Best budget bike lights 2024 - Boost your on-bike visibility without spending a fortune

Finding the best budget bike light can be a real challenge. Although I've put together a list of best bike lights on the market, sometimes absolute performance edges out great lights that are high in value. You will find some crossover between the two lists but the point of this list is to allow value to carry a bit more weight.

If you are looking for a quick recommendation, take a look at the Portland Design Works City Rover Power 700 for the front of your bike. If you'd like to add a rear light then check out the Bontrager Flare RT. Both of these options are good value for what they offer and should serve most people in most situations. If you'd like to see more suggestions, keep reading and I've got a range of options with detailed explanations.

If you are just starting your journey into buying the best budget bike light, you might value some info about what to consider. In that case, jump down to the bottom of the page and I've answered some of the common questions. Read through everything here and you should not only be able to find the best budget bike light but also have an understanding of why that light makes sense for you. 

Best budget bike lights: The list in brief

The best budget bike lights available today

Front lights

Best all-around front bike light

If you want more light to see the road, you need something more powerful. The challenge then becomes telling one light apart from the next in the midrange power options. The market for these commuter focused lights that are still bright enough to help you see is incredibly tight. The Portland Design Works City Rover Power 700 gets my nod for this use quite simply because it's got a power gauge that makes it easy to understand when it needs a charge. At half power the light it offers is plenty for riding in the city with street lights and that gives you three hours of runtime. That will likely cover quite a few days of commuting so it's nice to have a simple, and constant, reminder when you need to plug it in. It's also powerful enough that if you do decide you want to take it for a performance-oriented ride, it's very workable even if it's not ideal.  

Best for daytime visibility

The Bontrager Ion 200 RT is the front half of the Bontrager daytime visibility light system. I've got them both on this list even though they aren't the cheapest option around. The reason for that is that while there are cheaper lights, Bontrager makes a high value light that is incredibly good at making sure you are visible during the day. The key to the performance is the fresnel lens that focuses a relatively low powered light so that it's way more visible than it should be. Then, to further increase visibility, there is a disruptive flash pattern that Trek researched as a way to make it harder to ignore. Nothing makes you visible if a driver isn't looking but if you are looking for an inexpensive light that will makes you visible during the day, this is it. The performance is so good that even though the price is relatively low, it holds its own against lights at any price. 

There are also a number of quality of life details that make this light a good bargain. The mount is easy to use but if you'd rather have a GoPro style, there are adapters available. Bontrager even has a helmet that this light works with for those who'd like to add an extra light. If you use a Garmin computer this light will form a light network and turn on automatically as well as remain controllable from the computer. The only real downside is that it's been out for a number of years now and it's never gotten a USB-C port upgrade. 

Best for big power and long run times

If you want big power, or long runtimes, then the MagicShine RN3000 is an excellent budget option to get the job done. The heart of the light is a 10,000 mAh battery and it's from this foundation that everything builds. Using the massive battery, you can power all the way up for a 3000-lumen option that will cover you in even the most demanding trail situations. Alternatively, you can power down the light and extend the runtime. 750 lumens is enough to ride comfortably at speed even without street lights and at that power, the RN3000 will run for thirteen and a half hours. You might even consider this light as a commuter option because of how infrequently you'll need to think about charging it. Knowing that the USB-C charge port can also charge a phone in an emergency is a nice bonus feature. The only downside is a slightly odd control scheme. There are two bulbs on the light and for some reason you can choose to run either one or the other or both. Using both gives a better light shape and longer burn times but since the option is there, changing modes means stepping through more options. It's a small annoyance given the price and features but it is worth mentioning. 

You can read more about the details of this light in our MagicShine RN3000 review.

Front lights to also consider

The Thousand Traveler 2.0 front and rear lights are the epitome of this list. They are inexpensive but not cheap and they do exactly what they claim to do by looking good and keeping you visible. The front light has three modes and switching between 120 lumen solid, 250 lumen daylight flash, and 35 lumen eco flash used to require a twist that while stylish was a bit of a hassle. The 2.0 version does away with that in favour of a simple push button that requires a long press to turn on.  

