Topeak Redlite 80 rear light review

The Redlite 80 is one of Topeak’s brightest tail lights, pumping out 80 lumens on the highest setting. 

Weighing 45g and costing £39.99, it keeps things simple with three modes and charges via USB-C. A full charge takes just two hours.

Round and aero seatpost and saddle mounting 

The Topeak Redlite 80’s clever design incorporates three separate mounting options that slide onto the back of the unit. One is for round seatposts, one is for aero seatposts and one clips onto bags or saddle packs. The main unit has clips either side, and Topeak supplies four sturdy rubber straps to attach your light to. 

The mini strap is ideal for mounting to seatstays, a possible solution for tri bikes with huge seatposts. The others allow you to fit the light to almost any round or aero road bike seatpost, and some older or entry-level tri bikes. 

You’ll want to ensure the band is sitting right in the recesses of the clips on each side to avoid the unit pinging off. 

But if it’s mounted properly this light certainly isn’t going anywhere.

It’s a secure and versatile solution, so long as you have somewhere safe to store all the extra bits. 

Excellent battery life 

The Topeak Redlite 80 turns on with one quick press, and you keep pressing to cycle through the modes, while to turn it off it’s one long press. 

It’s very simple, and the pressure needed to turn it on means you’re not too likely to turn it on in a bag or pocket by mistake. 

The modes are called High, Blink and Pulse, with High being the constant option and Blink a powerful flash. 

The run times are excellent. You can expect to get 3.5 hours on High, and 30 hours on both Blink and Pulse. 

Very visible 

The Topeak Redlite 80 has a central recess where most of the power from the beam is omitted. But the transparent design means that there’s plenty of light coming from the sides of the unit too, increasing your visibility. 

It’s very bright, perhaps even too distracting for some drivers behind you on ‘Blink’ mode. But there’s no doubt you’ll be seen from quite some distance on any of the three modes. 

There’s a separate little LED that lights up orange when the light is charging, and yellow when the battery is running low. The battery cover is sizeable and the charge port is well buried, so there’s very little chance of water ingress. 

‘Smart’ option available 

The Redlite 80 also comes in a pricier ‘BT’ version that can be controlled from a compatible Topeak front light via Bluetooth.

However, this appears to be difficult to buy where 220 is based in the UK at the time of writing. 

Topeak Redlite 80 rear light bottom line 

I don’t feel the need to switch rear light settings mid-ride. So for me the standard Topeak Redlite 80 is excellent, and is fast becoming my go-to taillight. 

I like the multiple mounting options, it’s super bright and has great run times. 

Some might prefer more modes to choose from, but the dependable steady, flash and pulse modes are more than enough for me.

Topeak Redlite 80 rear light specs

Price:	£39.99
Max lumens:	80
Max run time:	30 hours
Waterproof rating:	IPX6
Weight:	45g