While it’s possible to attach a flashlight to your handlebars for nighttime visibility—people do it!—investing in a quality set of bike-specific lights will significantly enhance your safety and visibility in all riding conditions.

After rigorously testing over 115 lights over the past decade, we believe the Planet Bike Beamer 700 headlight stands out with its wide-angle beam, impressive run time, and easy-to-use mount, making it a top choice among competitors.

For added safety, we also recommend the Cygolite Hotrod 120 taillight, known for its brightness and effectiveness in ensuring you’re noticed in traffic, both at night and during the day.

What to know

We prefer headlights that have glowing side cutouts; they provide more visibility, which is especially important at intersections.

The best taillights now use chip-on-board (COB) LEDs, which are brighter and cast a wider angle of light than the older type of LEDs.

A headlight with a flashing mode will help you stand out against visual urban clutter in the daytime.

We tested one so-called smart taillight, which is equipped with radar to alert the rider to traffic approaching from the rear.

The Planet Bike Beamer 700 is our top pick for urban bike commuters. This headlight is bright enough to cut through urban light pollution, and its beam pattern is wide enough to illuminate jaywalkers, potholes, and low-hanging branches.

The Beamer 700 has a generous run time—4½ hours at its 350-lumen “medium” setting, the mode I used most often. So it should last most daily commuters a week between charges (that’s assuming a ride time of about half an hour each way, and not riding in complete darkness the whole time).

The cam-adjuster-style mount expands or shrinks to fit most handlebars via a thumbscrew. The body of the light attaches to the mount via a quick-release latch, which makes it easy to remove for charging (or to keep it away from sticky fingers).

A former top pick, Portland Design Works’ City Rover 700 is still a very good headlight. And a recent update from micro-USB to USB-C trims two hours off of its recharge time. Although the City Rover 700’s battery life (four hours on the medium setting of 350 lumens) is not as robust as that of our top pick, it still should power an average urban commuter through the workweek.

If your commute is packed with intersections, you may actually prefer the City Rover 700 over the Beamer 700, since it has the largest, most visible side lights of any headlight I tested. Like our top pick, the City Rover 700 has a quick-release latch, for easy removal, but its rubber mounting strap takes far more effort to install than the Beamer 700’s cam mount. The City Rover 700 is also a little more expensive.

If your commute is short or lightly trafficked, the NiteRider Swift 300 may be all you need to see and be seen on the road. About the size of a nail polish bottle, this light will kick out 300 lumens for up to two hours. The Swift 300 has an all-in-one swiveling rubber mounting strap (rather than a quick-release latch, like those on our top and runner-up picks), and it’s not quite as easy to remove when you’ve reached your destination.

Despite its low price, this plastic light includes many features found on our top and runner-up picks, including side cutouts for visibility, a low-power indicator, and a lock-out mode (which prevents it from accidentally turning on in your bag).

These days, you can buy a light that boasts up to 3,000 lumens. But for the urban commuter, brighter is (often) not better. For most riders anything over 800 lumens is overkill, as well as a potential danger to other users’ eyes.

However, I have a long commute on rural roads, and I often start or end my ride in the dark. Riders with similar commutes need a very bright light that can switch into lower modes once the sun has risen and they’ve reached busier streets. And they likely also need waterproof lights, since they’re at greater risk of being caught in inclement weather.

The Blackburn Dayblazer 1000 can run for 90 minutes at 1,000 lumens and for 5½ hours at 350 lumens. For riders commuting long distances (say, more than 10 miles), that combination provides enough time—and light—to safely get to work or school and home again. Its machined-aluminum body is waterproof, and it has cooling fins to disperse the (substantial) heat the light generates.

Instead of one large LED, the Cygolite Hotrod 120 has a cluster of 20 tightly packed chip-on-board (COB) LEDs—all protected by a clear domed enclosure—that emit impossible-to-ignore light. (Kind of how pavé diamonds catch the light better than one big solitaire diamond.) Thanks to this design, all seven modes on the taillight are truly arresting from a wide variety of angles.

The Hotrod 120 is water-resistant, with a well-fitting USB charge port cover (on the back) that snugs up against your seat post (for extra protection from the elements), and it’s held by a versatile elastomer mounting strap.

A taillight’s most important job is to help you be seen, and if it’s also fun to use, that’s a bonus. The Knog Blinder V Rear Bike Light’s Bolt version (the one I tested) has eight modes. And six of those modes feature a lightning-bolt pattern, which cuts through urban light pollution simply because it’s different. The Knog Blinder V is not as bright as our top-pick taillight, but it too features a mass of COB LEDs that grab attention in the same way.

Unlike most taillights I tested, the Blinder V is waterproof—a compelling feature for foul-weather commuters. However, the Blinder V attaches via a single silicone band, and it feels flimsy compared with the Hotrod 120’s wider, stiffer elastomer mounting strap.

With a double-click of the power button, the Blackburn Grid 2’Fer toggles between red and white lights. That means you can run it as a 175-lumen headlight or as a 55-lumen taillight. We don’t recommend using the headlight mode—it’s just not strong enough. However, the taillight mode offers decent battery life, a color-coded battery warning button, and a red ring that boosts lateral visibility.

