A mini-review of the SON Ladelux headlight/USB charger
sha...@gmail.com
On the subject of dynamo-powered headlights, I have something to add that I’ve been meaning to share.
The new SON Ladelux headlight/USB charger is nearly perfect - and so much better than anything else I’ve used - that its wizardry almost feels like magic.
It seems hub dynamos and lighting are falling out of favor (which is a shame from my perspective), but if you love them, this headlight is absolutely worth considering.
Background
I’ve used a dynamo hub and headlights on every single bike I’ve owned since 2014 - even my vintage Schwinn Varsity and my Surly Wednesday fat bike - and I’ve ridden more than 150,000 miles with them.
All but one of those bikes have used headlights with integrated USB chargers. The lone exception has a rack-mounted SON Edelux II paired with a kLite USB charger.
For the first several years, I used a Busch & Müller Luxos U. It was a great light in many ways: it has beam cutoff, a good reflector that makes fork-crown mounting safe for mixed-use trails, and a handlebar switch so you can control it without reaching down. Unfortunately, I had three dramatic device failures - two due to water ingress and one where the spade connector broke off flush with the housing - so I eventually stopped trusting them.
When the Sinewave Beacon came out, I snapped it up. I’ve put more than 100,000 miles on various Beacons across all my bikes. They’re incredibly well-built, and I’ve never had a single failure of any kind.
However, the Beacon (and its successor, the Beacon 2) has a few drawbacks for my purposes:
- The standlight is basically useless. It’s too dim to see with and probably too dim to be seen. It comes with a USB cable that lets you power the headlight with an external battery, but I never wanted to fiddle with that. I did carry it on tours, though, just in case.
- No beam cutoff. It throws light forward in all directions, which makes fork-crown or rack mounting problematic on shared mixed-use trails.
- Switch and USB port placement. Both are on the light itself, requiring you to reach down unless it’s handlebar-mounted.
Over time, I learned how to get the most out of the Beacon. For example, to keep devices charged during the day, I usually left the light off in low-traffic areas, and I switched to SON28 hubs - which produce more usable power at lower speeds - rather than the slightly more efficient SONdelux hubs.
On my loaded touring bike, where I’m slower, I could typically keep three devices fully charged (phone, Garmin 1040/1050, and Garmin inReach Mini) as long as the headlight was off. If the light was on, or if the phone dipped below about 95%, it was harder to creep back to full, but nothing ever died completely.
Discovering the SON Ladelux
When the Ladelux was announced, I was excited because it seemed to address the Beacon’s shortcomings. It was introduced in December 2023 and scheduled for summer 2024 availability - but that didn’t happen. I checked every month until it finally appeared in some European shops in 2025. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available for purchase in the U.S., and the few SON partners who had access seemed to require in-person installation.
Eventually it appeared on Peter White Cycles and Rene Herse Cycles, and I ordered one from each on day one.
You need three components:
- The headlight,
- The switch cable, and
- A charging cable with SON’s proprietary magnetic connector (USB-C or Apple’s connector).
As soon as they arrived, I installed one on my SON28-equipped 1982 Trek 510, and I immediately decided to put the second on my touring bike (also with a SON28 hub), which I was about to ride from the Canadian border in Washington down to the Mexican border in San Diego.
Later, I bought a third for my all-purpose road bike.
Since then, I’ve ridden at least 5,000 miles using the Ladelux, and I am simply dumbfounded at how good this light is.
Real-World Performance
On my recent solo, fully-loaded Pacific Coast tour - where my average moving speed was often under 10 mph (16 km/h) - I usually ended the day with all three devices 100% charged, with the headlight running continuously. I literally never turned it off after the first day or two.
On mixed-use trails, the beam cutoff is flawless; I don’t even think about it anymore. The beam pattern is perfect for roads and paved trails, thanks to the Edelux II reflector design (created originally by B+M).
The high-beam mode is incredible when you need extra light.
And because it includes a built-in cache battery, charging doesn’t constantly stop and start when you slow down on climbs or pause at traffic lights.
In case it isn’t clear, I really love this headlight.
Drawbacks and Concerns
Cost:
This is a very expensive system. On Jan’s Rene Herse website, the light alone is $465, the switch is $103, and the charging cable is $49, so the least expensive configuration is $617 before tax and shipping. It’s nearly twice the cost of the Sinewave Beacon - though, in my opinion, worth every penny.
Indicator light visibility:
The mode indicator LED on the switch can be hard to see in daylight. I sometimes cup my hand over it to check the status.
Magnet-based cable connector durability (theoretical concern):
The charging cable attaches magnetically at the switch using neodymium magnets. Around 2015, tired of SON’s spade connectors, I tried Dyna-Snap magnetic connectors. They worked well at first, but once the nickel plating corroded, they became unreliable and eventually failed - an unfortunately common issue with nickel-plated neodymium magnets.
The good news: the Ladelux switch and cables are easily replaced.
The bad news: they are definitely not cheap.
If you’ve been considering this headlight, I’m certain you’ll love it as much as I do.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/equipment/lights/son-ladelux-headlight-standing/
https://peterwhitecycles.com/sch-ladelux.php
And if you don't want to spend the money, I know someone who would probably be willing to sell you one or more used and much-loved Sinewave Beacon. PM me if you’re interested!😁
- Shaun