Best bike lights 2024 - Front and rear lights to keep you safe both day and night (2024)

The best bike lights of today come in loads of different guises. If you want a quick recommendation for the best front bike light, check out the Trek Commuter Pro RT, and for the best rear bike light, see the Bontrager Flare RT. For most people in most circ*mstances, both will perform admirably, but read on for a greater understanding of how to choose the right lights for you, and some more suggestions that might fit your personal needs more closely.

In this guide there are options for front and rear bike lights, with some designed to make you more visible and others designed to help you see where you're going at speed on a totally unlit street.

We also have a separate guide to the best budget bike lights. There's some overlap in the products we recommend across the two lists, but while that guide keeps a closer eye on price, the primary focus here is finding the best for every potential user.

There's a host of things to consider such as battery life, brightness and tech features when choosing. I've taken the time and done the legwork for you, but if you want to understand more about that and learn how we test all lights, then you'll find lots of advice at the bottom of this page.

We last revised this guide in May 2024 to ensure that all the lights featured were still currently available and on the market.

Quick list

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Best front bike lights

Best front light for city commuting

The Trek Commuter Pro LT isn't the cheapest light you can find. But Trek has focused on making a feature-rich light that will stand the test of time. The body is solid metal and should have no problem handling a drop or two. It won't be because of the mount that you find that out though. The mount requires no tools but it's solid enough that there's no chance of rotation. If you find yourself using the light only occasionally, it will even fit over the top of your bar tape. When you lock up your bike there's a quick-release system that allows you to keep the mount in place.

Although the Trek Commuter Pro LT maxes out at 1000 lumens, it's got plenty of power. Instead of a round bulb that has the potential to blind other road users, but also wastes light, the Commuter Pro LT uses a square reflector with a sharp cutoff. Because there's less wasted light you can run the system at half power giving three hours of battery life. You might even find yourself using the USB-C charge port to steal a bit of power for a phone given you've got plenty.

The one downside to the whole thing is that you can't mount the light upside down or use a GoPro-style mount. Trek did solve this though. The mount conforms to the Blendr standard and there are various Blendr compatible accessories. One of those is the Low Commuter Light Mount that wraps the light, keeping it upright and puts a GoPro-style mount at the top. Unfortunately, that is an extra purchase.

Read more details in our full Trek Commuter Pro RT review.

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Best budget commuter front light

The Trek Commuter Pro RT is an amazing light but it's more powerful, and more expensive, than you might need, plus mounting might need some thought. If you are looking for a cheaper option that mounts in a breeze then the Knog Blinder Road 600 is the ticket. The housing is tiny and all the pieces make up a single integrated unit. Instead of a mounting bracket the strap stays attached and all you do is pull it and clip it. If you need a larger size there is a second strap included and you can swap out which one you need.

When it's time to charge the Knog Blinder Road 600, no cable is needed. Just like the strap, the charger is an integrated unit. You will have to unclip the light but then a full sized USB attachment unfolds and you can plug it in without needing any extra pieces. If you prefer a little bit of space from your USB port, there is an extension included though you'd need to carry it extra.

As for the light itself, there are 600 lumens on tap from the two lenses at full power. If used in that configuration you'd have a wide angle and a narrow beam at the same time. If you don't need quite that much power it's possible to either turn down the whole unit to low or you can turn on and off each bulb individually. All the options mean you have lots of options to find what works for you. Unfortunately it only requires a long press of the mode button to turn the light on and it is possible to have that happen inadvertently in a bag.

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Best bike light for being seen

If you want to stay visible when riding during the day, there’s simply nothing better than the Bontrager Ion 200 RT. Trek, and Bontrager, are at the forefront of the science behind what it takes to make cyclists visible both day and night and the Ion 200 RT is part of that. There’s both a front and back, also featured on our list, and both are a few years old now but continue to be a leader in the technology.

The trick is a combination of a clever lens design and a very specific flash pattern. The lens focuses a minimal 200 lumens and makes it visible from up to 2km away while the flash pattern grabs attention. It’s a combination that’s backed by research but I’ve also tested it extensively and can confirm just how well it works.

