Seeing and being seen with Knog bike lights and bells
18.9.2025
Translation: Eva Francis
Pictures: Patrick Bardelli
Let’s face it: summer’s come to an end and the days are getting shorter. It’s that time of the year when you need to get the bike lights out again to stay visible on early morning or late afternoon cycles. If you happen to be looking for new bike accessories, here’s the latest from Knog?
It’s the same story every year. In spring and in autumn, people go on about the days getting either longer or shorter. Own a bike? Then hearing this sentence is your cue to get those bike lights out again in order to stay visible at all times. If you haven’t already, make sure to do so by the end of October at the latest, as that’s when the clocks go back an hour.
Looking for a new bike light or a bike bell? Read on to find out about products from Knog, an Australian manufacturer known for its unconventional concept.
Knog Blinder 400
The Blinder 400 front light and Plus rear light have been available as a twin pack since last summer. The front light’s housing is made of nylon, giving it a slightly lower-quality feel than the Blinder 600, which comes in an aluminium housing. Having said that, it weighs only half as much – 75 grammes.
The Blinder 400’s equipped with a 1850 mAh battery and charged via USB-C port. It offers about two hours of light if used on its brightest setting of 400 lumen. In power-saving mode, it gives you up to 40 hours of light, according to the manufacturer. I can confirm the two hours at max brightness, but haven’t used it non-stop for 40 hours so far.
Knog Plus
The Plus is, as Knog states, its most versatile bike light. It doesn’t only attach to the handlebar, fork or seat post of a bicycle, it also attaches to your socks, rucksack, jersey or helmet At 17 grammes, it’s lightweight and boasts a maximum brightness of 20 lumen. Just like the Blinder 400 light, it lasts for two hours at full capacity or up to 40 in battery-saving mode.
The Plus offers five light modes and chip-on-board technology, meaning its LEDs offer maximum brightness for up to 90% of the battery burn time. The battery’s charged via USB-A port. According to the manufacturer, the Plus bike light can be seen from a distance of up to 450 metres. It’s attached to its mount via a tiny magnet.
The Knog Plus has all it takes to become one of my favourite bike gadgets. However, only in theory. In reality, it died on me after two weeks of using it. It just wouldn’t switch on any more. That’s a major minus – and a shame, as I really liked this small bike light. I’m sending it back to the manufacturer, who, by the way, provided me with all the products mentioned in this article to test and review them. Who knows? Maybe the test device just had a fault. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened and every product deserves a second chance if you ask me. In any case, I’ll write a follow-up article once I have more news on my Know Plus return case.
Knog Oi small
Seeing and being seen is one thing, but being heard is another. To make sure I can make myself heard when I’m on my bike, I recently tested this Knog bike bell and really liked it:
According to the manufacturer, the Oi’s been redesigned and the bell’s been equipped with Wavetek hammer technology, which is supposed to create a beautiful wave-like bell tone. I can’t hear anything wave-like to be honest,
but decide for yourself if you like or even prefer its tone. I’ve fitted both bells to my MTB for the time being – the Oi Luxe on the left and the Oi small on the right:
Header image: Patrick Bardelli
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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