The Best Bike Lights of 2025

The affordable Cygolite Dash Pro 600 ($65) is an excellent value. This front bike light punches well above its price tag with a slew of features and an intuitive, user-friendly design. 

One of the Dash Pro’s claims to fame is the three-mode daytime running lights (DRL), which increase visibility and safety for when it’s not-quite-dark-but-still-sort-of-light-out. And while you might not find yourself using the DRL feature all that often, the Dash Pro features five other modes: Boost, High, Medium, Low, and Steady Pulse. On boost, the Dash Pro will last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. Cygolite claims that on lower levels, users can get up to 70 hours of light out of one charge.

The universal handlebar mount is simple and easy to use, and although not as good as some, we still preferred it over the NiteRider Lumina. Like the Lezyne, this light is also available in a front/rear set ($100) for an upcharge, but the combo will give you front and rear visibility whether you’re riding day or night.

At just 95 grams and in a compact package, the Dash Pro 600 is easy to stash in a jersey pocket or in your bag, so it’s there when you need it. Recharging takes approximately 4 hours, which certainly puts this light on the slower end of this list, but not so slow that it’s a deal breaker.

Anyone looking for a solid and easy-to-use light for road riding or commuting after dark would be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the Dash Pro. While not as bright as other lights on this list, the slew of modes, versatile bar mount, intuitive operation, and wallet-friendly price point make the Dash Pro our choice for the best front bike light for the price. 

The Garmin Varia ($200) is a slick piece of kit for safety-minded cyclists looking to improve their situational awareness and visibility. While the Varia is a bit of a niche piece as far as rear lights and radar go, it represents the benchmark for performance in its small field of competitors. This radar-equipped unit doesn’t just detect oncoming cars. It’ll pick up just about any other object overtaking you — including other cyclists — up to 140 meters behind you.

If you already own a Garmin computer, you’ll have the option to connect the Varia directly to your Garmin profile. We are big fans of the Garmin Edge, and the Varia rounds out the system nicely. If, like some of us, you prefer to run a different cycling computer for your setup, you’ll have to download the Varia app and use your phone to take full advantage of the radar feature. Of course, this means that you’ll also need a way to mount your phone to your handlebar if you don’t already have one.

Garmin does make a standalone unit, the RDU (Radar Display Unit), to pair with the Varia, but they are increasingly hard to find online, and you are probably better off just putting that money toward a Garmin computer. Ultimately, this unit is meant to be used in the Garmin ecosystem, and while it is certainly possible to make it work with your phone, we found that the user experience is best with the full Garmin kit.

The unit itself is compact and fits a wide range of seatpost styles thanks to the included assortment of seatpost adaptors. Battery life is a solid 6 hours on full blast and 16 hours in daytime flash mode. Garmin claims up to 1-mile visibility in daytime flash mode. Charging is handled via micro-USB and takes about 3 hours to fully charge. In general, it’s pretty simple to set up the Varia, even if it is more involved than basic options.

The app is easy enough to download and pair with the radar, and once you’re set up, the whole system works well. The app can display multiple objects (cars, motorcycles, other cyclists) as they approach. You’ll get color-coded visual alerts (green, yellow, red) as well as tone alerts as objects approach. It’s especially useful to see the approach speed of the object behind you.

In theory, you can also stick your phone in your pocket and it’ll vibrate as an object approaches — but that’s all the information you’ll get, and you’ll likely still need to throw a glance over your shoulder. Again, the Varia works much better paired with your Garmin Edge. 

So what’s the verdict on the high-tech Varia? It definitely improves your visibility to motorists along with your situational awareness and could potentially save your life. We’d like to see widespread support for the Varia on other popular cycling computer platforms. In this regard, we feel that the Varia is perhaps a little bit ahead of its time. Conversely, the micro-USB charge port is a bit dated.

We’re willing to bet that the field of competitors will grow substantially in the next couple of years, and the Varia will be the unit to beat. For now, if you already own a computer that supports the Varia, it’s a 5 out of 5 from us. If you don’t have a compatible computer or want to go the smartphone route, we’d give the Varia a 3.5 out of 5.

Don’t have $200 burning a hole in your pocket, but you still want to be seen out on the road? The NiteRider Vmax+ 150 ($35) is a fraction of the cost of the Garmin Varia described above and is a bright, no-nonsense rear light that’ll make you visible to motorists day or night.

While it may be small in size, the Vmax+ 150 packs a punch with a max output of 150 lumens and six different modes. On the high steady setting, that’s more than double the brightness of the Garmin Varia. It also has a low steady mode, as well as four flash options — fast, slow, disco, and pulse — so you can choose what works best for your visibility needs.

