Do you consider yourself an avid biker? Then you’re probably looking to up your game with awesome accessories like the best mountain bike helmet lights. There’s nothing wrong with spoiling yourself every now and then, especially if it has something to do with a healthy and fun hobby like cycling.
A lot of bikers would like nothing more than to mount their light on the actual bike handlebars. But, this isn’t always the best place for it, and experts often recommend using the best bike helmet light for their ability to easily illuminate the path ahead.
It’s simply the best way to ensure visibility on the trail, but as with anything, you must know what you’re looking for.
Best Mountain Bike Lights for Helmet
The key to finding the best mountain bike lights for helmets lies not in being a biking expert but in knowing what to look for. But, unlike past biker generations, you’re spoilt for choice with a wide variety of options to choose from.
To help you along, we did most of the work to bring you a list of what we consider to be the best MTB helmet lights on the market, as well as a small guide with the most important considerations that you need to make before you make your final decision.
1. Bright Eyes 1600 Lumen Rechargeable Bike Headlight
The Bright Eyes road bike headlight is 1,600 lumens strong, and comes with three different light modes, each of which affects the battery life.
If you opt for the high setting then you can expect about 4 hours of uninterrupted power, whereas the medium setting delivers battery life for up to 6 hours, and low mode extends the battery life to 16 hours of continuous use.
Also included with the light is a detachable mounting piece which you can use to attach the light onto your biking helmet using ties or Velcro straps as well as a head strap.
It comes with a head harness, an LED silicone tail light, Velcro ties, a charger, and a rechargeable battery as well as a diffuser lens. Not only that, but this light is backed by a lifetime warranty on top of a 1-year warranty for the battery.
2. Ascher USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set
Coming at an affordable price, this bike helmet light offers incredible value for money and a bevy of fantastic features. This includes a USB recharging port and a built-in 650mAh rechargeable lithium battery. This is in addition to waterproof construction which comes with an IPX4 rating and protection from the elements from all angles.
There are four light modes included in this bike helmet, including slow flashing, flash flashing, half brightness, and full brightness. All you have to do in order to activate one of these modes, is to press a single button. Not only that, but this bike helmet light from Ascher comes with both a taillight and headlight, with its own rechargeable lithium battery.
This LED bicycle helmet light is incredibly easy to install using the included silicone mount straps which conveniently feature two openings that can be used to attach it to a helmet, seat riser, backpack, handlebar and seat post.
Once attached, the light typically fits nice and snug but can be easily loosened by simply detaching the light. This flexible light is great for campers and outdoor enthusiasts who love taking their bike out on different trails.
3. Serfas Helmet Safety Light
This helmet safety light from Serfas has a simple and straightforward design that’s perfect for anyone who’s looking for a way to let car drivers know that they’re also on the road. It comes with all the features that you’d expect from a rear helmet light including three different lighting modes; steady, flash and chase.
Each of these modes affects the safety light’s battery life. For instance, when you set the light to steady then it can run for up to 95 hours, while setting it to flash allows it to run for up to 130 hours, and chase mode allows it to run for about 130 hours as well. This feature alone makes this one of the best mountain cycle helmet lights for MTB on the market.
However, it’s important to note that this light is powered by two lithium CR2032 batteries which come with the rest of the implements in the package. The overall package also comes with an in-built belt clip which you can mount on a pet’s collar while running or jogging as well.
This light is typically mounted on the back of a bike helmet and it works great with helmets that come with ventilation vents. The light’s Velcro strap also comes with a rubber spacer that’s easy to install and use. Simply make sure that cylindrical post on the rear is aligned with the matching rubber sole component so you can attach them together.
The power button is located in the middle of the triangular light and you can use it to switch between the three different modes and to switch the light on and off as well.
4. SIGEM LED Safety Lights
The SIGEM LED safety light is characterized by a straightforward design made up of three compact lights. You can opt to experience it in 6 different light settings or buy them in a single red color. Each light comes with five LED lights with 2 tiny batteries with a battery life of up to 100 hours.
In addition to these batteries, this package also comes with extra features like three adjustable Velcro straps, a tiny screwdriver, and two additional batteries. These small SIGEM lights are suitable for different helmets which means you can use them not only when cycling but also on your scooter, baby stroller, wheelchair and even a leash. This makes them versatile enough for use when jogging, biking, hiking and running or walking the dog.
There are three different light modes including fast strobe, flash, and steady. Each individual light comes with an attached clip at the back which is designed to make it easier for you to attach the light onto your belt if you like.
It’s important to note that the lights are not waterproof but water-resistant which means while they can withstand a bit of moisture, they won’t survive complete submersion underwater or heavy rainfall.
5. BLITZU Ultra Bright Bike Light
The BLITZU light stand is a compact and lightweight bike light that weighs just 0.3 ounces. It comes with a USB port that you can use to recharge it within two hours on a laptop or even from your car. Another feature that sets this light apart is its 260-degree beam angles which help to ensure that you’re able to see the road in front of you clearly no matter how dark it is.
