TOWILD's BR800 headlight uses 18650 batteries, so you can carry spare batteries, and it's quite bright. It also has good anti-glare functionality, making it a product I use often.
I used to use the NAVI800K, but I didn't like using proprietary 18650 batteries, so I bought and tried various 18650 headlights on AliExpress. After trying the BR800, I unified all four of my bicycles with it.
The price was cheaper than the NAVI, and I thought it was good because it didn't use proprietary batteries. However, a while ago, someone commented that the BR800 is initially good but tends to turn off at the chin area after prolonged use.
As if it were a lie, my headlight started turning off intermittently whenever there was an impact on the road surface.
So I disassembled the headlight and found that its design is prone to contact failure.
As shown in the picture, the battery case contact needs to make firm contact with the LED contact. However, because the LED contact is pressed down 365 days a year, it eventually bends inward.
It seems that NAVI products using proprietary 18650 batteries weren't just a marketing ploy.
However, since changing everything to NAVI products now would cost a lot of money, I tried to find a solution. It seemed possible to solve the problem by making the contact protrude further than before.
At first, I thought about soldering, but it seemed troublesome and there was a risk that the plastic on the LED side might melt. So I looked for a simpler method and decided to use a tool like long-nose pliers to bend the battery case contact upward.
As shown in the picture, I bent the contact into a mountain shape and compared it before and after.
I did a functional test and the light came on well. Even when I hit it several times with my hand, it didn't turn off.
Of course, I need to test it during field riding and use it for a long time to see if it's really fixed. For now, it's just a temporary fix.
I will leave additional feedback after using it for a few months.
For those who were considering discarding the BR800 due to contact failure issues, I recommend trying this method.
