Bike headlights and tail lights are an indispensable tool in every bike trip of regular commuters. In the long route, they will need to avoid obstacles and other riders that are sometimes hard to see with the naked eye. Furthermore, they will also help others to pay attention to them to avoid causing accidents.
So what features on a bike light should you look for?
And what are the best commuter bike lights?
If you believe in me, a longtime biker, here they are:
Here are the best commuter bike lights (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best Overall: Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light
- Best For Snowy Days: Vont Bike Light
- Best For Night Riding: NiteRider Lumina Micro 750 Commuter LED Bike Light
- Best Overall: CYGOLITE Hotrod Bike Tail Light
- Best For Dry Weather: NiteRider Solas Bike Tail Light
- Best For Night Riding: Apace EverLightFX LED Safety Light
For more details on them, keep reading the sections below.
Moreover, you will also know many interesting
| Top 6 Best Commuter Bike Lights | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light | Read Our Review |
Best For Snowy Days | Vont Bike Light | Read Our Review |
Best For Night Riding | NiteRider Lumina Micro 750 Commuter LED Bike Light | Read Our Review |
Best Overall | CYGOLITE Hotrod Bike Tail Light | Read Our Review |
Best For Dry Weather | NiteRider Solas Bike Tail Light | Read Our Review |
Best For Night Riding | Apace EverLightFX LED Safety Light | Read Our Review |
For Headlights
Best Overall: Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light
- Small and compact
- Very bright
- Great value for money
- Too many modes for basic commuters
I've never needed bicycle lights before, even though it is my regular sport. But since I moved to the Northeast where it usually gets dark earlier, I had to research and choose good commuter bike lights. And it can be said that Cygolite Metro Pro bike light is one of the smartest choices and my most favorite products so far.
It has many different modes, so it is convenient for me to cycle at all times and terrain. The light is very bright and can illuminate far away, diffusing to give you a nice wide beam.
More importantly, it creates a steady light beam along with three 0.5-second-long bursts, so that people in the opposite direction can clearly notice you without feeling as uncomfortable as seeing the flashing headlights.
| Cygolite Metro Pro Bike Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 5 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches; 4.8 ounces |
Brightness | 650 - 950 lumens |
Light Modes (hours) | Low (6.5), Med (3), High (1.5), Steady Pulse (4), Daylighting (12), Triple Flash (19), Zoom (4), Walking (100) |
Runtime | 1 to 110 hours |
Highlight Features | The "triple flash" setting will help get attention and notice without making other cars or pedestrians annoyed or blinding. |
The powerful Cygolite Metro Pro bike light with advances in LED technology will surprise you.
Best For Snowy Days: Vont Bike Light
- Budget price
- Water and snow-proof
- Lightweight but durable
- Easy to install
- Not so impressive tail-light
Many products that I use are quite limited. They are only really good when the weather is nothing to worry about, but when it rains or snows, water will get stagnant inside the lights or the parts will quickly rust.
If you are in this situation, then the Vont bike light will make your day.
To ensure the product works well in all weather conditions, it is very well designed with environmentally friendly and waterproof materials. No matter how often the place where you live rain and snow, rest assured that it will last for at least 5 years.
Besides, there is a feature that you should not ignore. That is, the light is adjustable both vertically and horizontally on your bike handlebars. Its use and attachment, therefore, will not take you too much time and effort.
| Vont Bike Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 6.3 x 3.9 x 2 inches ; 3.52 ounces |
Brightness | 160 - 300 lumens |
Light Modes | High, Low, and Flash |
Runtime | 1 - 6 hours |
Highlight Features | The light is very versatile and will fit even the biggest handlebars. |
This Vont product is really simple but works well, especially in extreme weather like snow and rain.
Best For Night Riding: NiteRider Lumina Micro 750 Commuter LED Bike Light
- Compact and bright
- Long runtime
- Solid handlebar
- Short battery life
Cycling at night is quite risky when you can hardly see the obstacles on the way, especially in places with rough and slope terrains. That is why you will need a bright headlight that is adjustable farther as needed but still ensures the light intensity.
If you are looking for such a product, then you will not want to skip the NiteRider Lumina Micro headlight. It has awesome lighting and five modes for you to choose from, including those with a pretty wide angle.