There are six different light modes included in this bike, which you can easily change by pressing one button. This gives you the option to choose between strobe, low, flashing high, steady low, steady medium and steady high light. The battery life also varies according to the particular mode that you’ve chosen. For instance, the low light mode can run for up to 6 hours without interruptions. But, increasing light intensity can reduce battery power to 1 hour 30 minutes.
This is a totally waterproof bike light which means you can take it out for a spin no matter how harsh the weather conditions are. Plus, it offers versatile mounting options which means you can mount it on your wheelchair, scooter, bike frame, handlebars or on your helmet.
When the light intensity is too high it can easily reach up to 168 lumens, and can go down to 45 lumens when set to low light intensity. These and other features are what make it one of the best mountain bike lights for helmet.
6. Cycloving Super Bright LED Bike Lights
According to bike helmet light reviews, this functional bike light from Cycloving features both a rear and front light for an affordable price point. The dual-purpose light comes with the ability to enable expanded visibility of the road in front of you thanks to a 400 lumens aluminum headlight encased within CREE XPG LED.
You have four light modes to choose from – SOS, Strobe, Low, and High. You can use these different modes to adjust the front light depending on your needed visibility. The rechargeable backlight is also constructed from aluminum and is designed to improve your visibility on the road. This backlight comes with five different modes including breathing, double-cruise, single-cruise, slow-flash, and strobe.
You can run each one for several hours and unlike other models in this list, the Cycloving super bright LED helmet light features a Battery Warning Reminder that flashes green when the battery is full and it flashes red when the battery is at 20% or less.
Plus, this rechargeable helmet light is backed by a 12-month product defect-free replacement warranty, as well as a money-back guarantee and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
7. Topside Bike Helmet Mounted Lights for Mountain Biking
Topside’s model is made with Lumen Cree LED lights and has a number of safety features. There’s a pair of headlights included in this model which are designed to illuminate the path ahead.
Within three hours you can fully recharge this light and enjoy up to 18 hours of run time when fully recharged. This light also comes with a USB port that allows you to recharge it on the go. You can easily attach it to your laptop or your car to recharge in between trails.
The Topside bike helmet rear light also features five lighting modes including constant front flash rear, double flash, constant flash, constant rear flash front, and fast flash. The battery indicator is designed to let you know how much juice your light still has left so you don’t get caught unawares when it runs out of energy.
There are two different mounts that you can use to mount this light onto your helmet, including ties and straps to ensure that it’s safely fastened into place and won’t come off by chance. The choice of mount that you use is up to your own discretion and depends on your unique situation.
How to Find the Best Mountain Bike Helmet Lights
If you’re serious about cycling then you should definitely invest in good quality accessories such as a bike helmet and helmet mounted light.
This will keep you safe when cycling in low light conditions, whether that’s during twilight or fog. However, you might still feel confused as to what exactly constitutes the best helmet mountain bike lights for night riding.
To help narrow down your options further, check out the following considerations:
Power
The lumen is an indicator of how bright your bike light can get.
300 to 500 lumens is the best category to use if you plan on using your road bike to commune, whereas off-road cycling requires something a bit more sophisticated such as an LED technology bike light with 1000 lumens or more.
In addition to the brightness, the width of the light beam is just as important because you want a wide field of view.
Batteries
Most bike lights come with either AA or AAA batteries. But some models are powered by a USB rechargeable battery which means you can recharge it using a USB port.
Most back-mounted headlights use a lithium-polymer battery pack, which is small, lithe and slim. The most important thing here is to make sure the light is powered by a durable battery whose power can last and last.
Type
Headlights are the most popular type of helmet light and can be mounted on either a handlebar or straight onto the MTB helmet.
An off-road biker who wants to get into dirt biking should definitely consider a helmet-mounted light. But, you may also opt for tail lights which are also known as rear lights.
They’re designed to improve biker visibility among car drivers on the road, and can be mounted on the seat post. The best kind are lights that are a combination of the rear and headlight.
Mode
As you start shopping for bike lights and exploring different models, you’ll see that different brands offer different types of lighting modes.
For best results, opt for a bike light with up to five lighting modes or at least an ability to increase or decrease brightness to suit your surroundings.
A good quality MTB helmet light should also come with some type of pulsating light or flashing light mechanism to improve visibility.
Mounting
Your helmet light and your helmet rear view mirror should fit properly and be easy to attach and detach when necessary. If you’re a mountain bike rider, then you’ll do well to opt for a helmet-mount bike light.
Weight
It’s advisable to opt for a lightweight cycling headlight that’s comfortable to wear and easy to use no matter how short or long the distances you travel.
Conclusion
The quest to find the best helmet lights for mountain biking isn’t an easy one but it’s doable. As you’ve seen from this short guide, all it takes is knowing what to look for and choosing between the options we’ve provided.
If you’re still unsure which one to choose, we highly recommend the Bright Eyes Fully Waterproof 1600 Lumen Rechargeable Mountain Lights. It’s suitable for all kinds of applications and comes in different settings with different battery strengths.
Other incredible features that come with this bike helmet light include three diffuser lenses, a built-in wall charger, and a convenient strap.
What feature do you like most in this mountain light model? Please drop a comment below as we would like to hear your opinion as well.