Best bike lights 2023 — see and be seen with our selection of bright beams for your bike

The Recon HL is an improvement over its predecessor, the very good HL 1600, and has even better usability and some improved features that include a 200-lumen power bump, a more compact size and some Garmin head unit integration. It's also decent value at under £100 if you shop around. 

There are five modes, and on the brightest setting our reviewer could get almost two hours out of it; you will get much more on lower beam settings, of course. 

The bracket is secure, and you also get a GoPro mount if filming is your thing. Our review concludes: "If you're after a single unit/compact front light that can handle the darkest of conditions and impress in practically every measure that matters, it's hard to see past the Giant Recon HL1800."

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The Bookman Curve is light, bright and has a decent run time in multiple settings. It's a good choice for urban commuting or as an emergency back-up, and it looks a bit different to most lights out there. 

Although the Curve only fits in one orientation, it fits on bars from 22mm up to 42mm with a simple silicone band and buckle that clips back into the light. There are five modes, the build quality is great and you won't have to worry about any water ingress as it's properly waterproof. 

While there are cheaper LED lights, for the price it's hard to find one as bright as this on the highest setting, with the Curve putting out 220 lumens on its high setting. 

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The ES Pro 2 hasn't really changed in a decade, and neither should it: this is probably still one of the most reliable dynamo lights we've come across, and if you're into long-distance bikepacking or audax riding it should be high up your wishlist when choosing a light that works off your own steam. 

The beam is a German road-legal one that directs 95% of the light downwards to avoid blinding oncoming traffic, and once you're over about 5mph the beam holds steady. We found the beam pattern to be more or less ideal for road riding, with the majority of the light concentrated directly ahead of you but still enough throw for picking out turns and suicidal rodents in the verges.

If you don't care for worrying about whether or not your light is charged, this is a great option. 

Our reviewer said the very affordable Cateye AMPP400 punches above its weight with plenty of useful modes, an excellent mounting system and good battery life. 

The rubberised on/off button is sturdy and easy to operate, and Cateye's FlexTight mounting is really flexible and can even fit on ovalised aero handlebars. The light slots into the mount firmly, and it's also possible to mount it under your bars for a cleaner set-up. 

For such an inexpensive light, the AMPP400 is really impressive and projects a bright, round beam that's enough for pitch-black lanes. There's also a pure flashing mode which lasts a whopping 60 hours.

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This head torch from Knog is feature-loaded, rechargeable and has plenty of features and functions.

Weighing just 88g, the Bilby is super comfortable to wear and easy to adjust. Our reviewer found he could sneak it on his forehead just below a helmet, although it's important not to compromise your helmet's position here. On the max 400 lumens output it should last you over five hours, although we found it could run for as long as nine hours. 

The 'world's most powerful silicone headlamp' according to Knog definitely impressed us. It's light, bright and typically Knog-ish in that it comes in various bright colours (or grey or black if you'd prefer) and is a bit different to the norm. The sheer range of lighting options can make it bewildering, but once you get to grips with it, it's impressive. 

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If you are often negotiating roads with lots of side streets and weaving around traffic, then the Moon Cerberus offers "best in class" side visibility according to our reviewer. 

The three-sided COB (chip on board) design supplies outstanding side visibility, and is genuinely as bright from the left or right as it is down the middle. An innovative hinge system makes it compatible with all shapes of seatpost, and there's a dimmer function that allows you to fine-tune your output and battery life. Charging is via USB-C, it weighs just 35g and as it works with aero seatposts too, this is a solid choice for time triallists as well as the rest of us. 

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This highly capable rear light is very keenly-priced, with seven modes, a memory function and a solid build. We were less impressed by the mounting function, but it still works therefore this light is well worth your consideration. The high settings kick out as many as 50 lumens, and our reviewer was very impressed with how bright the flash modes were. Run time is up to 20 hours in the lowest-lumen flash mode. 

The Prime 360 rear light is a great option for the money, and does the important things very well. 

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This simple, slimline light works really well and, although it's shown mounted to a seatpost as standard here, you can also wear it as the name suggests. A strong clip on the Wearable X allows you to mount it pretty much anywhere, such as your rear pocket, on your bag or on the back of your helmet. 

The beam pumps out 35 lumens at full strength, which is quite a lot for a rear light, and it's not particularly blinding either. There are six modes in total, and to switch between them it's simply a case of pressing the single button until you find the setting you want. It also has a memory function to remember the last setting you chose. Battery life is from one hour in high mode up to 30 in flashing, which is more than reasonable. 

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The Garmin Varia RTL515 combines a radar and a rear light, with a bright light and a radar that gives you an effective early warning for 'objects' overtaking.

Do you need the Varia system? Some would say not, but our reviewer found that the distinct multi-tone sound is loud enough to hear over any wind noise when Garmin detects something, and it's genuinely better than looking over your shoulder. The radar can't tell you how dangerous the overtake is going to be and is won't be able to prevent a crash, it just tells you something's coming up behind, to give you an idea of how you can use it. Our reviewer didn't experience any false alerts when riding alone, and found it easy to pair with GPS units over Bluetooth and ANT+.

The rear light is one of the best out there and the radar function works very well on the Varia RTL515, although it certainly isn't cheap.

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If it's simplicity you want and you want a good deal, look no further than the Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50. It's easy to fit, great value and offers decent performance for the money.  

The bracket is a simple rubber wedge that fits to the back of the unit, held on by a rubber band. It won't fit aero seatposts, but for the rest of us it'll work just fine. 50 lumens is quite a lot for a rear light, and plenty to use it as your main rear light. The weight is just 27g, and battery life is from two hours on the highest steady setting up to 23 hours on the lowest pulse mode. 

This simple rear light does the job of making sure you're seen, with ample light output, good mode choices and easy operation. 

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