The Grid 2’Fer isn’t nearly as bright as our other two taillight picks, but the belt clip lets you mount the light on a backpack or a pannier. It’s also more water-resistant than the Hotrod 120, and it has a USB-C port, which is still a rarity among bike lights.

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The research

Why you should trust me

Who these are for

How we picked

Our pick for headlights: Planet Bike Beamer 700

Runner-up headlight: Portland Design Works City Rover 700

Budget pick for headlights: NiteRider Swift 300

Also-great headlight: Blackburn Dayblazer 1000

Our pick for taillights: Cygolite Hotrod 120 USB

Runner-up taillight: Knog Blinder V Rear Bike Light (Bolt)

Budget pick for taillights: Blackburn Grid 2’Fer

Other good lights

What about a dynamo hub?

What about smart lights?

The competition

Sources

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Why you should trust me

As a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience writing about bikes and gear, I’ve gained valuable insights from riding year-round in Vermont, where many of my outings begin or end in darkness. My awareness of the critical role bike lights play was solidified in 2016, when the headlight I had rubber-banded to my mountain bike’s handlebars suddenly tilted downward, leading to a harrowing fall over a steep rock drop-off.

Since that incident, I’ve tested more than 50 lights and crafted a bike light setup tailored to each bike I own. For example, I use a simple, quick-release light on my road bike, while I rely on a super-bright wide-angle light combined with a helmet-mounted torch for navigating singletrack trails. No matter the conditions, I always ensure I have a taillight. Whether I’m riding on roads or through dark singletrack, even a small blinking light is essential for alerting riders behind me when I need to stop in the middle of the trail.

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Who these are for

All cyclists should prioritize using lights when riding in gloomy or dark conditions, but this guide specifically focuses on commuter bike lights to enhance visibility in typical urban settings.

For those on road or gravel bikes (drop-bar bikes) and e-bike riders, brighter lights are essential to match their faster pace; many of our recommendations feature high-intensity modes suitable for these scenarios. In contrast, mountain bikers often prefer lights with a taller, circular beam to illuminate low-hanging branches and trail obstacles not found on paved roads. Many mountain bikers also opt for a helmet-mounted light to improve depth perception while navigating tricky terrain.

Additionally, bike lights play a crucial role during daylight hours. Numerous studies have demonstrated that daytime running lights on cars can significantly reduce crash rates, prompting many countries (though not the US) to mandate them on all new vehicles. While research on cyclists is less extensive, a 2013 Danish study revealed that cyclists using lights at all times experienced a 19% lower incident rate compared to those who didn’t. This compelling data supports the practice of using lights every time you ride, regardless of the time of day.

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How we picked

We initiated our research by reviewing existing insights from colleagues at various publications who have conducted their own reviews and testing of bike lights.

We consulted Road.cc, a reputable British publication that maintains an extensive database of tested lights, complete with a useful beam-comparison tool. Additionally, we turned to We Test Lights, an invaluable resource for comparing manufacturers’ claimed specifications against the actual performance of their lights. These sources provided a solid foundation for our own evaluations and recommendations.

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What we looked for when deciding which headlights to test

The headlights we tested were all torch-style lights, with built-in rechargeable batteries. The lighted on/off button often doubles as a battery-life indicator. 

• A torch style: Bike lights that rely on separate power sources (such as an external battery pack or a dynamo generator hub) can be brighter and last longer. But for commuting, a torch (it looks like a flashlight) with a built-in rechargeable battery is simpler to use and easier to remove (to avoid theft).
• Sufficient brightness: For us, a light should be able to maintain at least 300 lumens of brightness for at least two hours (as verified by the ANSI FL1 standard).
• A reliable battery: We tested only those lights adhering to the ANSI FL1 standard (they should perform predictably when it comes to claimed battery life) and those with indicators (typically a color-coded LED light) telling you approximately how much battery run time is left.
• A reasonable price: Riders with longer, darker commutes may opt to pay more for a longer run time, a wider beam, better waterproofing, or all of the above—but you can spend as little as $35 for a light that will get you safely around the city. We tested headlights ranging from $30 to $100, and we think the sweet spot is around $50.
• Side cutouts or lights: Headlights with cutouts or additional LEDs on either side provide visibility from more angles. And, according to 2021 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (PDF), 57% of motor-vehicle/bike collision injuries and 28.5% of motor-vehicle/bike collision fatalities occur at intersections.
• A daytime flash option: Although the evidence that using bike lights in the daytime may help prevent accidents is far from conclusive, it’s hard to deny the arresting effect that flash modes can have when you see them in person.
• A moisture rating of at least IPX4 or IP64: Nearly all headlights have an IP (ingress protection) rating that tells you how well they stand up to water and dust. The last number in each rating refers to the level of protection that’s offered from moisture. We looked only at lights with a moisture-protection level of 4 (against water splashed from all directions). If you live somewhere particularly rainy, though, we suggest a light with an IP rating that ends in the number 7 (which indicates it’s waterproof).
• A lock-out mode: This prevents a light from accidentally turning on in your pocket or bag. Headlights can get very hot when they’re powered on in an enclosed space.