Besides, if you want to be more secure, it's handy to be a helmet light. You only need to purchase an additional cordless helmet mount strap.
| NiteRider Lumina Micro 750 Commuter LED Bike Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 9 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches ; 4.6 ounces |
Brightness | 30 - 750 lumens |
Light Modes | Low (150 lumens, 9 hours), medium (375 lumens, 4 hours), high (750 lumens, 1. 5 hours), flash (10 hours), and walk mode (30 lumens, 35 hours). |
Runtime | 1.5 - 35 hours |
Highlight Features | You'll get the best view when attaching the product to a helmet via a Niterider cordless helmet mount strap purchased separately. |
The build of the light is very sturdy, and its light has enough features to become one of the best options for night biking on any terrain.
For Tail Lights
Best Overall: CYGOLITE Hotrod Bike Tail Light
- Stylish and compact
- Solid frame attachment strap
- Positive customer support
- Too bright for nighttime use
One of my favorite things about the CYGOLITE Hotrod bike tail light is how good it looks. It is not like a regular flashlight, but rather a compact box with beautiful colors.
More than that, it is also waterproof and has a variety of brightness modes, which can work well even under sunlight. You will be absolutely amazed at its broad angle of visibility. For those who go behind or even to the right or left, they will still notice it quickly.
And the price is the last factor making it one of the best tail lights for every commuter.
| CYGOLITE Hotrod Bike Tail Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 1 x 1 x 3 inches; 1.6 ounces |
Brightness | 50 - 90 lumens |
Light Modes | High flash, high steady, group, Zoom, steady pulse, and low flash |
Runtime | 5 - 100 hours |
Highlight Features | The light comes with a flexible rubber strap So you can adjust and mount it anywhere in the bike frame. |
I highly recommend this product for those who are looking for a bike tail light with strong lighting, simple usage, and affordable price.
Best For Dry Weather: NiteRider Solas Bike Tail Light
- Bright
- Long-lasting
- Secure locking
- Poor instruction
Sunny days are ideal for making a bike trip to the suburbs or around the city. However, daylight is sometimes difficult for the vehicles behind you to notice you.
Do not worry! The NiteRider Solas rear bike light will keep you safe from other riders with strong light, simple installation, and more. For daylight, it has two modes and is very easy to switch operations. Also, it doesn’t require you to replace batteries routinely.
| NiteRider Solas Bike Tail Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 3 x 8 x 2 inches ; 2.88 ounces |
Brightness | Up to 100 lumens |
Light Modes (hours) | Low (15.5), high (10.5), pulse flash (4.5), and fast flash (7.5) |
Runtime | 4.5 - 15.5 hours |
Highlight Features | The light has an extra built-in clip Allowing you to attach it to soft materials like saddlebags Backpacks or bike bags. |
Best For Night Riding: Apace EverLightFX LED Safety Light
- Very bright
- Effective and safe
- Rechargeable
- You must be extremely careful using the clip
The last product on my list is useful for those who want to bike at night. There will be less traffic at this time but accidents can easily occur if there is just weak light, so this tail light will keep you secure.
It works perfectly, bringing enough light so that anyone can see you without being too brilliant and dazzling.
Besides this, is there even something more to add?
That is, it can be charged by USB so you won't need to remove it. And rest assured that the USB port is always protected from dust, water, and rain through a little rubber cover.
| Apace EverLightFX LED Safety Light Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 2.75 x 1.25 x 1 inches |
Brightness | Up to 60 lumens |
Light Modes | Bright, brighter, brightest, slow, med, fast flash |
Runtime | 12 - 40 hours |
Highlight Features | The light comes with two short and two long straps so you can fix it wherever you want like bike frames
Helmets, or ankles, etc. |
If you are looking for a dependable, rechargeable, and lightweight tail light for biking at night, then the Apace Vision one will be your best bet.
How To Choose The Best Commuter Bike Lights?
Lumens And Power
- A lumen is a unit of the power of the bike light that will vary based on the purpose and duration of use of the product. Therefore, you need to consider the above factors before choosing to buy each headlight or tail light.