NiteRider doesn’t specify a capacity for the internal rechargeable battery but it provides relatively long run times for such a lightweight and compact light. In high steady, it can run for a claimed 4.5 hours. In low steady, that increases up to 25.5 hours. The flash modes should last anywhere between 6 and 11.5 hours, which should be adequate for all but the longest rides. When depleted, the Vmax+ 150 recharges quickly in 2 hours with a USB-C cord.

The Vmax+ 150 comes with a rubber seatpost strap mount to attach it to your bike. It fits seatposts between 15.8 and 31.6 mm and is angle-adjustable. The clip-on design makes it easy to remove for charging and also makes it possible to clip onto clothing, saddle bags, messenger bags, belts, you name it. We loved the flexibility in mounting, which made it easy to stay lit no matter what bike we were riding.

At just 59 g, the Vmax+ 150 barely weighs anything and went virtually unnoticed on rides. While it doesn’t boast features like vehicle detection or integration with cycling computers, its simplicity was one of the things we enjoyed most. This rear light is easy to use and does its job, no muss, no fuss.

NiteRider sells the Vmax+ 150 on its own and in several different bundles with front lights — like the Lumina 900 Combo ($105). Better yet, pick up the Vmax+ for the rear and combine it with the Knog Blinder 900 or the Fenix BC26R.

Fenix is best known in the EDC sphere for its flashlights, but the brand has been manufacturing bike lights for over 20 years. We tested the BC26R light ($89) and were impressed by its fit, finish, and function. The BC26R handily outperforms lights twice its price and offers bright, long-lasting lighting in a compact, no-frills package.

The BC26R churns out an impressive 1,600 lumens with a claimed 65-hour run time — though that’s on its lowest 50-lumen setting. At full power, riders will have approximately 3.5 hours of run time. Charging time is slightly longer than other lights at 4 hours via USB-C cable, but that doesn’t take away from its excellent battery system.

The BC26R comes with a 21700 rechargeable lithium-ion battery that’s super easy to swap out. You can easily purchase an additional battery for around $25 and carry it on longer rides.

With a 544-foot forward output and a 100-foot wide beam, the BC26R is equally at home on mountain, road, gravel, touring, and commuter bikes. The five light modes include four steady brightness levels — 50, 200, 600, and 1,600 lumens — and one flashing mode.

Its waterproof metal housing is lightweight and extremely durable and seals out dust and debris very well. The BC26R is shockproof to 1.5 m, meaning that it’ll easily withstand a fall from your handlebars. We doubt that it’ll fall off, though, because the mount is super solid.

A simple clamp with a silicone inner ring and a barrel screw keeps the light secure at all times. The quick release is just that — quick — and functions better than the NiteRider equivalent.

We tested the BC26R mounted on both a mountain bike and a grocery-getter and encountered zero issues with its performance. The BC26R is an excellent light. It just works. It’s bright, the battery life is great, and the mount is effective. At $89, it outperformed nearly every other light on this list and did so at a better price point than most.

While we fell in love with the new Knog Blinder 900, it was a very tough competition between these two lights. And, if you think you need something brighter than the Knog’s 900 lumens, then we recommend the Fenix all day.

While many of the front lights on this list work well for riding at night, the Outbound Lighting Detour ($185) strikes us as the best option for serious night rides. If you’re a hardcore cyclist who can’t stand the thought of another indoor session, this light is our recommendation for putting in miles after the sun goes down.

Outbound Lighting made a name for itself in the mountain bike light market with unique helmet and handlebar-mounted lights that perform well and are super easy to use. The brand has brought the same design philosophy to the gravel and paved road market with the Detour. Not only is its form factor different, but it has a number of features that set it apart from the competition.

While most front bike lights are shaped like long tubes, the Detour is oriented the opposite. The two LEDs, reflectors, and lenses are on the long side of the light body. There is a simple one-button interface on the top of the light along with some cooling fins. The USB-C charging port is on the bottom. On the back is a small bracket that fits into the quick-release handlebar clamp.

Our cycling editor, Seiji Ishii, found the Detour to be very easy to use. The single-button interface was intuitive and made turning the unit on/off or switching between its 6 lighting modes a snap. Speaking of which, it has 4 steady modes — Adaptive, High, Medium, and Low — along with daytime and nighttime flash.

Outbound claims the Detour’s max brightness is “around 1,200 lumens” but doesn’t specify the output of the medium and low modes. Regardless, this light is plenty bright, and Seiji spent the majority of the time riding in the medium setting.

