Light & Motion builds high-end flashlights, headlamps and other electronics for the outdoors. The GoBe is a flashlight “platform” with interchangeable heads that start at $200 and go up from there. They will hit the market this month.
This is no doubt a pricy flashlight. For perspective, Energizer’s 4-LED Headlight retails for about $20 and kicks out 100 lumens — enough illumination for most any nighttime activity.
But where the Light & Motion GoBe blows inexpensive lights away is with its unique combination of power (500- or 700-lumen models are available), waterproofness (they can go 120 meters down, about three times the depth of the recreational PADI certified scuba diver), and versatility, including multiple “heads” that can be attached or removed for different types of light.
The GoBe lights are air- and-water cooled for long sessions at high power settings. Several mounting systems are available for diving, dive photography, cycling and mountaineering.
The system begins with one of two available rechargeable battery cases that function as the handle of the flashlight. The least expensive is a 500-lumen spotlight sold as a complete flashlight for $200. This model has a 2.2 amp-hour battery that will power the spotlight for 1.5 hours at full power or up to 24 hours at the 35-lumen low setting.
Other light heads can be purchased separately for the system, including a Nightsea Head (the company claims it delivers the perfect wavelength of blue light to excite fluorescence in marine life) that has a phosphor flip-cap to quickly switch between a blue and white light. A red tip, used to keep pupils dilated for low-light vision, can be added for $99.
The 700-lumen model starts at $299 for a handle with a 3 amp-hour battery and spotlight head. A wide angle head ($99), Focus red head ($99), or Nightsea head ($129) can be added to this model, too.
The made-in-the-USA system is waterproof to 120 meters, weighs 160 grams and is USB rechargeable.
The system is unique and the company touts its use for underwater videography and photography, which means the light is probably exceptionally uniform and balanced. Mounts are available for use with underwater cameras.
But at $200 and up, this is a hefty investment for a flashlight, even with some pretty unique features. For those who will use them aboard boats and on dive adventures, this will make an interesting option as a combined spot, search and dive light.
Expensive, versatile, powerful and rechargeable, this is one flashlight we look forward to checking out first hand.
—Sean McCoy
