Top 10 Best Bike Lights In 2021 Review

Riding a bike can be a dangerous business. And that is something that is unlikely to change. However, there are things you can do to swing things in your favor. Most importantly, this includes always using a pair of quality bike lights.

What many of you might not know is that 75% of all bike accidents happen in the daytime. This means that being seen during the day is equally, if not more, important than being seen at night.

We recommend that you use your lights whenever you’re riding and select lights that can get you noticed in any situation. Our list of the ten best bike lights can help you do exactly that.

Top 10 Best Bike Lights On The Market Reviews

We’ve got some cracking bike lights for you, so let’s get to it and take a closer look, starting with the…

1 Light & Motion Urban 700 Front Bicycle Headlight

The Light and Motion Urban 700 bike light produces 700 lumens of light. No doubt, not much of a surprise. What this means in the real world is that this thing is bright.

Just a couple of hundred lumens is powerful enough to help you see the road ahead at night, as well as being seen, so 700 lumens is plenty. What’s more, it is also powerful enough to get you noticed in the daytime too. Given that the majority of accidents occur during daylight hours, that’s no bad thing.

The build quality is excellent…

It is a well-built, durable, and waterproof bike light. You get two years full warranty, but frankly, we don’t think you’ll ever need it.

The light can easily be mounted on any size or shape of handlebars. This includes aero bars too. The light clips on to a strap and can be adjusted by turning the rotary knob. It’s a popular and effective mounting system.

Great for daytime use…

The light has a maximum battery life of 12 hours when used in pulse mode. This uses 175 lumens and should be used when you don’t need to see the road ahead. It’s an excellent daytime running option.

For the times you’re riding in the dark, with no street lighting, you can use either medium or high modes. These will give you three hours or one and a half hours, respectively.

Full power – less battery…

On high mode, which outputs all 700 lumens, you only get 1.5 hours battery life. In medium mode, which outputs 350 lumens, you get three hours. Charging is via the provided Micro USB cable takes around five and a half hours.

For night time riding, the Light & Motion Urban 700 has an amber sidelight. It helps to eliminate your blind spot that’s not adequately covered by either your front or rear lights.

2 Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL Light – Best Dual Bike Lights

Lezyne makes all kinds of cycling accessories, including bike computers, pumps, tools, and of course, lights. They make excellent quality products for a very fair price. The Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL is no exception to this.

It’s made from CNC aluminum and has a highly polished high gloss finish. Happily, it won’t corrode, and it will always look good into the bargain. You even get a choice of a black or a metal finish.

Very versatile…

The light can be clipped onto a mounting bracket. It then fits around your handlebars. It’s a common mounting system that’s secure and durable. It will fit on any bike’s handlebars.

It’s a small light measuring just 5.1” x 2.9” x 2” and weighing a little over three ounces. However, despite its size, it can still push out an impressive 600 lumens. Although this is slightly less than the Light & Motion 700, it’s significantly less expensive and will give you more bang for your buck.

Quick re-charge…

It has nine different light settings, and in the lowest setting, you can get a full 44 hours of use. If you need full power, probably at nighttime, you can expect just two hours of run time before it needs recharging. Recharging is by Micro USB and will take only two and a half hours to reach full charge.

The feature we most like, and what differentiates it from a lot of similarly priced bike lights, is the use of dual lights. It helps to make a smooth beam pattern to illuminate the path ahead better.

3 LEZYNE Zecto Drive Bicycle Front LED Headlight – Best Budget Bike Lights

Two hundred fifty lumens is enough, just, to light the road ahead and see where you’re going. If you’re looking for an affordable bike light and don’t need it to be super bright, then this might be the light for you.

Other than being affordable, one of Zecto Drive’s biggest features is that it weighs a mere 47g. Another big plus is that the mounting strap can be mounted anywhere on your bike and even on your helmet. Since it weighs so little, mounting it on your helmet is a very realistic proposition.

Want to look like a miner?

