Ultimately, the brightness of a bike light is a product of the lumen count, beam width, and beam angle. A light with a super-high lumen count is great, but only if it has been designed to use its brightness effectively. Lumens is all about potential, but Lux is about how much light you can actually use in the real world. How do we test bike lights? 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. How many lumens do I need for a bike light?

Garmin does make a standalone unit, the RDU, 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, our tester found that the user experience is best with the full Garmin kit. Most people think about front bike lights when they're looking to add visibility to their bike, but it's important to also consider bike rear lights so that both sides of the bike are visible at night. If you have a mountain bike for off-road adventures you might want to consider getting specific mtb lights.

Every cyclist should have a set of reliable bike lights. When shopping for the ideal lights to fit your needs, the vast market can feel confusing and difficult to navigate. From lumens to side visibility, there are lots of factors that must be considered when selecting bike lights. Brightness is good, but reliable brightness is better. A bike light with 600 lumens and excellent battery life may be a better buy than a light with 1,000 lumens and low battery life. Of course, this all depends on your riding preferences. You’ll want a solid 600 lumens from a forward-facing light so that you can see and be seen; (photo/Miya Tsudome) Front Lights vs. Rear Lights

There are a couple of other options for riding through the night on this list. The Exposure Strada Mk11 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 Mk11 SB AKTiv.

How to Change the Batteries

Flashing pulse settings tend to use less light than a steady beam, and they are great for being seen in the daytime. On this list, the Garmin Varia has extremely impressive battery life and burn time. The majority of bike lights in our lineup offer convenient USB charging so you’ll have fewer excuses not to stay safe and stay visible. Our top choices have longer run times and faster charging times; (photo/Miya Tsudome) Price In this buyer’s guide, we’ll break down each of these factors and hopefully simplify your selection process. You’ll be cruising down well-lit roads, paths, and trails in no time. Brightness and Lumens

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. Always overestimate your needs and underestimate the specs. If you are trying to ride through the night on an epic adventure the last thing you want to start worrying about is an ever-dwindling light supply. Look at how long your ride will last then make sure you have a light that gives a comfortable buffer. Then bring an extra just in case.With seven lighting modes — including boost and pulse — this light set is handy in all kinds of riding scenarios. The taillight has at least five modes, including multiple tempos of flash. 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.

The point I want to make with this question is that there are different needs for different people who are doing different kinds of riding. If you are riding through the city at night on well-lit streets you probably don't need a light to see where you are going. In that case, look for lights designed to help you stay visible to other road users. I labelled these with the intended use "being seen" and every rear light also gets that designation as a matter of default. The Bontrager Ion 200 RT is another option for when you aren’t looking to see but need to make sure others see you. Despite a similar focus as the Thousand light, this use case is very different. This unit is less about cruising around a city and more about being seen while riding long distances on open roads.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. Mounting front and rear bike lights is typically a simple process. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions for mounting. When purchasing a front light, look for a mounting system that will allow you to adjust the beam angle on the go. Editor’s note: We updated this guide on September 26, 2023, to include new lights from Fenix, Garmin, and Bontrager, along with details about how we test and choose our favorite bike lights. The Best Bike Lights of 2023