The best bike lights fall into on🐷e of two categories. The first - 'be seen' lights - are bright enough to attract the attention of other road users around you, but not quite bright enough to light up the road ahead of you. Both front and rear options fall into this category, and the majority of budget lights fall here too.
Secondly, are the 'see' lights, in that they help you see where you are going when riding in the dark. These naturally also serve to make you more visible too, but are brighter and often more expensive. Only front lights fall into this category, of course, and a lot of riders bolster their 'seeing' front light with a 'be seen' auxiliary♔ one too.
I've got first-hand experience with nearly all the lights in this guide, and on the few occasions where I don't, I'm drawing on 🍒my colleagues' direct feedback after substantial testing of their own.
The basic need for ll bikꦇe lights is be bright enough for their intended use, have a battery that lasts long enough for your intended journey, and robust enough to deal bad weather. Each light in this list fits the bill in these regards, so it's just a matter of picking the best setup for your intended use, and your budget.
In the guide below I've made my suggestions as clear as possible, but if you are left with more questions, there's an FAQ sectio💮n at the bottom of the page to help guide you through.
+ Incredible build quality
+ Huge battery life
- Hefty
The Strada is an investment, but it packs so much into one light it easily justifies the price tag. Incredible battery life, bombproof, ܫand it can automatically dip the beam when it senses car headlights.
+ Easy universal mount
+ Bright enough to do most things
- Harder to mount under a computer
A well-executed, no-💙nonsense front light that'll clip to round and aero bars if needed, and cover you for city commutes and the occasional foray into darker places without breaking the bank.
+ Sharp beam cutoff
+ Great battery life
- Sits very far forward under a computer
R𒊎easonably priced, well made, and with a shaped beam that's great for road riding. The battery life is good, and you can charge it while using it too for long, dark rides.
+ 200hrs battery life
+ Downward LED illuminates road
- A Little Bulky
If you are truly forgetful about remembering to charge then this is for you. The battery lif💝e is HUGE, and it's also bright, with a downw🤪ard facing LED that projects a red halo around you for increased side visibility.
+ Direct USB charging
+ Big light area
- Not angled for seatposts
A big flat🎃 square with numerous tiny LEDs inset into it that you can plug directly into a USB socket to recharge. Bright, with dynami🐠c patterned flash modes for added visibility.
+ Extremely bright
+ Great added features
- High RRP
Small, extremely well made, and a host of added features including the ability to act as a brake light, and automatically dimming when it detects you are i♛n front of another rider.
Having spent the last decade without a turbo trainer I have lost count of the number of hours I've spent ridingꦿ only by the light of whatever is clipped to my bars, or slung beneath my bike computer in recent years, both on and off-road. Bike lights are a necessity for many of us, but in my opinion they can be as transformative for your winter riding as mudguards and proper winter layering.
Recent updates
19th February 2025More testing has been underway since the prior update, so in this edit, we've amended some product descriptions to make our findings clearer. The products we recommend are unchanged, but we've added context to help readers find the ideal product more easily.
Best front bike lights
Best front bike light overall
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It's among the biggest front lights out there,ౠ but the battery life is amazing. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Inside the front element are a pair of lenses, along with sensors which will dip the beam if 🤪it detects oncoming headlights. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The beam is shaped too, though not so much as t♏he Outbound Detour.(Image credit: Will Jones)
A screen at the rear shows you which power you're on, and how much battery life you ha🏅ve left.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Exposure mounts are rock solid, though be careful not 😼to mount it under a second-rate computer mount or it may end in disaster.(Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You want the ultimate road light: This has all the bells and whistles you could ask for. The beam is flat, shaped for road riding, and auto-dims when sensing an oncoming car's headlights.
✅ You want bombproof quality: I used a plastic mount to sling mine beneath my computer, which snapped at 65kmh. The light♏ barrelled down the road, and was still working fine when I found it. This thing is unkillable.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You're a weight weenie: At 258g it's a bit of a tank, mostly because of its large internal battery. The Exposure Race light (number 5) is a slightly lighter alternative if you can stomach the price.
❌ You want to charge everything with USB-C: Exposure lights all use a brand-specific charging setup, with a big included charger. It's clunky, and feels a little out of step with modern trends. If tꦯhis is an issue and you can handle the shorter battery and reduced brightness, then the Outbound Detour is a good bet.
If you want the ultimate, all-singing, all-dancing front road light then this is where you should be spending your money. The Exposure Str🐼ada is a wonderful light and I used it all winter last year and it didn't skip a beat. Yes, it's expensive, and yes, there is a learning curve, but it's got so much going for it that you can look past those things if your pockets are deep enough.
The beam is extremely well shaped. It doesn't have quite the same hard upper cutoff as the Outbound Lighting Detour, but in order to not blind drivers it has a party trick up its sleeve. Switch on 'Aktiv' mode and the light senses oncoming headlights and automatically dips the beam until they have passed. It's much like swa﷽pping from full beam to dipped in your car, if you have one, and is utterly seamless. You can switch it ofဣf, but I couldn't think of a reason to.
The initial setup is a bit of a faff, whereby you have to select from a list of 7 options of brightness groupings, each option containing three different brightnesses that you can cycle between, either through the bottom on the rear or via a wired-in button you can mount to your bars, but once you have your desಌired setup it's about as fit-and-forget as you can get.
It's hefty, but if, like me, you're fitting it to a winter bike with mudguards and a frame pump andꩵ aren't using it for a hill climb it isn't really an issue. The weight does mean I strongly recommend you use a metal computer mount if you're slinging 🤪it beneath your computer. I initially fitted it under the plastic mount that came with my Hammerhead Karoo 2, which snapped on a descent and sent the light and computer tumbling down the road at warp speed. The light was still working when I found it, despite the massive impact it had taken, a testament to the brilliant build quality of these things.
The massive internal battery is what allows this light to have such enormous battery life, and if꧒ this light wasn't also the 'best overall' it would certainly be down as 'best battery life'. It is about as good as a bike light gets, and only really gets market down for the size and weight (which are necessary for its performance) and the high RRP.
If you want more details then head to our 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AkTIV review.ꦉ It is the previous model, but the changes to the Mk12 are very minor so the majority of it is still relevant.
Best budget front bike light
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The AMPP900 is a brilliant do it all option that ꦓwon't brea🐷k the bank.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The form is pretty nea𝐆t, and if you want a less cluttered cockpit you can sling it under the bars too.(Image credit: Will Jones)
You do get a little bit of added💧ꦰ side visibility from the windows, but not much.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The mount is a li🙈ttle more fiddly t🅷han most, but it's very secure and it's pretty universal, so will work on most aero-profile handlebars.(Image credit: Will Jones)
A 900 lumen power is about right for ca mix of commuting and o൩ccasional night road riding.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The perfect middle ground for commuting and night rides
Reasons to avoid
-
Mounting under a computer needs adapter
-
Won't reduce brightness when the power drops
BUY IT IF
✅ You want a do-it-all solution: 900 lumens is about the sweet spot for lighting, meaning you can commute happily and still use it on unlit roads to see by. This is it's maximum output though, so it can't hold it for long.
✅ You don't want to spend a fortune: It's not the cheapest, and if you are just needing a light in order to be seen while commuting then you can go cheaper, but this is the best budget option that'll do most tꩲhings well enough.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want added features: There aren't a tonne of modes like you get with Exposure lights, or any tech to dim the beam. Three brightness and two flashing modes only.
