So I’m not sure this is strictly a tech question, more like philosophical, but here we go. I have an Exposure front light that I’ve been happily using for almost eight years. The battery life’s been getting worse and worse, obviously, and a couple of weeks ago, it stopped working. I sent it back to Exposure to have it service and they said I can either pay £43 for the repair and a brand new battery or £72 for a replacement light (same model, but with USB-C charging cable). From a sustainability point of view, I should go for the repair but the USB-C cable would allow me to get rid of an extra cable that I can’t use for anything else… What would you do?
I’d go with the repair, because I think the sustainability (and reuse) angle is a strong one for me. There’d be others who would baulk at the idea of £43 for a new battery and repair costs.
Micro USB charging ain’t much, but if none of your devices use that now, then there’d be less wear on the micro-usb connector, leading to lower chance of failure.
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I’d probably upgrade, if there are any circumstances in which having a USB-C light is handy vs whatever the original light uses (proprietary connector? micro USB?). I’m all for sustainability, but you’re already doing better than most in that regard by buying from a company with a repair program.
What a dilemma! One of the tricky parts about having manufacturing in low-cost-of-labor countries and repair in high-cost ones (edit: not the case with Exposure, another commenter pointed out they’re made in the UK). I do love that they even offered though, many companies simply throw a replacement or refund at you.
I would probably go with the repair because it would make me happy when I looked at the light, even though I hate micro usb.
Would they sell you the new one and send you back the old one? You could probably repair it yourself or give it to someone who could, keeping it out of landfill.
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I’d pull it apart and see if I could repair it myself. Assuming normal levels of luminous efficacy that light should have a battery pack around 4 Ah which is pretty commonly available.
If it isn’t repairable, ditch it; things like this should be user serviceable. The alternative is the John Deere universe where everything is dependent on complying with the diktats of our corporate overlords.
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One of the tricky parts about having manufacturing in low-cost-of-labor countries and repair in high-cost ones.
Exposure lights are made in the UK.
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Ah thanks for the reminder! I’ll edit my post to note that. Wild then that the price is so close.
Are there any differences between the two versions other than the charging port? Sometimes the new version might be brighter, or have longer runtimes, or some other tweaks, which might sway the decision.
Also, how often/where do you normally charge the light? I’ve still got enough micro usb cables at home (from the good ol’ days when micro USB was popular) that it’s not a problem to charge micro USB devices at home. But if you regularly charge on the go (e.g. ultras or touring) then having one less cable type to worry about carrying, faster charging, and/or a better chance of blagging a cable from someone else if you forget yours, might all be reasons to prefer USB C.
IME Micro USB cables are getting quite hard to come by, especially decent ones. Cheap cables of whatever type fail quite often, so being able to standardise on one type means less to carry when travelling.
However, if you don’thave violent objectuons to Micro USB, I’d definitely get it repaired to cut down on waste.
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Ordinarily I’d concur with others and say repair, but the batteries the biggest waste issue, and that’s being binned anyway, so perhaps replace would be better and end up with fresh start for everything (I.e what’s the lifespan on the electronics?).
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Could they replace the charging port as well? Might be worth asking.
Plus one for getting it repaired
One option for micro USB is to get a little USB-C to micro USB adapter, and use that with a USB-C cable. Less stuff, harder to break, easier to lose
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I’d go back to the nice people at Exposure and get a dynamo light. Up front cost, lasts a veeeery long time. I appreciate that this response is entirely unhelpful.
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Hey Balint!
If you haven’t made a decision yet, if you’d be open to it, and if Exposure is down with doing both (repair + replace) - I be happy to take the old light off your hands for repair + shipping + whatever’s a fair price for ya’! Keep a light outta the landfill, and you get an upgrade!
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Some people DIY them. Probably just an 18650 in them. 2.3K views · 30 reactions | Is your Exposure Joystick light starting to give a reduced light time? Here is a 'How to" guide to replace the Li-Ion battery inside the light. Basic soldering skills are required and it will probably take you longer to open the light itself than to change the battery. We can also offer this service for you should you wish to post the light to us instead. mark@mtbbatteries.co.uk | mtb batteries
Not the OP but have 2 Exposure lights that are a few years old. As models they are still in the product range but have had several power (max lumen) increases as well as other secondary features added. I’d expect the current model of the OPs light to be much more powerful than the original. Personally I’d go for the new light, and rationalize that it’s probably by far the smallest unit of ewaste I’m going to create (and that’s assuming it doesn’t get repaired by someone else).
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Repair just sounds nicer - built in rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan and are almost a wear and tear item. So many can’t / won’t be replaced so when you find a company that will, bite their hand off! It seems disproportionate in terms of cost - but you get what you pay for (sometimes less, never more)…
Long time Exposure Lights user, get it repaired. Had many over the years sorted by them when they’ve gone wrong, which from time to time they do. If it’s bright enough, why change it, we all need to be a little more sustainable.
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I was in the same position as you last year and went for the repair. I was quite attracted to the lure of a shiny (ha) new thing, but then I remembered that the reson I spent so much money on an Exposure light in the first place was that it will last for ages. That light and a few pairs of shimano M540s will likely be the main inheritance my kids get.
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