It has three beams, and the light is enclosed in a round encasement. It looks quite like an old fashioned miner’s lamp. Maybe all the more reason to wear it on your helmet! Regardless, the combination of three separate lights results in a relatively smooth beam.

The casing is manufactured from the same 6061 aluminum and is available in a choice of three different colors. Happily, you get the same anti-corrosive qualities and the same two years warranty as you find on the smaller 600XL.

Plenty of lighting options…

The Zecto Drive has seven different modes. If you opt for the least bright flashing mode, you can get 15.5 hours of use. If you opt for the brightest continuous mode, you can get up to 3.5 hours. Frankly, that’s not bad.

This light is suitable for cyclists who aren’t riding at high speeds over challenging terrain. The light in these circumstances, even on dark roads, has enough power to help you see the way ahead.

Money-saving…

If you don’t already have a rear light, you should consider buying a front and rear light as a package. It will save you a few bucks, which we’re sure you’ll agree is never a bad thing.

4 Knog Blinder MOB Bike Light – Best Rear Bike Light

You can get a Knog Kid Grid light as either a front or the rear light. Regardless, the rear light has a maximum brightness of 44 lumens. The front light has a maximum brightness of 80 lumens.

A bit lacking of power…

Mostly, these are lights you use to be seen. They honestly don’t have insufficient power to light your way ahead effectively. If you need this kind of power, you’ll need at least 200 lumens.

However, despite their reduced power, in comparison to a lot of lights in our review, they will still get you seen from up to 800 meters away. That’s plenty of distance to give drivers enough warning that you’re on the road.

Long battery life…

One of the advantages of putting out less power is that the battery life is significantly better than more powerful alternatives. If you choose the eco flashing mode, you can expect your light to be still working after 76 hours. Now that’s hard to beat.

The Knog Blinder MOB Bike Light can be mounted just about anywhere on your bike in seconds. If you’re mounting it at the rear, it will fit onto your seat post, or seat stays. If you have a front light, it will fit onto any shape of handlebars.

Come rain, come shine…

The outer casing is made from plastic. It’s not as durable as lights made from aluminum, but the much-reduced price more than reflects this. Happily, like its aluminum counterparts, it’s IP67 rated and fully waterproof.

The Knog Blinder MOB Bike Light is part of an extensive range. There are plenty of options that are likely to appeal to kids. The front and rear lights all have the same basic functionality and specifications.

5 Garmin Varia UT 800 Smart Headlight Urban Edition with Dual Out-front Mount – Most Innovative Bike Lights

There’s no doubt about it; this is a premium quality bike light.

When anyone hears the name Garmin they will typically think bout bike computers and other GPS devices. However, Garmin also manufactures bike accessories, which include bike lights.

So, are the lights as good as their bike computers?

Yes. The quality of the Garmin Varia UT 800 is superb.

The level of machining on the casing is incredible. It’s good enough not to look out of place on a watch. You’ll rarely see this kind of quality and finishing on a bike light. Sadly, you’ll also rarely see this kind of price.

The Garmin Varia UT 800 can produce 800 lumens at full power. If you want to conserve the battery, you can opt for the low, medium, or night flash modes.

Goes the distance…

You can also opt for the daytime flash setting. It pushes out 700 lumens of brightness, which can get you seen from a mile away. Surprisingly, despite the power, it’s the most economical battery setting and will give you a respectable 25 hours of burn time.

For reference, on full continuous power, you get just one and a half hours of run time. Admittedly, it’s not often you’re likely to need this, but we still think it’s a little short. This is despite it not being untypical.

However, all is not lost…

Garmin has recognized that an hour and a half of runtime could be better. To help you with this, they have a rather smart trick up their sleeve.

If you link your light to your Garmin bike computer, you can get them to talk with each other. Once the computer is paired, it can automatically alter your light’s intensity, via Bluetooth, according to how you’re riding. This can extend the hour and a half out to four hours.

