4 good lights for front and rear

Lights are compulsory! In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, bicycles must be equipped with front and rear lights. We present recommended battery-operated LED front and rear lights with USB connection and explain what to look out for when buying.

Bicycle lights are not an optional accessory, but part of the mandatory equipment. All bicycles in Germany must be equipped with “forward-looking headlights for white low beam” (front light) and a “tail light for red light” (rear light) – this is what the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations ( StVZO § 67 Lighting equipment on bicycles). Also in Austria and in the Switzerland Comparable requirements of the respective legislature apply.

The best battery bike lights: All test winners and recommendations at a glance

Amazon bestseller: Fischer LED lighting set

Fischer LED bike lighting set (USB), with 360° floor light

The price may be higher now. Price as of 01/11/2022 07:17

Advantages:

• Double pack of front and rear light at an attractive price
• 360 degree “circle of light” on the ground (rear light)

Disadvantages:

• Rear light without battery display (indicator)

Front and rear lights with approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), in a set for around 25 euros – with the low price, it’s no wonder that the Fischer LED lighting set can be found at the top of the Amazon bestseller list for bicycle lamp sets. Incidentally, the full name is “Fischer 50363 battery light set 30 lux front light & 360° twin rear light light set” – that’s how it’s listed at MediaMarkt, for example.

Amazon customers rate the Fischer bicycle light set with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The red light circle on the ground, which is generated by the rear light, is praised – however, this has no battery indicator for a low charge level. Criticism also has to put up with the rubber attachment, which according to individual reports has only a limited shelf life. Annoying, but you have to cope with the low price. At least you can find universal replacement rubber rings for bicycle lights on Amazon.

Price-performance tip front light: Cateye GVolt 50

Cateye GVolt 50 HL-EL550G RC Front Light (USB)

The price may be higher now. Price as of 01/11/2022 15:54

Advantages:

• good value for money
• light and compact

Disadvantages:

• Light duration and intensity are good, but not outstanding

That Cateye GVolt 50 was able to achieve third place among 13 headlights tested at Stiftung Warentest (issue 09/2020) with a grade of 2.0 (“good”). A remarkable success, because it places itself directly behind models from Trelock and Busch+Müller, which are more than twice as expensive – the Cateye is equal to them in terms of “light and visibility”.

According to the Stiftung Warentest, the lighting duration of the Cateye GVolt 50 is between 3:30 hours (highest level) and 18:20 hours (lowest level) – these are good, but by no means outstanding values. Particularly persistent front lights have a burn time of more than 5 hours at the maximum setting. There are a few complaints on Amazon about the pointed release button that releases the bike light from its attachment. With 36 × 106 × 44 mm (dimensions) and 92 g (weight), the Cateye GVolt 50 is relatively compact and lightweight – you can also think about a second use as a handy flashlight for evening walks.

Test winner front light: Trelock 760 I-Go Vision

Advantages:

• bright + good illumination of the road
• Display with battery level

Disadvantages:

• too expensive and feature-rich for occasional cyclists

Anyone who travels frequently by bike should not make any compromises when it comes to lighting. That Trelock 760 I-Go Vision is a front light “Made in Germany” that shows as a real high-tech gadget what is technically possible today. It has as much in common with the flickering and dynamo-powered lightbulbs of old bikes as a Trabi has with a Porsche Taycan. Nothing against the good old Trabi – but the technology is developing rapidly. The progress in bicycle lights in the last 30 years is really that tremendous.

Trelock LS 760 I-Go Vision headlight

The price may be higher now. Price as of 01/11/2022 17:41

The Stiftung Warentest awards the excellent final grade of 1.3 (“very good”) and appoints the Trelock 760 I-Go Vision as the clear test winner. It doesn’t matter whether it’s “light and visibility”, “durability” or “handling” – the Trelock 760 I-Go Vision shines in all sub-disciplines with the rating “very good” – none of the competitors managed that. The technical features are extensive and well implemented. First and foremost is the display on the top, which shows the charge level (accurate to a percentage) and helps with the correct attachment of the lighting.

Here is the official manufacturer video showing all the benefits of the Trelock 760 I-Go Vision:

Bicycle front light with USB: Trelock LS 760 I-GO VISION (manufacturer video)

Serious disadvantages of Trelock 760 I-Go Vision you have to look with a magnifying glass. The lack of an auto on/off feature could be one such point. Ultimately, though, it’s the high price that might put off casual drivers. We are dealing here with a professional model that can only fully exploit its many advantages with regular use (commuters).