❌ You want to quickly swap it between bikes: If you're commuting and want to remove the whole bracket you have to unscrew the dial all the way to remove it. It's fiddly and more time-consuming tha▨n a silicone strap, but𒉰 the mount is universal and can pivot. Look to the Knog Blinder if this is a dealbreaker for you.
The AMPP900 is the successor to the venerable old Volt 800, a 👍light I bought around a decade ago and is still going to this day, despite the light itself being discontinued. The AMPP900 takes a lot of what I loved about the Volt 800 and builds upon it.
The brightness, 900 lumens at its brightest with three brightnesses and two flashing modes, is just about right to fulfil commuter duties without being overkill, whilst still just about being bright enough for forays into proper night time riding. I'm not going to pretend youꦉ're going to have as well-lit a time as you will with more premium, brighter options, but if your night riding involves a dark commute and the odd pre-❀dawn or post-dusk jaunt in the winter then it's perfectly adequate.
The old Volt used a replaceable battery. I never needed to replace mine, and it did seem an odd thing to build into a light. The AMPP900 is a self-contained unit and has made the switch to USB-C. One thing that has also improved in﷽ this rega🅺rd is the space around the charging port recess. On old models, it was a little small meaning only certain leads would fit, but here it's dead roomy.
You can, with an adapter, mount it under a computer using a GoPro style slot mount, but I find it's a light best suited to being on the bars. The universal FlexTight bracket has enough capacity to cope with round bars to proper deep winged aero bars, and has a pivot point meaning if your bars have backsweep you can keep the light pointing forwards. You could even mount it sideways on a fork blade if the mood took you. I found the litt💛le rubber insert a bit prone to falling out, so keep an eye on it.
Th💯ere is an 800-lumen version that's a bit cheaper, and if you're only commuting then you can get away with the AಞMPP500, a worthy competitor for the Knog Blinder 600 for the best commuter option.
One thing I did fall foul of is that, when running it at full power, it won't automatically swap to a lower intensity beam when the battery level drops; it'll just cut out, so remember to keep it charged. to find out all the other key details from my time with this light then have a read of my 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Cateye AMPP900 review.
Best front bike light for beam shape
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The Detour is certainly ♐a visual departure from the normal tube-shape lights we're🎉 all used to seeing.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The quick release mount is a little stiꦓcky, but very secure.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The USB-C port works even when the light is running, meaning you can attach it to a power bank𒅌 on the move.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The shaped beam means you a꧅ren't going to dazzle cars, p🌊edestrians, or other cyclists.(Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You want a shaped beam: The light is cutoff at the top, meaning everything above the level of the light doesn't get blinded. This helps pedestrians on shared paths, but more importantly it means drivers aren't blinded by you.
✅ You want to charge while riding: Included in the box is a weatherproof USB-C ca🎃ble, meaning you can run the light off a power bank even in the rain, perfect for through-the-night epics.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a sleek setup: It's a bit of a beast, and especially mounted below a computer it's extremely bulbous and prominent. Exposure's lights mount similarly securely but in a sleeker way.
❌ You're doing technical off-road riding: It is billed as for road/gravel, but the beam shape means you may strug🐻gle on anything෴ beyond fire roads. Look to the Exposure Race if this is a dealbreaker.
The♛ Outbound Lighting Detour is visibly a bit of a departure from your more standard, tube shaped bike lights. It's wider, with two giant hemisphere reflectors and a prominent, almost frowning brow. One big button set between sets of cooling fins on ✨the top controls things, cycling through the four main beam modes and two strobe patterns.
The slightly odd visuals are a result of the Detour's engineering to create a 'shaped beam'. Effectively instead of having𝄹 the LEDs pointing directly outwards creating a cone of light, the diodes point downwards within the body of the light, and are shaped by a pair of conical reflectors to project the beam outwards. This means that the upper half of the beam is truncated, meaning everything above the top edge of the light body (assuming it is mounted horizontally) isn't blinded. This means pedestrians don't get annoyed, and it means cars can see you, but aren't so blinded by your light that they can't see anything else.
I found the build quality to be excellent, and while having a rubberised body is unusual, it makes it easier to handle. The bar mount is well designed and secure, and enables you to mount the detour above, inline, or below your bars, but I optedಌ to sling it beneath my bike computer. In this orientation it's more out of the way, but I do think it looks a little bulbous compared to mo൩st other options on the market. Still, I do think aesthetics are a secondary consideration to how well it actually lights.
The shaped beam means you aren't 'wasting' lumens lighting uꦇp things above your eyeline, so you can get away with running it on a lower power than you perhaps would with a standard conical beam, which aids the battery life𝔍 even more.
Should you ever run low on power - say you are a masochist and regularly embark on through-the-night epics - you can plug the Detour into a p🌟ower bank and charge it up while it is still in use. The cable included creates a weather-sealed connection, but this does still rely on you having a way of waterproofing the power bank if it 𒐪does rain.
In short, I think the Detour is an excellent do it all option. The price is affordable for what is on offer. The only real drawback I'd say is that it isn▨'t really suitable for technical off-road riding. The cutoff beam is fine on fire roads, but in tricky terrain you're going to want a classic cone⛄ shape so you can see if there are trees/rocks/cliff edges coming up fast.
One final party trick up the Detour'🐻s sleeve is the default 'Adaptive' mode. When you turn the light on it'll begin on full power, but then slowly reduce the brightness over the course of half an hour as 🌌your eyes get used to the darkness, improving the battery life in the process.
Much like the Cateye, the 𝄹Knog Blinder Pro 600 is small,but its lower power makes it ideal for around town.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The symmetrical t💃oop and bottom of the light means you can mount it under the bars while keeping it the right way ༺up...(Image credit: Will Jones)
...however, the mount isn't the most secure so I'd kee🐓p it up top if I were you.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Again, you get a little extra ꦉside visibility, ☂which is always handy in the city.(Image credit: Will Jones)
4. Knog Blinder Pro 600
Best front light for commuters
Reasons to buy
+
Can mount right-way-up beneath computer
+
Button shows battery level
Reasons to avoid
-
Mount feels a little insecure
BUY IT IF
✅ You ride only in the city: 600 lumens is perfectly adequate for being seen if you've got all the ambient light of a metropolis lighting your way too.
✅ You want to mount it under a computer: It includes a quick-release mount for under a computer,ꦬ so you could have 🌌it on your commuter Mon-Fri, and pop it on your road bike under a computer for the weekend quick as a flash.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You're doing long road rides at night: 600 lumens is just about enough to see by at night on unlit roads, but as this is the max output you're going to burn through the battery really quickly. The Exposure Strada's big battery life is your saviour if this is an issue.
❌ You want to mount it under a computer: While the more powerful Blinder 90🍬0 🌟comes with a GoPro mount, the 600 only comes with a rubber strap, so it's on the bars only here.
Of all the lights I've had in for testing this one also wins the 'works best as a torch' award. Unclip it from the mount and it is basically a wee little handheld torch, which is surprisingly handy. Y🅰es,ꦬ the others work for that purpose too, but not so well.
Anyway, this isn't Torch Weekly or some such publication. The Knog Blinder Pro 600 ticks all the boxes💮 for a great commuter light. the 600 lumen brightness is enough to keep absent minded taxi drivers paying attention, but not so bright you're going to blind anyone coming towards you.
