Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023
TOP MTB HEADLAMPS AND HANDLEBAR LIGHTS RANKED BY BRIGHTNESS, BATTERY LIFE AND PRICE
September 10th, 2023
Testing mountain bike lights side-by-side on a group ride. Photo by Chris Meehan.
With bikepacking, 24-hour racing, and winter’s short days, some mountain bikers opt to ride in the dark and seize the opportunity to have trails to themselves in the wee hours of the morning or late into the night.
After reviewing more than a dozen mountain biking headlamps and handlebar lights, and cycling nights and early mornings on dark-skied trails, we’ve got the best MTB lights to recommend — the best overall, the best helmet-mounted light, the best upgrade (a headlamp and handlebar light combo), the best MTB light on a budget, and a list of top contenders.
We considered max lumens output, USB charging, and price to bring you our top picks. Plus, how to get into night riding and tips for maintaining your mountain bike light.
Related: Best Mountain Bike Backpacks
*Disclaimer: Mountain biking is more risky than most outdoors activities and mountain biking at night with lights adds even more risk. While we're offering insight into the best equipment and practices for nighttime mountain biking adventures, we assume no liability. It's up to the reader to learn more and accept the risk―after all, the learning is worth the adventures it leads you to!
For more of our favorite mountain biking recommendations, see our most popular Mountain Biking stories:
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MTB LIGHTS COMPARISON TABLE
| MTB LIGHT | TREELINE AWARD | MSRP* | WEIGHT (OZ) | LUMENS | # OF LIGHTS | # OF MODES | BATTERY ON HIGH (CLAIMED) | BATTERY (TESTED) | RECHARGE TIME | BATTERY SIZE | CHARGING TYPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000 | Best Overall Read why |
225 | 7.6 | 2000 | 3 | 4 | 1.5 hours | 3:45 H:m | 4 hours | 6400 mAh | USB |
| Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro | Best Helmet Mount Read why |
140 | 4.9 | 600 | 1 | 5 | 2 hours | 2:50 H:m | 6 hours | 3200 mAh | USB |
| Gloworm X2 Adventure | Best Upgrade Helmet+Bar Combo Read why |
270 | 10.2 | 2000 | 2 | 4 | 2 hours | 4:35 H:m | 2.7/1.75 hours | 5000 mAh | USB-c (20W/45W) |
| Gloworm XS Lightset | Best Upgrade Helmet+Bar Combo Read why |
309 | 16.8 | 2800 | 3 | 4 | 3 hours | 3:50 H:m | 5.25/3.5 hours | 10,000 mAh | USB-c (20W/45W) |
| BrightEyes 1600 Helios | Best Budget Read why |
80 | 13.2 | 1600 | 1 | 5 | 5 hours | 4:25 H:m | 5-8 hours | 6400 mAh | AC |
Do you need a Mountain Bike Light?
Sensibly, most people choose to ride mountain bikes in the daylight. But with bikepacking, 24-hour races, the shorter days of winter, and the opportunity to have trails to themselves in the wee hours of the morning or the evening, some folks opt to ride in the dark. One bonus of night riding? You get to see the trail in a whole new light.
Related: How to Get Into Bikepacking
Read More: The Best Bikepacking Bikes
If you ever strapped a Maglite to your handlebars to ride through the neighborhood at night as a kid, you know how paltry that light was — and how hard it was to keep the light focused on where you’re going. Thankfully, technology has come a long way since then. Today’s front-facing mountain bike lights can pack more lumens than a car’s high beams.
Mountain bike riding at night can add a fun, additional challenge to mountain biking. Photo by Chris Meehan.
The portable lighthouses that are modern-day MTB lights can illuminate every rock, drop, and obstacle on dark trails, making it easier and safer to enjoy the challenges of the trail when others are climbing into bed or still sawing lumber in their slumber. That’s thanks in large part to lightweight, efficient LED bike lights, as well as high-powered, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries — both of which are becoming more compact and less expensive than ever.
All this made picking a winner for the Best Overall Mountain Bike Light tough. Each of the lights we tested (and some we didn’t have a chance to evaluate) has a lot going for it.
Modern trail lights don’t need a bunch of whistles and bells, but some of those features, like remotes, Bluetooth connectivity, and apps are nice. They can turn your smart device into a remote and unlock additional features of the light, like monitoring how much juice is in the battery. Apps and bar-mounted remotes allow you to control multiple lights with the same device, ideal when using a helmet light and a handlebar light together.
Here at Treeline, we’ve done the initial work to find you the latest and greatest MTB light. We waded through hundreds of reviews on top review sites and tested the best on the trail. We’ll tell you what to look for in trail lights and all about the important (and nice-to-have) features you can find out there.