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What we looked for in taillights

• All-angle visibility: Side cutouts or wraparound designs provide greater visibility at intersections and when you’re riding down the road. We considered some lights with surface-mounted-device (SMD) LEDs, but we preferred those with the newer, chip-on-board (COB) LEDs, which emit a wider-angle light and are thus more visible.
• Sufficient brightness: For us, that’s a light with a minimum of 35 lumens, and one that lasts a minimum of three hours at that strength, between charges, on flash mode (again, according to the ANSI FL1 standard). These days, it’s possible to buy a taillight that puts out as much as 350 lumens, but we’ve found that 50 is more than enough to stand out during the day, and 30 lumens or so is very bright at night.
• Decent battery life: Rear collisions are all too common (and often quite serious) in car-bike accidents. Therefore, we’re willing to pay more for a long-lasting battery, as well as an indicator that lets you know when you’re running low on juice and need to head home.
• A versatile and easy-to-use mount: It’s quite common for bike accessories (or objects you might carry on a rear rack) to block the intended site (typically the seat post) for a hard plastic taillight mount. More-versatile mounting systems, such as straps, let you attach the light to various locations on your bike or person.
• A moisture rating of at least IPX4 or IP64: We looked for lights rated to be protected from water splashed from all directions. Cyclists in wetter climates or with longer commutes may want a taillight that’s waterproof (that is, with an IP rating that ends in 7).

We pored over user reviews and specs for 48 different headlights and taillights, with the above criteria in mind. And we settled on 24 models to test: eight taillights and 16 headlights. (Regarding those super-cheap Amazon lights that seem too good to be true: After years of testing them, we’ve concluded that it’s better to spend a bit more to get a very good light from a reputable company, one that comes with a decent warranty and helpful customer service. To us, that’s worth it.)

Since the lights I tested already claimed to comply with the ANSI FL1 standard, I didn’t see a reason to replicate existing testing. I did, however, pit fully charged lights against a stopwatch, to confirm they lasted as long as the manufacturers said they did while running on their brightest setting.

And, of course, I installed each light on my bike and rode with it.

Over 1,000-plus miles of test rides, I considered beam pattern, brightness, and visibility from all angles at all hours. I installed and removed each mount many times, swapping lights among all six of my bikes to check versatility and compatibility. And I solicited feedback from fellow riders about brightness and visibility while riding in a group.

I tested mount design and durability on Vermont’s notoriously rugged singletrack, both in summer and in winter. I put lights through their paces at cyclocross practice, to simulate some of the gnarlier elements you’re likely to encounter in urban riding, such as curbs and potholes.

Finally, I tested mount designs by pitting them against the rigors of daily bike ownership: loading bikes (with lights installed) onto roof racks and hitch racks, popping them into repair stands, and carrying them upstairs and down. A good light should withstand all of the aspects that go into owning, maintaining, and enjoying a bike.

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Our pick for headlights: Planet Bike Beamer 700

You don’t have to buy the most expensive or the brightest bike light available. For most commuters, the Planet Bike Beamer 700 should be what they need to get home safely after dark.

A wide-angle beam makes a light feel brighter, without blinding other road users. You can buy headlights as bright as 3,000 lumens—but they’re expensive, they tend to get quite hot, and they can blind other road users. Plus, it’s overkill for most urban riders because street lights and car headlights help illuminate even the darkest nights in the city.

The Planet Bike Beamer 700’s side cutouts are smaller than those on our other headlight picks. 

Maxing out at 700 lumens, the Beamer 700 may not match the brightness of the Blackburn Dayblazer 1000, but it excels with a wider beam that thoroughly illuminates the road (and sidewalks) ahead, even at lower settings. This broader angle of visibility is invaluable for spotting jaywalking pedestrians, their dogs, and other potential hazards that could cross your path. It’s especially advantageous on dark bike paths or singletrack, where a wider beam effectively lights up low-hanging branches and other obstacles that might go unnoticed with a more narrowly focused light.

The Beamer 700 also boasts one of the best battery life performances among the lights we tested. While it shares many similarities with the PDW City Rover 700, the Beamer 700 surpasses our runner-up pick with a battery life that extends 30 minutes longer across all three steady settings (without flash or fade). Specifically, the Beamer 700 runs for 2½ hours at 700 lumens, 4½ hours at 350 lumens, and an impressive 8½ hours at 200 lumens. Its Courtesy mode, featuring a slow fade between low and high settings, lasts for eight hours, while the attention-grabbing Superflash Day mode at 700 lumens runs for an impressive 16 hours.

Most urban riders won’t find it necessary to use this light at its brightest setting; 350 lumens is typically sufficient for navigating city streets—and that’s 50 lumens brighter than the highest mode on our budget pick. However, if your commute includes unlit roads or bike paths, having the option to switch to a brighter mode is a significant advantage. Additionally, the inclusion of a USB-C charging port is a thoughtful touch, as it’s compatible with other modern electronics and offers quicker charging than traditional Micro USB ports.

The Beamer 700’s quick-release latch has quite a few pieces, so there are more pieces to potentially lose or break. However, this latch makes removing the light from your bike easy. 

Thanks to its quick-release feature paired with a mostly tool-free cam mount, swapping the Beamer 700 between bikes is a breeze. Both the Beamer 700 and our runner-up headlight come with sturdy, reliable mounts that secure the lights in place while allowing for easy removal for charging. However, I personally prefer the Beamer 700’s cam mount over the runner-up pick’s rubber strap.