The mount is easy-on and easy-off, a lot faster than the AMPP900 for example, and you can remove the light from the mount just by pulling it off with a click. It'll mount upside down in the mount if you want to sling it under your bars, but u🍌nlike the GoPro mount that comes with the brighter Blinder Pro 900 there is no cam lock on the bracket so I'd stick to having it up top if I were you.
You can get a GoPro mount from Knog directly if you want to sling it beneath your computer for a very neat setup, and I've done this on more racy bikes when I want to use it as a daytime running light when out in the countryside. It does have a tendency to slide forwards or backwards in the mount th🌄ough, so I'm still in two minds about how I feel about having it suspended.
Best bike light for gravel
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While exposure makes bigger, brighter lights designed for off-road riding I think the Race is where the sweet spot l♑ies for general gravel duti🗹es. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A pair of large LEDs take🧜 care of illumination up front.(Image credit: Will Jones)
A rear screen shows the r⛄ema𒁏ining battery life at the current power output. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Exposure mo🐬unts, whether𒅌 on-bar or below computer are rock solid. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Etched onto the underside are a series of programs, each featuring two or three power options. You select one from the list, and can then cy♑cle between the power options from that specific program on the fly.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Reflex mode adjusts brightness depending on your speed
+
Near endless mode options
Reasons to avoid
-
High RRP
-
Learning curve for setup
BUY IT IF
✅ You want a light that'll survive the apocalypse: Exposure's build quality is legendary. This is about as close to a buy it for life product as lighting gets.
✅ You're riding technical terrain at night: If you💮 need more than 2,800 lumens you're probably far beyond riding gravel.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a quick setup out of the box: The mounts can be fiddly to set up, and working out how to program exactly which range of brightnesses you want as available options on the go takes a bit of time.
❌ You want a cheap option: The Race has a higher RRP than many on this list, but if you're serious about off-road riding after hours the꧒n it's an investment worth making.
Much like with the Exposure Strada below there's a bit of a learning curve to getꩲ over for the Exposure Race. You use the single rear button to select from 10 different preselected brightness options. Once your program is selected you can then use the button on the fly to cycle between the options you want. Some have two brightness options, some have three, but each is etched onto the underside along with how it impacts the battery life.
What's really neat about the Race, which is technically an MTB light, is that the maximum lumens aren't available outside of program modes with 'Reflex' options. Basically if you have Reflex on the light increases the brightness as your speed increases, and it learns your top speed so is constantly adapting to your ridi⛄ng. This means that𒅌 when you're picking up speed you haven't got to take your hands off the bars (hard to do on rough terrain) to switch modes, and it also conserves the battery versus just leaving it on high all the time.
For gravel I find 1,200 lumens (or the boosted Reflex mode) to be ample - if you need more then bigger MTB lights like the Monteer 12,000 are available for specialist applications - but be aware the light cone is uns🦂haped, and when at its brightest can be quite dazzling for other road or trail users.
Another reason I really rate the Race for gravel is the mounts are absolute rock solid. The bar mounts are great, but even slung beneath a (full metal) out front computer mount there's neve🍌r a worry of things coming loose or falling off. Everything is well engineered, and if you do cock up somehow as I did with the Strada the𒐪 lights are so bombproof it'll likely be fine.
For a more thorough run down of why I think this is such a good light for gravel head to my 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Exposure Race review which expands on a lot of the poin🅘ts I've mentioned here.
Best front bike light for daytime running
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The small size factor makes it an ideal daytime running light🌄, along ✱with the corresponding rear light too.(Image credit: Josh Ross)
So small and unobtrusive are ಌthey that they are also perfect for mounting to a helmet. (Image credit: Josh Ross)
6. Trek Ion 200 RT
Best daytime running front bike light
Reasons to buy
+
Small size
+
ANT+ connection for GPS headunit control
+
High visibility flash pattern
Reasons to avoid
-
Hasn’t switched to USB-C
BUY IT IF
✅ You want to make sure you're seen, even in daylight: This is the epitome of a 'be seen' light. It's whole reason for existence is to increase your visibility.
✅ You want a small form factor: It's dead 𝕴small, so clips onto bars without being 🐼obtrusive.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want to see in the dark: Allowing you to see where you're going is not what this light is for, so if you want to actually see in the dark then look to the Cateye AMPP900 above for a budget-friendly solution.
❌ You want USB-C: This light still uses micro-USB, which feels rather outdated by curr🌊ent standards.
This light was previously under the Bontrager logo, but as with many th🌌ings it's been brought under the Trek umbrella. You'll still see some labelled as Bontrager, but they're identical. The Ion 200 RT is perfect for those who want a small, unobtrusive, but powerful daytime running light to make sure oblivious motorists notice you.
Tiny, but mighty. The lumen count is low but the𝔍 light is claimed to be visible 2km away. I haven't tested this, mostly because the roads near me are allꦓ too wiggly and hilly, but this long-range visibility is down to a combination of an attention grabbing flash pattern and a front lens that focuses more of the beam forwards.
The small form factor means you can slip it onto your bars and forget it's there, or even mount it to your helmet withꩲout really noticing it's attached. Some helmets, like the Bontrager Circuit WaveCel have inbuilt mounts for the front and the rear version of the light, if daylight visibility is your thing.
There is a continuous light mode that can just about allow you to get home in the city, but that's really not what this light is about. It's an auxiliary add-on, and that's where it wor♚ks best.
Brightest front bike light
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If you want the brightest option without having to mount a separate batt⭕ery pack to your frame then the MAX𒐪X-D is the way to go. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Four giant LED bulbs throw out a💫 huge amount of light.(Image credit: Will Jones)
As a🎐lways with larger Exposure lights you get a real time readout of the remaining burn time. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The mounting hardware is solid as a rock, though a 𝔉bit fiddly t𝓀o set up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A mac🔯hined aluminium body keeps it protected from basically anything. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The beam actually gets very hot, but you need to double-press the button to turn it on so it can't happen in a bag and melt your stuf🌸f. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Hereꦐ's the MAXX-D next to the smaller Race model. (Image credit: Will Jones)
7. Exposure MAXX-D
Brightest front bike light
Reasons to buy
+
As bright as you'd ever need for gravel riding
+
Indestructible
+
Easy readout to show remain burn time
Reasons to avoid
-
Overkill for most uses
-
Heavy
-
Limits computer usage
BUY IT IF
✅ You want to see EVERYTHING: Even without the Reflex mode on, 2,900 lumens is more than enough for off road riding.
✅ You want total control over your burn times: With 10 different program modes you can tailor things exactly to your preferen♎ces.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want to sling it under a computer: The beam shape of the MK16 version is also designed to be run the right way up, so keep this one on the bars. The Strada is your friend if beam shape and under-computer mounting is what you want.
❌ You are a weight weenie: At 323.3g it's the heaviest light I've tested besides the gargantuan Magicshine Moꦇnteer 12,000. The Exposure Race isn't quite as bright, but it's a close second if weight matters to you.
