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In this article, we review and feature the best bike light sets for night and evening cycling. We narrowed down this list of top 7 sets based on their features, overall quality, user feedback, and price.
Related Articles:
5 Best Front Bike Lights For Commuting
7 Best Rear Bike Lights For Cyclists
Introduction
If you plan to ride your bike in the evening or at night then you definitely need bike lights. This is not just a safety precaution, but actually a legal requirement in many countries. For your safety and others’ please cycle at night without proper bike lights.
For night cycling you need both, rear and front, bike lights. The rear light helps you to be visible to others. The front light also helps with visibility, but more importantly, it illuminates your path. In general, front lights are more powerful and brighter than rear ones.
In this article we focus on reviewing the best bike light sets, which include both front and rear light. When choosing the best option for you, keep in mind a few things.
First, the kind of cycling you plan to do. For example, if you are commuting on a rather well-lit road, then you will not need extremely bright lights. Anything below 600 lumens for the front light would be more than enough. On the other hand, if you plan to ride on dark roads, then brightness is an important factor and you might want to check out an article where we review the best front bike lights for riding at night.
Second, battery life and charging option. We would advise going for a light that has a rechargeable battery and also a longer run time. These will save you money down the road and will require less frequent charging.
Third, you should also consider mounting options. For example, if you have a saddle bag or a mudguard, you should double-check if the light set you are about to buy can be installed on your bike.
Happy reading and be safe.
1. Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL - Strip Light Set
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 600; Rear: 150
- Run time (max): Front: 44 hours; Rear: 57 hours
- Charging time: Front: 2.5 hours; Rear: 2 hours
Positives
- Brightness
- Waterproof
- Visibility
- Charging time
Negatives
- Too many light modes
Lezyne Micro Strip Drive pair would be an amazing choice for most commuters and urban riders. By buying a pair you actually save quite a lot and get all of the features of individual lights.
The front light offers a lot of brightness with a maximum output of 600 lumens, which is more than enough for commuting and urban cycling. The rear light offers 270-degree visibility, so you will be noticed from both sides by upcoming vehicles, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
You get a lot of choices when it comes to different light modes, which even includes Day Flash. Different modes would help you to prolong battery life and reduce charging frequency. Also, both lights have built-in color-coded battery life indicators so you will know when charging is needed.
The lights are rechargeable and fully waterproof. So with this pair, you can cycle even on rainy days.
2. Knog Blinder X Front & Rear Light Set
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 200; Rear: 100
- Run time (max): 2.5 hours constant, 60-hours eco-flash
- Charging time: 4 hours
Positives
- Integrated USB plug
- Waterproof
- Graphic flash patterns
Negatives
- Front light brightness
Knog Blinder X pair is one of the most unique lights in our review. It offers a lot of features that other lights do not.
Both lights come with an integrated USB plug, which means you don’t have to deal with USB cables. The battery life is outstanding and lasts 2.5 hours on the highest output mode and up to 60 hours on eco-friendly. The lights have an in-built low battery life indicator so you know when it is time charge.
There are 8 different modes operated with only 1 button and you also get 4 special graphic flash patterns. A pretty cool feature to make you stand out.
Both lights are fully waterproof so you can use it in any kind of weather.
The mounting is completely tool-free and easy to remove and clip back on. Included silicone strap can be used for bars and seat posts 22 – 32mm in diameter.
3. Moon Meteor X Pro & Comet X Light Set
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 700; Rear: 25
- Run time (max): Front: 45 hours; Rear: 13 hours
- Charging time: Front: 2.5 hours; Rear: 2 hours
Positives
- Brightness of front light
- Water resistance
- Charging time
- Price
Negatives
- Not the brightest rear light
Moon Meteor X Pro & Comet X set is a great product to consider, especially given an affordable price. The front light is capable of producing a maximum output of 700 lumens (day flash mode). At night or dusk you would need to switch to mode one with a maximum output of 450 lumens and a maximum duration of 1.30 hours. This light set would be ideal for commuting in urban areas and even for riding in dark alleys or parks.
The rear light has a maximum brightness output of 25 lumens and could last 1.5 to 9.5 hours depending on the light mode. It is not the brightest light out there, unfortunately.
Both lights have some amazing features. For example, battery life indicators (low, charging and fully charged), automatic charging cut off system, and the front light includes an automatic on/off function to save battery life. In addition, both lights are water resistant and can be easily used on a rainy day.
The mouting options are also great and these lights can be fit to standard and aero handlebars and seat posts. They could be easily clipped on and taken off. A useful feature if you store your bike outside or need to lock it on a street.
Alternatively you can opt it for this slightly less powerful and cheaper set by Moon.
4. Nite Rider Lumina Micro 650L - Sabre 80L Set
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 650; Rear: 110
- Run time (max): Front: 20 hours; Rear: 17 hours
- Charging time: Front: 1.45-3.5 hours; Rear: 1.5 hours
Positives
- Brightness
- Water resistance
- Simple to use modes
- Price
Negatives
- Weight
Nite Rider Lumina Micro 650 and Sabre 110 light set is another great option to consider for commuting or evening cycling. At this price they have a lot to offer. With the front light you get a maximum output of 650 lumens and battery life of 1.5 hours. Most likely you would not need to use the maximum brightness all the time so the battery will last even longer.