The effect is most dramatic during the day. Despite a low lumen number, using the Bontrager Ion 200 RT will mean you are visible far out on the horizon before a motorist is even able to understand what’s making that flash up ahead. A side effect is that keeping the lumens low means Bontrager is able to keep the light ultra-small while still providing up to 30 hours of nigh ttime flashing (12 hours for daytime flash mode). That tiny packaging also makes it comfortable if you want to utilise the Blendr mounting system to put the light on a helmet like the Bontrager Circuit Wavecel Helmet. Even if you decide not to go that route though, the silicone strap allows for tons of mounting options. There is a continuous light mode that would get you home, in the city, in a pinch but really the best use is for making yourself visible.

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Best front bike light for unexpected night riding

More and more riders have found that adding a daytime running light is helpful. Other road users seem to be a bit more forgiving when they know you are there and a daytime running light helps. With that in mind, I’ve included a couple of options to fill that need. If you need daytime visibility alone, the Bontrager Ion 200 RT is your best bet. The Lezyne Mini Drive 400xl will fill that need as well but with the extra power comes a bit of extra useability.

It starts by being beautifully made with a CNC-machined aluminium housing and five colour options. Then the light adds simplicity with an integrated USB attachment that means no cable for charging. When it comes to mounting, it's also dead simple with either a rubber strap or an action camera mount that's great for using under a bike computer. As a front daytime running light, you have the option of a full 400 lumens in flash mode for seven hours or 50 lumens for 15 hours. What's really useful though is that 400 lumens is just enough to get you home in the dark. If you ever find yourself out a little later than you expected, the full 400 lumens in solid mode is there as an emergency backup and it’s far more useful than the 200 lumens in the Ion RT. Bottom line, the Lezyne Mini Drive 400XL is a mount-it-and-forget-it option that's there when you need it.

You can read more about the details of this light in our Lezyne Mini Drive 400XL review

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Best overall front bike light

There are a lot of riders deeply concerned with blinding other road users. When adjusted correctly that shouldn't be an issue for most lights but if you want to be sure it's not an issue you should go looking for a StVZO compliant light. StVZO is a German certification and outside the German market it can be tough to actually purchase a light that meets it. Just because a light doesn't carry the certification doesn't mean it doesn't solve the same problem though. The Outbound Lighting Detour is a front bike light with a sharp upper cutoff to the light pattern. You won't find a StVZO certification but it does the job.

If I'm being honest though, that's not why I love this light. While that sharp cutoff might protect other road users, it also means no wasted light for you. When I initially reviewed the Outbound Lighting Detour I was a little put off by the fact that there's not a setting around 800 lumens. That's what I always prefer when riding through the city on longer rides and it is missing. Despite that I continued to use it and I've come to love it more and more.

With more use what I've found is that it's different when using this light for truly long distance riding. In situations where the sun slowly sets and I turn on the light, I've been very happy with the light output at low or roughly 400 lumens. That mode gives me 8.5 hours of runtime in a relatively small unit.

Beyond that, the light has a unique trick for anyone looking to ride long distances. Not only does it use a USB-C charging port but the brand includes a cord with a weatherproof connection to the light and it will run while charging. It allows you to plug in a USB battery pack of your own choosing and ride while charging, even in the rain. Although it’s a bit overkill, and rather large, this light is inexpensive enough to work for commuting plus it’s also got features that will let you ride as far as your legs can carry you.

Read more details in our full Outbound Lighting Detour review.

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Best money-no-object bike light

There are a couple of other options for riding through the night on this list. The Exposure Strada Mk12 SB AKTiv takes things to a whole other level when it comes to ultra-endurance endeavours. What that really means is multi-day events. You could make the Outbound Lighting Detour work and you could even make the Magic RN3000 work in a pinch but both of those options make more sense for something that is 24 hours or less. If you are covering more than a single night, there’s nothing that can touch the Exposure Strada Mk12 SB AKTiv.