Consider trying to stretch a thick rubber band around your handlebars on a cold or wet day—this experience highlights why the Beamer 700’s cam adjuster is superior. It easily twists in or out to accommodate handlebar diameters ranging from 22 mm to 31.8 mm, making it a versatile choice that ensures a secure fit across various bike models.

The Beamer 700 attaches to a bike’s handlebars with a cam-operated mount. 

Most handlebars will easily fit into the middle (default) setting on the Beamer 700’s cam adjuster. Adjusting the mount is a quick, one-minute job that requires only a Phillips screwdriver to remove the cover and reposition the adjustable strap into a different notch for over- or undersized bars—think of it like tightening or loosening a belt. Once you’ve rethreaded the screw for the cover, you can fine-tune the fit by twisting the cam adjuster. If you frequently swap the light between different bikes, such as a kids’ bike and a mountain bike, you can purchase an additional cam mount (currently $6) to keep on each set of handlebars. This mount is so small and low-profile that I left it on my bars throughout the entire testing period, just in case I needed to pop the light on for extra visibility.

You’ll also receive plenty of warning before the battery runs out. The on/off switch on the top of the light turns red, and the beam itself begins to dim to conserve battery when you have just 20% remaining—about 20 to 30 minutes of ride time, depending on the mode you’re using. When the battery dips below 2% (roughly two minutes left), the switch starts to blink red before the light turns off completely. While the dimming is noticeable—especially if you’re using the high setting—a gradual fade is much better than a sudden blackout. I was still able to see well enough to navigate home comfortably.

The light also comes with a two-year warranty, providing added peace of mind for your investment.

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Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The body and mount of the Beamer 700 are constructed from plastic, aside from a rubber bumper on the mount, in contrast to the machined aluminum found on our also-great pick. Throughout testing, I wasn’t overly cautious with the Beamer 700; I often tossed my fat bike, with the light installed, into the back of a pickup truck for trips to the trailhead and even crashed twice on the trail. Remarkably, the light held up just fine. However, it’s worth noting that quick-release latches have more moving parts than all-in-one rubber mounts, like the one on our budget pick. If you’re particularly hard on your equipment, you might want to consider whether a quick-release latch is the best option for you.
• The Beamer 700 is water-resistant rather than fully waterproof, but its USB-C charging port is conveniently tucked under the torch and sealed with a rubber cover, protecting it from splashes and road grit during rides or while transporting your bike on a rack.
• Employing reflection lens technology, the Beamer 700 features shaded sides that enhance focus on the road ahead, with a narrow 1/16-inch clear cutout on each side. This design helps produce a wide, steady beam, though it does slightly compromise your visibility when riding through intersections.
• Once mounted, the light can swivel only a few degrees in either direction, which limits adjustments for handlebar angles. This limited range of motion is typical of headlights equipped with quick-release latches, and it’s something to keep in mind when setting up your light.

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Runner-up headlight: Portland Design Works City Rover 700

The Portland Design Works City Rover 700 was our top pick in the previous version of this guide, and we still believe it delivers everything most commuters need—and nothing they don’t—at an excellent price point. With its user-friendly design and reliable performance, the City Rover 700 remains a solid choice for urban cyclists seeking effective illumination without unnecessary frills.

The side cutouts on the PDW City Rover 700 headlight add visibility from the side. 

This light has the largest side cutouts of any light I tested. A full ¾ inch of light on either side of the City Rover 700 broadcasts your location as you move through intersections. From the side, this light is far more visible than that of our top pick, since the Beamer 700 has shaded-out sides, with just a narrow band of clear plastic around the edges. If your commute includes lots of intersections, cross-streets, and crosswalks, the City Rover 700 may be a better choice than our top pick.

It has enough battery power to handle most adventures. Although our top pick runs for 30 minutes longer in each of its three steady modes (both lights produce 700 lumens on high, 350 lumens on medium, and 200 lumens on low), the City Rover 700 still has a generous run time, topping out at two hours on high and four hours on medium. Plus, after the low-battery indicator comes on, the light automatically dims itself to its lowest setting, where it stays for an additional 15 minutes to allow for a last-ditch sprint home.

Both of these lights allowed me to go several days between charges. Plus, PDW recently updated the City Rover 700 to USB-C; this nipped two hours off of its previous charge time via Micro-USB (a relatively sluggish five hours).

But it’s pricier than our top pick. The City Rover 700 costs $5 to $10 more than our top pick, but it’s also made of plastic and is merely water-resistant—not waterproof. (As with our top pick, the City Rover’s charging port is located under the light and fitted with a snug rubber cover, to keep out water.)

The rubber mount of the City Rover 700 is ideally suited for individuals who ride the same bike daily. While the rubber mounting strap remains secure over rough terrain, it requires significantly more hand strength to tighten around your handlebars, which can be frustrating in very cold or wet conditions. The quick-release latch does make it easy to remove the light for charging, but if you intend to frequently swap this light between different bikes, you might find our top pick more convenient.

The City Rover 700 features limited adjustability and a narrower beam pattern. Similar to the Beamer 700, this light swivels only a few degrees in both directions. If you have limited space on your handlebars due to bags, computer mounts, or other accessories, you may find it challenging to direct the beam exactly where you want it. While this issue is also present with our top pick, the Beamer 700 compensates for its adjustability limitations with a much wider beam pattern, enhancing visibility overall.

