LED lighting technology has come a long way, allowing the lightweight, durable, instant-on mighty mites to achieve excellent brightness levels. Why is this important? Because whether it’s a little blinkie or something suitable for an airport runway, as the sun goes down, lights become an essential commuting accessory. Here’s a batch to consider, from basic to crazy.
Blackburn Voyager 3.0
Pro: Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to mount/dismount.
Con: Not enough light for city riding, must buy batteries.
Cost: $42 (with Mars tail light, see below)
NiteRider Sol
Pro: Killer beam, good hot spot, small size.
Con: Easy to accidentally turn off.
Cost: $150
Light and Motion Vega
Pro: Best stand-alone (no battery light on the market), very easy to use, lots of light.
Con: None.
Cost: $179
Light and Motion Stella
Pro: Great ergonomics, very nice beam, pretty.
Con: Intensity sacrificed for overall beam spread.
Cost: $199
Princeton Tec 1
Pro: Little, easy to mount and use.
Con: Large, clunky battery, not enough light (particularly for the price).
Cost: $229
DiNotte 200L
Pro: Size, mounting system, bright, white light.
Con: Battery reliability (for us).
Cost: $230
Princeton Tec 3
Pro: Bright, wide beam with good spread.
Con: Value, size of both light head and battery (big and heavy).
Cost: $390
Lupine Betty
Pro: Crazy bright, lightweight, programmable.
Con: More light than a car shouldn’t cost a kilobuck.
Cost: $995
Performance ViewPoint
Pro: Cheap. Bright, crazy flashing patterns, easy mount and dismount.
Con: None.
Cost: $19.99
Planet Bike Blaze
Pro: Bright. Not the brightest around, but close.
Con: Spendy for a tail light.
Cost: $36
Blackburn Mars 3.0
Pro: Little and extremely bright.
Con: Tiny screws to access battery.
Cost: $42 (with Voyager head light, see above)
DiNotte Ultimate Tail Light
Pro: Wow. The brightest we’ve ever seen.
Con: Ergonomics, battery reliability when wet.
Cost: $160
