What should you look for in a bike light?

We’ll look at specialist lighting options in a moment, but for now, let’s assume you’re a road rider or commuter who wants to see and be seen when the sun sets. What do you need to consider when buying your lights? Pretty much all modern cycle lights use LEDs rather than old-school bulbs, and such has been the advancement of technology, these can be blindingly bright. Of course, light power is an important part of your buying criteria, but don’t let that be the be-all and end-all. Beam shape and the effect of the light lens can make a huge difference — we’ve seen lights of supposedly lesser power trounce rivals when it comes to real-world performance. Even if you plan on using a light to see, it will still perform the double duty of helping you to be seen by other road users. If you’ll be riding on lit roads, you may find the need for an ultra-bright constant beam is unnecessary and a flash function at the front is perfectly adequate.

What should I consider when choosing a rear light?

Though the amount of power you'll need for your front light will vary depending upon where you're riding, no cyclist should be without an adequate rear bike light. Rear bike lights will usually emit around 30 lumens or more, and generally have several modes: steady light, flashing, or a combination between the two. All options are safe and legal, but a flashing mode will usually help to save battery life and attract more attention. Recently we have been introduced to the idea of using a rear bike light even in the daytime , because it will help drivers pick you out from behind. It's also a sensible idea to double up on rear lights. Though it's unlikely, you won't be quite so aware if your rear bike light fails as you would be in the case of a front beam, so having a back-up fitted can provide extra security and peace of mind. For your rear light, the flash function is ideal. But if you’re a bike commuter, with both front and rear lights also consider how effective the lamp is in terms of side lighting, as this will make you more visible from more angles and help avoid the "sorry, I didn't see you" excuse from a turning vehicle. It’s still generally a case of the brighter the better, but you also need to consider other qualities that will make your life easier. Look to see how many flash settings the light has; what the run times will be on a single charge or one set of batteries; and see if it has a rechargeable power source. In this case, check if it needs its own special charger or if it can be recharged via USB, which aids convenience immensely. Some lights even have a helpful gauge showing how much power they have left.

What do the battery life numbers mean?

For most lights above we've quotes a battery life range. All lights will have multiple modes, so the range is from the most intense to the most economical option. Most lights will burn through the battery quickly in their highest mode. For fast riding on tricky off-road trails you might need this, but it's worth dialling down the light intensity if you're on easier terrain or tarmac. Your eyes will quickly acclimatise to the lower light level, while on their top output many bike lights can be as intense as a car headlight and dazzle oncoming traffic. Some lights will dial down their intensity if they start to get too hot or as the battery begins to run down and so extend battery runtime. Flashing modes give you the longest battery life. They're a good option to up your visibility, particularly at the rear and when riding in daylight, but unless there's good street lighting you'll probably want to run a constant mode at the front at night, which will reduce runtime. It's why front lights usually have larger capacity batteries than rear ones. It's worth looking at the quotes runtimes in different modes when selecting a light.

What does UK law say about bike lights?

New bikes are sold with reflectors and many people dress in high visibility clothing, which are good additions but in no way make up for a bike with no lights. Bicycle mounted illumination is essential for safety and to keep you on the right side of the law. A decent set of bike lights can be the difference between riding home safely or not getting there at all. In the UK, law regarding bike lights is governed by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations, first published in 1989 but amended six times since, which say that as well as your pedal reflectors and rear reflectors (the side and front reflectors aren’t actually a legal necessity) night-riders will also need lights front and back. The lights have to be mounted on the bike centrally or to the offside, positioned up to 1.5m from the ground, and conform to British Safety or EC standards. Both front or rear lights can be flashers, but if so they must emit at least four candela. “But bike lights tend to be rated in lumens or Watts, what’s a candela?” we hear you cry. It’s not a particularly easy subject to explain, and they’re not directly convertible units. But simply put: as long as you buy decent quality bike lights, fit them properly, and remember to switch them on, the law shouldn’t be a problem.

What does US law say about bike lights?

In the US, the law requires riders to have both active and passive lighting — active lighting is well...lights, while passive lighting is things like reflectors and reflective clothing. The exact wording of the laws varies from state to state, but the summation of it all is that between sunset and sunrise or in conditions of 'limited visibility' you must have a white light pointing forwards, and a red light pointing backwards.

What does the lumens number tell me about the power of my bike light?