Although the twist to change modes is gone, the magnetic mount remains. It still requires a slight twist to remove the light and it’s still quite easy if you want to make sure your lights don’t get stolen off your bike. The one downside this all introduced is that it’s possible for the light to fall out during a ride. I’ve never had it happen but it would be nice if the system had an indent to make it a little tougher to twist. 

All that aside, the mount also makes it easy to charge. Just pop the light off and you’ll find a rubber flap hiding a USB-C port. Run times range from 6 hours to 36 hours depending on mode. There are cheaper lights on the market but Thousand has put together a great budget option with a solid set of features. 

700 lumens vs 1000 is only a small difference. The reality is that both the Portland Design Works City Rover Power 700 and Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL can do the job of getting you to and from work but there are a few small differences that make them good for slightly different uses. The extra three hundred lumens of max power will make it a lot more comfortable to ride at speed with no street lighting. If that's your focus then you get 1:30 of burn time at full power but if you need a little more time you can power down to 500 lumens and get yourself three hours of light. The trade-off you make for the extra power, or battery life, is that it’s a bit harder to tell how much battery life is left. This is also a light that's been around for a while and hasn't yet made the switch to USB-C charging. 

If you'd like to read more detail, take a look at our review of the Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL. 

I listed the low max power as a negative and while that's true, you have to look at the Moon MX GPS mount and light a little differently. The point is not to be your primary light when you head out the door for a late ride. Instead, the 400 lumens max power and 2.6 hour burn time is there to get you home when the ride ends up lasting longer than you'd hoped. The light does dual duty as a mount for Garmin and Wahoo GPS head units and the wide, flat, design does an excellent job of being forgettable under a computer. When it's time to turn on the light you can adjust the angle separately of the overall angle of the mount freeing you from needing to keep your computer at an odd angle. Overall, this is a low-cost way to make sure you always have a light with you just in case. 

Read more about the Moon MX GPS mount and light in our review.

Best budget rear lights

Best all-around rear light

In the world of rear lights, the Bontrager Flare RT isn't exactly cheap and that's especially true given the somewhat modest power level. The reason it makes it to this list of budget bike lights is because despite being a little more expensive, it's still on the affordable side and it's highly effective. If you care about your visibility, day or night, then spending just a little more for the Flare RT makes sense. When the Flare RT hit the market, it was a light that changed the way many riders viewed daytime visibility and it's just as effective at night. The secret is a well-designed reflector that optimises rear visibility plus a flash pattern that is intentionally irregular. So many cheap rear lights on the market are completely ineffective during the day and barely usable even at night. By contrast, the Flare RT is visible as far as 2km away even in the height of mid-day sun. The high-quality mount also adds value because you won't find yourself replacing a lost light every few rides.  

Best rear light in the city

I included the Traveler 2.0 front light and it only makes sense to include the rear. You can purchase either light alone but they are also available as a set at a small discount. When it comes to the rear light though you get the exact same mounting system. There's an integrated rubber strap attached to a magnetic plastic mount. 

There is a magnet in the back and a twist system to the mount. A slight twist releases the light and most of the time the light will self centre when placed back into the mount. As with the front, I’ve had no issues but it would be great to have a small indent to make sure it was impossible for it to jiggle loose. 

Again, like the front, the 2.0 version removes the twist to change mode functions. Long press the rubber button to turn on the light then single pushes cycle through the modes. For the rear you get burn times that range from a 40 lumen/4-hour solid mode to as much as 22 hours at the lowest 12 lumen Eco flash mode. Most people are likely to use the daylight Flash mode though and that gets you 105 lumens with a 4 hour runtime. It's a good looking light at a good price and it makes a lot of sense for visibility while commuting in the city.