The Best Mountain Bike Lights
Best Overall MTB Light: Light & Motion Seca 2000
Weight: 7.6 oz
Lumens: 2000
Number of Main Lights: 3
Number of Modes: 4
Battery Life (claimed by manufacturer): 1.5 Hours
Recharge Time: 4 Hours
Battery Size: 6400 mAh
Charging Type: USB
What we liked: versatility, brightness, ease of use, value for price, durability, fast charge
What we didn't like: not as many mounting options as other lights, can't change batteries to extend usage
For overall utility and brightness, our favorite was the 2000-lumen Light & Motion Seca 2000. It’s by no means the most technical or feature-rich light available, but the Seca 2000’s price, feature set, durability, ease of use, and the ability to fast-charge via USB were all compelling factors in its selection as overall Best Mountain Bike Light.
While we love the flexibility that some of the other lights offer in terms of multiple mounting options and the ability to change batteries to extend usage, if you want a solid, bright MTB bike light, this is the one to get.
LIGHT & MOTION SECA 2000
The Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000 mounted on a bike. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Brightness and battery life
It’s the only battery-integrated light we tested that hit 2000 lumens of brightness, which you can definitely see on the trail. And, in our testing, it ran on the brightest setting for 3 hours and 45 minutes—significantly longer than the 90 minutes it claims to run on that setting.
The Light & Motion Seca Race lighting up the trail. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Installation
Both of those factors were enough, but we also love how easy the Seca 2000 is to install and remove via a thick rubberized strap that’s akin to a ski strap.
Lighting options
The Light and Motion Seca 2000 combines spotlight and floodlight beams into one unit, providing both wide-angle and directed illumination further out for adventures under starry nights.
Ease of use and versatility
The red and green LEDs on the main power button offer simple, ample guidance on how long the battery will last. The secondary button activates two amber side LEDs for road riding, making it suitable as a light on a commuter or road bike as well.
Fast charge and USB charging
We also liked it for its USB fast-charging capabilities—which fully charges in four hours.
Value
We find it offers the best value of all the lights in our review. Yes, at $225, it’s not exactly cheap, but compared to the Gloworm XS 2.0 it is. That was its closest competitor in performance–and it's easier to find at more bike shops and mainstream retailers.
Drawbacks
All that said, the Seca 2000 has some drawbacks. The Seca 2000 doesn’t offer pass-through charging, which would allow bikers to extend its usage further via an external battery pack. Also, it’s a handlebar-only light. The more expensive Seca Race and both Gloworm lights were all capable of serving as a bar mounting or helmet mount light, but all had external batteries connected by a cord that could snag if not properly secured.
Bottom line:
The Seca 2000 offers the best benefits and values of the lights we tested and based on others’ reviews, like GearJunkie, which came to the same conclusion.
Overall, the Seca’s integrated battery with no additional cables, ease-of-use, and brightness made it our favorite.
Best Helmet Light: Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro
Weight: 4.9 oz
Lumens: 600
Number of Main Lights: 1
Number of Modes: 5
Battery Life (claimed by manufacturer): 2 Hours
Recharge Time: 6 Hours
Battery Size: 3200 mAh
Charging Type: USB
What we liked: specifically designed for helmet use, doesn't strain your neck, battery doesn't require using a backpack or pocket
What we didn't like: not bright enough to use by itself on technical trails
While the Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro is technically the only helmet-specific light we tested, we really liked how easy it is to pop the light off and on the helmet. There’s a one-time setup for the mounts—you’ll have to weave them through the vents of your helmet—but you won’t feel them once they’re placed, and you’ll never have to think about them again.
Note that the Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro is out of stock on L&M’s website. We emailed them and they let us know that it is definitely not discontinued—it’s just so popular that they are out of stock. There is no current plan to discontinue them. They should be back in stock on their website by Thanksgiving.
LIGHT & MOTION VIS 360 PRO
Light and Motion Vis 360 MTB light is specifically-designed as a helmet light with a rear-mount battery and safety light. Photo by Chris Meehan.
The Vis 360 Pro has an external battery pack, connected by a non-removable cable — and we think this is a great setup for a helmet-specific light.
Battery pack mounting system
We like the smart design on the Light & Motion Vis 360. With many helmet lights, the battery pack mounts to the rear of the helmet, acting as a counterbalance for the light that sits up front, which makes it easier for you to hold your head up. This is common with battery-integrated lights for helmets.
Other battery-integrated lights like the Bontrager Ion Pro and NiteRider Lumina are wearable as helmet lights, but the extra battery weight on the front of your helmet will put more of a strain on your neck.
We love that the Vis 360 Pro’s setup was specifically designed as a helmet light. Other lights with external batteries that are considered "multi-use" didn’t perform so well when we tested them as helmet lights.
Their external batteries are larger and heavier, requiring that you either wear a MTB backpack or have pockets where you can stash the battery.
We found with other lights that the feeling of the battery jiggling around in your pocket got irritating, and their cord can get cumbersome when removing your helmet, pack, or jacket.
