Oh god :) I don't remember, I owned all kinds of lights and all were waterproof. I think this is pretty much expected that bike lights are waterproof. Pretty much anything from major manufacturer. Planet Bike Super Flash and Super Flash Turbo, Princeton Tec Swerve, Nightrider's lights, Magic Shine rear light (crappy for other reasons), even cheap lights I bough from Deal Extreme were waterproof.

I have to disagree with the Planet Bike Super Flash being "waterproof". Mine turns on spontaneously when it rains hard. Water pools at the bottom (where the switch lies) and will phantom switch it. The thing snaps together with a hard elastomer gasket. It certainly isn't waterproof and would rank as barely weather resistant. I'm also disappointed that it doesn't have a reflector built in. My verdict: Super Flash is over-rated.

I've gone hard wired. B&M makes some very weather resistant dynamo lights.

I have three of them on my bike and commute year round and see no water inside them and I have no issues with them.

PS., I just checked they have soft seals.

Do you park them outside year-round? Are they tucked under the seat? Mine has a seal, but I don't consider it to be "soft".

For it to be "waterproof", I'd expect it to handle being out in the weather 24/7, rain or shine. Otherwise it is merely water resistant.

I'm running fenders, and the Super Flash is mounted on my rear rack. Which brings me to another criticism, the mounting options on the Super-Flash also suck. No means to screw it to a reflector mount.

Edit: I have high standards for something to be waterproof. To it's credit, I don't believe that Planet Bike calls it waterproof.

This is waterproof:

Yeah, nice demo. Put it outside and let it get rained on with temperature fluctuations. As it "breathes" it will suck in moisture. I'm sure mine will pass the dunk in a coffee cup test. Walking up to your bike with the light flashing because it has moisture in it what has happened to me. And no, I didn't forget to turn it off.

pdlamb in post #5 also had problems with the SF.

That's "weatherproof", an entirely different concept: changing temperatures, pressure, humidity and precipitation. Even rocks give in under these conditions if exposed for long enough.

I consider waterproof to be a much higher standard than weatherproof. Divers don't use weatherproof dive lights. The FTC won't let you call a wristwatch "waterproof". I'm not at all saying that Planet Bike is mis-representing its product, just that it isn't "waterproof"

Actually, if you visit the PB website, it says the Super Flash is weatherproof. I'm not the only one, go read some reviews on Amazon. I'm not the only one to have it flake out in the weather.

OK, mine are working fine for me so whatever:)

You really didn't think you were going to win on this one did you? :)

Never had any moisture related problems with my PBSFs. Mine are under the seat and only occasionally experience a ride without a rear fender, however.

No, I actually didn't :D

I was going to suggest a solution: take the lights off and take them inside :innocent:

I also wouldn't consider the B&M lights to be waterproof either. They have a drain at the bottom so any moisture ingress can drain. I'm pretty sure that they would still work while flooded with rainwater, however. The tops certainly are sealed up with adhesive.

If they'd give lights an IP rating, it would be a good start for comparisons.

What was there to win? An argument? Are you guys saying that my Planet Bike Super Flash is waterproof and it is all in my head that I find moisture inside and it switches on and off spontaneously? I was providing a counterpoint to those who say that their SF is the best and that it is waterproof. It isn't. It might be a fine light in many respects, but having one crap out on you in the rain at night does not inspire confidence. I'm not trying to bash the light, but with the OP's experience, he might also be disappointed with the PB SF.

Maybe mine is defective, but based on the design of the construction, I'm not very confident in its weatherproofness. And since PB says it is weatherproof, I should be able to leave it out in the weather.

No, I believe you. I just think you have unreasonable expectations from a $30 piece of consumer grade, plastic product. This is not alpine expedition grade equipment. You can't expect it to function properly while exposed to elements for days. That's not what it is for. It has a quick release mechanism, so take it off and take it indoors with you. As far as I am concerned, it's waterproof: I can ride for hours in pouring rain without problems.

The cheap plastic casing doesn't hold the light tight enough to provide reliable seal when exposed to long periods of temperature and air pressure changes. But it works fine as intended: during bike rides.

This is Bike Forums. We all have unreasonable expectations.

I don't expect the seals on a $30 piece of consumer equipment to be waterproof, but I would hope that the insides are at least a little more fault tolerant of some moisture inside. I'm sure Petzl makes all kinds of headlamps that are in the price point that don't go tits up at a little water intrusion. Princeton Tec makes waterproof stuff at that price point. (Petzl doesn't make bike products, just a comparison). My Petzl headlamp can get flooded and it still works. (I haven't tried any Princeton Tec bike products)

When a taillight might just save your ass from getting run over by a car, I do have high expectations. Especially when I'm biking in adverse conditions, like riding my bike in the rain.

Been using the same Cateye and PB lights for the last 4-5 years in every kind of weather you could imagine here riding in Wisconsin 10-12 months of the year. Never had one of them fail on me. Simple solution, take them inside at the end of your ride, that's what I've always done. Saves on the battery life in the cold weather if nothing else. Could always drill a little weap hole in the bottom to let out moisture I guess or just pay more and buy better lights if you're not happy with their performance.

No. We don't.

Electronics and water don't mix well.

Everything fails eventually. Carry more than one light, seems so obvious.

You just want to continue the argument for the sake of argument, no?

What argument? That my Planet Bike Super Flash doesn't meet the usual definition of waterproof? The OP even put waterproof in all caps. I would think that the guy is looking for a light with a good track record of waterproofness.

I suggest that one goes with a hard-wired system, or if that doesn't float your boat, look for a better light than the Super Flash, or at least understand that one's expectations may be different and he should select appropriately. For a piece of safety equipment, I don't think that my expectations are high, when said product is sold as "weatherproof". A milk jug costs pennies, and it is watertight.

