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The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Don’t put your mountain bike away for the season. Head out in the dark with an awesome mountain bike light attached to your handlebars and go have an adventure!

Mountain Biker Riding Trails at Night With Bike Light(Photo/Outbound Lighting)
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The greatest thing we’ve found about night riding is that all the trails feel new again. No matter how many times we’ve done a trail in the dark, it always surprises us how different and adventurous it feels. As professional adventure racers (you might remember Team GearJunkie from a recent USARA National Championship Race), we’ve spent countless hours riding at night. And we’ve learned firsthand the importance of a good light.

For this test, we put over 25 lights through countless night rides. Additionally, we performed runtime tests, charging tests, and even durability and waterproofness tests by way of river crossings and crashing into mud puddles (accidentally).

While testing, we considered beam quality, form factor, ease of use, battery life, price, and durability. Whether night riding is a novel thing or already in your arsenal for tackling the seasonal darkness, we’ve found a light for you!

These lights are the best technical mountain bike lights — and most have a price tag to match. They’re overkill for anyone needing a light for the daily commute or road riders looking to occasionally light up the road and be seen. But they’re totally worth it if you plan to hit up the trails after the sun sets.

Below, we’ve broken the list into categories to help you find the best light for your needs. And if you need more help choosing, be sure to read our detailed buyer’s guide, as well as our comparison chart and frequently asked questions at the end of the article. Or if you know what you’re looking for, scroll through to see all of our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for.

The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Best Overall

Light & Motion Seca Comp 2000

Specs

  • Lumens 2,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.5 hours on high
  • Weight 8 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 2,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.5 hours on high
  • Weight 8 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Simple use and interface
  • Flood/spot light combination
  • Easy to attach

Cons

  • Price
  • Not the longest burn time
Best Budget Light

Fenix BC30 Bike Light V2.0

Specs

  • Lumens 2,200 (max output)
  • Burn time 2.3 hours at 1,500 lumens
  • Weight 5.43 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 2,200 (max output)
  • Burn time 2.3 hours at 1,500 lumens
  • Weight 5.43 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Budget price
  • Replaceable batteries
  • Operable by wireless switch

Cons

  • Battery compartment only waterproof when closed
Best Bikepacking Light

Light & Motion Vis Pro 1000 Trail

Specs

  • Lumens 1,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2.5 hours on high
  • Weight 5 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 1,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2.5 hours on high
  • Weight 5 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Durable
  • Can light the way while charging

Cons

  • 1,000 lumen max output is lower end of functional
  • Rubber mounting system isn't 100% stable
Best for Mountain or Road

RAVEMEN PR1600

Specs

  • Lumens 1,600 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.4 hours on high
  • Weight 8 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 1,600 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.4 hours on high
  • Weight 8 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Remote switch
  • Two lens design for both flood and spot
  • Passthrough charging

Cons

  • Shorter burn time without added power
Best Handlebar + Helmet Combo System

Outbound Lighting EVO Downhill Package

Specs

  • Lumens 3,000 (combined max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 11 oz. (handlebar light + mount), 4.5 oz. (helmet light + mount)
  • Mounts Handlebar and helmet
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 3,000 (combined max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 11 oz. (handlebar light + mount), 4.5 oz. (helmet light + mount)
  • Mounts Handlebar and helmet

Pros

  • Excellent beam pattern
  • Impressive combined lumen output
  • Small footprint

Cons

  • Burn times don't live up to specs
Best User Experience

Lupine Lights Wilma R 7 Helmet Light System

Specs

  • Lumens 3,200 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.45 hours on high
  • Weight 4.3 oz. (without battery)
  • Mounts Helmet
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 3,200 (max output)
  • Burn time 1.45 hours on high
  • Weight 4.3 oz. (without battery)
  • Mounts Helmet

Pros

  • Many compatibility options for mounts and batteries
  • Bluetooth controllable through an app or remote
  • High-power output