We didn’t have any of these problems with the Vis 360 Pro.
The Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro lights up the trail. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Visibility and versatility
The Vis 360 Pro also has some other nice features that increase your visibility to others. The headlight unit has two amber LEDs that increase your side visibility at night, in case you’re using it on a road.
Similarly, the battery pack has a red LED, which makes it useful for road riding as well.
The taillight LED can be turned off for mountain biking, so it won’t blind or confuse your fellow night riders. Plus, it saves a little more battery for the spotlight up front.
Downsides
The downside? We don’t recommend using the Vis 360 Pro by itself on any technical trails. At 600 lumens, it doesn’t quite hit our recommendation of at least 1000 lumens of brightness for trail use. But when used with a bar-mounted light, it makes a great spotlight to highlight any obstacles you need to focus on.
We think that for 24-hour races or serious night riding, you’ll be hardpressed to find a better combo than the Gloworm XS as a bar light paired with the Gloworm X2 as a helmet-mounted light. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Best Upgrade Helmet+Handlebar Combo: Gloworm XS Lightset and Gloworm X2 Adventure
| XS Lightset | X2 Adventure | |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | $309 | $270 |
| Weight: | 16.8 oz | 10.2 oz |
| Lumens: | 2800 | 2000 |
| Number of Main Lights: | 3 | 2 |
| Number of Modes: | 4 | 4 |
| Battery Life (claimed by manufacturer): | 3 Hours | 2 Hours |
| Recharge Time: | 5.25/3.5 Hours | 2.7/1.75 Hours |
| Battery Size: | 10,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging Type: | USB-c (20W/45W) | USB-c (20W/45W) |
What we liked: bright enough for technical trails and 24-hour mountain bike races, two lights can be controlled with one button
What we didn't like: price
The 2800-lumen 3-LED Gloworm XS Lightset and its counterpart, the 2000-lumen, 2-LED X2 Adventure, are incredible lights with a whole bunch of amazing features. Mountable on either your handlebar or your helmet, these lights are great for normal mountain biking, but really shine during night-time and 24-hour mountain bike races. We found the X2 is more ideal as a helmet light and the XS as a bar light and give they win our award for best combo.
The wireless remote control is handlebar mounted and features two buttons configurable to control multiple lights. You can control all of your Gloworm lights with a single button, or spread your lights out over the two buttons.
GLOWORM XS LIGHTSET AND X2 ADVENTURE
XS LITESET
X2 ADVENTURE
The Gloworm XS mounts on either your handlebars or helmet, though we preferred using it as a bar light (shown here). Photo by Chris Meehan.
Features
The Gloworms come with interchangeable lenses that allow you to control your beam pattern. Changing the lenses lets you choose whether or not you want the 2 (X2) or 3 (XS) LEDs to perform primarily as a floodlight for seeing as much breadth as possible around you, a spotlight for seeing further down the trail, or a combination of both. For instance, if just using the XS, you may want to use a floodlight lens for the outer LEDs and a spotlight for the center LED.
The trail lit up by the Gloworm XS as a handlebar light. Pairing it with the Gloworm X2 Adventure as a helmet light sets you up well for 24-hour races. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Versatility
The battery on the Gloworms is separate from the lights themselves, so if you decide to mount the lights on your helmet, you can opt to mount the battery to the back of your helmet, using the short cord Gloworm supplies you with.
Or, if you want to minimize the weight on your head and neck, you can use the longer cord, but you’ll still have to deal with the cord, and you’ll have to stash the battery somewhere secure, like a pack or pocket.
Batteries
The Gloworm lights have the only external batteries we tested that are USB-rechargeable. While they use USB-C connections, they come with an adapter that allows you to use the most common USB-A chargers. This means you can easily connect it to a variety of charging sources, like a cigarette lighter adapter in a car, a solar charger in the backcountry on a multiday trip, or your buddy’s AC adapter (if you forgot to bring Gloworm’s charger).
Related: Bikepacking the White Rim
Downsides
We didn’t choose the Gloworm XS or the X2 Adventure as our top winner for a few reasons. They were among the priciest lights we tested, so aren’t for everyone. But we think the features are worth it, especially for 24-hour races or serious night riding.
Bottom line
In the end, we think these are incredible lights with a great feature set that would be a top-performing addition to any mountain biking kit.
Best Affordable MTB Light: Bright Eyes 1600 Lumen Helios
Weight: 13.2 oz
Lumens: 1600
Number of Main Lights: 1
Number of Modes: 5
Battery Life (claimed by manufacturer): 5 Hours
Recharge Time: 5-8 Hours
Battery Size: 6400 mAh
Charging Type: AC
What we liked: value for the price, versatility, brightness, interchangeable lenses, long battery life, ability to extend its run time by adding another battery, makes a great first MTB light that will grow with you as you get more into the sport
What we didn't like:
Hands down, at 1600 lumens for just over $50, the Bright Eyes 1600 Lumen Helios is by far the least expensive well-performing light in our test, earning it the title of the best budget mountain bike light.