Lumens are used by the bike industry to measure the power of a light: a lumen is a unit of visible light. Since modern LEDs require far less energy, expressing their power in watts — which tells you how much energy they consume rather than how much light they produce — is redundant. For comparison’s sake, a 100W incandescent bulb emits 1600 lumens. The more you pay, the more lumens you get, but lumens burn up charge, meaning that if you want to run a high-lumen light for a long period of time it will need a big battery. For road riding on unlit back streets, you need a 'seeing' light. This needs to be at least 700 lumens, though to ride fast like you would in the summer then 1000+ lumens is a safer bet as you'll have longer to anticipate obstacles like potholes. To be seen when riding on lit roads, 100 lumens is a good benchmark, but 300+ will show you a little more of what's going on at ground level ahead of you. At the rear, anything from 20 to 100 lumens is plenty.

How should I mount my bike lights?

The last consideration is mounting. Smaller bike lights may be simply mounted using a rubber or silicone strap, whereas big lamps — especially front lights — may require a fixed bracket. Truly powerful front lights may even feature an external battery pack that will also need to be accommodated on the bike. In any case, if you’re planning to leave your bike parked up in public for any length of time, make sure your lamps can be easily removed and take them with you when you stop.

Do I need back-up bike lights or helmet-mounted bike lights for extra brightness?

The typical bike commuter on urban streets will only need a relatively simple set of front and rear lights. There’s still every reason to buy the best you can afford, and even double up with an extra set of cheap emergency-only flashers front and back. But if you’ll be riding off-road or on unlit back roads, you really do need to go for the bigger, more powerful lamps with wider beams. To augment their bike-mounted torch, many riders also opt for helmet-mounted lights. These can be very effective and have the added benefit of directing the light wherever you are looking. However, these should be in addition to those on the bike, and not your only source of illumination. Another sensible option is the dynamo light. This uses a compatible hub or wheel-rubbing bottle dynamo to convert your forward motion into electricity which then powers the light — so no need for batteries. Bottle dynamos can be disengaged in daylight hours so they don’t drag unnecessarily, and at night mean you’ll never need to worry about run times or recharging again.

Best bike lights 2023 daytime-running and high-powered lights reviewed

The best bike lights rated, including how much to pay, the features you need, and our pick of the best bike lights on the market

Included in this guide:

Lezyne

Macro Drive 1300XXL

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Exposure

Strada MK10 SB

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Blackburn

Dayblazer 1500

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Knog

PWR Rider Front Light

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Specialized

Flux 1250

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CatEye

VIZ 300

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Moon

Cerberus rear light

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Knog

Blinder Square

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Ravemen

TR30M rear light

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Garmin

Varia Radar RTL515

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Garmin

Varia Radar RCT715

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Giant

Recon HL 100 And Recon TL 100 Combo

View

Lezyne

Micro Drive 600XL and KTV Pro lightset

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Exposure

Trace and TraceR Lightset

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CatEye

Sync

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Image shows a rider using one of the best bike lights

(Image credit: Future)

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Best front bike lights
Best rear bike lights
Best bike light sets
Front lights grouptest
Everything you need to know about bike lights

By Hannah Bussey

last updated 2 February 2023

The best bike lights are essential if you're planning to ride after dark or before daybreak or even if you're out in poor conditions during the day.

Most cyclists will regularly ride after dark in autumn and winter, making bike lights an essential piece of kit, although daytime running bike lights are growing in popularity because they help you to be seen out on the road, even in bright sunlight.

We've split our guide into three categories: front lights, rear lights and light sets.

Below that you’ll find all the details on our recent four-way grouptest, covering a selection of top-flight high-powered front lights. At the bottom of the page, we delve into all the techy details of what to look for in the best bike lights.

Best bike lights 2023

Why you can trust Cycling Weekly Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Best front bike lights

Image shows Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL front bike light.

1. Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL

Best performance/value blend

Specifications

Lumens: 1300

Battery life : 2.5hrs (lasted as claimed)

Modes: 7

Mount: Rubber strap

Weight: 226g (claimed 208g)

Reasons to buy

Solid construction

Reliable mount

Wide beam

Reasons to avoid

Takes up quite a bit of space on your handlebars

The Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL, as its name suggests, puts out 1300 lumens. It provides a wide beam and attaches to the handlebar via a rubber strap, which is thick and stretchy, resulting in a robust overall package when paired with the CNCed aluminium body.

You can choose to use the 'Race' mode, which lets you switch between 1300 lumens and 130 lumens, or the standard mode, where you can cycle through all seven options. The Race mode is handy as it effectively lets you 'dip' the beam.

Charging is via a micro USB cable. The battery life is a claimed 2.5 hours. We tested this twice, and found we still had either a flashing red light (indicating 5% battery left) or solid red light (indicating 5-10% left) after 2 hours 20 minutes.

All in, we concluded that this is a solid light which we would wholeheartedly recommend.

Image shows Exposure Strada MK10 SB front bike light.