Additionally, the City Rover 700 comes with a two-year warranty covering manufacturing defects and a one-year warranty on the battery, providing added peace of mind for users.

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Budget pick for headlights: NiteRider Swift 300

If your commute is relatively short (say, under an hour) or takes place largely within well-lit city limits, the NiteRider Swift 300 may be all you need to see and be seen. And it’s about half the price of our top and runner-up headlight picks.

It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. As with a base-model car, with this light you trade some features for a lower price. You won’t find a mount with micro-adjustments, an extra-long battery life, or any machined-aluminum housing here. The Swift 300 does sneak in a low-power indicator (which is built into the on/off button and turns from blue to red when the battery life is under 20%), a lock-out mode (which prevents the light from accidentally turning on in your bag), and five modes of operation.

But it gets the job done. This little light easily achieves our minimum battery/lumen benchmark, running at 300 lumens for two hours and providing 12 hours of daytime flash. The Swift 300’s beam is a touch wider than that of the PDW City Rover 700 (if less bright). And with half-inch side cutouts, its side visibility is better than that of our top pick. During intersection crossings, this light is more visible than many other, more expensive models we tested.

The NiteRider Swift 300’s side cutouts are larger than those on many pricier lights we tested.

The Swift 300 is compact and doesn’t take up much space on your bike. While it lacks a quick-release latch for the head itself, making it slightly less convenient to remove than our top and runner-up picks, its small size allows you to easily tuck it into your pocket upon arrival at your destination. The light’s pared-down plastic housing and straightforward mounting system ensure it requires minimal room on your handlebars.

Although the housing and simple rubber strap may not feel as over-engineered as those found on some pricier lights, both components are sturdy enough for regular use. The swiveling strap adapts seamlessly, snugly attaching to a front basket just as easily as it wraps around an oversized handlebar.

The button can be somewhat challenging to operate. Like many lights we tested, using the power/mode button with gloves on can be cumbersome. Additionally, you need to hold the button down for three seconds to access the flash mode, which might be inconvenient in urgent situations. It’s also important to avoid dropping the Swift 300 in a puddle, as it has an IP64 rating, meaning it’s protected from water spray in any direction but not fully waterproof. The light’s body features a concealed USB port designed to minimize water ingress.

NiteRider backs the Swift 300 with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, along with a one-year warranty on its rechargeable battery cells, providing peace of mind for users.

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Also-great headlight: Blackburn Dayblazer 1000

The Blackburn Dayblazer 1000 is our recommendation for riders who have very long (or dark) commutes.

It’s the second-brightest headlight we tested. At 1,000 lumens, the Dayblazer 1000 was outshone only by the Planet Bike Dual Blaze 1500. The Dayblazer offers long run times—90 minutes at 1,000 lumens, 3 hours at 500 lumens, and 5½ hours at 350 lumens. So it’s suitable for riders with very long commutes (who need a few hours’ worth of bright-enough light), those whose rides include significant stretches on unlit roads, and those who commute outside of typical hours (before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m.), when traffic is lighter and streets may be darker.

But it may be overkill. The main reason this headlight isn’t our top pick is that it’s just too bright for your average urban commuter, whose ride will be at least partially illuminated by street lights. Those riders will inevitably be sharing their routes with others (drivers, bikers, pedestrians) who also need to see the road in front of them. So a 1,000-lumen light can be potentially blinding and therefore just plain dangerous.

It’s waterproof. Riders with longer commutes (or those who live in more rain-prone zones) will also benefit from the Dayblazer’s IP67 rating. The light is impervious to rain showers—and it’s technically capable of being dropped in a puddle or a city fountain, though we don’t recommend that.

A color-coded indicator provides clear visibility of the remaining battery power. The battery-level indicator, integrated into the on/off button, glows green when the battery is above 75%, orange when it’s between 75% and 25%, and red below 25%. This feature allows riders to adjust the lumens for longer run times, which is particularly beneficial for those who might need to conserve battery on longer commutes. While this level of precision may be unnecessary for casual riders with short trips, it can significantly impact suburban dwellers riding into the city, potentially making the difference between a safe, well-lit ride home and relying on a cellphone light.

Brighter lights tend to get hotter, which is why the Dayblazer 1000 is designed with cooling fins integrated into its machined-aluminum body. Despite this, like many brighter-than-average headlights, it’s programmed to dim automatically to prevent overheating. When used as intended—moving forward and generating airflow—overheating should occur infrequently. However, if you do stop long enough to trigger the “overheat protection” mode, the light will power back up to its normal brightness once you start moving again.

The Blackburn Dayblazer 1000 has decent-size sidelights and a rubber strap mount. 

The Dayblazer 1000 boasts a range of excellent features, but it lacks a quick-release mount. It offers smooth beam optics, generous quarter-inch sidelights, and a straightforward mounting system that swivels and accommodates handlebars with diameters ranging from 22 mm to 35 mm. However, if you often ride in below-freezing temperatures, you might prefer a headlight with a quick-release latch. The Dayblazer’s all-in-one rubber mount requires overstretching the rubber strap to attach or detach it from your handlebars, which can be particularly challenging in cold weather and while wearing gloves.

Blackburn provides a limited lifetime warranty for all components of its lights, excluding the batteries, which carry a two-year warranty. This commitment to quality and customer service adds to the overall appeal of the Dayblazer 1000.

