- 2.5 / 5 Bee's Knees -
The year was 2015, the Apple iWatch was hot…for…about…maybe two weeks or so? I don’t know. Anyway, they looked pretty cool and it was quite amazing until people realized it was just an mini iPhone strapped to your wrist that ensured you could look like an even bigger arse when you shouted phone-calls towards your wrist…hmm. Well Apple can breathe a sigh of relief because Magichsine still thinks iWatches are cool, meet the SeeMee60.
In all seriousness, the SeeMee is an appealing looking product in a glaze of quality materials and construction. If you’ve watched any of my other Magicshine videos you’ll already know I’m a fan of the efforts Magicshine has taken to design desirable looking and feeling products. Riders should be happy with the overall fit and finish as well as the general use of the product though I do find it quite amusing that this product is significantly thicker than an iWatch, true the batteries must be more robust for this product but still, it’d be nice if the SeeMee could at least order you pizza. Now for the nitty-gritty. Max output is claimed at 60 lumens and is very generous to the naked eye. Because this light has a COB or chip on board design, it is better for nighttime use because it has a lower intensity yet greater dispersion of light compared to SMDs. There are a total of 9 settings, 1 constant at 3 different intensities and 2 varied flash styles at 3 intensities each. Magicshine affords you 2 different mounting options including both a seatpost band and apparel clip. Both mounts feature a twist-to-attach style and are a little overly stiff, but secure none-the-less. It does seem odd the that apparel clip is oriented horizontally rather than vertically but this doesn’t present any crucial issues. The seatpost mount in contrast is quite appropriate for this product with two different angled shims included as well as a silicone strap that prevents marring of carbon posts. Runtimes range from 1.6h to 15h with the majority falling in around 4-5h. A full charge can be reached in a claimed 1.5-2.0 hours and the power button doubles as a charge indicator illuminating green upon completion of charge. One of the key features of the SeeMee60, and something I’ll touch on again later is its accelerometer modified programing. In general, this light is able to detect a change in motion such as deceleration or vibration to trigger a full intensity 60lumen, or as Magicshine calls it: “super fast flashes.”
What’s to like:
As stated before, the Seemee60 is a pleasant looking light and is simple to operate. The seatpost mount is fine by all means and the apparel clip is a nice bonus. Personally, I am a big proponent of COB lights so it is nice to see it employed here. I feel they reduce the blinding intensity of single emitter lights and cast a larger, broader beam pattern that is generally more noticeable at usable distances. These are of course less effective during daylight hours compared to SMDs.
As stated before, the Seemee60 is a pleasant looking light and is simple to operate. The seatpost mount is fine by all means and the apparel clip is a nice bonus. Personally, I am a big proponent of COB lights so it is nice to see it employed here. I feel they reduce the blinding intensity of single emitter lights and cast a larger, broader beam pattern that is generally more noticeable at usable distances. These are of course less effective during daylight hours compared to SMDs.
Improvements:
Like I’ve seen with a number of Magicshine products, their ambitions and optimism exceed their executable design goals. Case and point, the accelerometer functions are useless…call them insane even. On my everyday commute, I’d test this light at full intensity. During these rides I could see reflections bouncing off of signs ahead and have a clear idea of what my rear light was doing. As far as the Seemee 60 is concerned, I was either always changing speeds rapidly or was under constant vibration. If I had to take a wag at the issue here, I’d say the sensitivity of the vibration sensor is far too pronounced and therefore the light is constantly chomping at the bit to alert motorists of my ride conditions…”it's bumpy for him...it's bumpyyyy!” This “feature” if you can call it that, cripples this light. Forget riding this on the trail, on the road, with your riding friends or at all in my opinion. If random flashes and setting changes and “super fast flashes” and iWatchs are your thing…maybe its worth a shot for you. As for me, I'll have to pass on this one. Here's my plea to Magicshine, take a couple steps back, lose the features that don't work or more importantly those features we don't need and make reliable products. They can't all be 5 bees knees right? Happy riding!
Like I’ve seen with a number of Magicshine products, their ambitions and optimism exceed their executable design goals. Case and point, the accelerometer functions are useless…call them insane even. On my everyday commute, I’d test this light at full intensity. During these rides I could see reflections bouncing off of signs ahead and have a clear idea of what my rear light was doing. As far as the Seemee 60 is concerned, I was either always changing speeds rapidly or was under constant vibration. If I had to take a wag at the issue here, I’d say the sensitivity of the vibration sensor is far too pronounced and therefore the light is constantly chomping at the bit to alert motorists of my ride conditions…”it's bumpy for him...it's bumpyyyy!” This “feature” if you can call it that, cripples this light. Forget riding this on the trail, on the road, with your riding friends or at all in my opinion. If random flashes and setting changes and “super fast flashes” and iWatchs are your thing…maybe its worth a shot for you. As for me, I'll have to pass on this one. Here's my plea to Magicshine, take a couple steps back, lose the features that don't work or more importantly those features we don't need and make reliable products. They can't all be 5 bees knees right? Happy riding!
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