Garmin Varia RTL515
Garmin Varia looks and feels more like a back radar with a light built in. With visible and audio alarms, the radar itself warns you of vehicles approaching from behind. It connects to your Garmin head unit or smartphone and alerts you when a car approaches, allowing you to make better road positioning decisions. If it doesn't sound appealing to you, the Varia RTL 515 isn't the right light for you. The light is modest, but Garmin claims it may be seen for up to a mile. The rest of the light's body is dedicated to the radar function; the body is four inches long, so if your seat post is low, you might have difficulties attaching it.
While the Varia RTL515 light has several smaller lights incorporated into the sides, they aren't as noticeable as the other lights in the test. It's nice that the lights are built into the radar in the first place, but they don't appear to be the main purpose here. The quarter-turn mount allows you to swiftly and conveniently remove the light. The light holds in place solidly once slotted, albeit the mount is kept in place by thin silicone bands that may wear and break more quickly than the larger bands on some of the lights in our test. The Varia isn't cheap, either, at $200. If you're interested in the Varia, you'll be buying it mostly for the radar system, which appears to be a good deal for the money. However, if you're looking for the best taillight features, search elsewhere.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Weight : 71 grams
- Lumens : 65 lumens
- Max battery life: up to 16 hours (day flash mode)
- Charge time: Not specified
- Light modes : 4
- Charging: USB rechargeable
- Extras : Bluetooth and ANT+ capabilities, Waterproof
REASONS TO BUY
- Radar integration gives you information on surrounding cars
- Easy three-quarter twist mount
- Long battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
- Small rear beam
- Even smaller side beams
RATE: 4.0/5.0
PRICE: $199.99
BUY NOW: amazon.com/dp/B086TVFX1D?