Super performer…

This ability takes the Garmin light from a standard to a super performer. This function alone could easily persuade us to get our hands in our pockets and start ordering.

The Garmin Varia UT 800 will mount on all Garmin mounting brackets and can fit together with your Garmin bike computer. It’s yet another feature that makes us think it’s premium-price could very well be worth it.

6 NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED Boost USB Rechargeable MTB Road Commuter LED Bike Light – Most Powerful Bike Lights

Blimey! This is bright.

It’s no surprise, again, when we tell you the NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED has a maximum brightness of 1100 lumens. It’s bright enough to be seen from Mars. The power is truly crazy.

On full and continuous power, it will allow you to ride on the most challenging roads and through extreme trails. If you want or need to ride at high speeds, you’ll have no problems seeing your way ahead.

A setting for any circumstance…

When things are not quite so extreme, there are eight other settings. There are four more continuous light settings and another four daytime flashing modes. The daytime flashing modes have enough intensity to be seen from up to a mile away.

Now, we’re sure you’ll agree that keeping a close check on your battery life is essential. Thankfully, the NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED has you well covered on this score. There is an easy to read display, in hours and minutes, so you can keep track of your remaining battery life.

Built for the road…

This is a strong and highly durable light. It has a plastic and fiberglass outer casing. Additionally, there is a custom made aluminum heat sink to maintain all the batteries and circuitry at an optimum temperature.

As you’d expect, this is also fully waterproofed. It even uses full casket seals to ensure water is kept out. It is guaranteed not to let you down regardless of the weather.

Attach it to your GoPro…

One final plus is that not only does it come with its own mounting bracket, but it can be mounted on a GoPro bracket too. That’s a very useful feature.

If you’re regularly riding in extreme conditions, this could be the right light for you.

7 Cygolite Metro Pro – 1,100 Lumen Bike Light – Best Value for the Money High Power Bike Lights

With 1,100 lumens of brightness, we can honestly tell you that bike lights don’t come much more powerful than this. It’s another very bright light but also one that’s very well priced.

Although it’s relatively inexpensive, it’s not at the expense of cutting corners on quality. It’s very well put together; it’s also strong, durable, and waterproof.

Day or night…

The Cygolite Metro Pro bike light is excellent to use in the daytime as well as at night. It has a total of nine different modes, which include a choice of three-day visibility flashing modes. The best battery saving mode out of these is Triple Pulse. This will eke out 22 hours of battery.

If you decide to use the light on full beans, it’s hugely battery hungry. You can expect just a meager hour of battery life. It’s the worst performer from our list of the ten best bike lights.

A little more primitive than the competition…

The batteries are rechargeable via the supplied Micro USB cable. You get a battery indicator that helps you keep track of battery life. However, there is no real-time hours and minutes display, as you find on the NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED bike light.

We love the mount. It has to be one of the best we’ve seen. It’s super durable and super easy to use. If you don’t have a GoPro, as the mount is not GoPro compatible, it makes the Cygolite Metro Pro even more of a strong choice.

Excellent value…

The Cygolite Metro Pro doesn’t come with heatsink technology to maintain low temperatures. However, given the price, we don’t see this as a deal-breaker. This is still an excellent affordable option.

8 Cygolite Metro 700 Lumen Headlight and Hotshot 100 Lumen Tail Light – Best Value for the Money Bike Lights

If you can live without the spectacular power of Cygolite’s 1,100 lumens bike light, the combination of the Cygolite Metro 700 Lumen Headlight and the 100 Lumen Tail Light offers exceptional value. In fact, you can get this combo for the same price as just the Cygolite Metro Pro.

If you don’t ride extreme trails or at super-fast speeds in the dark, we think that this combination makes a lot more sense. Not only is the combo the same price, but it’s lighter, and it’s got a better battery life too.

Fewer battery issues…

The front light has just six modes, but all of these use less battery. On low pulse mode, you can get up to 115 hours of battery life. That’s a lot.

