Be Seen: Review of Knuckle Lights

“Disclaimer: I received Knuckle Lights to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

As the winter sets in, the amount of time I have to run in the dark gets exponentially greater. There’s no way of getting around training outside in the dark, unless you buy a gym membership. But months on end training for ultras in the gym doesn’t seem fun to me. So my only option is to prep for outdoor running in the dark. Therefore, one of my major concerns is how to stay safe while running on the roads and trails in the dark. I have a few products up my sleeve that help me stay safe and be seen:

Yellow Reflective Vest – When cars are driving by, this vest helps me pop out in their line of sight like nothing else. It also doesn’t need batteries which is always a plus, since in the cold, you can’t always trust batteries.
Headlamp – I love my Petzl headlamp to help see what’s ahead of me on the road and trails. It keeps my hands free and my path lit. The one set back is that itt can be annoying at times to wear a headlamp and sometimes the temps drain the batteries, but still lights up my path very well.
Flasher – No this isn’t something dirty. It’s a consistent blinking light that helps drivers see you from afar, or at least makes them aware that someone is out on the road.

Despite having these 3 items to use during runs in the dark, I’m always happy to test out gear that will keep me safe. I was a little skeptical when trialing Knuckle Lights at first. I didn’t know how bright they would be and I thought they might make my hands cold, since you have to hang on them them. But here is what I found:

When both Knuckle Lights were used together, they lit my path better than my Petzl headlamp. They have 280 lumens. If you’re not sure how bright that is…well they are crazy bright.
In the package comes 2-Knuckle Lights, but I found that 1 was enough in the dark. Which was great, because then I always had an extra Knuckle Light to share with another running buddy who always inevitably forgot their light.
The lights stay bright on the low setting up to 8 hours, which was always bright enough for me. I even ended up strapping my knuckle lights onto my running pack for my last ultra, to light up the path, and it definitely lasted 8 hours even in single digit temperatures!
The Knuckle Lights did not make my hands cold as anticipated. The only part of the light that touches your hands are the rubber straps, which you don’t even have to grip.
The only downfall I had with the Knuckle Lights was the rubber clasp would sometimes open up, if I held on to them loosely. This didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was a bit annoying.

I definitely recommend Knuckle Lights to anyone who runs in the dark and who doesn’t like to wear headlamps. They are bright, light in your hands, and easy to use. And it’s always nice to share one of your lights with a running buddy!