Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of the products we have discussed in this article, we may receive a small, and much appreciated commission.
Despite the improvements in safety regulations and driver training, there’s still an alarmingly high number of accidents involving cyclists. These are usually caused by a motorist being unaware of a cyclist’s presence.
A small-sized, high light output LED bulb, in some cases, may not be enough for a car driver to see you. In such conditions, you may need to have a more noticeable means to ensure your visibility.
Bike wheel lights offer a unique and stylish solution to this problem. Choosing between fashionability or safety is no longer an either-or situation since both are possible with bike wheel lights.
With plenty of products available online, deciding on the best bike wheel lights to buy can easily become overwhelming. Worry not! We have made it our responsibility to provide you with an informative guide to the market’s best choice. In addition to that, we’ve also reviewed the six top products.
The best bike wheel lights we’ve reviewed are as follows:
From these six incredible products, we found to be the best. The other featured bike wheel lights offer great quality too.
How to Choose Bike Wheel Lights
LED technology has made fantastic advancements in the past two decades, allowing for more compelling products to be created for our joyful consumption. The best bike wheel lights no longer only ensure we’re visible to drivers on the road, but have become a style statement by being an accurate representation of our favored tastes.
Different lighting modes and colors enable us to add some pizzazz to our late night or early morning commute. But bike headlights are meant to prioritize our safety most of all. That’s why cool and innovative features have been included in the latest products.
Waterproof and dustproof models of bike wheel lights are becoming a more common occurrence than before. Some now have battery saving modes that ensure longer use, while others can be remotely controlled by a mobile phone.
With all these features available, it may be hard to know which to prioritize. Read on and discover the attributes you should find the most important when choosing a bike wheel light.
Lumens and Lux
There are two types of measurements to consider when analyzing a light’s brightness. First is the lumen value—this is thought of as the total amount of light emitted by the source. Second is the lux value—this is considered to be the light brightness at a specified distance from its source and is measured in lumens per square meter.
Because of these measurements, two LED lights with the same lumen number can have surprisingly different lux values. The visibility a LED provides is dependent on both of these values, and you must not take one in isolation when determining the suitability of a light. Ideally, you would want an LED that has both a high lumen number and a high lux value.
Our Lumens, Lux, and Candela article is a great resource to learn more about Lumens and light output
Lighting Modes
Since such lights are unconventional, the different lighting modes provided by a product are important; these are entirely up to you. You may prefer to have both slow and fast flashing on your lights or have the option of continuous emission of light. Since your preferences may change depending on the day, you should purchase bike wheel lights that allow versatility.
Also, multicolor variants of these products are unsurprisingly more popular. Having the ability to change the LED color to suit your mood is a compelling value proposition.
But this option isn’t for everyone; many know what they specifically want and have no use for multicolored bike lights. If you aren’t one of these individuals, then consider keeping your options open.
Ease of Installation
Since most of us aren’t mechanics, we need very easy-to-install lights. Many products on the market are great, but require complicated methods to install; this renders them useless. A product needs to be simple to install, operate, and uninstall.
Before purchasing, you must read through the installation process. If it sounds too completed, don’t bother buying the product. You’ll only frustrate yourself.
Waterproof and Dustproof
You aren’t always going to be cycling on clean, pristine roads in heavenly weather. The reality is, roads are muddy and wet, and the weather can be unpredictable. If bike wheel lights are waterproof and dustproof, then they’re more likely to last longer. These features contribute to the durability of the lights. Ensure the bike lights you purchase are water and dustproof certified.
How durable is it? What does IPX6 mean? Read our Ultimate Guide to the ANSI/PLATO FL1 Standard symbols!
Review of the Best Bike Wheel Lights
The Best Bike Wheel Lights
No products found.
The popular MACYWELL Bike Spoke Lights are one of the best products on the market. They’re ideal for people of different ages and come in eight different color configurations. The most compelling positive this light offers is the ease of installation and operation.
In this pack of six, each light is equipped with one CR2032 battery. Replacing the battery, if it happens to run out, is as easy as installing the lights. In addition, three simple lighting modes are included for smooth operation; slow flashing, fast flashing, and full brightness. You can easily switch between these three using a handy control.
Robust silicone is used to manufacture the lights; this makes them lightweight, and they have waterproof and shock-resistant certification. The lights will remain fastened with the six free zip ties that are included in the purchase. It will calm your nerves as a cyclist knowing, these lights are durable, and you will always be visible.
MACYWELL has gone above and beyond to satisfy their clientele as they’ve also included five backup batteries. With the attention to detail that has been incorporated in this product, it’s easy to see why these are the best of the best bike wheel lights.
Pros:
- Easy to install.
- Free zip ties included.
- Batteries and backup batteries included.
- Waterproof and shock-resistant.
Cons:
- Zip ties included, depending on the bike, may not be enough.
Best Multicolor Bike Wheel Lights
Low light conditions are no longer dangerous with these very bright bike wheel lights. Estiq’s bike wheel lights come as a string with twenty LED lights that can conveniently switch between seven different colors. The hassle of choosing which colors you want at purchase is removed.
