Bike wheel lights… Increased safety…. Adds an element of fun to your bike – What’s not to like?
I get it, wheels lights get a bad rep for making you look like a teenager but I promise you, there’s more to them than that!
Our best bike wheel lights are:
- Activ Life LED Bike Wheel Lights
- DAWAY Led Bike Wheel Light
- MapleSeeker Bike Wheel Lights – Best Overall
- Brionic Bike Wheel Lights
- Bright Spoke Bike Wheel Lights
- Wheelbrightz LED Bicycle Wheel Lights
Bike Wheel Light Basics
Let’s be clear from the get-go. Wheel lights will not do the job of a headlight or taillight.
Headlights are there for your safety. To ensure you can see the road ahead of you and that you can be seen.
Wheel lights don’t do that, they do, however, enhance your overall safety on the road by making you more visible to other road users and pedestrians. They are said to be one of the best recent cycling innovations.
With so many different patterns and color options out there, you can turn heads. People are more likely to notice you and that’s exactly their purpose.
Okay, so they can’t replace the trusty headlight but they might enable you to see smaller obstacles closer to the ground and your presence in traffic is more noticeable.
How To Choose The Best Bike Wheel Lights
There are a few things worth thinking about before you jump in and purchase a set of bike wheel lights.
Modes
The majority of bike wheel lights will come with different lighting modes. Having options means you can find what works best for you.
Personally, I find that sometimes I like the lights to be flashing, other times I prefer a solid color. It depends on where I’m riding and the traffic conditions. Find what works best for you and roll with it!
Illumination Intensity
The brighter the light, the safer you will be. When looking for wheel lights, look at how intense the light will be.
Increasing your visibility will increase the likelihood of other road users seeing you and taking notice of you.
Power Source/Battery
Rechargeable batteries and standard AA / AAA batteries are common in bike wheel lights. Again, a lot of it comes down to personal preference.
I prefer to be able to charge my lights with a USB charger as I find that most convenient. However, some riders prefer to have the flexibility to switch out the batteries when they need to.
Whichever method you prefer, do be sure to read up on the battery run time.
How To Mount Your Wheel Lights Onto Your Bike
There are a few different mounting options and styles for bike wheel lights, so you’re bound to find something that suits your style and bike.
Spoke Lights
These attach directly to the spoke and are the most visible option as they tend to stick out somewhat, giving off more light.
Wheel Rim Lights
The more ‘professional’ bike wheel light.
If you don’t want to put on a big light show on your way to work, then wheel rim lights could be the ideal solution for you. These lights are fitted around the edges of the rim so are more subtle in appearance. However, they still give off enough light to increase your safety levels.
Related article – When Should I Replace My Bike Rims?
Hub Lights
If you do want to be putting on a light show on your way to work, then the hub lights are what you’ve been waiting for!
Hub lights are easy to install. They simply attach at the hub and the light shines along the spokes (and shine they do!). These lights come in a huge range of colors so a popular choice for children.
Why Bike Wheel Lights Are A Good Idea
Increases Your Visibility
As we all know, riding in the dark adds an extra element of danger. Did you know that in California around 20% of cyclists’ injuries happened in the dark?
The easier you are to see, the safer you are. Wheel lights provide that extra level of security.
They Are Fun
I feel like there’s no denying that bike wheel lights add that extra bit of fun to your riding whether you’re an adult or a child!
You can attract a lot of attention with the cool light patterns you can create with wheel lights.
Reviews Of The Best Bike Wheel Lights
ACTIV LIFE LED BIKE WHEEL LIGHTS
With seven color options and combinations on offer, the Activ Life bike wheel lights should appeal to many. Not to mention that they serve a useful (and decorative) purpose.
One thing to note is that each box comes with enough lights for one wheel. Depending on your wheel size, you may need to purchase two sets if you’d like to have both wheels lit up. They are compatible with wheel sizes from 12 – 29 inches, so a huge scope – for all the family needs!
Visibility is key and with that in mind, the Activ Life lights are designed to be seen from many different angles and they certainly achieve this.
Similar to other bike wheel lights, these are powered using AAA batteries, 3 of them. The difference is, these are included in the box as well as some zip ties so you can have these lights installed quickly.
As you’d expect with bike wheel lights, these are waterproof. A great design for commuters facing all types of weather conditions. The lights are bright and can be seen from a good distance away, which all goes to help road safety.
DAWAY LED BIKE WHEEL LIGHT
DAWAY is well known for its high-quality sporting accessories. You know what you’re going to get with DAWAY – products designed with you in mind. That’s no different with these bike wheel lights.