The Bright Eyes Helios 1600 has great versatility for the value, too. You can mount it on a helmet or handlebar, use it as a headlamp, and convert it from a spotlight to a floodlight, giving you a heckuva lot of bang for your buck. Plus, if you buy this as your first light to try nighttime mountain biking, you could later use it as a helmet-mount light if you decide to buy a different bar light.
BRIGHT EYES HELIO 1600
The Bright Eyes Helio 1600 mounts using 2 rubber O-rings that clip to hooks on the base of the light to go around the headlamp harness. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Mounting
The mounting for the Helio 1600 is simple: it relies on 2 rugged, rubber O-rings that clip to hooks on the base of both sides of the light and go around either the handlebar or the mount on the headlamp harness. Our package came with 4 O-rings, and we’d recommend bringing at least one extra in case one slips off or gets lost either when riding or after taking the light off its mount.
The Helios 1600 lighting up the trail in floodlight mode. Photo by Chris Meehan.
External battery
The Helios 1600 has an external battery setup, with 27” inches of cord between the light and the battery. The plug that connects the two is a few inches from the light itself. This plug seems pretty secure, but we didn’t notice a washer or gasket in it like on many waterproof plugs. Why are we worried? Bright Eyes claims the Helio 1600 is waterproof for up to half an hour, but we don’t see an IP rating on it—and they didn’t respond to a request for details.
Despite the robustness of the bike headlight unit itself, we noticed that the underlying power wires were easy to see when we pivoted the headlight unit just slightly askew from its base, suggesting it may not be entirely waterproof. Still, we think it should withstand almost all thrashings on a mountain bike ride.
Charging
The Helios 1600 didn’t win the overall pick for a number of reasons. First, you have to use a wall plug AC-charger for the external battery pack. If you’re on multi-day trips in the backcountry, this means you may have to carry extra batteries to keep your nights well-lit.
Interchangeable lenses
While you can change it from a floodlight to a spotlight by changing out the lens, the process involves removing 4 very small, deep-seated Allen-head bolts—something we can’t recommend doing on the trail. It’s far too easy to lose one or more of the bolts while changing them out at home, even more easy to lose them on the trail.
Battery-life
The Helios 1600 was the only light we tested that delivered fewer hours of high-beam light than promised—4:25 instead of 5 hours. That said, it was also the only one that promised such a long run time on high. All other lights tested promised far less time running on full blast.
Bottom line
For all these quirks, we still think the Bright Eyes Helios 1600 is an extremely worthy budget pick. After all, you get a versatile, bright light with interchangeable lenses (as long as you prepare ahead of time), that’s got a long battery life and the ability to extend its run time by adding another battery.
Contenders
Niterider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote Front Bike Light
Weight: 29.6 oz
Lumens: 4200
Number of main lights: 6
Number of Modes: 7
Battery life on high (claimed by manufacturer): 6 hours
Recharge time: 5 hours
Battery size: 11600 mAh
Charging type: AC
If you’re trying to recreate the sun, the Niterider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote Front Light is the light you'll want. It was a favorite of many review sites, but at 4200 lumens it might be overkill. It’s also retailing for more than $500+, so ultimately fell above the price limit we set for ourselves in this story. We didn’t have a chance to review it ourselves, but it’s worth taking a look at if having the brightest light is something important to you.
NITERIDER PRO 4200 ENDURO REMOTE FRONT BIKE LIGHT
Bontrager Ion Pro RT
Weight: 6.5 oz
Lumens: 1300
Number of main lights: 1
Number of Modes: 5
Battery life on high (claimed by manufacturer): 1.5 hours
Recharge time: 7 hours
Battery size: 4800 mAh
Charging type: USB
The Bontrager Ion Pro RT was almost our pick for the best bargain light. But when we found the Bright Eyes light for about $50, it couldn’t compare.
The Bontrager Ion Pro RT is a great light, but a little finicky. It’s not the most intuitive light to use. One of our testers noted he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemies because he had trouble turning it on. You have to double-tap the switch so it doesn’t turn on accidentally. Of course, as we told him, reading the instructions helps.
BONTRAGER ION PRO RT
NiteRider Lumina
Weight: 4.6 oz
Lumens: 900
Number of main lights: 1
Number of Modes: 5
Battery life on high (claimed by manufacturer): 2 hours
Recharge time: 4.5/2.5 hours
Battery size: 2900 mAh
Charging type: USB
The NiteRider Lumina is a battery-integrated light like the Bontrager Ion Pro that’s also in our Honorable Mentions section.
