Do you want to carry on pedaling once the sun has gone down? If so, you might be wondering what are the best mountain bike lights?
It's not quite the simple purchase you might first think but we're here to help you out!
We'll be looking at the difference a good beam pattern makes. Whether or not a helmet mount is needed.
What about a battery indicator, do you need one?
Why Are Good MTB Lights Important?
The best mountain bike lights are going to provide you with a better riding experience.
Struggling to see is going to slow you down and make your ride unpleasant.
Having the best MTB lights means that you will be able to see what is in front of you and others will be able to see you. All of this helps to prevent any unnecessary accidents.
Different Types of MTB Lights
1. Front Lights
As the name suggests, a front light goes on the front of your mountain bike.
It will emit a white beam. The light from these lights tends to be the most powerful.
They are designed to ensure that you can be seen but that you can see where you are going.
2. Rear Lights
You will mount a rear light onto the back of your bike, usually on the seat post.
The beam is red in color and they are designed to ensure that traffic sees you.
3. Helmet Lights
A head unit light set up is a great option to pair up with a bar mount light.
They will project light wherever you are looking. They also allow you to be seen more easily by others - which is always a good thing.
For trail use, having a light on your helmet can allow you to navigate things more quickly as you get a better overall view of things, not just what is in front of you.
Helmet lights are usually attached using a helmet mount, which comes with the light. Sometimes this can velcro straps or rubber straps.
Generally, I wouldn't recommend using a helmet head unit light independently. A helmet and bar light combination is usually a winning formula for most riders.
4. Wearable Lights
Wearable lights are becoming increasingly popular as they make sure that you are visible, not just your bike.
These lights are designed to be clipped or attached to your jacket/jersey, bag, or helmet.
They tend to be quite small and can be easily removed from your clothing but they are also very secure so you don't have to worry when you're riding.
Wearable lights are very impactful if you need to go on the road. They can make you much more visible to other road users.
Buyer's Guide: How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike Lights
There are a few things you need to consider before purchasing lights. Let's look at a few!
1. Lumens/ Brightness
Bike lights serve two purposes. The first is so you can see where you're going. The second is so that others can see you.
Believe it or not, technology has developed so much with bike lights that you can now buy lights that are more powerful than car headlights.
When you're looking at a front light for trail riding you should be looking at anything at 1500 lumens and greater.
That's assuming this is your only light. However, if you're using a combination of a helmet light and a bar-mounted light then you can adequately get away with 1000 lumens.
Having said that, if you're a quick rider then aim for greater light output. You need it to be able to keep up with you.
2. Beam Pattern
You can have the best light output in the world but if it's pointing in the wrong direction, it's almost useless.
That's why getting the correct beam type is so important.
Consider the style of mountain biking you prefer, what the terrain is like.
A wide beam is required for technical terrains, where you would ride more slowly.
A narrow beam works better for wide, fast trails. Couple a bike light with a helmet light and you're onto a real winner!
3. Battery Life
A battery needs to last for as long as you intend to be using it (in an ideal world).
Battery life can be affected by colder temperatures so factor this in when buying a mountain bike light.
A battery indicator can be perfect for you to keep track of how much power you have left. This is particularly important if you ride for a long time during the night.
Nearly every bike light you come across will use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
The majority of lights will be self-contained but you may come across some that use a battery pack. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
A self-contained bike light will remove any cables and take away the unwieldy battery packs. The downside is they tend to be larger and a little weighty.
The lights that have a separate battery pack will require you to find a slot to store the powerpack. Most riders attach it to their bike or pop it in a backpack.
The advantage of a separate battery pack is that batteries do deteriorate over time and when this happens, you can change the battery without the need to change the light unit. It can also serve as a way to upgrade your battery.
4. Remote
When you're climbing a hill, you probably don't need to use the light at full power, however, you will be happy with it when you're headed down a descent.
Some of the best mountain bike lights have a remote so that you can change the output and you don't need to take your hands off the bars.
This increases the overall run time of the mountain bike light and gives you that high-powered beam when you need it most.
5. Water Resistance
The vast majority of bike lights provide some degree of water resistance.
It is best not to assume that all-mountain bike lights are.
Mountain biking is often wet and dirty so be sure to check the water-resistance of the light before purchasing.
6. Mounting
Most lights will call for them to be mounted to the handlebars if we're talking about a front light.
The lights get secured onto the handlebars using different ways, velcro, a mount bracket that gets tightened with a screw or rubber straps.
If your handlebars are standard, circular, then this shouldn't pose an issue to the best mountain bike lights.
The potential problem comes when the bars aren't circular, or standard. Always be sure to check that the lights you are considering will be compatible with your bike.
7. Burn Time
Burn time and battery life differ slightly in that burn time will look at the impact of running at different lumens, whereas battery life will give you an overall estimate.
