The Hope R4+ is an updated version of the R4 LED we tested in the 2013 lights test. Improvements include 500 extra lumens, an illuminated power switch and battery with built-in fuel gauge.

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Included in the box are three mounts — an elastic head harness, a Velcro helmet mount and a machined aluminium bar mount. The latter has a bayonet-style attachment, which allows you to remove the lamp quickly when not in use.

This dog-leg design also means the Hope R4+ can be positioned out in the front of the stem, freeing up bar space and eliminating shadows cast by the front wheel.

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The battery now comes in a rubber case, but the strap included is a little thin, so it tended to rattle when riding bumpy terrain.

Like the old light, the Hope R4+ has two power sequences (Race and Trail), each with three light levels. The default setting is Race mode and we’d stick with this one as it offers max output and usable medium and low-power settings.

Trail mode is accessed with a long press and has medium and low beams and a slightly annoying flashing option.

With its four high-powered LEDs, the R4+ produces good coverage at the sides and close in. It’s not quite as wide reaching as the Seca, but it has a stronger, whiter light. In fact, the R4+ exceeded its claimed output when we measured it.

Like most of Hope’s products, the R4+ is bombproof. It has the best clamp on test, comes with a stack of accessories, and the compact lamp unit is the only one here that works just as well on a helmet.

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