Ok, so the 'brightest' tit𒉰le isn't strictly true as there are brighter lights out there. The Magicshine Monteer 12,000 is substantially brighter, but you have to carry around something akin to a car battery and that's just not feasible for most people. For gravel, the MAXX-D is the brightest you'd ever need before graduating into fully fledged MTB lights. I'd actually probably say it's bright✱er than you'd need, and point you in the direction of the Exposure Race instead, but if your riding is MTB+Grav rather than Road+Grav, the MAXX-D makes more sense.
You get the legendary Exposure build quality, beautifully machined aluminium housing, rear display readout, and really solid (if a little fiddly) mounting brackets that you get with the Race and Strada, but here you have 4x big LED bulbs to produce 💎a very bright, spread beam.
As with the other Exposure models you select from a menu of program options (10 in this case), which th👍en loads in the brightness settings that you can change on the fly. It takes a bit of time to get your head around, but generally speaking if you invest the time it means you can get the maximum amount of light for any duration ride.
Like the Race you also gᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚet Reflex mode, where the light will automatically up the brightness (to 4,600 in this case) when your speed increases, which is there both to save battery on the climbs and help you go fas🦂ter on descents.
Given its size it does dominate the handlebar real es🐻tate if mounted on top of the bꦍars, and is a little too long to be mounted beneath those computer mounts that bold directly to your stem. For under-bar mounting use a K-Edge computer mount, or just stick your computer on your stem instead.
The charger is proprietary, which is a drawback, and it dܫoes take ages to charge, but that's what happens when you have such a whopping battery inside. The light has been updated since I received my test unit, though the changes are min❀imal - A slightly higher maximum brightness, and a tweaked beam shape.
Best rear bike lights
Best rear bike light overall
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It's not the smallest rear light of the bunch, but the bigger size means a very ⭕very long battery life.(Image credit: Will Jones)
As ♔well as a mount for the sea𒐪t post, I really like this mount that clips to the saddle rails.(Image credit: Will Jones)
As well a🌸s the main bulbs, the halo around the rim also lights𒉰 up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The real trick is this downward facing LED, which projects a red halo 💖onto the ground around your bike for 360 degree visibility.(Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You're a forgetful charger: With a battery life this big you're far less likely to be caught out without any illumination.
✅ You want added side visibility: The downward facing LED adds a ♓360º halo of red light around you✱ to keep things visible from all angles.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a clean look: A big battery takes up space and it's significantly less sleek than the Exposure option.
❌ You're a weight weenie: At 79g it's a🐻bout as heavy as rear lights get. Not one for the hill climbers, but is winter the time to be c🐲ounting the grams?
There's an awful lot to like about the Magicshine SEEMEE 300. It does many of the same things as the Exposure Boost-R, and some more, for a lower price, and so to my mind it's equal best overall, and the best value of the bunc𒐪h. It lacks the nifty Peloton mode for group riding, and isn't quite so sleek, but if form factor isn't your main c🌺oncern then it's well worth consideration.
The party piece is a HUGE battery life. This is mostly down to having a comparatively huge battery built in, and while this makes it a bit more chunky it's my view that anything not in your eyeline while riding doesn't really matter so much. The mounts includ💙ed, based on a miniaturised 1/4 turn socket as you'd find on a Garmin bike computer, are rock solid, and it comes with both a seatpost and a saddle rail mount.
As well as lasting forever, there are a few smart features too. I really꧃ like the downward pointing LED that illuminates everything underneath the rear of the bike with a r🅰ed glow, making you seem bigger than a single light source ordinarily would.
Like the Boost-R it🎃 can also act as a brake light, and it can also adapt to ambient lighting conditions in order to conserve battery and maximise visibility. If you ever find yourself runnin🃏g out of juice (a rarity if you at least remember to charge it semi-regularly) it'll automatically revert to low power mode and turn off the brake light function to get you home.
The build quality is excellent too, so in combination with the solid mounts I wouldn't have any qualms about popping it on a gravel bike. If you want to know even more about why I think this is the best rear light out there then read my 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Magicshine SEEMEE300 review.
Best budget rear bike light
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Easy on, relatively cheap, big, and bright. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The clamp is a simple rubber O-ring 🍬that can be replaced if it wears out.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The big face chucks out a ♋lot of light, and has distinctive flash patterns.(Image credit: Will Jones)
It clips on and off in a second, so don't🐼 forgert to take it off your bike if you lock it up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The direct USB charging is neat, but꧒ not actually that convenie𝓀nt. (Image credit: Will Jones)
9. Knog Blinder Rear
Best budget rear bike light
Reasons to buy
+
Inexpensive and bright
+
Pattern flash
Reasons to avoid
-
USB connection is less convenient
-
Not angled for seatposts
BUY IT IF
✅ You want a really simple light: One button, a handful of modes. No bells and whistles, no learning curve, just slap it on your seatpost and away you go.
✅ You want to take it off/on with ease: While the bracket has a few mo💯ving parts it is among the fastest and easiest light to install and swap between bikes.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You don't have easy access to a USB socket: With everything going to USB-C, finding an actual old school USB socket to plug it into to charge isn't as easy as it used to be.
❌ You're riding on gravel: It is waterproof rated, but the exposed charging contacts built into t༒he mount are asking for trouble when exposed to the muck that comes with rid🐼ing off-road.
You can think of the Knog Blinder Rear as just a really good version of those cheap clip on lights you see the world over on bikes in the city. Those, in my experience, aren't made well, aren't overly bright, and don't last long either phﷺysically or in terms of batter🌠y life.
If you're after a relatively inexpensive but visible light you can just clip onto your seatpost in seconds then this is a great place𒁃 to start. The giant square face is an array of 144 small LEDs, meaning in constant mode you get a large light area. What's really neat though is that the flashing modes aren't simple on/off variants. In my version, the central portion varies from the outer rim in a bullseye pattern, and is much more dyn▨amic.
You can opt, if it's your thing, for vari🐲ous patterns - ♐skull, peace symbol etc - but I'd just stick with the standard option. I don't think a taxi is necessarily going to be more aware of a skull than a square in the heat of rush hour.
The bracket is a little over-engineered, and it is possible to lose the hinge part, but it is very quick to use. I don't actually thin𒀰k having a direct-USB charging system is that useful, given USB-C is now proliferating as the standard, and not having the body designed so the light sits vertically when mounted to a seatpost is a bit annoying from an aesthetic standpoint but does little if anything to actually affect the visibility of the light.
Basically it's a great option 📖for commuters and price-savvy riders, but I wouldn't necessari🌠ly opt for it for gravel or group riding.
Best rear bike light for group riding
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ꦏTiny enough to mount under the saddle rails, super powerful, and with a mega battery life too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The Boost-R can act as a brake light, and dim itself when it detects a rider🍸 bꦍehind for group riding. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The small form factor and amazing bui🐼ld quality are winners in my eyes. (Image credit: Will Jones)
10. Exposure Boost-R + ReAKT & Peloton
Best rear bike light for group riding
Reasons to buy
+
Adaptive lighting on the fly
+
Dims when a rider is behind you
+
Long life
Reasons to avoid
-
Mount prone to twisting around seatpost
BUY IT IF
✅ You're riding in a group regularly: The Peloton and ReAKT modes will keep your companions happy by letting them know when you're braking, and not blinding them when they're behind you.
✅ You value durability: Exposure lights are incredibly well made, and if it's going to get covered in road spray you want something that'll stand up to so♎me punishment.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want super solid mounts: The real Achilles heel of the Boost-R is the seatpost mount, which can twist during a ride pretty easily. The Bontrager Flare RT's mount is a winner if that's a priority for you.
