Best bike lights 2024 - Front and rear lights to keep you safe both day and night

A bike against a whitewashed brick wall with bright red lights on at the back and a bright white light at the front
(Image credit: Will Jones)

The best bike lights fall into one of two categories. The first help other road users (cars, primarily) see you. They're usually run at night but increasingly riders are opting to run them as daytime running lights on every ride for added visibility. Both front and rear options fall into this category, and the majority of the best budget bike lights fall here too.

Secondly, you have lights that help you see where you are going when riding in the dark. These naturally also serve to make you more visible too, but are larger and brighter, and only front lights fall into this category. A lot of riders bolster their 'seeing' front light with a 'be seen' auxiliary one too. 

Written by
Will Jones
Written by
Will Jones

Having spent the last decade without a turbo trainer I have lost count of the number of hours I've spent riding only by the light of whatever is clipped to my bars, or slung beneath my bike computer in recent years, both on and off-road. Bike lights are a necessity for many of us, but in my opinion they can be as transformative for your winter riding as mudguards and proper winter layering. 

Recent updates

September 26th, 2024 This is a fresh guide, totally overhauled with all new products and recommendations. At the time of writing all products are available. 

Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.