Top 5 compared
The best bike lights
Be seen in traffic on the ride home and see the path ahead where the streetlights run out.
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The top 5 at a glance
Bike lights usually come as a pair: a white headlight for the handlebars and a red taillight for the seatpost. In town they are mostly there so drivers see you coming, while on an unlit path the headlight has to light the way ahead. Some headlights switch between a narrow spot that reaches far and a wide flood that covers the edges of the path.
Provincial rules vary a little, but after dark a bike generally needs a white light on the front and a red light or reflector on the back. Lumens and run times are the makers’ own figures, and the longest run time is usually for a dim or flashing mode. Every set here has built-in batteries that charge over USB.
What matters
- A couple of hundred lumens for lit streets, more for dark paths.
- Side lights, so drivers at a junction can see you too.
- A water rating of IPX4 for showers, IP65 for heavy rain.
#1Oldowl Z46 1000-Lumen Bike Light Set with Side Lights
$20–$30
- 1000-lumen headlight
- Side warning lights
- Up to 19 hours on low
Seven LEDs in the main beam give 1000 lumens, the highest figure stated on this list, for paths beyond the streetlights, while lights on both sides warn traffic to either side. The 2200 mAh battery runs up to 19 hours on low, and a daytime flash mode keeps it noticed on foggy or rainy days.
What owners say: Owners call the beam super bright and far-reaching, find the battery holds its charge a long time and rate the modes and safety features; how visible it makes them is the mixed point.
A closer look: A bracket that swivels a full 360 degrees holds the headlight, so it can be squared up on a bar already crowded with a bell or a phone mount, while the taillight goes on with a silicone band. Charge both together from the two-ended cable, and drop to low on lit streets to stretch the run time.
Best for: Brightest beam
- Front brightness
- 1000 lumens
- Separate spot and flood
- No
- Side lights
- Yes
- Front run time
- Up to 19 hrs (low)
- Power and charging
- Battery, USB (1–2 hrs)
- Water rating
- IP65
- Headlight size
- 10 × 3.9 × 3 cm
#2ASUNND Q9 Rechargeable Bike Light Set
$20–$30
- Spot and flood beams
- Twist-off strap bases
- 1.5-hour charge at best
One button runs two beams: a click for the white spot that reaches ahead, a long press for the eight-LED flood across the path, and a double click for a strobe at any time. Both lights twist off their strap bases when the bike is locked up, and they charge together over USB-C in as little as 90 minutes.
What owners say: Bright, strong light, owners say, with a battery that recharges quickly and lasts, and a good range of modes; reliability, durability and ease of use divide them.
A closer look: Its taillight remembers the last of its seven modes, so it comes back on the way it was left. ASUNND rates the spot at three hours on high and the flood at eight on medium, so the flood suits lit streets and the spot the dark stretches. The base stays strapped to the bar when the light comes off.
Best for: Quick removal
- Front brightness
- –
- Separate spot and flood
- Yes
- Side lights
- No
- Front run time
- Up to 16 hrs (SOS flash)
- Power and charging
- Battery, USB-C (1.5 hrs)
- Water rating
- IP65
- Headlight size
- 4.2 × 4.2 × 3 cm
#3ASUNND Q5 Slim Bike Light Set
$20–$30
- Slim at 1.7 cm
- 1.5-hour charge at best
- Spare straps in the box
At 1.7 cm thick, the slimmest lights here, and light too at 27 g for the headlight and 24 g for the taillight, so both slip into a jacket pocket when the bike is locked up. Six LEDs in each give the front four modes and the back six, from steady light to a fast strobe.
What owners say: Owners find the front light bright enough for night riding and the pair easy to put on, and the battery impresses them between charges. Durability gets mixed reviews.
A closer look: Four silicone straps come in the box, so one pair can go on the bike and the other on a helmet. A double click on the headlight jumps to the strobe, and a two-second press switches either light off. At about 200 lumens, the headlight is for being seen in town rather than lighting a dark trail.
Best for: Slimmest lights
- Front brightness
- 200 lumens
- Separate spot and flood
- No
- Side lights
- No
- Front run time
- –
- Power and charging
- Battery, USB-C (1.5 hrs)
- Water rating
- IP65
- Headlight size
- 5.2 × 3.6 × 1.7 cm
#4Night Provision BX-500 Bike Light Set
$30–$50
- 540-lumen headlight
- Amber side flashers
- Aluminum headlight body
An aluminum headlight puts out 540 lumens in a wide flood, with amber lights on its sides that flash to catch drivers’ eyes by day as well as night. Two of its five modes add that amber strobe, one to a blinking beam and one to the low beam, and the taillight runs up to 18 hours.
What owners say: It brightens even unlit paths, by owners’ accounts, and is easy to attach and remove. They rate the charging and the battery; durability is where their views differ.
A closer look: The strap fits handlebars from 22.2 to 31.8 mm across, so measure an oversized bar before ordering, and it also holds the light on a slotted helmet. Keep the cover pressed over the USB-C port after charging, since that is what keeps the rain out.
Best for: Daytime visibility
- Front brightness
- 540 lumens
- Separate spot and flood
- No
- Side lights
- Amber flashers
- Front run time
- Up to 10 hrs (low)
- Power and charging
- Battery, USB-C (under 3 hrs)
- Water rating
- IP65
- Headlight size
- 9.9 × 5.6 × 4.8 cm
#5Oldowl Q6 Bike Light Set with Spot and Flood Beams
$20–$30
- Spot and flood together
- 500-lumen headlight
- Up to 35 hours on low
Two switches run a 500-lumen headlight’s spot and flood apart or together, so it throws a beam about 90 m (300 ft) down the path while lighting the edges close by. On low, the 1100 mAh battery lasts up to 35 hours, and Oldowl says the case survives a 3 m (10 ft) drop.
What owners say: Owners are impressed by the quality and the brightness, find the lights easy to fit and charge, and are happy with the battery life. Durability is the one point they disagree on.
A closer look: Run both beams together on a dark path and drop to low under streetlights to make a charge last. The stretchy strap fastens like a watch band, so it fits a child’s handlebar as easily as an adult’s, and both lights share one two-ended USB-C cable for charging.
Best for: Switchable beam width
- Front brightness
- 500 lumens
- Separate spot and flood
- Yes
- Side lights
- No
- Front run time
- Up to 35 hrs (low)
- Power and charging
- Battery, USB-C (1.5–2.5 hrs)
- Water rating
- IP65
- Headlight size
- 5 × 4 × 3 cm
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Oldowl Z46 | #2ASUNND Q9 | #3ASUNND Q5 | #4Night Provision BX-500 | #5Oldowl Q6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| Front brightness | 1000 lumens | – | 200 lumens | 540 lumens | 500 lumens |
| Separate spot and flood | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Side lights | Yes | No | No | Amber flashers | No |
| Front run time | Up to 19 hrs (low) | Up to 16 hrs (SOS flash) | – | Up to 10 hrs (low) | Up to 35 hrs (low) |
| Power and charging | Battery, USB (1–2 hrs) | Battery, USB-C (1.5 hrs) | Battery, USB-C (1.5 hrs) | Battery, USB-C (under 3 hrs) | Battery, USB-C (1.5–2.5 hrs) |
| Water rating | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 |
| Headlight size | 10 × 3.9 × 3 cm | 4.2 × 4.2 × 3 cm | 5.2 × 3.6 × 1.7 cm | 9.9 × 5.6 × 4.8 cm | 5 × 4 × 3 cm |
| Best for | Brightest beam | Quick removal | Slimmest lights | Daytime visibility | Switchable beam width |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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