2 days ago
7
The best bike lights are a cycling essential, whether you're commuting through city streets or blazing trails after dark. While the law varies by state, most states require cyclists to use some kind of lights in low visibility. There's a wide array of lights to choose from, with options ranging from budget-friendly urban blinkers to car-headlight-style bright beasts. We tested dozens to help you choose the best lights for visibility, battery life, and budget, whatever your riding style.
Bike lights serve two purposes: to see and to be seen by other vehicles. Whether you're looking for a disruptive flash pattern to be seen on a busy road, a focused beam to see a dark trail, or a light small enough to fit in your pocket, we have a pick for you. Our top pick is the Knog Blinder 1300 ($99), but the Unit 1 Smart Pro Dual ($150) also has its own convenient charging case.
After this, check out the rest of our guides to the Best Electric Bicycles, the Best Bike Helmets, and the Best Bike Locks.
How to Choose Bike Lights
Size: If you're a commuter, you'll want to remove lights for safekeeping. Look for the most compact designs that fit easily in a pocket or bag. Thanks to LED bulb technology, you can find impressively bright, pocketable lights. Sizes and weights here are listed without the mounting brackets (unless they’re integral) because their size and weight in your bag is arguably more important than adding a couple of ounces to your bike (unless you're a pro tour rider).
Mounting style: Where and how you attach your bike lights matters. Handlebar mounts are great for lighting the road ahead, and look for downward-angled designs that will illuminate the road for enhanced visibility. Helmet-mounted lights move with your line of sight, which is ideal for trail riding. Rear lights should mount securely to your seat post or bag. and Look for tool-free, quick-release mounts for easy on/off, and rubber straps for easy swapping to another bike frame. Some models also offer clip-on versatility for backpacks or clothing, giving you more ways to stay visible.
Charging: Unless you’re planning epic, all-night rides, brightness is more important than battery life. Everything tested here is charged either via USB-A or USB-C. We steered clear of cheap designs that require disposable batteries, since those die quickly.
Battery life: How long a battery lasts depends on the mode you choose. Battery life can range from 2 to 30-plus hours. The brighter your light, the faster the battery will drain, and having a solid beam also uses more juice than a flashing light. On the road or trail, the brighter the better, but if your battery is running low then you can typically dial it down to eke out the battery life.
Check your local legislation: While most states require some sort of lights in low visibility, the laws on which type of lights are legal—the range, lumens, whether it can flash or not—will vary depending on the state. If you're nervous, check your local state legislation here.
How Many Lumens Do I Need?
Brightness is measured in lumens, and in almost all circumstances, the brighter the better. On city roads with streetlights, however, you use lights to be seen by drivers, so a disruptive flash pattern is more important than lumen power. But a combination of both is a win-win. If you’re riding back roads or trails, then you need serious brightness to illuminate the way ahead. And the faster you ride, the further ahead you’ll want lighting. For compact urban-riding lights, 100 to 200 lumens is enough to help you be seen, day and night. Bright lights that illuminate your way like a car headlight are upwards of 1,000 lumens.
A solid fixed beam mounted to the front of your bike illuminates what’s ahead of you, but a flashing light gets you seen. So you probably want a flashing rear light. In an ideal world, you'd have two white lights on the front, one flashing and one fixed-beam. A varied or disruptive flash pattern is more noticeable than a consistent pulse, too.
English (US) ·