Cons

  • Expensive

Best of the Rest

Gloworm X2 Adventure Lightset

Specs

  • Lumens 2,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 10.2 oz. (total system)
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 2,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 10.2 oz. (total system)
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Excellent value
  • Small footprint on handlebars or helmet
  • Wireless remote

Cons

  • Average burn time
  • Not quite enough lumens for downhill use

Exposure Six Pack MK 11

Specs

  • Lumens 5,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 13.6 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 5,000 (max output)
  • Burn time 2 hours on high
  • Weight 13.6 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Smart adaptive light metering
  • Long burntime perfect for enduro

Cons

  • Heavier unit
  • 8 hour charge time

NiteRider Pro 4200 Enduro

Specs

  • Lumens 4,200 (max output)
  • Burn time Up to 3 hours on high
  • Weight 3 lbs., 1.6 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar
The Best Mountain Bike Lights of 2023

Specs

  • Lumens 4,200 (max output)
  • Burn time Up to 3 hours on high
  • Weight 3 lbs., 1.6 oz.
  • Mounts Handlebar

Pros

  • Blazing 4,200 lumens
  • Long burn time at 600 lumens

Cons

  • Price
  • IP64 water-resistant rating isn't the most protective

Mountain Bike Lights Comparison Chart

Mountain Bike LightLumensBurn TimeWeightMounts
Light & Motion Seca
Comp 2000
2,000 (max output)1.5 hrs. on high8 oz.Handlebar
Fenix BC30 Bike
Light V2.0
2,200 (max output)2.3 hrs. at 1,500 lumens5.43 oz.Handlebar
Light & Motion Vis
Pro 1000 Trail
1,000 (max output)2.5 hrs. on high5 oz.Handlebar
RAVEMEN PR16001,600 (max output)1.4 hrs. on high8 oz.Handlebar
Outbound Lighting
EVO Downhill Package
3,000 (combined max output)2 hrs. on high11 oz. (handlebar light),
4.5 oz. (helmet light)
Handlebar and helmet
Lupine Lights Wilma
R 7 Helmet Light System
3,200 (max output)1.45 hrs. on high4.3 oz. (without battery)Helmet
Gloworm X2 Adventure2,000 (max output)2 hrs. on high10.2 oz. (total system)Handlebar
Exposure Six Pack MK 115,000 (max output)2 hrs. on high13.6 oz.Handlebar
NiteRider Pro 4200 Enduro4,200 (max output)3 hrs. on high3 lbs., 1.6 oz.Handlebar

Why You Should Trust Us

The crew at GearJunkie has certainly spent their fair share of time in the saddle. Many among us steal away for after-work mountain bike laps, and some even participate in international adventure racing — where a good light can be the difference between a sunrise and a DNF. After years of both casual riding and full-tilt pedal mashing, we’ve keyed in on the best mountain bike lights on the market today that’ll see you through the night.

During our many seasons of testing, we’ve learned that a light for downhill won’t be the same as a light for all-night cross-country travel, so we carefully weighed each light against one another with these use profiles in mind. We also aimed to assess the real brass tack performance metrics such as brightness, burn time, and weight. Both battery and LED technology are constantly being improved upon, and the MTB lights of today are only getting better as time goes on.

Many of the lights here have been used by our staff for years of tough riding, and are still kicking today. As sure as there will be new lights on the market in the years to come, we will be testing them and updating our list to reflect the current best of the best in mountain bike lights.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best MTB Light

When the time comes to select a mountain biking lighting system, there are a few key factors to consider. In this how-to-choose guide, we’ll cover the major variables that will help inform your decision.

Types of Riding

If your trails are super technical and steep, you’ll want to look for a light that won’t bounce around and is super bright.

If you ride on trails that are flowy with lots of turns, it pays dividends to have both a helmet- and bar-mounted light. Most of our testers preferred the lights that center mount directly in front of the stem.

Testing Mountain Bike Lights
Testing mountain bike lights near Bend, Oregon; (photo/Darren Steinbach)

Ride Duration and Burn Time

Burn time is the total length of time a bike light can stay on before its battery is depleted.