These wheel lights work brilliantly even in low light conditions as they produce various different patterns and colors. For each wheel kit, there are 20 LED bulbs, each flashing in a different direction to give-off as much light as possible. To keep things fresh, you get a choice of six different colors and patterns, with the lights changing every four seconds!
If you’re after something easy to use then you’re likely to love these wheel bike lights! The lights have a built-in motion sensor and when it’s dark, they’ll switch on. Taking a break? Then the lights will too. With the motion sensor, the lights will switch off after sensing you have been stationary for one minute – a great way to save the battery!
Changing speed will change the light pattern it puts out. Perhaps an incentive to pedal faster…?
MAPLESEEKER BIKE WHEEL LIGHTS
These wheel lights are tiny, lightweight and so very cool. Lightweight is a common claim, I know, but these come in at 3.2 grams so it’s justified here. The quality is good with these lights, they can withstand a drop of 10 meters and the plastic material is environmentally friendly.
One problem you won’t face with the MapleSeeker is them making contact with any parts of the bike you don’t want them to. Due to the size, it simply attaches to the desired spoke and that’s it – no clacking sounds!
The battery can be changed but this isn’t the quickest job. However, it’s worth noting that the lights will run for at least 80 hours so you won’t find yourself changing the batteries too often.
MapleSeeker gives you three different colors to choose from, or mix and match. Once they are switched on, the light will begin to flash automatically. It doesn’t stop there, when you reach 18 miles an hour, the pattern will be complete and it’s rather beautiful!
Installation is as easy as it gets. Click the lights into place and you’re good to go. Absolutely no tools required.
BRIONIC BIKE WHEEL LIGHTS
These Brionac bike wheel lights are hugely popular and I have to say, I agree with everyone who likes them! The design itself is nice and simple. You get seven colors so a generous number and it doesn’t stop there – the Brionac has lots to offer!
Firstly, these bike wheel lights provide enough light to handle low-light conditions and they can actually improve your long-distance visibility. What makes these lights so special is the number of operation modes – an impressive four modes! Giving you a whole host of different light flashing options!
The different modes are:
- Auto color changing mode
- Breathing light
- Slow Flash
- Rapid Flash
Maximizing the battery life, there is a built-in sensor that will switch the lights off if you’re stationary for over 20 seconds or when the environment brightens and the lights are no longer needed.
Installation is easy and that’s a big plus – no tools required and only minimal time taken too. The light system itself is lightweight and despite that, you still get a full 360-degree illumination range. Durability shouldn’t be an issue as the lights are LED and better still, will require little maintenance.
BRIGHT SPOKE BIKE WHEEL LIGHTS
With Bright Spoke you get plenty of color choices (seven in total) and three lighting modes. Pressing the button will change the color or you can select the steady mode. This will change the colors automatically as you’re cycling.
One of the stand-out features with these wheel lights is that you charge them using a USB charger – super convenient. Not having to keep reaching for a new set of batteries is a real benefit. A money-saving one too!
The lights are designed to last a long time, they are protected by a strong silicone tube cover. This also comes with the added bonus of making them waterproof too. Safety is still a factor and that’s where the silicone tube comes into its own. It allows the 20 LEDs to remain visible from all angles.
Bright Spokes’ is designed to fit almost any bike wheels, including foldable bikes, making this type of light ideal for commuters. As you’d expect with a quality product, installation is easy and shouldn’t take much longer than a few minutes.
WHEELBRIGHTZ LED BICYCLE WHEEL LIGHTS
Wheelbrightz are there to dazzle and dazzle they do!
With this kit, you get seven feet of weather-resistant tubing. Within the tubing are 20 micro LED lights, perfect to create a light show with your bike. As you’re getting seven feet of lights, you should find that these bike wheel lights are compatible with nearly every tire size up to 29”.
Battery life comes in at an impressive 48 hours so they should see you through every ride. However, they are powered by 3 x AA batteries so you can either use rechargeable ones or swap them out when you’re finished with them.
Included with the pack is everything you need to install the bike wheel lights, meaning you can be up and lighting your way in no time.
Final Verdict
There you have it, six of the best bike wheel lights on the market today!
For me, the winner has to be MapleSeeker Bike Wheel Lights.
Simplicity at its best. Click and go.
I love how durable these little lights are. I’ve dropped several lights over the years and not a single one has survived so it’s refreshing that the MapleSeeker would stand a good chance.
Weight is a factor for me (marginal gains, right?) and at 3.2 grams, you can’t get much better than that. Not to mention the lights look brilliant when they’re powered up, giving you the confidence that not only will you be seen but you’ll also look pretty cool while you’re at it!
Thanks for reading and please share with family and friends if you enjoyed the article!
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