Sometimes the Trelock 760 I-Go Vision only hard to get – Apparently it sells so well that the stocks are empty every now and then. Anyone who trusts the brand will find an interesting alternative in a price range below. The smaller sister model is called Trelock 660 I-Go Vision Lite. This is a bit cheaper and doesn’t shine quite as brightly – but at least it’s immediately available from several online retailers. The “Lite” model also offers the most important advantages of the Stiftung Warentest winner, such as the display and the minute-by-minute display of the remaining battery life.

Test winner rear light: Sigma Blaze

Sigma Sport Blaze, rear light with brake light function

The price may be higher now. Price as of 01/11/2022 17:46

Advantages:

• bright + good illumination
• with brake light function

Disadvantages:

• Silicone strap for attachment

We do not include a “price-performance winner” for the rear lights in this overview, because the Stiftung Warentest winner 2020 is extremely cheap. That Sigma Blaze costs less than 25 euros and can convince with the test grade 1.7 (“good”). The mechanical resilience (durability) is very good.

The robust Sigma Blaze is also used almost every day in the GIGA editorial team, and one of our editors can fully confirm the findings of the Stiftung Warentest. Above all, the integrated brake light function is a useful additional feature. The burn time is almost 11 hours. The charging time of the Sigma Blaze is a bit long at 3 hours, and you have to attach the rear light with a silicone strap. An acceptable mounting method in the price range – but it can be broken or lost.

Bicycle lighting test 2022: This is how the recommendations were selected

I have put my own experiences and extensive research in specialist journals (including Stiftung Warentest Edition 09/2020, Velomotion, ADAC, Ebikers) flow in. Current bicycle light models will be presented, which have received special praise from the press and customers and are therefore recommended for purchase. The test procedure for bicycle lights used by Stiftung Warentest is also on the relevant website explained.

Also interesting:

Rechargeable bike lights: what to look out for when buying?

In general it can be said: Anyone who is still on the road with a dynamo and light bulbs or does not have any bicycle lights at all will become one with today’s selection huge step forward make. We would advise against overly cheap products from no-name manufacturers, as the above recommendations are priced attractively enough. It’s about them, after all Road safety – you really shouldn’t save and use inferior technology.

Bicycle lights: the most important features

You should definitely take a look at the following properties before buying a bicycle light:

• luminosity and illumination
• duration of the light
• battery charging time
• Bracket on the wheel (fixed or rubber band?)
• waterproofness
• Energy supply: Batteries or integrated rechargeable battery?
• Approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA): “K number” available?

We show you the best e-bikes in our detailed Purchase advice:

See and be seen – but don’t dazzle

The German StVZO prescribes: “The headlights must be set in such a way that they do not dazzle other road users.” The best way to find out is to check the light cone and the illumination on the street or on a house wall before setting off. Which setting is optimal depends on the lighting, because each model illuminates slightly differently. The above test winner Trelock 760 I-Go Vision has a sensor that helps with the adjustment, as shown here in the User Manual (PDF) to see:

Wear part: integrated battery

You know it from smartphones and Bluetooth headphones: the battery is permanently installed in more and more TECH gadgets – including some bicycle lights. The downside is obvious: over time, the battery ages and loses power. That doesn’t happen overnight, but after around two years many cyclists will find out that the battery runs out faster. An example: The manufacturer Cateye mentions in the Operating instructions (PDF) for the model GVolt 50 around 300 charging/discharging processes – then the nominal capacity drops to 70 percent.

Don’t forget reflectors!

Not only bicycle lights, but also reflectors are mandatory equipment on every bike in Germany. That means according to ADFC Munich:

• 1 white reflector in front
• 1 red large area reflector
• yellow reflectors on the pedals
• yellow spoke reflectors or white sticks on the spokes

Spoke reflectors for bicycle spokes, StVZO approved (72 pieces)

The price may be higher now. Price as of 01/11/2022 02:07

You can find the best bicycle accessories in the GIGA purchase guide:

Are headlamps, flashlights and flashing lights allowed?

Flashing bicycle lights are not permitted in Germany. A briefly brighter “brake light” (as with the Sigma Blaze), on the other hand, does. Headlamps, flashlights or mobile phones are out of the question as lighting, since bicycle lights have to be firmly attached to the bike.