The Detour also has a unique Adaptive mode. It starts on High for 5 minutes, then slowly dims to Medium so your eyes can “adapt” without noticing. Not only does it work as intended, but it also helps extend battery life.

The two LEDs work together for a beam pattern that nicely balances spread and distance. We found the Detour’s upper cutoff to be a huge benefit, too. Much like a car headlight, the light is focused toward the road with a horizontal cutoff to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. With this cutoff, it was easier to extend the light’s distance further down the road.

The 5,000 mAh battery provided respectable but not class-leading run times. In High, Outbound claims 1.7 hours. Using Adaptive mode, which we found to work very well, you can easily boost that to 2.6 hours. Running it in Medium and Low gets you 4.2 hours and 8.5 hours, respectively. Should you ever need to, the Detour also allows for pass-thru charging, so you can power it from a portable power bank on the fly.

While it isn’t the outright brightest light around, the Detour is our first pick for training rides at night. The balanced beam pattern and upper cutoff light up the night without blinding others, and it couldn’t be more user-friendly. Whether you’re night riding to beat the summer heat, to stay off the indoor trainer in the winter, or as part of your daily commute, the Detour is one of the best options out there.

This affordably priced Cygolite Streak light set ($62) is a reliable headlight and taillight combo. With quick, easy mounting and impressive battery life, this light combo from Cygolite gets you front and rear visibilty for a great price.

The Streak’s 450-lumen headlight can last for up to 100 hours on a single charge (on a low setting), while the 50-lumen tail light lasts up to 200 hours. Both are rechargeable via an included mini-USB cable.

A low-battery indicator will notify you when it’s time to charge. It is a good idea to keep the included cord on your person during rides, as it can be difficult to come by a replacement (mini USB is less common these days).

With seven lighting modes — including boost and pulse — the Streak front light is handy in all kinds of riding scenarios. The Hotshot taillight has six, including multiple tempos of flash. Both the front and rear lights have a DayLightning mode, which is a very bright flashing setting to enhance visibility in bright daylight.

Still, 450 lumens is on the low end of brightness for riding in pitch darkness, but it will get you home in a pinch. These lights are best suited for daytime visibility and rides where there’s still a hint of natural light.

Another consideration is the handlebar clamp. It’ll fit the majority of road, gravel, and commuter bikes, but it maxes out at 32 mm diameter. If you’ve got 35 mm mountain bike handlebars, you’ll be out of luck.

Cygolite has been making bike lights for 30 years, and it’s clear that they have figured out the balance between quality and affordability. If you’re looking for a long-term lighting solution with a sub-$100 price tag, this is a great combo to consider.

Anyone who’s ever had a close call bicycle commuting knows that one of the best insurance policies is to be offensively visible. With the NightRider Lumina 1800 ($170) strapped to your bars, the likelihood of going unseen is vastly diminished. 

Niterider has had the Lumina line in the game for a while now, and this newest light builds on previous iterations. With two beams (two bulbs) this light provides an excellent wide beam at supremely high output.

That high output comes at a cost, however, lasting only 45 minutes on the max setting of 1,800 lumens. At medium power (750 lumens), the Lumina 1800 will run for approximately 3 hours and double that on the low setting (350 lumens).

Additionally, this light boasts two flash modes, an oversized handlebar mount (35mm bars), and a helmet mount which can be purchased separately. The Lumina 1800 is sealed to be water- and dust-resistant and features a red light to let users know it’s nearly time to recharge, which takes 3 hours. 

While the oversized bar mount is certainly a plus, the design of the mount itself doesn’t appear to have been updated. The clamp itself works well, and the design is intuitive, but the interface between the light and the clamp is not the most secure. This made us less than confident in rough or off-road conditions. 

At $170, the Lumina 1800 is one of the most expensive on this list, and depending on where and how you ride, it may or may not be worth it to you. This light is plenty bright and offers a high degree of visibility to both the rider and the people around them. Folks looking for the most lumens should most definitely consider the NightRider Lumina 1800.

The Lezyne Lite Drive ($85-115) is designed for riding in night and daytime conditions where high visibility is essential for safety. It’s ideal for a road cyclist who puts in a lot of miles on busy roads and occasionally hops onto singletrack or technical gravel roads.

With a simple universal mount that can be swapped from handlebar to handlebar, this is a great light to use with your bike collection, depending on the day’s ride. Or you can shell out a few bucks for the helmet mount or a more secure handlebar-specific mount if you’re often on bumpy pavement.

Unlike every other light on this list, this light comes in a few different colors of aluminum, making it easy to figure out which light is yours. Additionally, buyers have the option of purchasing both front and rear lights as a set, literally and figuratively covering your backside for just a few dollars more ($115 for the set). 