The rear light also has six light modes and is even more frugal on batteries than the front light. On the lowest flashing setting, you get an incredible 270 hours of use.

How can you not be impressed with that?

Both lights can be recharged using the provided Micro USB cable. Charging is relatively quick. The good news is that you can charge either of the lights in under four hours. The rear light is quicker to charge than the front.

The build quality is every bit as good as the more powerful Cygolite Metro Pro. This is the case for both the front and rear light. They’re both waterproof and rugged.

Simple to mount…

The front light has the same excellent mounting bracket found on the larger light. The rear light can either be mounted on your seat post or onto a seat bag with the integrated clip. A strap is included in case you decided to mount it on the seat post.

One thing we would like to see is the inclusion of a battery indicator for the rear light. The front light has one, so we can’t see why the rear light hasn’t. It doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Other than this small moan, we think they’re a great set of bike lights.

9 Lumina 900 Boost Front Bike Light Sabre 80 Rear Bike Light Combo Pack – Best Bike Light Combo

Here are another great front and rear light combo. This time it’s from NightRider and packs more of a punch on the front light. If you want a little more brightness, than the Cygolite Metro 700 combo is a good option.

Brighten up your ride…

The front light will deliver 900 lumens of brightness on full power. However, the full boost mode is locked when it leaves the factory. Therefore be sure to unlock it before you start your ride if you need to turn things up to 11.

The light’s casing is exactly the same as you find on the NightRider 1100. The cool thing is that this means you get epic levels of hard-wearing durability coupled with strong weather and water resistance.

But the good news doesn’t stop here…

The Lumina 900 Boost also has the same high-quality mounts and can also be mounted to a GoPro bracket. If all of that wasn’t enough, you still get heat sink technology to keep all the temperatures under control.

While admittedly, the Lumina 900 doesn’t have the same brightness as either the Nightride Lumina 1100 or the Cygolite Metro Pro, it comes very close. If you can live with this and the lack of a real-time battery indicator, though it has a simple LED light bar, then it’s a great buy.

Daytime, nighttime, anytime!

The rear light also holds up its end well. It has daytime and nighttime modes like the front light. At maximum brightness, it puts out 800 lumens, which can get you seen over a kilometer away. The bracket is most suited to seat post mounting.

10 Light & Motion Urban 500 & Vya Commuter Combo – Best 360 Degree Bike Lights

These are our final lights combo. They are the least bright lights but still pack enough power to light the road ahead. Plus, the rear light is still visible from as far away as 700 meters.

There’s a lot to like about this light set…

Firstly, they offer excellent battery performance. Even on continuous boost mode, you still get an hour and a half from the front light. If you switch to pulse mode, you can get 12 hours. It’s not as good as some rechargeable lights, but it’s more than adequate in most situations.

We also like that both the lights have high-quality cases and are IP67 rated. They can throw them into the water up to a meter deep, and they will still work it. That’s good enough for us and more than enough reassurance that when we’re cycling home in heavy rain, they won’t fail us.

One of the features we love about the rear light is its ability to swivel. A feature we love about the front light is the amber sidelight. When the lights are combined, you are guaranteed to be seen through a full 360 degrees.

And that’s what we all want, right?

The mounting brackets on both lights are excellent. However, the rear light’s bracket is worthy of a special mention. The smart design allows it to be fixed to either your seat post or your seat stay.

The clever shape lets you angle the rear light longways from the seat stay. It’s not a common feature, and we believe it is a nice piece of design.

Best Bike Lights Buying Guide

Front Lights

Being seen on your bike at night is crucial. However, it’s not just about being seen. Some cyclists travel on dark roads and trails, so they need a light that’s bright enough to see the way ahead.

Two hundred lumens is enough to see as well as be seen. The least powerful front light on our list, the

LEZYNE Zecto Drive, can still do this as full tilt. In fact, it can deliver 250 lumens, which is more than sufficient for cyclists who are not riding at crazy speeds.