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Our pick for taillights: Cygolite Hotrod 120 USB

The Cygolite Hotrod 120 is our top taillight pick due to its bright, attention-grabbing row of 20 LEDs, as well as to its silicone-strap mount (which attaches to seat posts, seat stays, and rear racks alike). Already a touch cheaper than our runner-up pick, this light often goes on sale.

The Cygolite Hotrod 120’s sturdy silicone “ladder” strap lets you adjust the length to fit your seat post—or whatever you want to attach the light to. 

All chip-on-board (COB) LEDs outshine traditional LEDs in both brightness and efficiency. While headlights continue to improve in brightness and longevity on a predictable curve, the introduction of COB LED technology—first utilized in commercial lighting in the early 2010s—has significantly enhanced visibility and run times for taillights. According to Grayson Mendivil, a former industrial designer at Bell/Blackburn, COB LEDs are generally brighter and more efficient, producing a wider-angle beam compared to traditional surface-mounted-device (SMD) LEDs. This advancement makes COB technology a game-changer for cyclists seeking optimal lighting solutions.

The superiority of COB LEDs was immediately evident during the “broomstick test.” In this test, I lined up each taillight on the handle of a broomstick and powered them on at comparable modes to evaluate their brightness and visibility. Two of the taillights used SMD LEDs, but the COB LEDs consistently outperformed them, even in lower settings. Moreover, the enhanced efficiency of COB technology translates to longer run times, making a strong case for upgrading to a COB LED taillight. This combination of brightness and endurance is essential for cyclists seeking reliable illumination.

The Hotrod 120’s COB LEDs are the brightest and hardest to ignore among the taillights we tested. Its cluster of COB LEDs is mounted behind a plastic dome, enhancing visibility from nearly all angles, making it the most attention-grabbing option available.

Featuring a sturdy, no-frills elastomer strap, the Hotrod 120 can be mounted anywhere on your bike’s frame. While our runner-up pick also utilizes COB LEDs effectively, the Hotrod 120 surpassed it with a more robust and user-friendly mounting system. Its versatile, ladder-style elastomer strap securely positions this slim, low-profile taillight against any part of your bike’s frame or rear rack. In contrast, the runner-up’s silicone band felt less durable, further solidifying the Hotrod 120’s edge in both brightness and ease of use.

The light’s USB charging port is protected by a silicone flap, and it snugs up against whatever you’re strapping it to. 

You don’t necessarily need multiple flash modes to ensure visibility, but having options is certainly a plus. Among the seven flash modes available on the Hotrod 120, I particularly favored the SteadyPulse mode; fellow riders noted that the steady beam combined with intermittent pulses helped them gauge distance while effectively capturing their attention. The Group Low Steady Flash mode, while slightly dimmer, offers a longer battery life of 70 hours, making it a more courteous choice when riding in a group. For daytime riding, I cycled through the truly eye-catching High Steady, DayLightning Flash, and Bzzz Flash modes.

However, if you already own the Hotrod 50—our previous top pick—you might not need to upgrade. The Hotrod 50 is less bright at 50 lumens compared to the Hotrod 120’s 120 lumens, and it has one fewer mode. Despite this, the older model, which also utilizes COB LEDs, is still plenty bright for most riding conditions.

Cygolite backs its lights with a limited one-year warranty against manufacturing or material defects, adding to the overall value and peace of mind for users.

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Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The Hotrod 120 lacks a color-coded battery gauge to show remaining run time. Instead, it flashes quickly about 10 times when you turn it off to indicate that it needs to be charged. While this is a useful feature, it only warns you of low battery if you power it down before it completely runs out of juice, making it a fairly vague indicator compared to the color-coded gauge on our budget pick or the red low-battery light surrounding the on/off button of our runner-up pick.
• Additionally, the Hotrod 120 is rated at IP64, which means it is less water-resistant than our runner-up and budget picks. However, in our testing, it has performed reliably in the rain, showcasing its durability despite the lower water resistance rating.

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Runner-up taillight: Knog Blinder V Rear Bike Light (Bolt)

Like our top taillight pick, the 100-lumen Knog Blinder V Rear Bike Light (Bolt) has chip-on-board (COB) LEDs, to create a wall of light that’s brighter, more widely angled, and more visible than that of traditional LEDs. However, its mounting system feels flimsier, and the light costs more.

It has fun, highly visible flash patterns. The light’s relatively large size allows for a grid of 189 densely packed LEDs that can flash in a lightning-bolt pattern. So this model is a bit more fun to use than your average taillight. (I tested the Bolt version of the Blinder V; it also comes in a version with a bar-shaped pattern, called the Traffic.) Viewers noted that the unusual pattern (available in six of the eight possible modes) grabbed their attention more than a traditional taillight might.

I often relied on the 50-lumen Low Flash mode, which intermittently projects a lightning bolt over a steady background, for better depth perception at night. This mode provided just over 13 hours of run time; however, you can extend that up to 50 hours with the 20-lumen Eco Flash mode, though I found the prolonged periods of complete darkness between flashes in that setting to be less appealing.

