So I use the Varia 515 Radar with my Garmin 530. Love it. No questions there.
Is it worth it to find a Varia compatible headlight to add on to my light network? (I’m using a ‘dumb’ Light and Motion 500 currently).
Assuming ‘yes’ to #1 – any product suggestions worth considering (other than Garmin UT800)?
My use case is riding on country/suburban roads and bike trails near the sunset and after sunset hours.
Currently running a Niterider front light that was purchased 9 years ago. Still works great, FWIW I can’t justify buying a new light simply for the convenience of turning on/off via my bike computer. Love the Varia too.
Ive got the UT800 and its pretty powerful and the adaptive light thing is neat. The unit is nice and robust too. I got it as my current lights couldn’t quite ‘cut the mustard’ for travelling at speed on unlit country lanes that are twisty, undulating and narrow. As to being worth it or not I guess it depends upon how happy you are with your current light. If its bright enough for you and has a good beam spread I doubt its worth paying more for a few smart features (unlike the radar which is worth it).
FWIW, I have broken the mounting tabs in two of the Garmin headlights….they just seem to fatigue over time.
The light is OK, but has more of a yellow tone to it than other headlights I use. In general, I definitely prefer my NiteRider Illumina.
Having the light in the network has always been a “so what?” Feature for me…even back when I used a Garmin head unit.
I have the 530, the Varia 515 and the Garmin front light, I think the best part about it is that it integrates with the edge mount, otherwise I have no idea why I need a headlight to automatically change if I’m not riding in the dark. I’d rather have something with better battery life so I don’t end up in a tunnel in the dark on the parkway in the middle of the day.
I hate autocorrect!!!
The Bontrager Ion works fine with the Garmin Varia in a light network.
So does Bontrager Flare RT but it’s a rear light.
I have the Garmin headlight and I would not recommend it.
-if you pair it to your Garmin the battery drains much faster and life is cut nearly in half. I have to use it as a dumb light to make it work
-it’s not bright enough for real night rides, it’s like riding in a tunnel withy the light beam pattern
I only use the Garmin light for rides up until dusk, if I’m riding after dusk I used my Outbound Lighting light as it has much better light spread.
Thanks. If I had to summarize the wisdom of this thread, it’s that Varia compatible headlights aren’t as transformative as the taillights are*. Will just stick with my current setup for now.
*Even just yesterday, I was riding on the shoulder of a two-lane country highway with pretty consistent traffic going in both directions. I decided I was ready to turn around and head back home. Relied on the ‘all clear’ signal on my head unit to know when I could cross the lanes to the other side. It’s placing a lot of trust in my Varia to check for my blind spot, but I do. It’s been that reliable for me.
I just looked this up. That thing is massive! I don’t really think it’s a fair comparison.
I pair mine with my 840. I use the override function on both the radar taillight and the headlight, to force them into flash mode. That dramatically improves the battery life for both devices.
It is a big difference, another downside of the UT800 is that is sticks back behind the mount and I can’t use a handlebar bag with the light on. That’s usually something I need for riding into the dark for extras layers
It is wider, but not as deep….I think it is just a different approach to the structure, and hence the beam pattern.
I have both lights and the Outdoor blows the Garmin away…but IMO it is more about the color of light vs. the overall capabilities. The Garmin is distinctly yellowish vs. the Outdoor.
A better comparison would be the Outdoor vs. a NiteRider Lumina…similar lumens but different patterns. The Outoodr gives you a wider field, but not as bright right in front of your. The NiteRider is brighter right in front of you, but not as wide of a field.
“Better” is subjective, IMO……a good combo is both together, one on the helmet and one on the bars. But I only use that for the trail….on the road, I am usually fine with just the NiteRider on my bars as I don’t really feel I need the extra field.
ETA - just realized I had typed “Outdoor” instead of “Outbound”. I seem to have a mental block about that name, as I always default to Outdoor and I have no idea why. 
It also appears to have two lights instead of one. Does it weigh twice as much?
I ask because I’m super happy with the Varia headlight, but I’m always game for something better…and Christmas is coming.
+1 for outbound
The Outbound Light looks good but at over £100 shipping on top of purchase I think I’ll stick to my overpriced Garmin.
I have a garmin UT800 and idea of synchronizing it with my head unit, auto adjustment of brightness etc was looking brilliant on paper. however if i synchronize the headlight to the head unit i dont remember using the light longer than 2 hours. So if this is just for commute or winter training rides, i think it is still OK.
If you are considering alight for proper night riding, lupine SL 7 AF could be something to look at 
No, it is relatively light for its size…I have used it as a helmet light with no issues.
Note - if you want to use it on a GoPro mount (either helmet or HB), there is a special adapter required.
