Outbound Lighting has established itself in the mountain biking industry as the premier option for wireless lights. Since their release, the Hangover and Trail Evo have been the go-to combination around the shop for their brightness and easy-to-use designs. While the Hangover is a fantastic option for a lightweight helmet-specific light, Outbound has introduced the all-new Portal, which aims to be their longest-lasting and most powerful helmet light yet. 

The Outbound Portal is a versatile light featuring a longer runtime and brighter beam than the Hangover while maintaining a low-profile design.

Portal

Outbound has designed the Portal to be its brightest and longest lasting helmet light, while offering the versatility to be used as a handlebar light via an aftermarket adapter. The beam of the Portal is wider than that of the Hangover, thanks to the 30% larger TIR cones. This increase in optical efficiency means you get even more brightness and coverage on the trail. The Portal's beam is designed to strike a balance between the extremely wide output of the Trail Evo and the narrower, more focused beam of the Hangover, while offering a bit more punch down the trail.

The Portal utilizes the same single-button interface as other Outbound units and easily cycles through its Adaptive, High, Medium, and Low modes.

If you want a beam with more coverage and a slightly wider spread for seeing more of your surroundings at once, the Portal is exactly the light for you. The Hangover remains ideal for those who prioritize weight savings and a smooth beam pattern that illuminates a more condensed area.

Hangover

The Hangover offers a smooth beam with a more circular focus than the Portal. It is perfect for trail riders who want a more direct spotlight to pair with the wider beam of their handlebar light. Its optic ensures balanced peak brightness and smooth falloff to help riders spot obstacles and ride at typical daytime speeds.

While the Portal offers a wider beam pattern and longer battery life, the Hangover is still a great option for riders prioritizing weight savings.

Battery and Runtime

The Hangover provides impressive performance for its size, offering 90 minutes of high output and a runtime of almost 3 hours on medium mode. It’s designed to handle quick, intense rides.

Mode / Runtime

Adaptive: 1.6h (100min)

High: 1.2h (72min)

Medium: 2.8h (170min)

Low: 6.5h (390min)

The Portal features a larger Samsung 5000mAH battery, delivering 43% more capacity than the Hangover. This increase translates to a 50% longer runtime in Adaptive mode, giving riders up to 2.5 hours compared to the Hangover’s 90 minutes. The Portal can run for 4 hours on medium mode and a remarkable 8 hours on low, making it a great option for longer rides.

Mode / Runtime

Adaptive: 2.5h (150min)

High:  1.1h (65min)

Medium: 4h (240min)

Low: 8h (480min)

For riders who need extended runtime, especially for longer rides or multi-day adventures, the Portal is a clear winner with its longer battery life and larger capacity. However, if you only need a light for a standard after work lap, the Hangover will be more than sufficient.

Features

The Hangover is designed to be user-friendly, with an easy-to-use single button and clear battery and mode indicators. It also features pass-thru charging and a “get home mode”, which reduces output significantly when the battery is low, giving you enough time to safely finish your ride. The light is compact, with thermal engineering to optimize airflow and prevent overheating during use.

The Portal and Trail Evo produce enough light to ride at typical daytime speeds in otherwise pitch-black conditions.

The Portal follows a similar philosophy of simplicity, with a single, large button for easy control, even with thick gloves. It also features pass-thru charging, and adaptive mode that gradually reduces brightness over 30 minutes to extend runtime without compromising visibility. The Portal’s larger battery and slightly heavier design make it a bit bulkier, but it remains lightweight for its class, with the unit weighing only 170g. Both lights feature a user-friendly interface, but the Portal offers a larger battery, giving it an edge for riders who want more run time, a brighter optic, and peace of mind on longer rides.

Differences of Portal and Hangover

The Hangover is ideal for riders who prioritize a compact, high-performance light for shorter night rides. It is perfect for mountain bikers who need a versatile light with a more direct beam pattern. Its lightweight and easy-to-use design makes it perfect for mountain biking. The optics of the Hangover provide a circular beam that is fantastic at illuminating far distances on narrow single track, and its lighter weight is noticable in comparison to the heavier Portal. 

The Portal offers longer battery life and a brighter beam, but it weighs 170g compared to the 105g weight of the Hangover.

The Portal is more suited for riders who need high output and runtime for longer rides, multi-day bikepacking, or those who ride in conditions where more light and extended visibility are crucial. It’s a great option for bikers who do a variety of rides, from mountain biking to commuting, where longer runtimes and extra brightness are beneficial. 

Riding Impressions

Having used the combination of Outbound's Hangover and Trail Evo handle bar light extensively over the past few years, the Portal's updated optics and power was immediately noticeable. The wider optic of the Portal light stacks seamlessly atop that of the Evo handle bar light. Whereas the Hangover delivers a more direct band of light with a defined circular "cone" in the middle, the optic of the Portal is significantly wider, and provides substantially more peripheral coverage.

The Portal's improved optic and extended battery life are noticeable performance upgrades compared to the Hangover.

The wider optic of the Portal light integrates seamlessly with the Evo handlebar light, enhancing the overall illumination with a broader field of vision. While the Portal’s larger battery adds a bit of weight, the significant increase in runtime and brightness makes it well worth the trade-off. The Hangover, with its more focused, "cone-like" beam, still performs excellently for singletrack, offering a direct, concentrated light. However, I found the Portal’s optic blends much better with the Evo’s wide beam, creating a smooth, continuous light field that reduces harsh shadows and improves night-time visibility. Both lights are solid choices, but the Portal’s improved optic and extended run time are noticeable performance upgrades.

Verdict

If you’re looking for a lightweight, compact solution for high-output, shorter night rides, the Hangover is your best bet. If you need extended runtime and a brighter, wider beam with a longer battery life, the Portal will be a better investment.