That said, there is some learning you will want to do ahead of time. Everything is proprietary and initially the way everything works is confusing. The advantage is that you can spend your time figuring things out at home then, when you are in the heat of the moment, everything is incredibly simple.

The light output is 1700 lumens max and the 10,200 mAh battery will give you a burn time of 2 hours at max power. From there, drop the power by half and you get twice the battery power. You can figure out what power and battery life you need, then on the road you turn on the light at the selected program and you've got high, medium, and low available within that program. There is a display that says exactly how much burn time you have at the power you have selected with no thinking required. If you need even more runtime there are weatherproof batteries you can connect and there's also an included remote switch. The AKTiv version even has an auto-dim feature that temporarily reduces the light when an approaching vehicle's headlights are detected. This light is beautifully made, robust, and simple when you need it to be. The only downside is that you do pay for the quality.

Exposure also sells a range of mounts for different handlebar setups, as well as a 'Support Cell' battery pack that will almost double the runtimes.

Read more details in our Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTiv review.
*The Mk11 has been superceded by the Mk12, which is the light that's listed here, but not too much changed at all between the lights.

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Best budget high powered bike light

The MagicShine RN3000 is firmly divorced from the needs of the commuter. You could certainly use it for getting through the city but calling it overkill would be an understatement. It’s a huge light and it weighs quite a bit. This is for those who need either big power or long run times and are looking for a budget option compared to an Exposure light.

The trick to this light is a 10,000 mAh battery that makes for incredible runtimes and even the option to use a USB battery pack while it shines. Mounting is via a Garmin quarter turn mount so if you want to go looking for some kind of alternative mounting option, there are tons of choices. Once mounted, you can either power all the way up for a 3000-lumen option that will happily manage off-road use for a couple of hours or you can power it down.

With the light powered down to 750 lumens, enough for visibility on the road without street lights, you can make it through the night. The only drawback is an unnecessarily complicated control scheme that allows for the use of the left, or right, or both of the LED lights. Just stick to both LEDs lit up for the best lighting and longest runtime. This is a quality light for all kinds of adventures.

You can read more about the details of this light in our MagicShine RN3000 full review

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Best front bike light with a camera

The Cycliq Fly12 Sport is a front light with an integrated camera. The mounting system is a custom 1/8 turn bracket that you can mount above, or below, your handlebars. Alternatively, you can make use of a standard action camera mount and use whatever your favourite out-front bracket is.

On the lighting side of the equation, you get a max 400 lumen light. The real purpose here though isn't lighting and if you turn down the power on the light to the flash mode for visibility, you can stretch as much as 6.5 hours of battery life out of the unit.

There are certainly better lights on the market if that’s the primary focus, but think of this as a light focused on recording your ride in the event of an incident. There is a 135-degree wide-angle camera with quality as high as 4k at 24fps and recording to an SD card. The video will loop record and automatically lock a piece of the recording covering before and after an incident. Six-axis Electronic Image Stabilisation helps make sure the video is usable and the light does the same when the sun goes down.

Read more details in our full Cycliq Fly 12 Sport review.

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Best rear bike lights

Best rear bike light overall

It should be no surprise to see the Bontrager Flare RT after we also included the Ion 200 RT above. The two lights came out together, they are available as a pair, and they share many of the same strengths. The Flare RT is a no-fuss light you can take with you on any ride, day or night, and know you will catch the attention of other road users.It's affordable, easy to mount to most seat posts, and can be mounted to pretty much anything else with the appropriate adaptor. It is more than bright enough, with great run time, and while there are others here with more features such as radar and cameras, this is a great light for most people in most situations.

When I headed out my door to cross the state of Oregon on my own, I took a Flare RT. The 16-hour battery life was enough to cover all but the most extreme situations and the disruptive flash pattern, along with the focusing lens, meant that even in the bright midday sun of the Eastern Oregon desert, I was visible. In my experience, the 2km estimate might even be underselling it. The tiny size of the Flare RT, along with the Ion 200 RT, also makes both lights ideal for use on helmets. The only downside is that this isn't a brand-new light and it's starting to show its age with an outdated micro-USB charging port. But it's affordable, easy to use, and will mount to pretty much anything with the appropriate adaptor.