Are you looking for something to brighten up your trails for an all-nighter? Or are you just looking for a light that you can use once or twice a week on a 2-hour ride? Answer these questions and then look for a light that best suits your needs.

For example, if I’m only going to ride twice a week for a few hours in the dark, burn time is less critical and I can charge it between rides. However, if I’m a 24-hour mountain bike racer, I want to pick out a light that will either last 8-plus hours or comes with an extra battery.

Bikepackers and adventure racers may be looking for a system that’s chargeable via solar or power bank — or something that can go for days with careful output management.

Brightness and Lumens

The brightness of a light is measured in lumens. While mountain biking in low light, you’ll definitely want a bright light that adequately illuminates the terrain ahead.

If you plan to ride in full darkness, we recommend a light with at least 500 lumens on your handlebars and 500 lumens on your helmet. Depending on the quality of the lights, this should be enough to create good visibility in dark foliage-covered areas.

It’s important to understand lumens are not the only factor to determine a light’s brightness and performance. Other factors to be considered include beam pattern and burn time.

A light’s beam pattern refers to how it disperses light across the trail. An excellent beam pattern will fill the entire trail with light and focus the brightness where you need it most. While lumens are important, a light with tons of lumens only fulfills its potential if the beam pattern is effective.

Burn time is another key consideration. If your light doesn’t last as long as you need it to, its lumen count doesn’t really matter.

User Experience

Are you able and excited to put in the time to program and set up your light system? Or do you want to take it out of the box, clamp it on, and have it ready to go? There are many lights out there that cater to both as well as some in-between.

There are many that are ultra-fancy, like a really expensive watch that can do nearly everything you can imagine (and more you’ll likely never use), and then there are others that are super simple. They charge by the cord you already have or, better yet, just take batteries.

Take some time before you buy to think about the amount of time you’re willing to put into your lighting system. Systems like the Lupine are easily upgradeable in nearly every way.

Outbound Mountain Bike Lights
(Photo/Outbound Lighting)

Budget

Whether you have money to spend or are pinching pennies right now, you can always find something that will get you out there having fun and lighting up your trails. If you’re trying to save money, it may just take a little more patience to find what you want.

A great place to look is on online gear swap sites and at your local used gear store. We’ve found some screaming deals lately from people who have moved on to other sports or hobbies. The nice thing about lights is you can instantly tell if they are still in good working order with the push of a button.

We tested a number of uber-cheap specials and found they did work somewhat. However, they invariably failed to match the durability, battery life, beam pattern, or burn time of the similar lights we tested. We now have a drawer full of sub-$15 lights for our kids to use while mountain biking.

Bottom line? It’s worth spending a bit more to get a light that works and lasts.

FAQ

Do I need mountain bike lights if I only ride during the day?

That depends. If you’re out riding at midday, chances are you won’t need to use a light. Still, it’s wise to come prepared for a variety of situations and changes in weather. Generally, we recommend that all mountain bike riders carry some form of lighting system — even during daytime rides.

In foggy or cloudy conditions, it can be helpful to supplement the sun with a bit of extra light.

How long do mountain bike lights last?

Eventually, all battery-powered mountain bike lights will die and need a recharge. The battery life or burn time of a light ultimately depends on the quality of the battery and light, the setting used, and the air temperature.

If you’re running a high-quality bike light at peak power, it will generally only stay on for between 90 and 150 minutes. At lower outputs, the same lights may be able to last for twice as long or longer. The mountain bike lights with the biggest and most powerful battery packs may be able to stay on at full output for up to 4 hours.

To get the most out of your light, we recommend always starting your ride at full charge.

Do I need lights on both my handlebars and my helmet?

A helmet-mounted light will move with your head and always point where you are looking. On trails with lots of technical features and tight turns, a helmet-mounted light is invaluable.

Meanwhile, a handlebar-mounted light will point toward where your bike is headed — which is not always the direction you want to go.

In low-light and nighttime conditions, we recommend riding with both a helmet light and a handlebar light. If you must choose one, a helmet light is a top priority.

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