The Niterider Lumina can be worn as a helmet light, but the extra battery weight on the front of your helmet will put more strain on your neck. It received some acclaim, but we ultimately decided that the Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro is a better fit for helmet light. The Bontrager Ion Pro also has 1300 lumens vs. the NiteRider’s 900.
NITERIDER LUMINA
Group riding with friends is a good way to safely mountain bike ride at night. Spacing riders prevents beams from interrupting one another. Photo by Chris Meehan.
How to Get Into Night Mountain Biking
Riding a road bike at night might seem challenging enough. Riding a mountain bike at night adds even more complexity, as you’re navigating a twisting trail, rocks, trees, drops, jumps, and more. Here’s some advice for your first outings at night and a couple of tips for maximizing the experience, and for the record, we don’t recommend getting into night riding or more dangerous trails at night if you’re just getting into mountain biking.
Related: How to Get Started Mountain Biking
Go with someone who has experience riding at night
First off, for your first time out, we recommend going with someone who’s ridden at night and/or a group that’s ridden at night before. Also, ideally, choose a trail that you’ve ridden before in the daylight that’s not too difficult. It takes a while to adjust to riding at night with lights, so you’ll want to err on the easier side while you get the hang of it.
Make sure you can see the buttons on your light
If this is your first mountain bike light, you’ll want to make sure the buttons are easy to see and push. This makes it easier to change the light mode while riding and to turn the light on and off.
When mounted on a handlebar the buttons on the lights we tested were easy to see and use. Obviously, it’s a little harder to see a button when a light is mounted on your head, but those buttons were easy to access as well. With its remote control capabilities, the Gloworm X2 is exceptionally easy to control, since you can change its brightness from your handlebar.
Familiarize yourself with the batteries
Lights with external batteries are a little harder to set up than battery-integrated lights since you need to secure the battery and the cord as much as you can. All the external battery packs we used had hook-and-loop straps on them to secure the battery to the bike frame when used as a handlebar light.
Additional straps allow you to secure the cord to the frame as well. However, make sure there’s enough slack in the cord to allow you to rotate your handlebars fully, otherwise, you can yank the cord out on sharp turns or change what the lights are illuminating. If using a corded light as a helmet light, stash the battery and any extra cordage in a pocket or a backpack where it won’t get in the way or jiggle while riding.
Be smart about when to use the light on high
Don’t keep your lights on full blast the whole time you’re riding, especially when you’re on the flats or climbing. You really only need that brightness when you’re moving downhill quickly, and you'll burn through the battery much faster if you leave it on the highest setting the whole time.
Many mountain bike lights remember the last setting you used and will revert to that the next time you turn the light on. So when you first turn on the light for a ride, it’s a great idea to cycle through all the illumination settings to make sure you’re not in the brightest lighting mode to start. We recommend that you start at the lowest setting on easy terrain, giving your eyes time to adapt. Then, as you get into rougher terrain, you can shift into the brighter light settings as you need to.
Space yourself when riding with others
When riding with buddies, allow a good amount of space between you. Being too close to someone in front of you can make things more confusing for both of you, especially if you’re only using helmet lights and the beams interrupt each other. Spacing yourselves out a little bit ensures you won’t have that problem.
Do I need a Rear Light?
You don’t need a rear light. Yes, really. A rear light is essential in cities, where your bike light can get drowned out by other light sources—the rear bike light ensures cars can see you. But on a mountain bike trail, it can be distracting to other riders who can already see your helmet or handlebar lights projecting in front of you.
However, if you plan on riding on the road or a pedestrian pathway to get to your mountain bike trails, a tail light or reflector is important to have. Turn it off only after you get on the trail. If your tail light is reflective, consider stashing it while riding.
What to do with a bike light battery in the cold
If riding in cold weather, keep the battery warm. Lithium-ion batteries lose significant amounts of power when they get too cold. Integrated lights like the Seca 2000 have an advantage here: high-powered LEDs can produce significant amounts of heat that will help keep the light warm. If your light has an external battery, consider wrapping it in some insulation or keeping it under your jacket in the cold.
What to do with a bike light battery when it is hot
On the other end of the spectrum, when riding in warm weather, don’t let things get too hot. The LEDs put out a lot of heat energy, but too much heat could damage the electronics or circuitry. Most lights (and all of the ones we recommended) will power down a bit when they get too hot. Some will go to a lower light setting, while others may dim to a lower light setting imperceptibly. When you’re taking a break on the trail in hot weather, turn the light down to help reduce the chance of overheating.
Bring an extra bike light
If you’ve got an extra bike light, bring it! Just like a spare tube, having a spare light can help you or someone in your group have a much better night ride if someone’s normal bike light fails.
The Light & Motion Combination of the Vis 360 Pro (helmet mounted) and Seca Comp 2000 (bar mounted) give a great breadth of vision to see everything on the sides of the trail as well as spotlighting. Photo by Chris Meehan.