❌ Side visibility is your priority: While it's super bright, there aren'tཧ any features built in to improve visibility for anyone approaching you from the side. Look at the Knog Mid Cobber below if you need wraparound visibility.
Another winning light from Exposure, the Boost-R with ReAKT and Peloton is about as complete a rear light as you're likely to find. Small, beautifully engineered in anodised red aluminium, the Boost-R is really very bright indeed. Before I worked out how t♌o change the settings (like with other Exposure lights it's not as simple as pressing the button to make it dimmer) I had several riders ask me to turn it off if I was in front of tꦬhem.
You can't cycle through brightnesses, but instead, you select from three power modes and can then only choose between solid and flashing. This doesn't sound ideal on the face of it,𝐆 but the light has a couple of built in tricks that offset this lack of choice.
ReAKT is the first, and that means the Boost-R automatically adjusts the brightness depe🉐nding on the ambient lighting. It'll get brighter under street lights for example, dimming when you head into darker areas.
The ReAKT mode also comes in handy when riding in a group. Most of my riding is solitary, but when ReAKT is switched on the light flares up under braking,🔥 acting in an identical 🧜manner to a car. Good for cars and other riders.
Peloton is the final trick, and with this on the Boost-R will dim when it senses a bike light behind it, flaring up again when the light source is removed. Perfect for a paceline where you w🎀ant to remain visible at the rear of the bunch, but not blind your clubmates when pulling on the front.
My only real gripes with the Boost-R are the included seatpost mount, which does tend to twist round, needing the occasional repositioning. My test unit is micro-USB, though the current produc✱t has made the switch to USB-𝕴C.
Best rear bike light for commuting
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It's v🃏ery similar to the Blinder Rear, but with aജ curved face and a button on top.(Image credit: Will Jones)
🐼The wrap of the LED panel means it's visible from the 🥂sides too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Nothing really matches it for side visibility, which is key in the city. Ther🍒e's even larger ones too🍷, and front versions. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Unclip the mount and you can access the charging US🔜B connector. It comes with an aero seatpost mount too, which is handyꦜ.(Image credit: Will Jones)
11. Knog Mid Cobber
Best rear bike light for commuting
Reasons to buy
+
Impressive side visibility
+
Novel flash patterns
+
Aero seatpost compatibility
Reasons to avoid
-
Direct USB connection isn't very useful
BUY IT IF
✅ You want maximum side visibility: The wraparound nature of the LED array means it's not just a bit visible from the side but almost as visible as it is from the rear.
✅ You're have an aero seatpost: An aero seatpost mount comes in the box 🎃as standard, which 🐲many don't offer.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You don't have an easy USB socket handy: The direct USB connection for charging is kind of annoying in a world where USB-C is becoming the norm.
❌ You want a small form factor: It's not as chunky as the💫 Magicshine Seemee 300, but it is much bigge🤡r than the beautifully compact Bontrager Flare RT.
City riding and just general night riding out on the road have different challenges. The city is generally well lit, so being seen from distance isn't necessarily such an issue, but there is a far greater chance of someone (iജn a car, primarily) coming towa﷽rds you perpendicular to your direction of travel, and so side visibility is much more important.
If you're wearing one of the best cycling backpacks you could clip auxiliary lights to the sid▨es, but you could also use the Knog Mid Cobber (a smaller Lil Cobber and 🍰taller Big Cobber are also available). They basically take the same LED array as in the Blinder Rear and bend it around your seatpost, so the outermost three or four strips of LEDs on each side are facing directly outwards.
This, in combination with a se🐎ries of novel flashing patterns where the sides can flash and the centre stays solid, for example, really help you be seen from a greater range of angles. There is an identical set of white versions for the front, which you can mount to your head tube, though side visibility from the front is slightly less of a concern as you will at least have a better chance of seeing what's coming towards you.
Like the Blinder Rear I found the direct USB con𝓀nection to be a bit of a pain, and in a world where most lights can be charged by plugging into a USB-C lead from a laptop the Cobber is less convenient. You won't ever lose the cable, but if you're like me you've got about 10,000 random USB-C cables in a drawer already.
One great thing is that an aero seatpost mount is included in the box, so for riding aero bikes, whether commuting or otherwise, you are covered without🅠 having to find an aftermarket solution.
Best rear bike light for daytime running
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Tiny, with꧟ a light that projects rearwards more than it does outwards, des﷽igned to be noticeable in daylight. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It isn't the br൩ightest, but it's great for just leaving on your bike all the tim🐼e.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The clamp is simple🗹, but secure, with no twisting. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It is the smallest of the bunch I've tested, and like the front version it's also perfect for mounting to 🔯a helmet. (Image credit: Will Jones)
12. Trek Flare RT
Best rear bike light for daylight running
Reasons to buy
+
Long battery life
+
Disruptive flash pattern
+
Tiny
Reasons to avoid
-
Not the brightest
BUY IT IF
✅ You want to run a rear light in the daytime: If daytime visibility is your concern then fitting one of these to your seatpost is only going to help.
✅ You want a small package: The Flare RT is small, and totally unobtrusive, especially given it is out of your ܫeyeline.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want maximum brightness: It isn't the brightest light of the bunch, but that isn't its aim. It's there to catch your eye during the day, not mimic a solar flare. Keep scrolling down to the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro if you want all-out power.
❌ You're riding a lot at night: For proper night riding you're ൲going to want something with a bit mo♏re power.
Everything that is the case for the Trek Ion 200 is also true here, but red. The two are also sold as a pair and make a brilliant day🃏time running combo that you can easily fit and forget about.
You get the same disruptive flash pattern, and the same beam that is more focussed rearwards than outwards with the aim of catching drivers' attent🅠ion from a long way out rather than at close range from all angles.
The relatively low power does mean I wouldn't necessarily want to run these as my primary ꧅night riding lights, though they'd get you home as an auxiliary in a pinch. The low power, on the flip side, means they can be made to have a very small form factor without ending up with a tiny battery life.
Just like the Ion, you can mount the Flare to a helmet without adding any tangible w🔜eight, and the same drawbacks in terms of it using the older Micro-USB exist. I'd treat them like a pair to be 🐼honest with you, as if you want daytime visibility up front you probably want it from the rear too, perhaps even more so.
Most powerful rear bike light
Image 1 of 4
If you want the brightest option, especially important for daytime running, then th🍎is is the light for y🅘ou. (Image credit: Will Jones)
AT full power it is really quite blinding, so be careful about using all 400 luꦬmens at night. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It's among the bigger rear lights on test here, but all that power needs battery to back 🐭it up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
One thing I don't like is that the body isnt angled to make the light sit vertically when mounted to a seaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtpost.(Image credit: Will Jones)
13. Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+
Most powerful rear bike light
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Lumens: 400
Charging connection: USB-C
Intended Use: Being seen
Mounting: Rubber strap
Battery life: 80hrs
Battery size: 1,900 mAh
Weight: 78.5g / 2.77 oz
Reasons to buy
+
Super bright
+
Will fit on any seatpost
Reasons to avoid
-
Not angled to sit vertically
BUY IT IF
✅ You want the brightest rear light: It's the brightest by the lumen count, and if that's what you're after it is hard to look past it.