What you will find with burn time is that it varies hugely between the brightest setting and the lowest lumens output setting. We're talking around 18 hours or so in some cases.
So when you are comparing burn time, ensure that you are comparing them against the same beam type and lumens output. Otherwise, you get widely differing results!
If having the most light all the time is important to you then burn time is going to be important to you.
There are some mountain bike lights that will start out at the highest lumens and as time goes on, the brightness will diminish.
While other models will stay at the set lumens until the battery is getting low. Then a 'get home safely' mode will kick in. The light output will be lower but will be enough to ensure that you get home...safely!
8. Weight
The weight of mountain bike lights will depend on the lumens capability and the battery size.
If you are after a simple 'be seen' type of lights then the weight isn't going to be an issue. A lot of this style of light are around the 15 - 30g mark so you're hardly going to notice the addition of them.
Those 'see with' lights weigh more, they usually start at around 150g and go up, depending on how big the battery is.
It very much is a trade-off and personally, I have always been willing to accept carrying a bit more weight if it meant I could see where I was going!
Where Do You Ride?
If you tend to ride trails that are steep and very technical then you need to ensure that your bike light remains in place, a secure bar-mounted bike light is what could serve you well.
Anything that bounces around is going to limit your visibility and if you're traveling at speed, that's a rider's nightmare!
A trail with sharp turns that flows really well requires a helmet light and a bar-mounted light. This ensures you can see straight ahead of you and also where you need to look. It's a perfect balance.
Most riders tend to mount their lights centrally on the stem when trail riding.
How Long Are Your Night Rides?
Depending on how long your rides are will determine what type of lights you need.
If you are planning on a night ride that will last most of the night (firstly, I salute you), then you're going to need to consider the battery life and whether extra battery packs are needed to see you through the whole of the night time.
However, if you need a bike light to get you through dark times once or twice a week, your needs will be different. Battery life and burn time won't be as important if your ride lasts 2 hours or so.
Overall the best mountain bike lighting combination is to have a front light mount on the handlebars of your bike and then pair that up with a helmet light.
This often provides you with the beam and power to get you through most rides!
Our Top 5 Recommendations
1. Best Overall: Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000
A lot of lights are all singing and dancing with their technology and while that's great sometimes going back to simpler and easier times is much preferred. That's exactly what the Light and Motion Seca Comp is about.
The Light Motion Seca unit itself is self-contained and super simple to use. Honestly, that's what a lot of people want. Power it on and go.
You get plenty of burn time and power which is great and charging time is a respectable four hours.
Charging is through the ever-popular micro USB cable so I'm sure you have plenty of those dotted around your house. No worries if not as one is included in the box.
The Light & Motion boasts waterproofing for up to one meter so no need to worry if you get caught in the rain, you'll still be able to see what's in front of you.
For riders who want something simple and that does exactly what it's meant to do, you wouldn't be making a bad purchase here. It's bright. It has a great battery life and there's nothing complex about it.
You can take on the trails with a feeling of confidence as it dishes out enough brightness and flood/spot combination to see what you need to see.
Need to commute? No problem! This bike light gives you fantastic daytime visibility and even the option for side lighting.
Pros
Cons
2. Best Downhill & Night Riding: NiteRider Pro 4200 Enduro
Downhill riders who love speed and intense trails, this range is the best mountain bike lights for you!
Yes, there are better lights out there that have better beam pattern or can be programmed in lots of ways but when it comes to night riding down and hurtling downhill at speed, you can't beat the NiteRider Pro 4200.
It has the power to go up to 4,200 lumens. You're probably never going to need that much but it's better to have it than not.
As for look and style, it's more rugged, than elegant, that's for sure. It has a purpose and it's going to do it. The battery is a huge eight-cell battery pack. From that, you'll get 16 and a half-hour of run time when running at 600 lumens. So, enough for most riders on night rides.
The night light will fit most standard 35mm bars so installation shouldn't be an issue.
Pros
Cons
3. Best Smart Race Light: Exposure Lights Six Pack
If you're after something a little different but still a totally superb product then Exposure Lights aren't going to disappoint! One of the best mountain bike lights in the smart category.
The Exposure six-pack is a bit of a unit - we're talking the size of a drinks can. It's called six-pack due to its six LEDs built-in.
Smart features are what make this light what it is. It uses Reflex+ technology. Inside the light unit, there are four sensors, that collect data.
This data will be used to change the light output. Ultimately, it gives you light when you need it most. When you don't, it saves battery life.
So if you stop for a rest, this will register on the sensor and the light will dim. Bombing down a hill, it will light up so you can take those corners at speed without any worries.
Basically, smart technology means that it does what you would do if you were trying to save battery power on your light. You just don't need to do anything!
It's a huge plus for riders who often forget that they're running on high beam when they don't need to, leaving them short on the bits of the ride where they need it most.
