The Zenith is the most powerful of Exposure’s range of five helmet-mounted options, and we’ve rated it one of the best mountain bike lights for years now. The latest Mk3 adds a bit more power and beam width while keeping the handy tap tech mode switching. Despite the very high cost it’s not the smartest of Exposure’s head lights though and the neat helmet vent mount won’t work with all lids. We tested the Mk2 version of the Zenith beck in 2022, and awarded it a perfect 10/10, so I had high hopes for this new version.

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Design and specifications

The clip-on helmet mount that Exposure introduced with the original Joystick (now in its 17th version) means the Zenith must have a slim centre section on its UK CNC machined and anodised body. At the business end of the light are three XPL2(W3) LEDs with a claimed 2200 lumens. Meanwhile, a gold plated (no, really) charge port, stainless steel button and basic charge indicator LEDs sit in the clear plastic cover at the far end.

The Zenith is an mbr favourite thanks to its high power to weight ratio, for the Mk3 it gets a better spread of light

Thick machined rings at either end help with cooling and give a secure mount for the provided lanyard. At £300 I’d definitely recommend you strap it on straight away too, to stop it getting lost in a crash or an accidental branch head butt.

A 5000mah Li-Ion battery works through eight different manually preset multi output modes. These can be changed via the back button or just tapping the light or your helmet. Zenith doesn’t get the Bluetooth ‘Sync’ to link to Exposure’s smart phone app, or its bigger bar lights. That only appears on the Diablo SYNC Mk5 which is the same price but with a 2100 lumen output and smaller 3500mah battery.

1.7A, 3.4A and 8.7A sizes of ‘support cell’ auxiliary lights are available separately to plug in and boost run times. A USB charger lead is supplied in the carrying case together with a dedicated smart charger and a simple strap on bar mount for road use.

The lanyard’s there as a belt and braces approach to security, but the unique mount is super reliable

Performance

As it’s primarily designed for helmet use, you need to check that the unique double-disc design connecting through the ribs of your helmet. It’s fine on most helmets, and much easier and neater to use than a strap mount too. However you might end up with it off to one side if you’ve got no central vents. It locks the sliding twin shells of Giro or Bell Spherical MIPS helmets together too, rendering them useless, but then so do all strap-on style mounts.

Presuming it fits, Exposure’s decades of experience making helmet lights shows in the long-reaching, but not awkwardly-tight beam from the Zenith. It’s very consistent and even too, making it much easier to spot and translate details on the trail. The warmer than average colour temperature is easier on the eyes, especially in wet conditions where it reduces dazzling bounce back from shiny surfaces.

The Zenoth’s beam pattern is easy on the eye

I had to make sure to set the sensitivity levels of the tap tech appropriately for my riding though. Otherwise the ‘light touch’ mode can be triggered by rough trails and heavy landings, potentially dimming the light just when I needed max power most.

The Zenith ran for longer than claimed, but beware limp mode as you’ve get less than 10 minutes before complete blackout