✅ You have an aero seatpost: The body design means the light can fix to round, D-sha﷽pe, and bladed seatposts with the same rubber strap.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a simple mode choice: With seven options on tap it can be confusing to get to the one you want quickly.
❌ You ride in a group often: Anything involving the highest 400-l🍎umen output, whether in a flashing pattern or solid, is too bright for group riding. Lower power modes are available, but if you're commuting on busy bike lanes you're still going to be dazzling other road users.
There isn't anything wrong with wanting to fit the brightest rear bike like you can b෴uy in an a꧂ttempt to stay visible. If that's what you're after then the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ is the place to go. Its maximum 400 lumen output is massive, several times greater than some on this list, but with that added power does come some drawbacks.
On country lanes the added brightness will make you more visible from further away, but if you are runnin𝔍g it at full power with anyone in close proximity behind you for any length of time (traffic, either bike traffic or cars) and you may run the risk of dazzling other users. SImilarly, it's overkill for group riding, though you can of course select a setting that doesn't use all 400 lumens, which is primarily there for day꧟time visibility.
The lower power flash patterns for night time use 80 or 50 lumens, though I am still tempted to just put it at least on the 200 flash for darker🍎 riding. In a city the ambient light is greater so there is less contrast if you find yourself overpowered.
There are sev๊en modes on offer, and remembering which one you want takes a bit of dialling in. Cycling through them all takes time, and trying to watch the light for what it is doing does leave you a little stunned - it could really do with a shortcut double-press to cycle between flashing and solid modes I think.
Best rear bike light for safety
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It's certainly unusual looking, but that big expanse of black beneath the lamp is a radar s🍸ystem. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The lig♛ht can automatically flare up to react to cars coming up behind you. (Image credit: Will Jones)
There is a bit of side vꦫisibility from the windows too.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The Varia uses the same mount as Garmin computers, so you could conceivably mount your com🌺puter here if you didn't want to kno🎐w your stats. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It's big, bigger than any other rear light here, but it offer༺s much more than just illumination.(Image credit: Will Jones)
14. Garmin Varia RTL515
Best rear bike light for safety
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Lumens: 65
Charging connection: Micro-USB
Intended Use: Being seen, and seeing to some extent
Mounting: 1/4 turn bracket
Battery life: 16hrs
Battery size: 1,400mAh
Weight: 71.6g / 2.53 oz
Reasons to buy
+
Rear radar warns of incoming vehicles
+
Light adapts to incoming cars and other riders
Reasons to avoid
-
High RRP
-
Initial setup
BUY IT IF
✅ You want to know when cars are coming: The inbuilt radar pairs with your cycling computer and gives you a warning of when, and crucially how fast cars are approaching from the rear.
✅ You want an adaptive light: Not only will it warn you of approaching vehicles, but the light will✱ adapt accordingly to warn the vehicle of your presence.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want an easy, fit and go system: The Varia requires a bit more setup, and pairing to a device before you can get the most out of it.
❌ You're after a budget option: As rea🅺r lights go it's among the most expensive, but the ad꧂ded safety features are worth it if that's your aim.
Making other road users (by which I mean cars) see you is the number one aim of any rear bike light. without a mirror you can't see cars coming towards you from behind... Unless you're using one of the new cohort of radar-enabled lights. Of the slew out there the Garmin Varia🦂 RTL515 is the original andꦚ the best.
Ignoring the light for a se♎cond, the system, mounted to your seatpost or beneath your saddle rails, not only detects when a vehicle is approaching you from behind, but also at what speed. If a car is going to hit you then, sadly, it's not going to stop that from happening, but I find one of the worst things about cycling is when someone close passes you at speed. With the Varia you'll have an early warning system on your head unit, which is often worth its weight in gold.
There are three Varia radars. One without an inbuilt light, which I think is a little pointless nowadays, this one with an integrated light, and one that also has an integrated camera. Unless you are dead set on filming your rides🌃 for evidence the RTL 515 offers most of the benefits of the system without the additional upcharge, and so I think it's the better purchase.
In much the same way as the Boost-R, the Varia integrated light can react to what it is 'seeing', flaring up when it detects a vehicle to warn them of your presence, and൲ dimming when riding in a group so as not to d🦋azzle other riders.
If you want to know more about the Varia system then head to our review 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Garmin Varia RCT715 rear light. It is the camera-enabled one, but ꦺthe system is the same and that way you get a flav🌺our of both options.
Also consider
Front lights
: Likely a viable contender for the best overall, but ♓for now I haven't tested it sufficiently to make that call yet. Relatively inexpensive for the brightness, a wireless remote, auto-changing brightness, app customisation, mounts included for mounting it under an out front mount, and you can use it as a power bank too.
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Trek Commuter Pro RT: Another really great option with a well-shaped beam. As the name suggests it's primarily designed for commuting, and so unlike the Outbound Detour you can't mount it under the bars, and you can't charge it up while it's in use. If those things ℱdon't bother you then it's a great buy and can be ෴picked up a lot cheaper than the outbound option when it's on sale.
: Insanely bright - the brightest on the market in fact - but with such an enormous battery pack that it renders it massively ov🏅erkill for all but extreme mountain bike scenarios. You can charge your laptop f🐼rom it though.
: To me this was caught somewhere between the brand's Race and Maxx-D models. If you want more light than the🐭 Race can offer then the Toro offers many of the same 🅺advantages, in a slightly bigger, slightly heavier package with another bulb.
: Essentially the same as the Blinder 600, but brighter. If you like the sleek look then brilliant, and it's a decent light, I just found that for a light of this brightness you are perhaps more lik💟ely to sling it under a computer and the Ampp900 mounting system, w♛hile it requires an adapter, felt a little more secure.
Rear lights
: A smart headlight with the same name as the popular rear radar, the UT800 can auღtomatically adjust the brightness of the beam depending on your speed. In order to achieve this it needsꦏ to be paired with a Garmin head unit, so Wahoo/Hammerhead users this is probably one to steer clear of.
: The little brotherx to the SEEMEE 300. Smaller, and without the downward facing light, but still packing a lot of features in, including a rear raℱdar to automatically flare up when a car is detected. Another one with the potential to jump into the top list with some testing.
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Garmin Varia RCT715: Essentially the same as the Varia in the guide, but with an added camera. It's as good at being a radar and a rear light, but you'll be able to capture any p🐈articularly egregious d🎃rivers in the act.
: Much like the Boost R, with the same features, just in a slightly bigger,ꦇ slightly more expensive package and a corresponding jump in maximum brightness.
How to choose the best bike lights for you
After all my hard work you still aren't sure what you need? That's ok, let's work through it. If you are on🥃ly commuting, or only really riding in the city then you really don't need an all-singing all-dancing option like the Exposure Strada. There's enough ambient lighting from the streetlights, cars, and businesses that being seen is usually more important than seeing. Something around 600 lumens like the Knog Blinder 600 is perfect for this, as it's inexpensive, bright enough, and portable between bikes.
If you want something a bit brighter because, like me, your commute involves some unlit areas, then bump this up to 900 or 1200 lumens depending on how well lit you want. For years I used an 800 lumen light everywhere and while it wasn't ideal it did the job jus꧅t fine.
