Magicshine GMG Special 900 PLUS Reviews

Pros: Price, light.

Cons: Cord design. Why is it routed out of the front?

Recommendation: This light works exceedingly well for its sub-$100 price tag. 900 lumens for $89? That's pretty awesome. But you can definitely tell that it doesn't have the quality construction of a more expensive light. But if you're shopping on a budget, I recommend it.

Model/Year: MJ-808E

Pros: Very bright; solid construction; the price of just under $100 for all that power

Cons: On/off button light stays continuously lit, thus will drain the battery if not disconnect after use.

Recommendation: From the reviews I watched on youtube, particularly from mtbr, I went ahead and got myself this unit eventhough I already have the NiteRider MiNewt.250 Cordless Light for my Trek Fuel EX-8 mountain bike. Testing the two lights side by side, the MagicShine TOTALLY out-flooded the NiteRider's beam. The light is super bright, emits a pleasant white color and has a nice even beam pattern. You'll only find this in a $400+ light. The construction & material of the MagicShine is well-made and solid too. Btw, the latest version of the MJ-808 (MJ-808E rated at 1000 lumens) fixed some of the issues of the previous version pointed out by mtbr youtube video -(ie) light no longer briefly turns on as soon as it's plugged into the battery; has high, low, (one) flash mode, off mode when pushing the button; no more battery issues & is water sealed.

Model/Year: 2010

Pros: Decently bright beam. Very good throw down trail and decent peripheral spread as well. Smaller than it looks from the picture.

Cons: A little aggravating to attach to your helmet. The version I purchased required you to buy an extra connector cord and strap if you wanted to use it as a helmet light rather than simply a bar mount.

Recommendation: So far, so good with this little light. Have heard issues of some of the battery packs dieing too quickly after multiple charges but have not had that issue yet. Decently light, bright, and run time is good. For $89, I echo other posters and say go for it.

Pros: - The Price

- Very Bright

- Five light settings

- Lightweight compared to some

- Bar or helmet mount

- Water resistant

Cons: None yet, I guess because i have the older battery pack. It seems they have been having issues with their battery packs in 2010.

Recommendation: Personally, this is a super great light, especially for the price. Very powerful light with five different light settings, can be mounted either on the bar or helmet. Battery last for a while. I got the very last light from Jenson with the helmet mount, and I am not kidding, the very last one.

Pros: the price is outstanding for the ability of the light. Doesn't weigh a ton! versatile on either bars or helmet. Battery life is good for a couple of hours night ride with no noticable dip in performance.

Cons: First iteration of battery was poor with very bad weather proofing. Mine got wet and shorted out.

Recommendation: Make sure you get the updated battery version or weather proof it like maddslacker did. Two of these can make you king of the trails at night for a fraction of the cost of other brands.

Pros: Smaller than expected.
Insanely bright.
Good beam pattern.
Good battery life.
Easy to adjust while wearing it.
Easy to turn on/off while wearing it. (Mine is the older 3-way switch model)
Good build quality. (light head unit)
Can be mounted on either bars or helmet.
Battery cable length is about right.
Battery plugs in firmly and stays plugged in.
Cordura pouch with velcro strap makes it easy to mount the battery on your frame.
Rubber O-ring mounting is simple and secure.

Cons: Battery comes wrapped in a single piece of plastic film, it really should be rubber dipped.
Can be hard to find for sale.
Advertised as 900 lumens but is really 700.
Your friends who paid $500-$600 for brand name lights will hate you.


Recommendation: I paid $68, with shipping, for this light from an eBay retailer in Hong Kong. It took about 3 weeks to arrive, and it was marketed with a 'headlamp' mount rather than a helmet mount.

When I got the unit, it was smaller and lighter than I expected, and the 'headlamp' mount is actually the plastic part of the helmet mount, but with stretchy head straps sewn onto it.

I removed the stretchy straps and installed a pair of sleeping bag straps I had on hand from backpacking...it now mounts to my helmet in a manner very similar to the NiteRider strap mount. It is snug and doesn't move at all while riding, but can be released quickly.

Next I bought a can of PlastiDip for $6 at the hardware store and rubber dipped the battery to weather proof it. Two coats sealed it nicely and it still (barely) fits into the cordura and velcro pouch that it came with.

On the trail, this light is noticeably brighter than my friend's Amoeba, and as bright as a Light & Motion Seca 700. However the Seca maintains those lumens over a substantially wider beam.

The bottom line is that this light, for under $100, will totally enable your night riding, and two of them would be suitable for 24 hour racing. There is no need at all to drop $500+ on the name brand stuff.

Pros: For $89.00 it works well. Everything you need to mount it on the bars. Light pattern works well

Cons: Too many modes to choose from...A high, low, and flash. Or a High, medium, low would be better.

Recommendation: Good light for those who are on a budget but need a powerful light. This is good enough for those who want to hit any trail at any time at night. There is plenty of light and a good pattern to boot.