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Best rear bike light with a camera

If you want a camera for incident detection on the rear of your bike then you've got two choices, Cycliq and Garmin. They both work by recording all the time and looping when the memory card is full. In the event of an incident, the period of time around the incident gets locked so and won't be overwritten. They both offer the same 1080p at 30fps video recording too. It's from there that the options differ and Garmin comes out on top. The Garmin RCT715 will come close to seven hours of recording time with a brighter flash at 65 lumens and a wider field of view. The Garmin also has a big ace up its sleeve in the form of Varia radar.

Varia radar lets you know when cars are behind you and it's not hyperbole to say it will change the way you ride. The RCT715 takes what is already an amazing light with an excellent radar system then adds the camera functionality. You will have to put up with an occasional false positive where the system thinks you had an incident when you didn't but it will never miss a car.

You can read more about the details of this light in our full review of the Garmin Varia RCT715 rear light.

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Best rear bike light with radar

I realise this is just the older version of the RCT715 light above, but here you're foregoing the camera feature and saving some money. There are also some newly released alternatives but despite a long time on the market, and the competition, the RTL515 continues to be the king when it comes to the core functionality.

I've ridden thousands of miles with an RTL515 and I've never once had it miss reporting a car. It's also brighter than some of the competition and it has more battery life. The downside of the unit's age is that it's still using a micro-USB charging port. There's also been a vocal request for a leash mount and while I've never lost my 515, it seems like it would be a prudent addition. Those details don't affect the core functionality though, when it comes to a light that tells when there is a car behind you, this is the best choice.

Read more details about the Garmin Varia Radar RTL515 in our shared coverage with the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus review

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Best rear bike light for long distances

If rear radar sounds unnecessarily complicated, or if you want more battery life, then the Exposure Boost R is the way to go. Like the front Exposure light we included, the build quality is second to none and the mounting pieces are equally impressive. Although there's a rubber strap involved in the mounting, it's about twice as thick as you would expect and it will handle even a wide aero post.

Aside from the details, the big trick is a massive battery compared to most rear lights. For years I've felt safe with around 40 lumens and the Boost R will get as high as 80. Knock it down to 40 though and you can get 24 hours on pulse mode. There's even an option to halve the output again for 48 hours of lighting.

N/B: Since testing, Exposure has added ReAKT and Peloton modes to the Boost R, as well as USB-C. ReAKT effectively transforms the rear light into a brake light, while Peloton dims the light when shone with a bike light. Having tested both of these new features they are certainly useful additions, particularly in group ride scenarios.

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Best rear bike light for city visibility

The spec for the Thousand Traveler puts the only daylight mode at 105-lumens but it’s a lot different than the Bontrager, or Exposure, lights even with those powered down. For one thing the max battery life in that mode is less than four hours but it also has a different style of reflector. The light is broader and unlikely to have the same visibility at distance. Instead, the wider beam is great at putting out a lot of light and attracting attention at the closer distances needed in the city. The Thousand Traveler isn't a ride all day, visibility in any situation, kind of light. Not everyone needs that though and it does a great job for short rides in the city. If you just need an inexpensive, stylish, rear light that will help make sure you are visible then the Thousand is a great choice.

Mountin, there is a rubberized strap that wraps around a round bar then the actual light mounts magnetically and the 2.0 version will generally twist slightly to centre itself automatically. There is an option for flashing with a disruptive pattern, or solid, and charging is courtesy of a USB-C port. The magnetic connection between the mount and the light is exactly the same as the front, so the criticism remains the same. I’ve not had an issue but there’s no catch to lock the light in. It’s not impossible that the right bump would cause the small amount of rotation possible to allow the light to fall out.

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Best rear bike light for maximum brightness

I’ve been working on this list for a number of years now and throughout that time, Lezyne has always been a steady option for high-powered rear lights. The Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ is the latest version in the same lineup. This time though, it’s so good it’s thrown the whole section of rear lights into question.