The taillight mount of the Blinder V feels less secure compared to our top pick. It comes with three thin silicone bands of varying sizes to help you achieve a snug fit, but they seem underpowered for the size and weight of this 1-by-3-inch light. This is especially noticeable when compared to the wider, sturdier, and harder-to-detach ladder-style elastomer band of the Hotrod 120.

On the plus side, the Blinder V is waterproof, rated at IP67, making it one of only two taillights I tested that are fully waterproof (the other is also a Knog). If you live in a particularly rainy area, this feature could make the Knog Blinder V a more attractive option than the Hotrod 120.

When it comes to charging notifications, the Blinder V offers a clearer indicator. Its battery gauge includes a red ring around the power button that illuminates when it’s time to charge. However, you do have to peel the light back from your seat post to check this indicator, which could be a minor inconvenience.

The Knog Blinder V has an integrated—and potentially troublesome—USB charging fin. 

However, the charging fin of the Blinder V can be problematic. This version still includes the integrated USB-A fin, which we found clunky in previous tests. The fin is not detachable, making it challenging to plug the light into a bank of USB slots—at times, the base of the fin is too wide to fit into the slot. Ideally, you should keep the fin covered with the detachable plastic cam-hook clamp that comes in the box. While you can attach the light without using the cam hook (for instance, if you lose it), doing so leaves the USB fin vulnerable to water exposure or damage. Without the USB fin, charging the light becomes impossible.

Knog does provide a two-year limited warranty on all of its lights, which adds some peace of mind for users concerned about potential issues.

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Budget pick for taillights: Blackburn Grid 2’Fer

The Blackburn Grid 2’Fer serves as a bright (enough) and very versatile taillight, at a nice price. (As its name suggests, the light can toggle between white and red modes. However, at 175 lumens, the headlight mode wasn’t bright enough for us to test.)

It has great side visibility. With 18 COB LEDs maxing out at 55 lumens, the Blackburn Grid 2’Fer isn’t nearly as bright as the Cygolite Hotrod 120 or the Knog Blinder V. But it’s easy to pick out from the side, thanks to a transparent red ring that runs around all four sides of the light.

In its taillight configuration, the Blackburn Grid 2’Fer has a bright red illuminated ring that circles the light, making it visible from the side. 

The battery indicator on the Grid 2’Fer is among the best we tested. A color-coded gauge built into the power button clearly shows remaining battery life: green indicates 100% to 50%, orange signifies 50% to 25%, and red alerts you when you’re at 25% or lower. This allows you to use the light until it’s in the red zone, which is beneficial, especially since the solid mode (at 55 lumens) lasts just 1¾ hours.

In pulse and strobe modes, the battery life is quite generous. The light operates in a 35-lumen pulse mode for six hours, and it lasts 6½ hours in a 20-lumen strobe mode—our preferred setting because some portion of the light remains on at all times during the cycle. After these modes, the Grid 2’Fer automatically switches to an “auto-eco” mode, providing an additional two hours of run time. While the auto-eco pattern was our least favorite due to the brief moment when the LEDs turn completely off before blinking back on, it’s certainly better than having no light at all.

The Grid 2’Fer has a detachable belt clip. If you plan to clip the light to a backpack or a pannier, keep the belt clip on. If you’d rather strap the light to your seat post, remove it. 

The Grid 2’Fer is not fully waterproof, carrying an IP65 rating, which makes it more water-resistant than our top taillight pick, but still not fully waterproof like our runner-up. One of its standout features is the USB-C port, which isn’t common among bike lights and adds to its versatility.

Additionally, it’s the only light among our picks that includes a belt/bag clip, allowing you to attach the light to a backpack, pannier, or even a jacket pocket. If you plan to use the light solely on your seat post, you can remove the clip for a lower-profile fit. However, speaking from experience, it’s all too easy to misplace the clip once it’s detached. If you intend to use the light as a clip-on accessory occasionally, it’s best to keep the clip attached and simply stretch the silicone strap around it to secure the light to your seat post.

Blackburn provides a limited lifetime warranty for everything except the batteries in its lights, which carry a two-year warranty, ensuring you’re covered for potential issues.

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Other good lights

If you use your headlight on multiple bikes, or you’re prone to breaking things: Try the USM-600 Serfas E-Lume 600, our former runner-up pick. It attaches via a thumb lever/cam-hook combination that quickly and securely clamps down the light without excess fiddling or additional tools. It’s made of extruded aluminum, which helps with thermal management, and the light survived a 6-foot drop onto concrete. The 360-degree swivel helps it fit on handlebars with limited real estate (due to bike computers and bags). However, the beam is decidedly yellow tinted, and it’s narrower than those of our picks.

If you have a long commute, and the Dayblazer is unavailable: Look at Lezyne’s Micro Drive Pro 1000+. It has eight LEDs, housed in a machined-aluminum body, and they cast a wide, bright beam. The Micro Drive Pro 1000+ replaces our former upgrade pick, the Lezyne 800XL (now discontinued). And it shares many of the features I liked about that light—namely, a rugged all-in-one elastomer mount that swivels 360 degrees, a color-coded battery gauge built into the on/off button, waterproof construction, and a decent run time. However, the Blackburn Dayblazer is normally $10 cheaper, and it has a better battery life.