The battery life at full power isn’t too impressive — only 90 minutes in overdrive mode of 1,000 lumens. But drop it down to blast mode at 500 lumens, and you get over 3 hours. Or you can ride a more normal low mode of 250 lumens (where most road-based front lights would sit), and you can ride for a full 5.5 hours with plenty of visibility.

At about $85 for 1,000 lumens of light — two-thirds of a car headlight’s brightness — the Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL isn’t the least expensive light on the list. Still, it is reasonably priced, plenty bright, and easy to use.

We think it’s a great option for commuters. You can also pick it up paired with Lezyne’s KTV 75 Smart Light for the rear for just $100.

The Niterider Lumina 900 ($75) is an attractive option for folks looking for a reasonably powerful light to illuminate their way to and from the office, gym, or grocery store. The Lumina is also reasonably priced compared to its competitors, but it is worth noting that for about $20 more, riders can break into a significantly better category of lights (like the Fenix BR26C).

The Lumina’s 900 lumens provide both solid spread and reach/distance for city commuting and offer plenty of visibility for you, other cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles. At the very least, you will be seen if you’re sporting the Lumina 900.

During testing, it became apparent that this light is designed for easy commutes. The Lumina clips on and off the mount in a flash which is awesome for high-traffic areas where theft may be an issue, but that convenience comes at a cost (more on that in a minute).

The Lumina sports six modes — low, medium, high, boost, flash, and walk. You can access each by pressing the button to toggle between modes. The button is fairly responsive, but we did encounter a few instances where we had to smash the button to get it to change modes. Users can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 hours of run time at max output and around 11 hours on flash, which puts its battery life on the middle to upper end of lights on this list. 

We’ve featured a handful of Niterider lights over the years that we’ve been reviewing bike lights, and although the performance of the lights themselves has been generally good, we’ve had one major gripe throughout — the Niterider mounting system. 

Unfortunately, Niterider is still using the same mount, and we encountered the same problems as last time. It just isn’t that secure. One bad bump or a small pothole — anything that might jar your bike, really — is enough to knock the light right off the bar and send it flying. 

It’s a bummer really, because on paper and throughout testing, the Niterider lights are quite good. But their performance doesn’t matter if they don’t stay on your bike. If you happen to come up on one of these lights, we’re confident that you’ll be more than happy with its lighting performance.

We’d also suggest investing in a few zip-ties if you want to keep things rubber-side-down. Hopefully, we’ll see a redesigned mount from Niterider soon.

Riding your bike after dark without a light is generally ill-advised, but not everyone wants to drop $100-plus on the latest and greatest super-light for a 5-minute commute home. Riders looking for an inexpensive and stylish option to light their way home should check out the Thousand Traveler Light ($35). 

The Traveler has some interesting and innovative features. The magnetic on/off is pretty nifty, and it makes it easy to keep your light with you when you’re away from your bike. Surprisingly, the magnetic coupling is quite secure, and we didn’t have any issues with it coming undone during testing. At 60 g, the Thousand Traveler is super lightweight and features an easy and intuitive strap mount.

While its lightweight, stylish, and user-friendly design makes the Traveler a good way to illuminate your path, this light only puts out 100 lumens which is a pittance compared to other lights. It’s really not bright enough for anything but short rides around town. While it will definitely make you more visible on your bike, its low light is not the best option if you need to light your way. It features four modes; flash high/low and regular high/low. 

Users can expect 8 hours of runtime on high, which is very good until you remember that it’s only running at 100 lumens. Charging is handled via USB-C and it takes around 2 hours to charge. The water-resistant feature is pretty nice when the forecast calls for a light shower, but it’s not fully waterproof, so users will want to be aware of that if those showers turn into a downpour. 

At $35, the price point makes this an inexpensive option to put a light on your bike, and it’s certainly a much better option than no light at all. That said, we wouldn’t really recommend the Thousand Traveler for anything other than short urban commutes — and even then, it may not be the best option depending on your commute.

For a few more dollars, you can upgrade to our best budget pick, the Cygolite Dash, and get significantly more output and much better visibility. But, if you are looking for a stylish little light on a budget, and you just need something to help you see and be seen, the Thousand Traveler is worth a look. 

The Ion Pro ($139) is a high-quality bike light. With 1,300 lumens of clear, clean light, the Ion Pro is a great choice to help illuminate your ride and keep you visible to drivers and other riders on the road.

Sporting five modes — including daytime and nighttime flashing modes — the Ion Pro’s beam is super bright and wide enough to make turns comfortably.

