The best budget bike lights will help keep you safe and seen while commuting or riding at night.
Bike light laws in the UK stipulate your bike must have working front and back lights on public roads between sunset and sunrise. A set of lights is therefore a wise investment if you cycle to work and 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.
Best budget bike lights in 2024, 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.
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.
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.
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.
NiteRider Swift 500 front light
The NiteRider Swift 500 front light is an ideal light for commuting. It is simple to use, robust, waterproof and cheap at £25.
The run time when using its full 500-lumen beam is relatively short, lasting only 1 hour 30 minutes. But this will be sufficient for most commutes, and our tester found it quick to charge.
Sigma Buster RL 150 rear light
The Sigma Buster RL 150 is a compact rear light, which lived up to its claimed four-hour battery life in testing.
With a maximum output of 150 lumens, it’s not the most powerful rear bike light. But its speed brake light mode is a welcome extra, which should alert other road users to your decrease in speed.
Check out more bike lights
If you haven't found the right bike lights for you, our guide to the best bike lights for road cycling includes a wide range of more expensive options.
Or, if you go trail riding at night, head to our guide to the best mountain bike lights.