- Larger lumens mean that the light will be brighter. This indicates that it will require a large battery, and thus, the weight will be bigger, and the shape will be larger.
- Lumens also differ according to the light's installation location. That is, the headlights will have a larger lumen than the rear bike lights. That's because you need to see clearly what's in front of you, while the tail light is just to make sure the people behind will notice you.
Battery Life And Charging
- If you are a commuter who often rides far away, you will need to pay attention to the battery life of the bike light. It is also affected by the lighting mode you choose. For example, the flash mode will use less power than strong lighting modes.
- Besides, let's see how long the charging time is. Some products also come with charging via USB. It is very convenient and also saves you a lot of money because there is no need to buy replacement batteries regularly.
Bike Light Mounts
- The light allowing you to mount it in many ways and at various positions will be very convenient. You can attach the light on the handlebar, saddle, bike frame, or even on your backpack, helmet, etc. You can also adjust the beam vertically or horizontally based on its position.
Price
- You get what you pay for, of course, but at any price, you can choose for yourself a good and proper product. In general, a good bike headlight will range between $25-80 and the price for a tail light will be approximately $10-40.
Which Brands Make The Best Commuter Bike Lights?
Cygolite
- Cygolite is a headquarter company in the US, operating quite early, since 1991, as the pioneers in the inventing and manufacture of bicycle lighting products.
- Currently, the company is still leading in the market and famous worldwide for premium-quality products. They not only choose good materials, use advanced technology, but also design their products according to the latest trends.
- Is that enough to drive you crazy about Cygolite's bike lights?
Vont
- Vont, though born a decade later than Cygolite, has a reputation that is no less than their biggest rival. Their products are positively appreciated because of not only reasonable prices but also excellent and environmentally friendly quality. Consequently, if you are not really satisfied with high-quality but not really cheap products of Cygolite, you can try out Vont’s.
FAQs
How many lumens is adequate for a rear bike light?
Usually, rear bike lights do not need too many lumens because they will cause the people behind you to be blinding, unable to see the road ahead or lose focus. Therefore, these lights will fluctuate in the range of 30-50 lumens along with many modes for users to switch when needed, including steady light, flashing, or combining them. The flash tail lights will use fewer lumens and therefore, will save more battery.
How bright is the bike light with 2000 lumens?
For flat terrain, less than 1,500 lumens is reasonable. If you bike faster or bike dedicatedly, 2,000 lumens is sometimes not enough. That is, the greater the speed is, the more you'll need a high-capacity bike light to ensure the light is always ahead.
And usually, lights with 2,000 lumens would be best suited for mountain biking.
When you use 2,000-limen bike lights, it will illuminate very far, up to 300 meters. However, you should know that the more light it emits, the more battery power will be used. So check the battery life before biking to avoid lights being turned off while you're cycling.
How many lumens do I need for safe cycling at night?
Here it is:
300 - 450 lumens for headlights
75 - 300 lumens for rear bike lights
However, for night biking, the spread of light or beam pattern sometimes play an even more important role than the outright brightness. When you need big light or evenly light distributed around, adjusting can help you achieve that.
Should my bike lights flash?
Flash is very important for bike and most bike lights have the flash mode. It works effectively in attracting the attention of other riders on the paths. It can help them distinguish you with street lights. Besides, it also helps to save battery compared to the steady light mode.
But this does not mean that you should use only flash bike lights when biking. Instead, combine them with other lighting modes to use them more effectively.
Is it allowed for flashing bike lights?
Some places prohibit flash mode lights as it relates to a number of issues.
Firstly, it disorients other riders on the road. They will have a hard time navigating your location, distance, and speed when the light is unstable, especially at night. Therefore, the accident will also be very likely to occur.
Secondly, overly bright lights that shine into the eyes of other bikers can make them dazzled and even cause headaches and nausea.
So, do your research and see if your local area has banned the use of bike flash mode lights, as some locations allow you to use the lights in a combination of steady and flash modes, or flash bike lights below 300 lumens.
Conclusion
Your biking journey will always be safe and convenient with the best commuter bike lights. I hope this guide you choose the right product, yet feel free to reach out to me with any further questions. If you find the article valuable, don't hesitate to like and share it with others. Happy lighting!
Bryan Listor