You only really need to start investing heavily in posh lights like the Exposure Strada, Exposure Race, or even the Outbound Detour if you're spending longer riding in the dark then the occasional trip to work. If your winter recreational rides only really start or finish in the dark for an hour or so then you can get aౠway with a relatively inexpensive option. The Strada especially is a brilliant bit of kit, and if you can afford it then it can open up a whole new world of night time riding, but be honest about your use and you might save yourself some cash.
At the rear things are more simple. You don't need to worry about seeing, only being seen, so everything is much the same in terms of brightness. The Lezyne Strip Drive Pro is so bright to make it useful in theཧ daytime, so don't b🌞e concerned that a rear light of 'only' 100 lumens or so isn't going to be visible in the dark; it is.
You basically have to choose your feature here: Price, burn time, maximum brightness, size, or add💎ed side visibility. Generally speaking each does one of these the best, but all are good enough to be considered excellent general use options.
Smart lights are great if you can take the time to invest in setting them ꦦup. Rear radar is excellent from a safety standpoint, and auto-adjustment of brightness is a great way to conserve battery, but again, if you're only riding in the dark for an hour or so then do you need to pay for incredible battery saving tech?
What kind of bike light do I need?
Show answer ▼
If you're just commuting then a basic set of clip on front and rear lights will do, about 50 lumens for the rear and 400-600 for the front. For road riding look to get a more powerful front light, up to about 1,200 lumens, t🐽hat'll allow you to see on poorly lit or unlit lanes when ꦜthe need arises.
For gravel, bump the front lumen count up 🐻to about 1,500 or more depending on your speed and the technicality of the terrain.
Do I need a smart light?
Show answer ▼
Smart lights is just a catch all term for lights with automated features. Many in this guide have them: Auto-dimming, auto𝔍-brightening, radar, brake light functionality, pairing with other lights etc. These features are all good if they're what you want, but they're just added extras. If you just want a light without bells and whistles then that's fine too if it fits your use case. Most smart lights are also able to operate as 'dumb' lights too, future proofing you to some degree.
What is a lumen?
Show answer ▼
In simple terms a lumen is how bright something is. Technically it is the measure of 'luminous flux', with one lumen being equal to one candela of luminous inten✱sity, in the visible spectrum, over a solid angle of one steradian.
There's a load of jargon in what a candela is, but all you need to know is that it is basically thౠe brightness of one normal candle. A steradian is a maths-y term for a cone projected out from the central point of a sphere.
To 🧸bring that all together, a lumen is one candle's worth of visible light projected out on a predetermined cone. It doesn't actually measure 'brightness',🐻 as that is determined by distance from the light source too, but in the real world, a light with more lumens is going to be brighter.
How many lumens do I need for a bike light?
Show answer ▼
Now we know what a lumen is, how many do we need? Generally speaking a rear bike light should be at least 40-50 for night riding, ꦿup to 400 for daytime visibility.
A front light for commuting should be at least 200 lumens, though in my opinion 600 is the sweet spot f🅰or commuting so you can actually see where you're going for short, darker sections. Up to 900 lumens will stand you in ok stead for general after dark riding, but if you want to enjoy yourself and not squint then I advise you to for something over 1,000.
If you're riding off road, where the environment is naturally darker thanks to tree cover and being away from light pollution then you'll want 1,500 at least. More will make your life easꦅier, but you only really need to get into 3,000 or more when you're riding faster, or on𒅌 more technical terrain.
Mega-lumen setups like the Magicshine Mounteer 12,000 will basically allow you to forget that it's night time for a bit and ride as normal, but there's a significant weigh🐎t penalty and I really don't recommend it for mos🦄t uses.
It may feel correct to think thaꦛt your lights for being seen should bꦕe brighter at night, but if daytime visibility is your aim then the brighter settings are there for daytime, where the contrast between the bike lights and the ambient light is greater.
What is the law for bike lights?
Show answer ▼
The law differs from country to country, and from state to state, but as a rule you should run at least 'be seen' light front a🐬nd rear during the hours of darkness even if you aren't legally obliged to do so. There isn't much mor🌳e to it than that - to do otherwise is making what is already a risky activity even more so.
The only thing to note is that in Germany there are laws governing the shape of the beam of your lights so that they don't blind pedestrians and other road users. Thi🎶s comes under the StVZO rules, outlined below.
Should my bike lights be flashing?
Show answer ▼
A flashing light is more eye catching, and so will make you more noticeable to drivers. However, in the dark a flashing beam can make it harder for o🦩ther road users to judge your position properly. In unlit areas a solid front beam is recommended, while the jury is out at the rear. A flashing front lamp is perfect to add daytime visi🦄bility.
An ideal solution is to have ꦛa high intensity 'be seen' beam at night, bolstered by a smaller light with a flashing pattern. Some lights have this system built in, with a constant beam that also flashes with a high intensity blip.
At the rear the same rings true, though the jury is out oꦇn the best way to set lights up. Personally I prefer the slower flashing patterns from the like of the Magicshi✤ne SEEMEE 300 or the Knog Mid Cobber, which are less dazzling.
What is a StVZO light?
Show answer ▼
Image 1 of 2
This is a normal 𒉰beam, not StVZO com🍎pliant, and not shaped. It is from an Exposure Race.(Image credit: Will Jones)
In contrast this is the shaped beam from the Outbound Det♊o💯ur. Notice how the upper half is truncated. This isn't StVZO compliant officially, but it does the same thing.(Image credit: Will Jones)
StVZO bike lights are named as such because they meet the requirements of Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, German Road Traffic Registration Regulations. They're specifically designed to shine a focused beam of light that points to the road ahead, rather than emitting a wide beam that spreads outwards and upwards and puts oncoming road userꦓs at risk of being blinded.
Basically StVZO lights ha💎ve a sharp cutoff at the top of the beam. Plenty of non-StVZO-compliant lights also have a cutoff beam - the Outbound Detour for ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚinstance - but they aren't technically legal in Germany even though they fulfil the same function.
What about dynamo lights?
Show answer ▼
Those eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that there are no dynamo lights here. If you're unfamiliar, a dynamo light derives its power not from a battery, but from the rotation of the front wheel, so as long as you're moving, you have light. They are rather more complicated, and so for ease they haven't been added here so a𓆏s to avoid any unnecessary confusion.
I do use dynamo lighting myself on my ow🍰n general tourer/commuter/do-it-all machine, and am extremely fond of my SON 28 hub and Edelux II lamp setup. It is about as good as dynamo lighting gets, but that's a discussion for another guide entirely.
Dynamo lights ar🐻e brilliant; you never need to worry about charging your batteries. They are a different beast entirely though, with cable routing and hub drag to consider, best served by a separate guide. (Image credit: Will Jones)
What is Lux and why aren't StVZO lights measured in Lumens?
Show answer ▼
In the majority of cases, the output of StVZO lights is measured in Lux rather than Lumens. Lux is used because it’s a ▨measure of how much light is projected onto a surface (called luminance), whereas lumens simply refers to how much light can be produced.
Lumens is all about potential, but Lux is about how much light you can ac🐻tually use in the real world.
Do I need backup lights?
Show answer ▼
Legally speaking you don't need one, and if you're meticulous about charging your lights up then you may well never need one, but if you're🐻 forgetful it may be a good idea to carry a small spare for at least the rear. Also, sometimes things break. All the lights here are of decent quality, but wear and tear can affect all tech, and having a light that isn't working is legally a🎶nd from a safety standpoint the same as having no light at all.
