Zefal Supervision F1500 light review

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The Zefal Supervision F1500 front light is a large unit with a pronounced central spot.

It has separate LED indicators for each of its five modes and for battery level, making it easy to see the light status.

The inclusion of a wired remote makes for easy mode switching when riding too.

Zefal Supervision F1500 specifications and details

The Zefal Supervision F1500 front light has chunky looks, with a wide body housing two LEDs.

The rear is plastic, but the front silver part is metal and acts as a heat sink. It includes side ports to provide some side-on visibility.

The Supervision F1500 offers five light modes – three constant and two flashing, although Zefal counts the low-power mode it automatically switches to at 20 per cent battery capacity as a sixth.

There’s an on/off switch on the top of the unit and a USB-C charge port at the rear. This can also be used to plug in a wired remote, which attaches to your handlebar with a Velcro strap.

The single button on both the light and the remote can be used to switch the Supervision F1500 on and off. Both also toggle through the light modes, while a double-click switches between the three constant and two flashing modes.

With a 1,500-lumen peak output, the Zefal Supervision F1500 is on a par with high-output lights from competing brands, although it’s on the large side and towards the heavier end of the spectrum at 202g.

Zefal Supervision F1500 performance

While most lights rely on a single LED to show you the mode and battery life, Zefal has a separate array for each light mode and for the battery life.

It makes it much easier to spot which of the three constant and two flashing modes you’re using. The cabled remote, which fits in the rear USB-C socket, makes it quick to change between modes too.

The light takes up quite a bit of bar real estate – it’s wider and heavier than many rival bike lights.

The enclosed GoPro adaptor offers under-bar mounting as an option, although you then lose sight of the LED arrays because they’re on the light’s underside. The battery-level indicator LEDs, situated at the rear corner of the light, are still visible.

While most of the lights I tested alongside the Supervision offer a body made mainly of metal, here the black rear part is plastic, with only the front silver heat sink metal.

Along with the bulky form factor, this gives it a slightly less premium feel.

There’s a bright central spot to the beam pattern, so there’s good visibility of the road directly ahead.

That’s combined with decent peripheral illumination, although it’s not as wide as some other lights on test, making it less easy to see turns and other features than with lights such as the Bookman Volume 1500 (which has a broader light spread).

It’s also a little more awkward having to toggle through three constant light modes than using lights that offer only two. Zefal’s system means you need to cycle through the lowest option to get back to the highest setting.

The multiple LED light-level indicators make it easy to see which mode you’re using, though.

The remote enables you to toggle output levels without taking your hands off the bar, although the remote’s wire can be fiddly to arrange so it’s not in the way.

The runtime of around 1hr 50mins on peak output was reasonable and the light ran for over three hours more in its powered-down mode before exhausting the battery.

Zefal Supervision F1500 bottom line

Zefal’s light offers plenty of illumination options and the multiple LED arrays make it easy to see which you’ve chosen. The remote is useful for easy switching.

The lighting pattern is more focused than other lights though and the unit doesn’t quite have the quality feel to merit its premium price for its output level.

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