I originally purchased a Super Flash partially based on the glowing praise it gets on this forum. The OP wasn't asking about the Super Flash, he was asking about waterproof lighting after expressing frustration with prior products. I wasn't going to rub in the wired solution I advocate, because he seemed to be looking for a battery solution, based on his previous choices in lighting.

If you are running fenders, and you put the Super Flash under your seat, it will probably serve the OP well. I'm not the OP, I don't know his usage, exactly. I haven't tried them, but I'm guessing the actual tail lights that are actually waterproof will be the DiNotte, Nitetrider and other similar lights. The OP probably doesn't need waterproof lights, just reliable weather resistant lighting.

I also have a Spinninga Pixeo light. It comes in at least 3 versions, one of which is battery powered. I don't know how it performs, but based on it's construction, it isn't waterproof. There is no gasketing. However, based on the design, it looks to me like it would function fine in the wet. The electronics are at the top, there is a drain hole. The battery version has a switch, I'm not sure what kind of protection the switch has. (Mine is dynamo powered, with no switch)

One fault with the PB Super Flash is the bottom switch is a momentary switch. The actual switching is transistor based. This probably means that the switching signal is very sensitive to the slight conductivity of the water that intrudes (fresh water isn't that conductive, salt water on the other hand...). If PB would re-design the case, possibly with just a drain hole somewhere, it wouldn't be a problem. Or place the electronics up high so they don't get wet. Or make a better switching circuit. While they are at it, they should mold a reflector in the case (a red retroreflector, not a reflector for the lighting)

I've tried a number of battery operated tail lights myself. I've thus far been disappointed. I haven't tried the top end like DiNotte and the like. Unless you count dynamo lighting, in which case I've used vintage S-A dynohubs, homemade circuits, Schmidt eDelux, Novatech dynamo hubs, Shimano, Spinninga, etc.

It isn't that hard to make a light circuit that can tolerate flooding with fresh water at the current and voltages encountered with LED lighting. A conformal coating applied to the circuit board might be enough. The fact that a large portion of the lights on the market can't [tolerate moisture] is a testament to the consumer market. Most people don't bike in the rain (in the US). As a result, most lights for the US market are marginal in the rain. Lights for the MTB crowd are the exception. High end lights are the exception. The Euro-market lights seem to be much better in that regard, but I will confess I haven't tried battery operated euro market lighting. I went with dynamo. It costs, but not excessively more than many battery systems. I know my dyno tail light was about $30. And it works in the weather. But you have to factor in the wiring (a pain), a dyno (I use hubs) and all the sundry other items. But the reward is good lighting, all the time, in any weather.

I don't know about the OP, but I mix it up with traffic, at night, sometimes in the rain. I don't want to worry about my lights failing me. I have and use the PB Super Flash, but I know it's limitations and I'm working to replace them with better lighting.

Edit: one could also probably just tape around the seam on a PB SF, or try a drain hole. Or fill it with non-conductive silicone grease. As is, it isn't waterproof by most definitions.

Agreed. My front headlights have an at IP-68 rating, indicating that they are both dust-proof and submersible in water up to 3 meters. I'd really like something similar for the rear.

I have two hobbies. Cycling and brewing my own beer. In my beer making life I use a thin line of a petroleum jelly type product to seal my beer kegs so they do not lose CO 2.

Some time ago I began using this product on my Planet Bike rear lights. A thin application in the seal is all I use and have had no problems at all.

OK So I've been in touch with the same US suppliers that produce that IP-68 rated front headlight I'm using and they can apparently come up with something similar with a 3W red LED and about a 180 lumen output. Having everything run off one battery or the same type of batteries would be a plus. Maybe next month I'll have something to give some feedback about.

Forum member viperZ accidentally sent his PBSF through the wash in a jersey or jacket a few years ago, with no leaking problems. The led mounted on the circuit board that goes through a hole in the center of the "lens" appears to have no seal. Due to normal manufacturing tolerances, some will be a tight fit, others not so tight. Some will leak at that point, some won't. No way to know what you get until you try it. Of course a rear fender is a huge help.
A tail light like the cat eye TLD 1100 looks like a very well sealed case. Looks like they will all be waterproof. Still no way to know for sure. I've exposed mine to rain but only a couple of times. I might be tempted to drop one of mine into a glass of water while running. Take a look at the design and shape. They have better side visibility than many tail lights.

I just had to wade in on this slippery yet deep subject and add my own two ounces of bright light to the subject. Ha Ha - get it? "wade in"???

Ok - so much for the waste of time - but here is some information no one else posted.

I've ridden with many lights for many years and have discovered that most of them will continue to work in wet weather. But the other issue -not mentioned as far I have read - is that eventually most of older lights will allow enough moisture to penetrate that they will corrode internal circuits. However, this may not happen for years after the wet weather usage.

So - my point is that unless the light is manufactured for underwater use - there is always the possibility that wet weather will contribute to its eventual failure.

My other point - is that all of you will always post comments that reflect your own personal experience and that you will only accept advice from Dick Heads.

Portland Design Works RADBOT 1000? The very first version had some problems with turning on/off on bumpy roads, but they put in a delay on the switch on the current version (you have to hold it down for a second or so) and that seems to have solved it. Oh, and I like the fact that it uses standard AAA batteries (or rechargeables).

Mine seems to be very well sealed, and I bought it for the brightness and the weatherproof design. Mine hasn't "leaked," maybe others can chime in with their experience? I liked the suggestion of using some petroleum jelly (or synthetic grease) to enhance the seal of the gasket, I think I'll go ahead and do that as well.