With the Exposure six-pack, you know that you're getting the best light for the right situations therefore you'll have light for the duration of your night riding. The reflex mode is a joy for this.
There is the option to pick up a wireless remote for this front light but I can't say it's worth doing, the Reflex+ technology is so good, why do its job?
Pros
Cons
4. Most Versatile: Ravemen PR1600
Are you in need of a mountain bike light that is good for both mountain and road use? The Ravemen PR1600 could serve you brilliantly - trail or road.
When you're night riding on the trials, you can benefit from the remote switch. Allowing you to change up the lumens when you need to. Why stop when you don't have to?
You could always attach an external battery pack to the bike lights and you'll bring up the run time from its four hours.
Based on lumens alone, these are some of the best mountain bike lights you can get. The right side lens provides you with full brightness, of up to nearly 500 feet into the distance - that's getting into being as good as what you get on a car! So it's a fantastic light that is most certainly bright enough to head down the trail at night.
Pop this light into MTB mode and then you can take it up to the full 1600 lumens, you'll be able to see everything you like to see at night.
When it comes to jumping on the commuter trail, the left lens has a dipped beam pattern. The benefit of this is that you can see the ground ahead of you, without dazzling oncoming pedestrians, motorists, or other cyclists. Nobody wants to be that person.
With this mode you can switch the number of lumens it gives out as well as having a flashing mode. If you don't need much light, there is an eco setting and this will increase the run time to up to 20 hours.
Pros
Cons
5. Best Budget MTB Lights: Fenix BC30R
Trail riding made easy with the Fenix bike light.
You get a wireless remote which is perfect for those moments when you want to increase or decrease the lumens, without having to take your hands off your grips.
One feature that really sets these lights apart is that you can set a 2,200 lumens blast. It will give you a super bright light for 30 seconds.
Fantastic function if you're descending and need a boost in light for a short duration, without worrying about impacting the burn time too much.
The great thing is that the batteries in this light can be replaced so if you're planning on several day trips that involve lots of night riding, then you won't need to worry about powering your lights! Just flip them out and away you go.
A dent in the Fenix's armor is that it's only IP67 rated. Meaning that when it's sealed, you're fine, water won't trouble it (don't go crazy and submerge the light but rain will be fine). However, when you're changing the batteries, it may get problematic and you could end up damaging the mountain bike light.
Pros
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Common Questions & Answers
1. What is the best bike light for night riding?
This very much depends on what type of riding you do!
Downhill riding? Look for one that has the capacity to power a lot of lumens. You're going to need them when you're taking the trail at speed.
The NiteRider Pro 4200 Enduro has shown to be the best mountain bike lights for night riding when it comes to downhill.
General mountain biking? Get an all-rounder. Something that will kick out the light when you need it but has a decent run time and you can vary the beam pattern when you need to.
The Ravemen PR1600 is one of the best all-rounders.
Even good for those times when you venture on the road - we all have to occasionally!
It comes with a remote switch so you can change the power output when you need to, without the need to stop or even take your hands off the bars.
2. Do mountain bikes need lights?
If you have zero intention of ever been out on your mountain bike when it's even slightly dark, then that's fine, you perhaps don't need lights.
However, the weather can change and if you're deep in the woodland, you could find that having a light to guide you could be beneficial.
Speaking from experience, being caught out when dusk is kicking in, is pretty scary. You start to wonder if you're going to make it back before darkness truly descends.
It ruins the ride somewhat so I don't recommend being in that position. Learn from me and carry a light, just in case!
I found that once I had some decent lights, I was more inclined to go out at night time and got a whole new perspective of riding! Amazing what a beam of light can do.
3. How many lumens do I need cycling at night?
If you're on the trails and they are quite technical then you should aim for around 1200+ lumens. This seems to be the optimum point.
Anything greater than this, while nice, doesn't seem to bring many benefits to the performance of the rider. Mainly because there is only so far people can see ahead before things get in the way, trees, etc.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with using more lumens! Just factor in that the burn time of the mountain bike lights may be impacted more.
One thing that is worth doing if you can is to pick up a light with more lumens than you think you'll need. This means the light won't be running at full power when it's at your perfect brightness level. The impact is you usually get a longer run time.
Final Verdict
So that's our round-up on mountain bike lights! Which one comes out as the best?
Well for many reasons the best has to the Light and Motion Seca.
It's simple and gives you plenty of lumens for night riding. One-touch of the power button and you're ready to go. What else could you want?
Waterproofing is important for a mountain bike light and the Light and Motion offers total waterproofing so it's one less thing to think about. The lithium ion battery is one of the best out there. Overall the Light and Motion Seca comes out as our best mountain bike lights because it's a reliable piece of no-nonsense kit, and sometimes that's exactly what we want!