An excellent waterproof rating of IP67 is featured in this product, which means you can cycle with these lights even on the rainiest of days. To further improve the lights’ durability, the soft tube that encompasses the LEDs and enables its waterproof status also prevents short-circuiting.
Short-circuiting is caused by exposed lights having uneven and unregulated outputs; this isn’t the case with this product.
The string of LEDs is seven feet long; this allows you to mount the lights on all types of wheels. The installation process is relatively easy and requires no additional tools.
Unlike the previously reviewed product, this one doesn’t come with batteries. It functions on three AA batteries, which you’ll, unfortunately, have to buy separately.
Pros:
- Multicolor.
- IP67 waterproof rating.
- The installation process requires no tools.
- Mountable on any wheel.
Cons:
- Batteries not included in the purchase.
Click here to see the Best Bike Headlights reviewed!
Best Bike Wheel Lights for Gifting
No products found.
Whoever happens to be the recipient of these cool and visually compelling bike lights should consider themselves very lucky. The most important thing about any gift is that it should be suitable for daily use. The M232 LEDs are capable of this because of their waterproof features and the standard two-year warranty that accompanies the purchase.
Thirty-two LED lights are configured to create a very captivating spectacle; this includes 42 different lighting themes where your LEDs can take the form of a skull, a lightning bolt, a star, and more. Purchasing two of these, for use on both front and rear wheels, provides seemingly endless methods to express your personality, or for your gift receiver to express theirs.
These lights can be considered as having artwork on your wheels. This artwork, unfortunately, is remarkably more expensive than other bike wheel lights. They’re at least three times more costly than other products on the market. In addition to this, the three required AA batteries aren’t included. But if the cost isn’t an issue for you, then this product will surely bring satisfaction.
Pros:
- Creates very impressive light displays.
- Forty-two different lighting themes.
- Waterproof.
- Two-year warranty.
Cons:
- Considerably more expensive than other bike wheel lights.
- Batteries not included.
Click here to see all of our Bike Light Reviews!
Easiest Bike Wheel Lights to Operate
Considering the various lighting themes offered by this product, the DAWAY bike spoke lights are remarkably easy to operate. The product comes as a 14-piece RGB LED set and can display up to 30 different patterns, automatically changing every four seconds.
Not only does this allow you to be more visible, but it offers some sort of joy when night time riding.
After installation, the lights are controlled by motion sensors that automatically switch between lighting modes and a manual control that’s more common in bike wheel lights.
Your cycling speed controls the light change. The faster you cycle, the more visually compelling the patterns displayed on your wheels are. To achieve the complete and beautiful displays on your wheels, you’ll have to cycle at a speed of 18.6 miles per hour.
Being lightweight and weighing only two ounces—the DAWAY lights won’t affect your riding speed and can be used by racers or triathletes when practicing.
Pros:
- Thirty different lighting themes.
- Automatically switches between different themes.
- Easy to operate.
- Batteries included.
- Lightweight.
Cons:
- Aren’t durable.
- Poor battery life.
Most Popular Bike Wheel Lights
These lights are so popular that they’ve had impressive appearances on notable news outlets; these include CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX News. The Activ Life bike wheel lights were originally designed to invoke the liberal and laid back spirit of California, but have now made themselves relevant in many different parts of America by being ideal for both men and women of all ages.
To discover why they’re so popular, one must understand the attraction of simplicity. Contrary to most people’s thinking, a product doesn’t have to be incredibly innovative or revolutionary to attract the masses. All it needs to be is simple to use and reliable; this is exactly what the Activ bike lights do—they’re astonishingly simple to operate yet extremely durable.
They feature standard attributes you’d expect from lights on our list, like easy installation and waterproof rating. Also, they can operate for longer on a single battery than other products on the market; this is made possible by their patent-pending circuitry that enables energy to be used more efficiently.
Pros:
- Long-lasting performance.
- Waterproof.
- Easy to install.
- Great credibility.
- Batteries included.
Cons:
- Brightness isn’t as great as other products.
- Common for one light to abruptly stop working.
Best Waterproof Bike Wheel Lights
No products found.
You can completely soak these lights in water for five minutes, and they’ll still be able to operate. The plastic tubing around the lights allows this very impressive performance; this enables the lights to be used by mountain cyclists who are likely to encounter puddles of water.
In addition to being easy to install, these lights can also be used as party lights. They can be hung up on the wall and configured for an even and sustained output that creates a great atmosphere for a party.
The three required AA batteries, which are unfortunately not included, provide 50 hours of constant light output; this makes themes suitable for two or three months of use before you need to replace your batteries.
Pros:
- Impressive waterproof performance.
- Can be used as party lights.
- Fifty hours of constant light output.
Cons:
- Batteries not included.
Click here to see the Best Bike Tail Lights reviewed!
Conclusion
This comprehensive guide has hopefully compelled you to consider purchasing the best bike wheel lights. From the products featured on our list, it’s easy to understand why the is regarded as the best.
The simple installation and operation, lightweight, resilient construction, and waterproof and shock-resistant certification all make a champion. Plus, the batteries are included, with spares!
The other products are great too. For multicolor features, the Estiq Bike Wheel Lights are a suitable alternative, while the would make a great gift.