The best bike lights are way better than they used to be, thanks to improved designs, better materials and, crucially, more illumination on offer from the many options that are out there. Deciding on which bike light to get is also a lot easier, as you’ll see from our collection of the best lights below, all of which offer plenty of features and functions.
Alongside letting you see where you’re going and, most importantly, being seen by others, a set of bike lights is also a legal requirement for riders in many countries. Those improvements to bike light designs now also mean that many models, such as our examples, can deliver a steady light and flash.
Having a light with an intermittent beam makes you much more easily spotted, and that’s a definite bonus no matter which country or location you’re riding in. That’s just the tip of the best bike light feature set, though, because a new set of bike lights will also be brighter and more efficient than your old ones.
Best bike lights 2022
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If you’ve been riding bikes for any amount of time, you may remember how much smaller cycling lights have become over time compared to older models. Thanks to space-saving designs, lighter materials and the ability to work using power from smaller batteries, modern bike lights are a fraction of the size of their predecessors. That’s a good thing, though, especially if you’re into road biking, where keeping weight down is everything.
This pair, the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5, is another duo that can be added to the ‘compact and bijou’ bike light list. They combine svelte design lines with plenty of power and come from the CatEye stable, a well-known brand for producing dependable cycling accessories. Are they as good as they look, though? Short answer: yes. Both front and rear beams shine brightly, have different mode options and are therefore ideally suited to commuters or occasional cyclists.
Read our full CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 review
Thousand is a cool US brand that’s already well known for its retro-style cycle helmets. The innovative company has now branched into bike lights, including the Thousand Traveller Light, which is available in both front and rear editions. You can buy them as a pair or individually, depending on your needs and what you’ve got already.
However, if you’re looking for a consistent theme, they do look quite cool when matched together as a pair. They certainly stack up well alongside the best bike lights you can buy right now.
These two lights might look a little retro, but they also perform with the front one offering 250 peak Lumen performance. The rear one, meanwhile, offers up a peak Lumen of 80. Both come complete with everything you need to get started, with rechargeable batteries and a USB cable that can get each light back up to 100% in just two hours.
Read our full Thousand Traveller Light review
The Knog Blinder bike lights have a little more charm than your standard bike lights. Knog, an Australian brand, offers a neat twist on bike lights in much the same way as quirky US manufacturer Thousand do with the Thousand Traveller (listed above).
Two of their latest products are the Knog Blinder Road 400 and, even more recently, the Knog Blinder R-150 Road Rear. What you get with these two is plenty of illumination, with 400 Lumens on the front and 150 Lumens from the rear. On top of that, you get a slick, stylish, and undeniably practical design and build, which should stand the test of time.
While the Knog Blinder Road 400 offers substantial illumination, anyone wanting more light on the road can also opt to head for the Knog Blinder in a 600 Lumen incarnation – that’s even brighter.
Read our full Knog Blinder Road Lights (400 & 150 lumens) review
One of the Lezyne Hecto Drive 400XL's key selling points is battery life, which delivers up to 17.5 hours of use before it needs a recharge. Performance is solid, too, thanks to a maximum of 400 lumens, although battery life will reduce if you’re using the higher power settings. The slimline design works for us, as does the ability to fix it to your handlebars quickly and easily due to a rubber strap setup that makes it suitable for all kinds of bikes. That also means you can take it off the bike to use as a torch if needed. Adding value is the built-in USB charging stick, which comes in handy if you’re out for the day.
If you're hitting the roads after dark, having a powerful beam to make you visible is money well spent. Although the 400-lumen Exposure Strada SL isn’t cheap, it should last for years and features an excellent and nicely crafted design. Better still, due to its precision construction, the design floods light right onto the road and seems to be great at not dazzling other road users, which is always a bonus. You can take your pick from seven settings, each of which will have a different effect on battery life. The most conservative option should deliver up to 36 hours of use. Fitting comes courtesy of a quick-release bracket, which is nicely thought out too.
Formerly known as Blaze, the Laserlight Core model lives on under the Beryl brand and the good news is it’s still a superb bike light. Some tweaks to the design make it much improved over the original incarnation and while the maximum lumens of 400 tends to diminish quite quickly if you’re pushing it, used carefully the lower LED settings deliver up to 13 hours of use.
The magic of this model is its combination of the LED light blended with a green laser image of a bike that appears on the road ahead. This is a neat way to alert people of your whereabouts, although bear in mind the range of the light diminishes rapidly if you keep the power cranked up. Right down to a couple of hours, in fact, but that's fine for a commute.
Another entry from Lezyne, the Lite Drive 800XL, is also a great bike light and can reach 800 lumens, which is more suitable for most needs. You also get eight different illumination modes plus the real bonus of up to 76 hours of use. Naturally, that’ll slip considerably if you’re using the higher power settings, but with careful use, this is a light that’s both durable and long-lasting. The rubber mount has been carefully designed in order to ensure you’re never willingly parted with your illumination. This makes it great for rougher terrain, too, while the rest of the build and design boasts the usual Lezyne quality.
Sometimes, it’s just handier to have a portable bike light setup. That’s where the Knog Plus comes into play. Maybe you’re borrowing a bike, or on vacation and don’t want to lug your normal lights with you. No matter, as this auxiliary option provides quick and easy illumination for a relatively small outlay.
Sure, this isn’t the brightest light out there, just 40 lumens, but it can be recharged via USB and is also really portable. In fact, we’ve found that it’s great as a supplementary lighting source that can be fixed to clothing for those super busy parts of town.
If you need a front-facing bike light that’s designed to last, the Street F-450 is a Kryptonite best buy. The compromise is the 450 maximum lumens specification, but six different modes still make it a great little option for occasional use. If you’re more of a casual cyclist with short hops in mind it’s ideal, with an Economic Flash option providing up to 24 hours of light for your needs.
There’s convenience too, with a USB slot for quick and easy charging making this model handy for re-juicing during working hours if you’ve used it for a commute. The design is reassuringly sturdy, too.
If you’re really not prepared to skimp on a front bike light, the Cateye Volt makes up for its expensive price tag by offering up to 6,000 lumens. That’s very bright, which means it comes at a cost, but this Cateye model also oozes class and boasts a brilliant design supplemented by a separate remote control. It’s hugely durable, too, with a battery life of around 12 hours.
Meanwhile, the rechargeable control/battery unit needs to be replenished after about two months. Power does come from that external battery, though, so despite its performance and mode options; this one is aimed more at endurance types than those facing a simple daily commute.
How we test the best bike light
Every bike light in this guide has been thoroughly tested in real-life conditions. If we can, we ride our bikes in wet, dark conditions, appropriately illuminated by front and rear lights, to ensure when we recommend a light for its good light output, it's based on first-hand experience, not just stats.
What's the best bike light?
Our current favourite is the CatEye HL-EL135 and Omni 5 duo that provides a decent 250-lumen light output, has a compact design and doesn't cost the earth, either. Both front and rear beams shine brightly, have different mode options and are therefore ideally suited to commuters or occasional cyclists.
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