A lot of modern lights will have a 'get you home' feature where if the power drops below a certain level then the light will automatically drop to the lowest ꦐdrain setting so it preserves what little jui𓆉ce is left.
Rather than simply carrying two rear lights for example, I like to integr🔴ate an extra set in a neater way. Cateye makes some excellent tiny lights that clip into the ends of your handlebars. They are dirt cheap, and while prone to getting stolen they do make you appear much wider to cars than a single light source.
Likewise, an additional helmet lig൲ht is always helpful, and unusual lighting like that on offer from the Redshift Arclight pedals helps improve your visibility without messily clipping more things to your bike, and adds failsafes into your system should any single ligh⛎t fail.
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These Ca🏅teye ORB bar end lights are a really inexpensive way of adding a failsafe to your lighting setup. They also mean you appear wider than with a single liꦰght source. (Image credit: Will Jones)
They simply replace your ordinary bar ends. I run a set a🙈ll winter on both of my long term bikes. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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How should I mount my bike lights?
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The usual way is clipped onto the top of your handlebars. This ♒does remove a bit of real estate and isn't as neat as some other options, but it does give you easy access to the buttons that control the light modes. If you're running an out-front computer mount though you can find the extremely intense light directly exiting the front of the bike light will obscure your computer screen.
An increasingly common setup is to mount the light underneath one's bike computer. This keeps i💞t out of the way, the light doesn't interfere with reading your stats, and you aren't going 🐠to bang your knees on it. It is harder to access the light controls here though. A word of warning, bike lights can be heavy, and if you're going to mount one under your computer then invest in a quality computer mount. Also if you're using a light with a cutoff beam then remember to keep it the right way up.
Avoid plastic entirely, and I really would avoid those cheaper ones you can find on eBay that mount via your stem bolts. I have snapped both. A plastic computer mount sent an Exposure light and my computer flying down the road at 65km/h, and while this is annoying and potentially expensive it is not nearly so dangerous as having one or two stem ꦏbo🌺lts suddenly become loose after a pothole. If in doubt, clip it to your bars.
You can also buy adapters that screw🍸 into things like fork eyelets, allowing you to bolt lights to your fork legs. Remember to do this on the fork leg closer to oncoming traffic so the front wheel doesn't obscure your light.
If you're mounting a ligh🃏t under your bike computer - a neater way of doing th𒅌ings it must be said - do make sure it's strong enough. This metal K-Edge computer mount is ideal, while plastic and even cheap metal ones can fail if you hit a large bump. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Do I need different lights for gravel riding?
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As long as your bike light is of sufficient brightness then there isn't really any reason it can't be suited for ro💞ad and gravel. Cutoff beams don't work so well off-road though, so stick to a good old-fashioned cone.
If you're riding fast or technical gravel then look to the world of mountain bike lights. The tech there is geared up for this sort🗹 of thing, and lights like the Exposure Race have features like 'Reflex' mode, where the light will automatically increase in brightness the faster you go.
What is an IP waterproof rating? IS IPX-6 good?
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IP is the 'Ingress Protection' rating, or🥂 how well whatever object you're deaꦗling with is at keeping water out. The ratings are as follows:
IPX-0 No protection
IPX-1 Protected against condensation or water falling vertically
IPX-2 Protected against spraying water when tilted up to 15 degrees vertically
IPX-3 Protected against spraying water when tilted up to 60 degrees vertically
IPX-4 Protected against splashing water from any angle
IPX-5 Protected against low-pressure water stream from any angle
IPX-6 Protected against high-pressure water stream from any angle
IPX-7 Protected against water immersion for 30 minutes to a depth of 1 meter
IPX-8 Protected against continual water submersion in under water conditions
For the purposes of bike lights, IPX-6 is the one to aim for, though you do see IPX-5 and IPX-4. Remember, when riding at speed, r🔯ain becomes water hitting your lights at high velocity from various angles, and if you don't have mudguards then your rear lights especially are beset by a near constant torrent of water. I have managed to kill inferior lights in under an hour before, so if you ride in the rain then pay attention here.
Unless you're commuting to and from At🥃lantis, IPX-6 is the most waterproof ꦦyou'll ever need a bike light to be. (Image credit: Will Jones)
What battery type is best for a bike light?
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More or less every bike nowadays has an internal lithium ion battery, charged by a USB cable. Gone are th⛄e days of changing a pair of AAA batteries, thankfully - avoid these, as they are still sold, as they're a pain in the backside.
Mountain bi🌳ke lights often come with a larger, separate power pack that straps to a top tube, or fit💝s in a frame bag for gravel, to save mounting a giant ingot to the bars. It's slightly more clumsy, but they do allow you to see better when it's very dark indeed.
How long should my bike light battery last?
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Always overestimate your needs and underestimate the specs. If you are trying to ride through the night on an epic adventure the last thing you want to start 🌊worrying about is an ever-dwindling light supply. Look at how long your ride will last then make sure you have a light that gives a comfortable buffer. Then bring an extra just in case.
For commuting things are a little less serious but you should still overestimate your needs. After a long day at work and a raiಌny ride home it's very easy to forget to charge your light. A longer battery is more convenient because you will need to charge it less.
Whatever your need, keep in mind that brighter lights have bigger batteries and you can turn them down. A 2000 lumen light will require a bigger integrated battery than a 1000 lumen light b♛ecause some people will need a reasonable burn time at full power. Instead, you can halve the power and double the burn time plus if you ever need more light, it's there.
Why are bike lights so expensive?
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High quality modern lights have a lot built into them. There are active sensors that detect other li💜ght sources and your own motion to adapt to the conditions. Heat management is built into bigger lights, as well as bigger batteries so you can go further between charges while using less power.
All of this comes at a price, and while you can get some really cheap clip on lights that, legally speaking, will keep you out of trouble, if you're serious about safety, being seen, and seeing where y﷽ou're going you do get what you p💦ay for here.
How do we test bike lights?
Testing the best bike lights means a lot of hours riding in the dark. After an initial inspection and rundown of the specs everything is pitted against the environment it was designed for, and then some. Commuter lights are thrown into rush hour traffic to and from the Cyclingnews office. Year round I go into the office twice a week, which is an hour riding each way in the dark in the winter months. Half of the commute is on inner city streets🎐 and main roads, and the other half on an unlit rail🥂way path.
Road lights head out onto unlit lanes to hunt for PR's while everyone else is on the turbo, and lights aimed at gravel riding head off into the woods ꦍto see if they can pass muster not only as a light source, but in terms of their ability to withstand muck and grime - I have killed a brꦯand new light in under an hour before simply from getting it too wet.
My usual rides are between two and four hours, though occasionally a lot longer even in winter, and daytime running the whole time tests out lights' daytime credenti𒈔als. I also swap the lights between road, gravel, and commuting/general pub duties to see how they stack up not just in illumination but in useability, which is especially important with things like aero seatposts.
Everything is weighed independently, withouღt mounting hardware, as many lights come with a simple rubber strap, while others come with a range of options that vary in weight.
So far I must have tried at least 20 dif🦹ferent options, ranging from those bright enough to land a helicopter in the wilderness through to those barely able to challenge a tealight. Everything I recommend has to pass my own 'pub test', which is that, if my friend asked me in the pub what they should buy for a certain situation, this is what I'd point them to.
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike po💧lo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