What is the best helmet and handlebar light combination?
Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro and Seca 2000 or Gloworm XS and X2 Adventure
Given that the Vis Pro is the only helmet-specific light we tested it shouldn’t be a surprise we recommend it as part of a helmet and handlebar combo and that we also recommend it with our best overall winner, the Seca 2000. With these on together, we had a great breadth of vision to see everything on the sides of the trail as well as great spotlighting capabilities to see every rock, root, and drop ahead. We also like the combo because the cord connecting the Vis 360 to the battery is attached and coiled so it stays tight to the helmet and the Seca 2000 is battery integrated.
If you want a Cadillac combo, the Gloworm (2.0) versions of the X2 and XS are the way to go. You can fine-tune the LED lenses to your fancy, control the lights via an app or remote control—and it really is nice to control both lights from your handlebar, right by your brake lever, and you have the ability to purchase additional batteries to extend your ride. Unfortunately, these aren’t sold as a combo and additional batteries are also available.
We compared the same lights on the same trail to see how they performed side-by-side. Shown here are the Bright Eyes Floodlight (left), Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000 (center), Lenzye 1800 Mega (right). Photos by Chris Meehan.
How We Tested
To find the best mountain biking lights, most individual use and testing were done on Colorado’s Front Range. We rode intermediate to difficult trails where access is allowed after dark in the evenings and early in the morning before the sun was out. We tested the lights on North Table Mountain, Green Mountain, Floyd Hill, and other areas along the Front Range.
We also group-tested lights with eight people and various lighting configurations on BLM land at 18 Road in the North Fruita Desert region—often zipping by the semi-surprised eyes of trailside cows. Tests included multiple rides with different lights so riders could better understand what worked (and what didn’t) for them.
Tests lasted for longer than an hour and users tried multiple brightnesses on the trail. Even on lower settings when climbing, the lights performed admirably and none ran out of juice or had any overheating issues requiring them to operate at lower power levels. Everyone was happy with the lights they tested, though some emerged as favorites, of course.
In addition, we tested the lights in a controlled environment, aka indoors, to determine whether the lights lasted on high as long as their manufacturers claimed they should. During these tests, we used a fan to keep the lights cooler so that they could better operate at full capacity and to simulate the effects of ambient air cooling them as it would on the trail.
The brightness of the light is an obvious factor when choosing mountain bike helmets, but other features like battery life and easy and secure mounting are essential as well. Photo by Chris Meehan.
buying advice
Many features make a mountain bike light great, but the most important features are:
the brightness of the light (measured in lumens),
how long it lasts on the trail (based on the milliamp-hours (mAh) of the battery and the lumens of the light),
the beam pattern (floodlight, spotlight, or hybrid),
the mount type (helmet light or bar light),
and, of course, the price.
Other features to think about are the battery type (integrated or external), how it charges, the durability and waterproofness, whether or not you can operate it remotely, and if you can, the connectivity options.
A comparison of brightness on the Glowworm XS and Seca Comp 2000. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Lumens
Lumens are a measure of how bright a light is. If you’re used to watts as a measure of a light bulb’s brightness, you’re not misremembering. Historically, watts were a determination of the light produced by a bulb based on the amount of energy it used. With the advent of low-cost, high-efficiency LEDs that produce the same amount of light with less energy, we’re now measuring a light’s brightness in lumens.
More lumens equals a brighter light—a light with plenty of lumens should illuminate more of your surroundings and let you see farther. The safest (and funnest) option for a bike light is to use both a spotlight-beam helmet light and flood light-beam bar light. That said, if you’re opting for one light, go for a bar-mounted light with a powerful floodlight (with no distracting hotspots—small areas that receive greater illumination than others).
WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF LUMENS FOR A BIKE LIGHT?
We recommend that bar-mount lights have at least 1000 lumens, which is brighter than the headlights of most cars. The brightest light we tested, the Gloworm XS Lighset, provided a blazing 2800 lumens of light on high. That gives you hundreds of feet of strong illumination. (As a note, we found out most of our recommended lights do not meet requirements for lighting in Germany, of all places, so be aware of local rules and regulations where you ride.)
A helmet-mount light, particularly when used with a bar-mount light, doesn’t need as much power. You can probably get away with a 500-lumen light. You’re still going to want more lumens than a normal hiking headlamp, most of which are in the range of 300 to 450 lumens because you need the extended range when slamming down a mountainside at night. The lowest-lumen light we tested was the 600-lumen Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro, a light intended specifically for use as a helmet light, which we recommend is used in conjunction with a brighter bar-mounted light.
Related: The Best Headlamps
All the lights we tested had at least 3 different power settings, and most had a flash mode. Using full power is best reserved for the most technical parts of the trail or screaming downhill on inky nights. Riders generally use lower settings while climbing or riding in flat, open parts of the trail, as the maximum power setting burns through the battery fastest. The flashing mode is most useful for daylight and night riding on roads and pedestrian paths but isn’t recommended for trail riding.
