Best budget bike lights: 7 affordable front and rear options for commuting in the dark

With dark morning and evening hours already here, now’s the time to stock up on some decent lights for cycling to work or night riding.

As bike light laws in the UK stipulate your bike must have working front and back lights on public roads between sunset and sunrise, a spare set of budget bike lights could save the day on winter training rides. 

Of course, you could spend a fortune on high-end lights, but if that’s not your bag here’s a list of affordable options to keep you pedalling safely.

This list of budget bike lights contains the best front bike lights we’ve tested under £50 / $60 and the best rear lights cheaper than £30 / $35.

If your budget can stretch further, our guide to the best bike lights for road cycling includes more expensive options. Or, if you go trail riding at night, head to our guide to the best mountain bike lights.

Best budget bike light sets in 2023, as rated by our expert testers

Topeak RedLite Mega rear light

The Topeak RedLite Mega rear light is arguably one of the best lights on the market, which is why we gave it a full five stars when we reviewed it.

It hits that sweet spot for excellent visibility, while not being so bright it can dazzle oncomers. It’s well built and hardy, survived our abusive testing, and will serve you well during the cold and wet months to come.

• Read our full Topeak RedLite Mega rear light review

Bontrager Ion 100 R / Flare R City light set

The Bontrager Ion R and Flare R City are a clever pair of daytime-running LED lights to raise your visibility on the streets.

They’re extremely small and light, simple to fit and remove, and their clever in-built sensors enable them to tailor their power output to match your surroundings.

That means, when visibility is low, they’ll pump out more power and when it’s reasonably light, they’ll conserve it. 

• Read our Bontrager Ion 100 R/Flare R City light set review

Lezyne Hecto Drive 500XL

The Lezyne Hecto Drive 500XL illuminates unlit roads better than its 500-lumen output would suggest.

However, with a relatively short run-time in max power mode, the Hecto Drive is best suited to urban streets.

Sigma Micro LED light set

The Sigma Micro LED light set is great for commuting because the lights are unusually powerful for their size. 

They weigh next to nothing too and despite only having one LED, they’ll be sure to get you noticed.

• Read our full Sigma Micro Lights review 

Lezyne Femto Drive light set

The Lezyne Femto Drive back-up lights are easy to fit and have five flash modes.

They’ll run for 30 to 60 hours from a pair of cell batteries. Their 15-lumen output doesn’t make them that visible, but they’re fine for riding in well-lit areas.

Lezyne Stick Drive

The Lezyne Stick Drive is a good light at a great price.

Besides being impressively bright and visible, the rubber band attachment makes the Stick Drive simple to mount.

The light plugs directly into a USB port for charging.

Moon Comet X-Pro rear light

The Moon Comet X-Pro rear light’s performance isn’t out of this world – brightness and run-time are modest – but it’s a versatile, keenly priced option.

Visibility is good and there are seven flash modes and numerous ways to position it on your seatpost.

• Read our full Moon Comet X-Pro rear light review