On its lowest setting at 400 lumens, the Ion Pro will run for approximately 6 hours, and at full blast (1,300 lumens), you’ll get about 1.5 hours. The night and day flash modes last 26 and 22 hours, respectively. Bontrager claims the Ion Pro is visible up to 2km away, making it an excellent choice for safety-minded riders. We’d tend to agree — this is a great light on busy roads.

In other areas, the Ion Pro falls just a little short of its competition. Its 1,300 lumens aren’t quite as bright as other lights, and its 1.5-hour run time isn’t especially impressive.

The real drag for our testers was the 7-hour charge time. Every time you deplete the battery, you have to bring the light in and charge it overnight. This light is pretty high maintenance for folks who prefer to set it and forget it (that’s us, too).

The clamp mechanism is well-designed and keeps the light secure on a wide range of handlebars. We were a bit disappointed to find that the mounting platform is fixed and has no ability to rotate.

The Ion Pro employs a double-click feature to turn the light on and off. Bontrager claims this feature prevents accidentally turning the light on in your pack or bag. It’s a good idea, especially if you routinely store your light in your backpack.

Unfortunately, when it comes to turning your light on and off, there is a little bit of a learning curve, and we found it to be unnecessarily finicky. It’s worth noting that the Ion Pro does have ANT+ connectivity for the Garmin and Bontrager ecosystems, and you can control the light setting from there.

In the end, we thought the Ion Pro was a quality light with a few well-thought-out features. However, the below-average battery life and incredibly long charge time kept it out of the running for the best light of 2025. Still, if you are looking for a bright light to keep you visible on the road, the Ion Pro gets the job done. 

Arguably the most versatile light of the bunch, the Blackburn 2’Fer-XL ($49) is one seriously hardworking light. It doesn’t replace having a front and rear light. But because it can be used as a front light in the white light mode or a rear light in the red mode, it’s an excellent option to have on hand.

The 40-lumen rear red light has two modes, flashing and solid, as does the white light option. Plus, 40 lumens is plenty for a rear light, as its purpose is to make you visible, not to light your path ahead. But when you swap to the 200-lumen front white light option, you can see the road ahead of you.

We think the Blackburn 2’Fer-XL is a great light option for a bikepacker who rides at dawn and dusk and needs a rear light for visibility — and then wants to use the white light option as a campsite flashlight.

As a light that can do it all, it has a few mounting options. It has a clip for mounting to clothing or backpacks, and it can be mounted to a helmet or handlebar mount. It also has a silicone gripper that lets it mount easily to most handlebars and seat posts.

The 2’Fer XL is an interesting option, given its ability to be used as either a front or rear light. The wealth of mounting options makes it adaptable for whatever and wherever you’re riding. Pick up a two-pack of these and be seen on your daily commutes.

Even budget bike lights are now USB rechargeable. At $20, the Lezyne Femto USB-C Rear provides rear visibility at a fraction of the price of the competition. It isn’t the brightest light at 15 lumens, but for a rear light, that’s really all you need.

The simple mounting strap makes it easy to swap this light from bike to bike, and its ultra-simple design makes it easy for even the newest riders to use.

It has six light modes, including two steady settings and four flashing. In its highest steady output of 15 lumens, it’ll run for 1.5 hours. You can crank that up to a total of 13 hours when using the day flash mode. While that isn’t class-leading, we think it’s still pretty impressive for a light that weighs 29 grams.

The lens is optimized for 270 degrees of visibility. Unlike the super-budget rear lights you can buy in a discount store, this light can be seen from the sides and offers more protection from motorists.

When it runs out of juice, you can recharge it with a USB-C — no buying or replacing coin-cell batteries here. The Femto USB-C rear light is so simple it almost hurts. It’s also so light and affordable that there’s no reason not to have a rear light on your bike, no matter where or how you ride.

If you ride using city bike shares, switch between bikes, or leave your bike outside and hate the idea of needing to take a light on and off to charge, the CatEye SYNC Wearable ($50) is a great option.

It’s designed to be snapped onto your bag or clothing, and you can easily snap it onto your backpack or belt loop. Or if you prefer, it has a rubber strap to mount it in a more standard way to your seat post.

The CatEye SYNC Wearable is designed for both nighttime and daytime riding, so expect to be highly visible regardless of the time of day. Compared to most rear lights, the max output of 30 lumens is quite bright. If the battery is low, the light automatically switches to flash mode to save power.

If you’re looking for a full suite of bike lights, the CatEye SYNC collection is pretty nifty. All of the lights synchronize, so when you click one on, the others turn on as well. All are connected through an app. So, if you’re in a rush when you leave work, and you tend to forget to turn your light on, this is a great option.