Tested: 4 Powerful LED Bike Lights We Love

As the name implies, the Central 700 puts out 700 lumens. That claim is backed up by FL-1 standard, which has long been used by the flashlight industry to measure true light output. The Central’s beam spread is wide and generous, with good reach down the road. A waterproof on/off button controls three levels of light output plus strobe and flash modes, and acts as a power gauge. Lit-up green shows a full charge, orange indicates 75 percent battery remaining, and a dip into the red means 25 percent charge left. Memory built into the switch turns the light on at the same setting it was turned off at. A small replaceable L-ion battery powers the light. While Blackburn offers a lifetime warranty on almost everything it makes, batteries are not covered. Fortunately, Blackburn offers replacements for 15 bucks. This also makes sense from a carry-some-extra-batteries-with-you standpoint: No sense getting stranded on a ride with no light. Charging is via micro USB and weight is a reasonable 172 grams. The clamp is a stretchy rubberband affair that does a good job holding the light in place. It also swivels 360 degrees, which makes it easy to focus the beam where you need it. The light is also compatible with GoPro-style mounts. —Mike Yozell

Price: $100 

Blackburn Central 700, $100.00, Competitive Cyclist

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The Bontrager Ion RT is very similar to the company’s Ion 700, which we reviewed last year (check out our review of the Bontrager Ion 700 here). But there’s one key difference: The RT model includes a ANT+ operated unit called the Transmitr that mounts to the handlebar and offers easy control for up to seven lights at once. I tested the set-up with three lights: a helmet mounted Ion 700 RT, a handlebar-mounted version of the same light, and Bontrager’s Flare RT taillight.  The Ion itself was excellent—three steady modes provided 700 lumens (run time 1.75 hours), 450 lumens (3 hours), and 200 lumens (6.75 hours). Additionally, there were two “be seen” flash modes. The beam was bright, wide, and far-reaching. The helmet mount installed and adjusted easily, though I did feel that the light sat rather far above my head compared to some others I've tested. The handlebar mount attached with a gummy strap (which I had to stretch rather tightly over my 31.8mm handlebar) and remained secure. The light can rotate in the bar mount, clicking securely into several positions along the way. The Ion charges completely in five hours using a weather-tight micro-USB plug. 

Now for the fun part: the Transmitr remote. A quick press to the center button turns all the lights on; once they’re powered up, they are controlled individually by the four buttons around the center. Set-up was ridiculously simple: It took about a minute and a half. Rather than reaching up to my helmet or behind my seatpost to the taillight, I was able to adjust the brightness and modes of each light, or turn them on and off individually. It made riding at night surprisingly easy—with one touch of a button, I was no longer blinding my friends at a trail stop, and I could switch to a lower-light mode to conserve battery on non-technical climbs (battery life was also indicated on the remote). One cool use of the tech: Bontrager says that riders can even create a turn signal configuration, using two of the Flare RT taillights. —Taylor Rojek

Bontrager Ion 700 RT, $160.00

When I ride in the dark, I want both to see and be seen. Lezyne's Hecto Drive set provided two pieces to help me achieve that: a 300 lumen headlight and a blinky taillight.

The Hecto Drive headlight securely attached to my handlebar using a thick silicone-rubber strap. A single power and function button on the top of the light made for easy, no-nonsense operation, even while wearing lightweight gloves.

When on the road, I set the Hecto to its brightest, steady-on setting so I could see obstacles I needed to avoid, and to make me more visible to oncoming traffic. When on a paved, multi-use path, I set the light to flashing on the medium setting since I did not want to blind oncoming traffic; they just needed to know I was approaching.

Battery life was excellent; on my rides, and I never saw a low-power indicator go on. Lezyne claims runtime to be anywhere from one to 10 hours, depending on user’s settings. An LED indicator on the body of the light indicates percentage battery charge.

The Strip Drive taillight mounted to my seatpost using a snug-fitting silicone-rubber strap. And, also like the headlight, the taillight has multiple operating modes, from steady-on and ultra-bright, to flashing with a lower power setting for low-light, easy-to-be-seen riding environments.

An LED battery charge indicator on the taillight let me know when I needed to charge it. Both lights are rechargeable via a USB connector. But, instead of plugging a cable into the lights, you can plug the lights directly into a USB power supply, or a computer, as you would with a removable USB storage drive. Silicone covers keep the USB connectors safe and dry when the light is on your bike, and not charging.

The light set is compact and relatively light, which I appreciated when I needed to pull the lights off my commuter bike and toss them in my bag or pocket. So I  never had an excuse to not be seen both during the day, and at night. —Greg Kaplan

Lezyne Hecto Drive 300XL Headlight/Strip Drive Taillight, $67.99, competitive cyclist

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Light and Motion’s Urban line of lights has packed an impressive amount of light into an incredibly small package. Its latest, the Urban 850 Trail, raises the bar with even more output at 850 lumens, throwing off enough light to help me ride rocky mountain bike trails. The Trail model has similar weight (121 grams), charge time (2.5 hours) and run time (1.5 hour run time on high, 3 hour on medium, and 6 hour on low) as Light and Motion's Urban 800. Higher light output, red side bulbs, and a different reflector bump the 850 Trail’s cost up to $180—an extra $30. Included is a helmet mount and GoPro mount that’s particularly cool since some helmets have one integrated. Plus, the GoPro mount lets you put this light on the bottom of a Barfly Garmin mount for a clean and tidy setup.

The special reflector and increased output offers a light that, when compared to the Urban 800, reaches farther in the distance with a tighter focus. There is still enough spread to see the surrounding trail or road so it’s not like a traditional spot beam but a blend of the two. By itself the Urban 850 Trail is enough light for most riding situations at a moderate pace, and when paired with another Urban 800 mounted on the helmet there’s enough light to make you think about cutting the cord of a more expensive wired system for good. —Ron Koch

Light and Motion Urban 850 Trail, $149.99, Competitive Cyclist

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