Battery Life
How long a light will last in the wild is partly up to the user. As previously mentioned, most riders use lower power settings while climbing or riding flat sections to save battery life.
We recommend a light that’s rated for at least 90 minutes on high power, which is the minimum rating of all the lights we tested and each lasted at least that long. That said, by using lower power settings you can easily enjoy night riding for 2 or more hours on a single charge, and lights with external battery options can allow you to extend your ride even further under the stars.
The floodlight beam pattern of the Bright Eyes (left), Light & Motion Seca Comp (center), and Lezyne 1800 Mega (right). Photo by Chris Meehan.
Beam Pattern
There are two primary beam patterns in mountain bike lights: floodlights and spotlights.
FLOODLIGHT PATTERN
Floodlights help you better anticipate turns and ups and downs on the trail. A bar-mounted floodlight gives you a broader look at all the terrain in front of you—and perhaps the nearby cows or wild animals. The cows were so close on one dark trail we felt their warm breath in the cool night air.
SPOTLIGHT BEAM
Spotlight beams are ideal as helmet-mounted lights that track your head movement. These focused beams add more illumination and eliminate more shadows. They’re also great for looking ahead to see things like narrow gaps between trees or rocks. However, if you’re only using a helmet light, especially with a single LED spotlight, it can prove distracting on the trail—particularly if it’s not securely mounted or you move your head a lot since the beam will jostle with each movement. Hence we recommend a bar and helmet light combo, and a bar light if you’ll only have one.
Many mountain bike lights have multiple LEDs and some have multiple lens covers. This allows a cyclist to switch between a focussed beam, a spotlight, or a mix of the two.
In the end, users want to find an LED bike light system that offers a good view of everything ahead without any bright or dark spots.
Mounting
Mountain bike lights are mounted in two spots: on the helmet and on the handlebars.
HANDLEBAR-MOUNTED LIGHTS
A handlebar-mounted light is the most important to have, as it offers a more stable lighting solution. Handlebar lights mount with a collar or strap that secures them to the handlebar. It’s best to mount them as close to the stem as possible so the beam is centered on the path ahead.
HELMET-MOUNTED LIGHTS
Helmet mounts are a little trickier since you have to thread them through your helmet vents. They’re also a bit more wobbly than handlebar-mounted lights, as your head bounces along the ride. Some battery-integrated lights are helmet mountable, but they add weight to the front of your bike helmet. Keeping the extra weight steady can cause neck pain over long distances.
Some lights have accessories that allow you to mount them on either the handlebar or the bike helmet. You can even buy accessories that allow you to mount them alongside a GoPro or your cycle computer so you don’t need to take up more bar space close to the bar stem.
While our favorite light is a handlebar-mounted one, you may want to consider a bike light with multiple mounting options for your first mountain bike light. That way as you get more into mountain biking you have an additional backup light, which you can use if a battery goes out or a buddy needs one.
Price Range
Price is always a factor—and most mountain bike lights aren’t cheap.
The least expensive light we tested, the Bright Eyes 1600 Lumen Helios Rechargeable Bicycle Light Set, has an MSRP of $100—but we’ve found it for $49.47 on the company’s site.
The price of other lights increases with their features. Features can include multiple LEDs, external batteries, displays that show how long the battery will last, an extra mounting bracket, Bluetooth connectivity and/or apps, and even a remote control. The most expensive light we tested was the Gloworm XS Lightset (G2.0).
Battery Type
Every light we tested used a rechargeable battery. Some use external battery packs, others were integrated with a battery and light in the same unit.
EXTERNAL BATTERY
An external battery is bigger and can offer longer run times. Plus, if the one you’re using runs out, you can swap it for a charged battery to extend the ride. Though lights with external batteries are heavier overall, the LED light unit itself is lighter, which is particularly nice for a helmet-mounted light, since you don’t have the weight of the battery on the front of your helmet. Even a few ounces on the front of your helmet can add neck strain and pull the helmet forward over your eyes a bit.
On the downside, the light and battery must be mounted away from each other. They’re connected by cords that must be secured so they won’t get caught on anything while you’re riding. You’ve also got to keep the cords from getting tangled in your helmet or handlebars. Helmet lights with external batteries are often kept in a jacket pocket or the top of a pack, to keep them from getting in the way while riding.
INTEGRATED BATTERIES
Lights with integrated batteries are nice because you don’t have to deal with any cords, they attach to the handlebar securely, and it’s easier to attach just one light to your bike (rather than the light and a battery). The integrated lights are more compact units overall, but most had a shorter burn time than lights with external batteries.
The Lezyne Mega Drive is a battery-integrated light ideal for pass through charging. Photo by Chris Meehan.
