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Bike Lights Buying Guide

We have a massive range of bike lights, to suit every riders' needs and budget. But unless you know what you're looking for, making the right choice can seem daunting! That's why we've written this guide - to help you find the right bike light for you. 

Brightness

The brightness of bike lights is measured in lumens.

A lumen is a measurement of the total amount of visible light emitted from a light source. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter the light it emits. Note: this is a different metric from candela which measures light at the destination.

Every light is advertised with its maximum light output. This is usually only one or two light modes, while others have reduced brightness to suit a variety of conditions.

How many lumens do I need?

Where you are riding and in what light conditions will determine what brightness is most suitable for your head light.

Note: The following table relates best to your head light brightness. Tail lights typically range between 0-300 lumens.

0 - 100 lumens: For bike paths with good ambient light.

100 - 200 lumens: For bike paths and suburban roads with good ambient light.

200 - 300 lumens: For busy bike paths, urban areas and inner city roads with good to moderate ambient light.

300 - 500 lumens: For commuting or cycling in urban areas and inner city roads with good ambient light. Mountain biking in well-lit off-road trails.

500 - 800 lumens: For low-lit bike paths, or busy city roads with poor ambient light. Mountain biking in medium light.

800 - 1200 lumens: For use in very dark conditions, or mountain biking in low-light.

1200+ lumens: For use in very dark, off-road conditions with no ambient light, or for high-speed road cycling along dark routes.

To See or Be Seen?

That is the question. Are you riding in dark conditions, and therefore need a light that will illuminate the path ahead? Or are you riding in areas with good ambient light, and just need a light to make yourself more visible to others? 

Lights designed to see with have increased brightness, a larger battery to power the brighter light (and therefore might be heavier), and a narrow beam angle to see into the distance. Think of a torch. 

Lights designed to be seen with have a wider beam and side illumination, to ensure you're visible from multiple angles. As light output does not need to be as strong, these lights are often lighter, with smaller batteries, fewer lumens, wide beam angles and lower cost than lights that are used to see with.

Light Modes

Bike lights come programmed with a selection of light modes to choose from, including various brightness settings, plus steady and flashing patterns.

A light with more light modes is much more versatile as you can adjust it to suit your riding conditions for the day.

Some lights come with a specialized Daytime mode, which features super bright pulses to ensure you're noticed in daytime conditions - an ideal choice for commuters sharing the roads with motorists.

Smart Features

With technology constantly evolving, you can now buy smart bike lights which have some very exciting and practical safety features that can take your cycling experience to the next level.

The range of Magicshine SeeMee lights feature a smart Brake-Sensor motion detector, which detects when you're decellerating and automatically increases the light's brightness - indicating to others that you're braking. 

Lezyne also released a range of smart lights that pair with an App to allow you to control your lights directly from your phone.

Magicshine have also created the SeeMee DV - a Rear Camera and Tail Light in one, which detects and records an incident and can be controlled through an App on your phone.

USB or Battery powered?

Modern bike lights often come with built-in USB-rechargable Lithium-ion batteries, which makes them long-lasting and you don't need to replace the batteries. Bike lights usually come with a Micro USB or USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter to plug into household chargers or your laptop. 

However, a downside to USB-powered lights is they may only last a few hours on their highest brightness setting, so regular charging is necessary. 

Battery-powered lights typically use AAA batteries and have a longer battery life between fresh batteries. These are less sustainable, but are cheaper.

Tip: We like to keep a cheap battery-powered lightset in our bag for emergencies, if our USB light conks out before the ride is done.

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