed to see things bathed in sunlight, and we want to give you the clearest view of the trail. In a 6 LED emitter lighthead like our Seca we specify a tight color bin so that all 6 LEDs deliver consistent color temperature for a clean, distraction-free beam.