This latest light from Lezyne has a massive 1900 mAh battery and runs up to an eye watering 400 lumens for 18 hours. Those numbers don’t really exist from anyone else so when I first looked at it I had to decide if the Exposure light still had a place in this list. If you are looking to ride ultra-distances, you’ll have to decide if you prefer having a pulsing light that never fully turns off or a flashing light that’s brighter but doesn’t last as long. The Exposure option offers the former while the Lezyne has the latter. Given the battery size, I’d say that is more of a choice than a hardware issue.

What it comes down to is that the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ is focusing on staying visible during the day. The 400 lumen mode is part of an irregular flash pattern that will make sure you stand out from the background no matter how bright the sun is.

As long as that is your need, it’s hard to fault this light. There’s USB-C for charging, and mounting consists of a strong and easy to pull rubber ladder strap. Instead of needing to swap out pieces for different seatpost shapes, the back of the light works for both D -shaped and round. The only thing I’d like to see changed is that there’s no angle in the mount. Given that seatposts are angled that means this light will always be facing down a bit.

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Best bike lights for extra visibility

Ideas for additional lighting beyond the traditional front and rear positions.

One of the best ways to add extra lighting is through the pedals. Pedals, obviously, move while you ride so having them light up definitely catches the eye. If that sounds like a great idea then the Redshift Arclight pedals are a system that make it easy. There are four LED modules that slide into the steel pedal body - two per pedal - and stay put magnetically. All of the modules will shine both red and white and switch depending on their orientation.

There’s also an extra mount available for using the modules as a front or rear light as well. In that configuration, the lights are red if mounted vertically or white if horizontal. Even on the brighter flashing mode, the battery will last a long time and they know to shut themselves off when not in use. It's really a set it and forget it kind of system and when you do need to charge them, there's an ingeniously simple four-port USB charger included. The whole set will fit and, if you lose it, replacements are cheap and easy to find. The only downside is that there is some question of legality depending on location. Make sure you check if you are outside the US.

Helmets are another great way to add lighting in an organic way that just makes sense. Mountain bikers will often add lighting to helmets because it tracks with your vision and even though the Giro Escape MIPS isn't for seeing, you do get some of that same effect. When you are turning, your head will swivel to check what's coming and, with the lights on the helmet, the lights will swivel towards drivers as well. Of course, there are a lot of options out there for urban helmets with lights but what I like about the Giro Escape MIPS, in particular, is that the brand really hits the mark for urban style.

It's a great helmet that's comfortable to wear and it's got MIPS. The lights are an additional safety feature that take nothing away and are easy to use if you want to. The only downside is that Giro remains behind the times with micro-USB charging. Read more in our full review of the Giro Escape MIPS

If you want to learn more about MIPS technology itself you can head to our what is a MIPS helmet page.

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How to choose the best bike lights for you

Like most purchases, buying the best bike lights for your needs requires an understanding of what those needs are, what features are available to meet those needs, and how much you want to spend.

First and foremost, you probably want lights so that those around you can see you when the sun goes down. Any good bike light will do this, but as you start spending more, the list of added features grows. Some will add huge power so that you can also see where you're going on pitch-dark country lanes. Others will add huge batteries to last longer between charges, and others will add extra wide-angle visibility so that it's not only the traffic directly in front and behind you that can see you. When you get to the upper echelons, you'll start to see the addition of inbuilt cameras and radar.

Balancing those features against your needs, you'll need to know what sort of riding you'll be doing, whether it's going to be daylight, street-lit, or totally off-grid in the dark. The latter will require more brightness up front so you can see where you're going. You'll also know how long you're riding for - it's no use having a two-hour battery life if your ride lasts three.

Then begin to ask yourself what's important: do you think an inbuilt camera is worth the added expense? Do you want a radar device to tell you when cars are coming up from behind? Or do you simply want maximum brightness and maximum battery power? Your answer to those questions will affect your decision.Once you've got an idea of what you want from your light, the list of products above will help you to choose a good option from within those parameters.

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