Best bike lights 2022: Rear and front lighting to stay safe while cycling

Best: Overall

• Rating: 9/10
• Lumens: 1,000
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 132g
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours

This front light is expensive but heavy on features. It will run for up to two hours at a blinding 1,000 lumens, or up to 30 hours in flashing mode. When the battery gets down to 20 per cent of its charge it will warn you and give you an hour’s reduced output to get you home. Cleverly, the beam adapts its output according to the street lighting along your route and will even pulse more strongly when it senses you are in potentially hazardous situations such as roundabouts. It uses a Garmin-style mount that bolts to your handlebars, and there’s a companion app that allows you to unlock even more features such as crash alerts and warnings if anyone tampers with your bike.

Best: Budget front light

• Rating: 9/10
• Lumens: 500
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 117g
• Battery life: Up to 50 hours

We really liked this 500-lumen front light with its detachable mount that you can leave on the bike. Cateye has kept things simple with just four modes – a couple of constant settings, a daytime option and a flashing 250-lumen mode offering a staggering 50 hours of running time. You’ll know when it’s time to charge as a red indicator light comes on when you switch it off. While it’s made of plastic, it feels very robust and comes with a two-year warranty. We have been using one for around three years and it’s still going strong.

Best: Value

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 200 front, 25 rear
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 67g front, 22g rear
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours

This no-nonsense set from Cateye will serve you well on dark commutes and murky rides at the weekend. The 200-lumen front light is bright enough to use in daytime and has flashing and high/low constant modes. The 25-lumen rear light is nice and light and will flash away for a huge 30 hours. Both mount via stretchy rubber bands, and the rear light will fit on your helmet too. Charging for both is via micro USB and they come with a two-year warranty.

Best: Battery life

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 1,000
• Type: 2 x AAA battery
• Weight: 49g
• Battery life: Up to 160 hours

If you prefer disposable batteries over USB charging, this rear light is powered by two AAAs and has a mammoth run time of up to 160 hours. A built-in accelerometer makes it go brighter when you slow down or stop, and it will easily fit on your seat post or seat stays with the plastic band or bracket provided. Cateye has also kept things simple with just three modes, and there’s a two-year warranty for peace of mind too.

Best: Rear light

• Rating: 9/10
• Lumens: 1,000
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 55g
• Battery life: Up to 17 hours

This 200-lumen rear has an accelerometer that allows it to function like a car brake light, brightening to warn traffic behind you when you slow down. It has three flashing settings plus a couple of steady modes, and the run time is up to 17 hours. We like that you can mount it sideways or upright, so a saddlebag shouldn’t get in the way. Plus, a quick press on the power button illuminates a series of LEDs that indicate how much battery life is left. At almost £40 it’s not cheap, but it is covered by a two-year warranty.

Best: For commuters

• Rating: 9/10
• Lumens: 400
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 100g
• Battery life: Up to 41 hours

If you often ride in town in the dark, you will love this front light. It uses a laser to project an image of a bike on the road in front of you to let drivers know you’re there, which is great if you are filtering past stationary traffic. You can also use the laser in conjunction with the main light, or just use the light on its own. There are four different settings, one of which offers 41 hours of use. It’s also very easy to mount to your bars via the silicone band and bracket provided.

Best: Lightweight set

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 300 front, 20 rear
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 56g front, 16g rear
• Battery life: Up to 20 hours

If you like keeping things neat on your bike, this Specialized pair is small and won’t take up much space on the bars. Despite their size, they pack a punch, with a maximum output of 300 lumens up front and 14 at the rear – enough to tackle anything except unlit roads. There are four flashing/steady modes, and we loved that the rear light is small enough to fit on your helmet for additional visibility while commuting. Charging is via micro USB and there are a couple of rubber-band-style mounts for each light to suit different width bars and seat posts.

Best: For safety

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 1,000
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 71g
• Battery life: Up to 16 hours

We thought this was a gadget too far – a combined rear light and car-detecting radar – but we love it. You can pair it with many bike computers – not just those from Garmin. It works just as well with rival Wahoo too (£349.99, Wahoofitness.com). It will also work with your phone if you’re happy to have it on a handlebar mount.

Bleeps, flashes and screen icons warn of approaching traffic depending on the device you pair it with. It works amazingly well, giving you a few seconds of notice so a passing car doesn’t catch you out, and comes into its own on fast country roads when the wind makes it harder to hear. The whole thing mounts to your seatpost using thick rubber bands. We weren’t too keen on having an expensive bit of kit held in place by a single loop, so we slipped a zip-tie through the mount for extra security.

Best: Daytime running lights

• Rating: 9/10
• Lumens: 1,000
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 32g each
• Battery life: Up to 24 hours

If you want daytime running lights while out training on your racing bike, have a look at this set from the British brand with their “daybright” mode. They are quite expensive but are made from anodised aluminium, are extremely bright and come with a two-year warranty. We love how sleek they look on the bike thanks to the use of simple plastic brackets and O-rings. The 24 hour run-time on the lowest output setting is impressive, and a “fuel gauge” will let you know when it’s time to charge via micro USB.

Best: For durability

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 500 front, 110 rear
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 82g front, 28g rear
• Battery life: Up to 32 hours

Tough is how we would describe this pair from American brand NiteRider. We love the robustness of the thick plastic mounting bands/brackets, which fit securely to your bike. They are also very bright, even when running them in the daytime, and offer a wide selection of modes. Cutouts on the side profile mean they are visible at junctions, and you can even “lock” them so you don’t accidentally turn the lights off. Charging is via micro USB, and they have built-in indicators to tell you when it’s time to charge.

Best: For unlit roads

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 1,100 front, 65 rear
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 140g front, 48g rear
• Battery life: Up to 12 hours

Here’s a set for the most intrepid night-time riders. With a massive 1,100 lumens on offer, you’ll be able to tackle even the darkest lanes. The rear light is great for both day and night use, with a super-bright 65 lumen flashing mode that gives about three hours of use. If you ride with your mates there’s also a group ride feature on the rear which lowers the output to stop you dazzling them. Both mount via rubber straps and charge via USB. There’s also an action-camera style adapter for the front light so you can fit it to a GoPro camera mount.

Best: Budget set

• Rating: 8/10
• Lumens: 500 front, 10 rear
• Type: USB rechargeable
• Weight: 84g front, 54g rear
• Battery life: Up to 20 hours

There’s a premium feel to these lights from Lezyne – the front one is made from machined aluminium. Mounting them to your bars and seat post is easy with the stretchy bands provided, and with eight modes up front and five at the rear, you’re bound to find one that suits. The economy mode boasts a massive 20-hour run time so you won’t have to charge them too often, while they also plug straight into a USB port, so you won’t need to carry a cable.