Best bike lights 2023 | Front and rear lights for road cycling and commuting

A set of the best bike lights should be one of the first cycling accessories on your shopping list. Needless to say, they are essential when cycling at night or if visibility is poor, making lights a must-have during the winter and a smart addition to your bike even in the summer.

It’s a legal requirement in the United Kingdom to have lights on your bike if you’re cycling after sunset (we’ve got a full guide on bike light laws), but some riders like to use them during the day as well, especially during the winter, in order to increase visibility to other road users.

Our expert testers have tested dozens of light sets to bring you the definitive list of what we believe are the best road and commuting lights on the market.

Check out our separate round-up of the best mountain bike lights if you’re after lights for riding off-road on trails.

You can also jump to our buyer’ guide to lights for more information on lights, from lumen output to beam width.

Best bike lights at a glance

Here’s BikeRadar’s pick of the best front lights, best rear lights and the best light sets we’ve tested. Read on for more options.

Best front light for under £150 or $200: Bontrager Ion Pro RT

Best front light for under £100 or $150: Lezyne Macro Drive 1400+

Best front light for under £60 or $70: Halfords Advanced 1600 lumen

Best front light for under £40 or $60: Lezyne Hecto Drive 500XL

Best rear light: Exposure TraceR DayBright rear light

Best front & rear light set: Bontrager Ion 200 RT and Flare RT