Best with radar

For those who spend their time riding in the country a rear radar is an amazing addition to your time on the bike. It's a product that allows you to focus on your riding without ever worrying about a car surprising you from behind. Previously if that sounded like something you wanted to incorporate into your setup, that meant only the Garmin Varia. The Varia is still an option but as it continues to age and the price stays the same, there is more opportunity for choice. The Magicshine (also sometimes sold as a Magene) Seemee 508 works in the same way, and pairs with the same head units, as a Garmin Varia but it's significantly less expensive and fixes some of the issues the Garmin has. That means it has a leash so it doesn't fall off and it's got USB-C charging. Getting the price down does mean some trade-offs though. The battery life chart on the Magene website is inaccurate and even with a low 20 lumen max power you can only expect about 8 hours of burn time on pulse mode. However, I understand that's longer than the vast majority of rides people do so if that works for you, Magene will let you add radar for less money. 

Rear lights to also consider

The Lezyne KTV Drive Pro+ rear light is the option when you want an inexpensive light with a lot of power. The price is outstanding and there's all-day performance with a burn time of 10-hours and 30-minutes even at the max 150-lumen day flash setting. Mounting is a wide and simple rubber strap that you can easily stretch around even the deepest aero seatpost. When it’s time to charge the light, you’ll get a warning based on the small status light that turns on during the hold to turn-on procedure. If needed, charging happens with an integrated USB charging tongue that needs no cord. Of course no cord needed does also mean you have to remove the light to charge it. Although Lezyne doesn’t splurge on fancy features, the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro+ rear light is great for those who want maximum lumens for not a lot of money.

If you are looking for more details, our Lezyne KTV Pro Drive 75 review will cover everything. Although the older light has less lumens and a lower run time, it’s otherwise exactly the same as the latest KTV Drive Pro+.  

Best budget combo light

The Specialized Stix lights come as a pack of two but they are identical. Each light has three LED bulbs in it and the outer two are white and while the third is red. Under the cover at the end of each light is a standard USB-A connector and when you are ready to mount them, just fold back the cover. The USB connector slides through the mount then the cover closes over the whole thing and the light is now secured to the mount. The mount consists of stretchy rubber and if you mount it up front it's horizontal but mount it to a seat post and it's vertical. The whole thing is a beautiful exercise in minimalism and there's a mode for red or white light depending on where you have it mounted.

Once mounted, you probably won't want to depend on the system for seeing where you are going but it's bright. In fact, with a 100 lumen white flash, and 30 lumen rear, the brightness will surprise you when you consider how small the whole package is. Unfortunately, probably in an effort to keep costs down, the switch from red to white is entirely manual but it's hardly a bother and you get a ton of flexibility in how you use these lights. 

How to choose the best budget bike lights for you

As we head into shorter days and longer nights, riding in the dark becomes more of an issue. For some people that might mean the fitness they've built through the summer season leaves them getting back as the sun is setting and for others it’s more of a transportation issue. Either way, you'll need lighting and I have some advice to help you figure out what light you need.

The first thing to consider is if you need a light to make yourself visible or to see where you are going. If you are only riding in the city, on well-lit streets, you'll already be able to see where you are going, so the light you need is going to be a lot less expensive and the specs are far less important. If you need a light to see where you are going then the next consideration is how long you need it to last. 

It's relatively easy to find a light that's bright enough for an hour. Anything beyond that becomes more difficult and expensive. Don't forget though, you might want to ride more than once before needing to charge. Do you want to charge after every ride? You might also want to consider multiple uses for your light. Using the same light during the commute as you use for long rides on the weekend is a good way to save money. This consideration also opens up the discussion of what kind of mounting you need. 

If you only use a single bike, your decision about mounting is a lot simpler. It has to work in a single situation. If your bike has round bars then a hard mount for round bars will do the job. Alternatively, if it has oval aero bars you can find something that will work. If you are swapping the light between different bikes, you need it to work in all the situations you'll encounter. You might also want to consider if you need a light with mounting considerations for bags, clothing, or racks. 

If you are looking for more information about any of this, keep reading for even more details.