A rear light offers 80 lumens output with a special 180- degree visibility. This will keep you noticed from the sides.
Both lights offer some great features. For example, low battery life indicator, which will light up red when battery life is below 20-25%. In addition, both light are USB rechargeable and water resistant.
Each light can be easily attached to and taken off your bike and the front light fits both standard and oversize 35mm handlebars.
The one downside we wanted to highlight is weigh of a front light, which comes up to 130g.
5. Cateye Ampp 500 & Rapid Mini Front & Rear Light
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 500; Rear: 25
- Run time (max): Front: 50 hours; Rear: 30 hours
- Charging time: Front: 4-8 hours; Rear: 2 hours
Positives
- Modes simplicity
- Mounting options
- Battery life
- Battery Auto Save (rear light)
Negatives
- Front light charging time and weight
- Not the brightest rear light
Cateye Ampp 500 and Rapid Mini light set is a great option for most cyclists. These lights have a lot of cool features to offer and are very simple to use. The front light is capable of producing a maximum of 500 lumens output with a runtime of 1.5 hours. You can easily switch to a lower power mode and double your battery life. Both lights have in-build low battery life indicator and a rear light has a very cool battery auto save feature, which automatically switches to flashing when the battery is low.
We also like that both lights come with 4 different modes, which makes them very easy to use. They are also USB rechargeable, however, the front light needs from 4 to 8 hours to fully charge.
Both front and rear light are water resistant, but not fully waterproof so make sure not to drop them in water.
As for mounting options, the front light comes with a versatile strap, which works with bars up to 35mm in diameter and also selected aero bars. The rear light is quite versatile and can be clipped onto your seat post, saddle or messenger bag, allowing you to be easily seen.
6. Cygolite Dash Pro 600 & Hotrod 50 Co
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 600; Rear: 50
- Run time (max): Front: 10.5 hours; Rear: 100 hours
- Charging time: Front: 4 hours; Rear: 3 hours
Positives
- Front Light Brightness
- Water resistance
- Low battery indicator.
Negatives
- Price
Cygolite Dash Pro 600 and Hotrod 50 Co light set is a good option to consider for evening cycling, especially for darkest alleys and parks. This set of lights is comparatively more expensive than other lights in our review, however, it does come with some nice features and thus worth considering.
The obvious benefit to this light set is the brightness of the front light, which can produce a maximum output of 600 lumens and last for 1:15 hours at maximum capacity. Both lights include various light modes for different needs and can be recharged with a USB.
In addition, the front light comes with a built-in low battery life indicator so you know when charging is needed and also light mode memory. Basically, the light will remember which mode you were on before it was turned off.
These lights are water resistant so you can comfortably ride on a rainy day, but make sure not to drop them in water as they are not fully waterproof.
Mounting options are quite versatile. The front light attaches to most handlebars including aero bars and the rear light attaches to most seat posts and seat stays, including aero styles.
7. Blackburn Dayblazer 800 / 65 Light Set
- Charging Type (USB vs Battery): USB Rechargeable
- Lumens: Front: 800; Rear: 65
- Run time (max): Front: 12 hours; Rear: 6 hours
- Charging time: Front: 4 hours; Rear: 2 hours
Positives
- Battery life (front light)
- Brightness
- Rear light side visibility
Negatives
- Battery life (rear light)
- Price
Blackburn Dayblazer 800 and 65 light set should not be ignored as your potential choice. It is a bit pricey in comparison to most lights in this review, however, for the extra money you are getting a very bright front light with great battery life. This set would be ideal for those who plan to not only commute in urban areas, but also cycle through some rural and dimly lit places.
The front light is capable of producing massive maximum output of 800 lumens and can last for 1 hour and 30 minutes. However, by shifting down to 500 lumens mode you can double the battery life! So it is fair to call out and praise battery life and the brightness of this light.
The rear light is not the brightest, however, it has a special 270 degrees visibility, so you will be noticed from both sides by upcoming vehicles, pedestrians, and other cyclists.
Each light is USB rechargeable, water resistant and comes with an in-built low battery life indicator.
Mounting options are very versatile. The front light can be attached to most handlebars (including aero bars) and even a helmet. The rear light can be attached to round and aero seatpost, seat stay, rear rack, and even a backpack.
CONCLUSION
Each of the lights above has some pretty amazing features and offers a great deal of functionality. We highly encourage you to analyze your needs and price range to choose the best option for you. For example, if you plan to ride on rainy days then the waterproof feature is really important. If brightness is your primary factor then lumen output would determine your choice.
We hope you found this article helpful.
Why should you trust us?
In order to feature and review any products on our website we do extensive research, read user feedback, carefully review forum threads, look at search trends, brand popularity, try to actually use and test as many products as possible ourselves, and evaluate other factors depending on the product category. By doing extensive research and incorporating it with our own experience we are able to shortlist only a handful of products out of thousands of options.
We want to bring value to our readers and help them find answers to questions and buy the most appropriate cycling products. Brands and cycling professionals always try to innovate and improve to get the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, innovations and product improvements these days result only in marginal gains, but the price increase for these gains is not equally proportional. In economics, this behavior is defined as “diminishing returns”. Knowing this we focus on featuring the best value for the money products that are affordable, but at the same time have a lot to offer. We don’t want our visitors to overspend on something they will not benefit from.