For those of you that are riding fast in more demanding and challenging circumstances, there are plenty of choices. We have included lights that can produce a whopping 1,100 lumens. If you need this kind of power, you should check out either the…

NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED Boost or the Cygolite Metro Pro

Rear Lights

If you’re riding your bike at night, you need a rear light. No question. Rear lights are an out and out lifesaver. There. That’s as clear as we can be.

Rear lights don’t require the same level of brightness as front lights. Much lower power levels are perfectly acceptable. Even around 50 lumens of brightness can get you seen from up to half a mile away. If you’re rocking a rear light with a hundred lumens, you can be seen as far as a mile and even more.

That should be sufficient to give enough time for even the most inattentive of drivers to see you and take notice. Once they’ve sent that so important message, of course!

The only non-combination rear light in our review is the…

Knog Blinder MOB

…so it wins our choice in this category by default. This still doesn’t stop it from being a great light that’s capable of delivering 80 lumens of light.

Light Combinations

You need a front and rear light on your bike. While you might be in the market for either, to replace or upgrade, the chances are that you’ll be looking for a pair. That makes perfect sense, and if you buy this way, you get the advantage of generally saving a bit of cash into the bargain.

If you require lots of power, you should take another look at either the…

Cygolite Metro 700, or the Lumina 900 Boost

If your needs are a little less extreme the…

Light & Motion Urban 500

…is a suitable and more affordable option.

Light Modes

Having different light modes can help you to set your lights according to your riding conditions. It’s useful to have the option to dial up the brightness of your light if the occasion demands. Similarly, it’s a useful thing to be able to dial down the intensity when needed.

One of the key benefits of reducing the power of your light is that you can increase your battery life. One of the easiest ways to do this is by choosing a flashing or pulse mode. These are the least demanding on your battery.

Interestingly, flashing or pulse modes are the usual choice for daytime running. This is because it’s been proven that a pulsing light is the easiest for motorists to see during the day.

Battery Life

We’re sure you’ll agree that battery life is important. We’re sure you’ll also agree that saving money on frequent battery changes is even more important. Happily, all the best bike lights in our review have a solid battery life and can all be recharged by Micro USB.

Generally speaking, the more powerful the light, then the shorter the battery life. It’s a simple formula but holds true most of the time.

To keep track of your battery life, most of the lights have a battery indicator; These are usually simple LED bar lights. However, the one exception is the…

NiteRider Lumina 1100 OLED Boost

This powerful light has a battery indicator that displays the remaining battery time in hours and minutes. It’s a great feature that puts it ahead of most of the pack.

The one light we still think can’t beat is the…

Garmin Varia UT 800 Smart Headlight Urban Edition

This light is fantastic. Once you’ve linked it to your Garmin bike computer, the light will adapt its brightness according to how slow or how fast you’re riding.

How cool is that?

When linked to a Garmin Edge computer, it can save battery life by adjusting the light intensity according to your riding speeds. The upshot is that it’s possible to extend your battery, from one and a half hours to four hours.

Looking for more superb cycling products?

Well, check out our reviews of the Best Bicycle Tool Kit, the Best Bike Racks, our Best Bike Chains review, our Best Bicycle Seat review, and the Best Bike Mirrors currently on the market.

You may also enjoy our reviews of the Best Cycling Gloves, the Best Bike Rollers you can buy in 2021.

So, what are the Best Bike Lights?

This is our last chance to say it, but please, make sure you use your lights when it’s dark. In fact, make sure that you have them on during the daytime too.

In conclusion, we want to leave you with our top pick from our best bike lights review. They are all great lights, but we think that the…

Garmin Varia UT 800 Smart Headlight Urban Edition

…undoubtedly has that extra something.

We like the fact that it’s waterproof, has heaps of power, has an excellent choice of daytime running modes, and probably the best mounting option in the business. However, what impressed us most is its ability to hook up with a Garmin computer, so you can more effectively manage your light options to save battery life.

Enjoy your bikes, and enjoy your rides.