Charging
How the lights charge matters, too.
All the battery-integrated lights have an advantage because they’re USB rechargeable. The external battery Gloworm is a USB rechargeable bike light that uses a USB-C cord (rounded) to charge and connect. However, it comes with an adapter for USB-A (rectangular, more common) connections, so it will work with either USB port.
The rest of the external battery packs use AC adapters for charging. External batteries often charge faster than internal battery models because they can charge using higher currents. However, if you forget the charger for one of the external battery packs and can’t find a replacement when you’re at the trail, you’re out of luck.
If you’re out for a few days and nights of riding and have a USB rechargeable battery, you can charge during the day with a solar charger or backup battery. Two of the battery-integrated lights, the Bontrager Ion Pro RT and the Lezyne Mega Drive 1800i, also allow for pass-through charging, meaning you can plug in a battery while using it. The Bontrager uses micro USB charging, and the Lezyne via its own battery pack and a separate connection.
Durability/Waterproofness
Over their lifetimes, these units are likely going to suffer. You don’t want to smash them into every rock or splash them down in every puddle, but the lights need to survive any rowdier-than-expected nights.
The water resistance of the lights we tested ranged from IPX4 (rated to handle splashing water) to IP67, which means they can withstand being submerged in about three feet of water for up to 30 minutes and are totally protected against dirt, dust, and sand. We break down how the IPX ratings work in our wireless earbuds guide.
Some lights and enclosures are also drop-tested up to a meter to ensure the light will operate even after a significant impact or drop. Lights with better durability and waterproofing ratings tend to last a long time, reducing the need to replace them often along with your environmental impact.
Remote Operation
As long as you’re not in an overnight race or trying to get away from a charging bear or elk, you don’t really need a remote control. It’s easy enough to tap the button on all the lights we tested to cycle through the lighting modes. But having a remote for your handlebar positioned right by your brake lever means you can cycle through the light modes more easily. This is great when dealing with rides that require a lot of ups and downs where you don’t want to stop often.
Connectivity
Another nice but unnecessary feature is connectivity. Some lights are controllable with a smart device via Bluetooth and an app. Others are ANT+ capable, allowing them to work with devices like cycle computers. When connected to these devices, users can access different light modes and information about the lights they might not otherwise see, like anticipated burn time.
Care and Maintenance
Mountain bike lights are rugged by design. Most quality lights are sealed and able to withstand drops from up to a meter. They can also handle being splashed with (and even submerged in) water. The majority of the maintenance you’ll have to do to your mountain bike lights will be cleaning and charging them.
In fact, the most important maintenance is to keep your light’s battery charged properly. Modern rechargeable bike lights with lithium-ion batteries are capable of being fully charged hundreds of times. But to extend the lives of the batteries—and keep them operating for as long as possible on a single charge—it’s important to keep them fully charged. This is especially true before storing them for a long time. Likewise, once you’re done storing them, it’s important to charge them up before using them the first time, since batteries will drain over time.
Proper charging is most important for self-enclosed lights since users can’t replace the batteries easily themselves. For lights with external battery packs, users can buy a new battery to replace one that’s no longer working as well as it should—but we should all still be taking good care of our batteries, especially given their environmental cost.
About the Author
Growing up mountain biking, hiking, and adventuring in the Appalachian Mountains around Virginia and Maryland in the 90s, I’ve seen a lot of things change on mountain bikes (lights are just one of them). These days, I spend most of my time mountain biking and crisscrossing Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, climbing thousands of feet for thrilling descents on Pikes Peak granite, ripping through thick pine forests and tight hairpin switchbacks on loose dirt.
Overall, I have 20-plus years of exploring, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, climbing, guiding, and playing in the wild. I worked with National Geographic and their mapping division in developing their Colorado 14ers Map Pack Bundle, as well as Falcon Guide’s Climbing Colorado 14ers guidebook. I’ve written about hiking and climbing for Elevation Outdoors, including stories about Colorado 14ers and outdoor apps to boost adventures.
My most recent Falcon Guide book, Colorado’s Best Front Range Adventures: The Greatest Hiking, Climbing, Paddling and More From Denver to Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. In it, I cover some of the best mountain biking trails on Colorado’s Front Range as well as the best hiking, biking, climbing, and rafting in the region. This project gave me more chances to revisit some of my favorite trails in a whole new light—those mounted on a mountain bike.
I’ve tested multiple mountain bike headlamps and bar lamps personally, talked with other night riders, and spent a lot of time researching mountain bike lights to find the best lights available. At Treeline Review we strive to offer unbiased reviews to help you find the best product for the price. Treeline Review doesn’t accept sponsored content, native advertising, or paid reviews. I am not sponsored by any companies, nor are any of my family members sponsored by, employees of, or ambassadors of any of the companies in this review.
You can read all of my stories on my website or author page.