If you have a very long, very dark commute: Consider Planet Bike’s Dual Blaze 1500, which tops out at 1,500 lumens and has side-by-side lights that cast a wide, steady beam across the road. Both features make this light a good option for commuters traveling on unlit roads in the countryside—particularly since it runs for 2½ hours on its brightest mode and up to 12 hours at 400 lumens. But I ultimately thought most commuters (and the commuters around them) would be better served by dimmer, smaller-profile headlights that took up less space on the handlebars and cost less. Plus, this headlight overheats quickly while not in motion.

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What about a dynamo hub?

If you’ve ever ridden a bike-share bike and wondered how its lights stay charged, it’s because they don’t require charging. Nearly all of these bikes use dynamo lighting setups, which feature a special hub that converts rotational energy from the front wheel into electricity.

As long as you’re moving (typically above 5 mph), the hub generates enough power to produce a visible beam. Most lights are also equipped with capacitors, which store energy and provide about five additional minutes of illumination after you come to a complete stop.

When paired with a high-end light, a dynamo system can produce over 700 lumens of steady output, effectively illuminating the road ahead for several car lengths—plus, you never need to worry about charging a battery.

However, the downside to dynamos is that they can be complicated to set up and relatively expensive. If you’re a dedicated commuter without access to a charging port at work or school, a dynamo setup might be worth considering. Otherwise, there are plenty of excellent battery-powered options available that are less expensive and easier to install—as long as you don’t mind plugging them in occasionally.

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What about smart lights?

In the past, we’ve steered clear of smart features—such as programmable flashing modes, braking indicators, or the ability to check your light’s battery life on your phone—on the grounds that they present more variables to manage than most people want.

However, we decided to test the radar-equipped Garmin Varia RTL515 taillight after witnessing its usefulness on group rides: The rear-facing radar senses cars up to about 150 yards away, and, as the car approaches, it beeps, vibrates, and/or provides visual cues via your bike computer or an app on your phone. The primary user controls what notifications are produced by the taillight, but when the beep is turned on, other cyclists in the group can hear it too, as a warning of approaching traffic. (Garmin also makes a taillight with an integrated camera, as well as a radar-only unit, for riders who already have taillights they like.)

Our verdict: In some scenarios, this could be more of an annoyance than a help. The radar picks up any vehicle (up to eight at a time) that’s approaching from behind and that is traveling at a faster rate of speed than you are; it picks up everything from semis to Amish buggies (truly, we tested it) to other riders. All of that is useful, unless you’re riding with someone who tends to lag behind and then puts the pedal down to catch back up, since that will also trigger the sensor. And at $200 for the radar-enabled taillight, it’s not cheap.

However, the Garmin Varia pairs with nearly any bike computer (or you can use your phone), so it’s a versatile choice for those seeking a little extra warning while riding in traffic.

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The competition

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Headlights

The Blackburn Dayblazer 550 narrowly missed out on being our budget pick for headlights. However, the battery lacked staying power, burning for just one hour at 550 lumens.

Two similar-looking headlights from Light & Motion’s Vis line—the Vis 500 and the Vis 700—have a quick-release mechanism that’s prone to pre-releasing (if you don’t install the included screw-in security pin) and a plastic charge port that can snap off (if you’re not careful with it). And they’re fairly expensive (though they’re also fully waterproof and have good side visibility).

The Cygolite Dash Pro 600’s run time (1.15 hours at 600 lumens) is too short to work for most users, and the flimsy-feeling mount slipped during testing. We retested the Cygolite Metro Plus 800, previously our top headlight pick. And we were perplexed to discover that it no longer has a waterproof rating, and its 800-lumen “boost” mode now runs for just one hour, rather than an hour and a half.

The NiteRider Lumina Micro 900 lacks side visibility, and that’s a dealbreaker. Though We Test Lights had not yet analyzed this light, we noticed that it almost immediately started dimming.

The Planet Bike Blaze 600 SLX didn’t pass our run-time test.

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Taillights

With its 330-degree wrap-around style, the 170-lumen Knog Mid Cobber light has the best lateral visibility of all the taillights we tested. But it also has one of the worst mounting systems we’ve encountered—it relies on a single silicone band anchored by plastic loops

One of the few taillights in our test using traditional LEDs (rather than COB LEDs), the Planet Bike Shiner 70 had a noticeably dimmer beam than its competitors. It seemed underpowered and outdated.

The NiteRider Vmax+ 150 taillight usually costs more than our budget pick, and it’s not as eye-catching as our top pick or runner-up pick. Its plastic belt-clip attachment points felt less than sturdy.

The recently redesigned Thousand Traveler 2.0 Magnetic bike light retains its original neat concept: A TPU rubber mount wraps around your seat post, and the light (composed of COB LEDs circling a traditional LED) attaches magnetically. This version of the Traveler is much improved; the light is sturdier in its mount, and its new single-button operation is far easier to use. But the 35-lumen light still isn’t bright enough to compete with most of the other taillights we tested.

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Sources

1. Tad Osada, senior product developer—accessories, Vista Outdoor, December 5, 2022
2. Grayson Mendivil, industrial designer—Bell/Blackburn, Vista Outdoor, phone interview, November 30, 2022
3. David Tolan, director of engineering, Light & Motion, phone interview, November 17, 2022
4. Dan Emerson, CEO of Light & Motion, most recent email interview, October 21, 2022
5. Darlene Edewaard, graduate student at Clemson University, email interview, September 17, 2017