Everything seems to be getting more expensive these days, but bicycle lights are better value than ever. Just £50 could get you everything you need

The end of British Summer Time in late October is lighting-up time for commuter cyclists. With the clocks going back, it’s suddenly dark for the ride home. If it’s your first autumn and winter of cycle commuting – or if you’re a commuting veteran whose existing lights are dead or lost – it’s time to go shopping. Fortunately, given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, you don’t need to spend a lot. While you can get better lights if you spend more, good-quality lights are readily available for £50 or less.

At this price you can expect USB-rechargeable lights that are bright, well built and reliable. Front lights with disposable batteries don’t make economic sense for commuters. Riding regularly, you’ll soon wipe out any savings on a cheap front lamp with money spent on batteries. Disposable batteries can work well enough in rear lights, which draw less power and thus last much longer.

We’re only looking at battery lights here because you can’t buy a good-quality dynamo lighting setup for under £50. Dynamo lighting is well worth the investment if you can afford the initial expense, as there are essentially no running costs. And don’t forget that you can get any bicycle lights through Cyclescheme, saving you up to 47% on RRP.

Light sets under £50

Decathlon Front/Rear USB Bike Light Kit ST510 £19.99

Most light sets at this price use disposable batteries; these are USB-rechargeable. As you might expect for £20, they’re be-seen lights that are best suited to urban commuters. The front light does produce a focused beam but even the high-power mode is 80 lumens, so it’ll only light your way at slow speeds. Unusually, these budget lights meet Germany’s stringent StVZO lighting standard.

Oxford Ultratorch Slimline LED Set £34.99

Quite a few brands make rechargeable be-seen lights with this long, low-profile form factor. Oxford’s are particularly good value, given that they’re waterproof to IPX4 and include a low-battery indicator. Runtimes range from 2-45 hours, depending on mode. The front will produce up to 100 lumens, the rear up to 50. A charging cable is included.

Infini Mini Lava front and rear USB rechargeable lights £17.99 each

Infini’s little Mini Lava lights each use a single, bright LED. The front emits up to 50 lumens, the rear 8 lumens, and the runtimes range from 1.5 hours (high) to 48 (flashing). Both have buttons that can be pressed easily while wearing gloves. Neither requires yet another USB cable to add to your collection; they plug in directly with integral USB tabs.

Lezyne Femto USB C Drive Light Set in Black £38

Lezyne’s smallest lights are well suited to urban commuting. The wide-angle lenses make them visible through a 270-degree arc, not just from behind/ahead, and they’re impressively waterproof. The charging ports use the increasingly ubiquitous USB-C standard, which helps cut down on cable clutter, and the ports are hidden behind screw caps. Output ranges from 10-50 lumens for the front and 5-15 for the rear, with runtimes from 1.5-15 hours.

Moon Sport Lepus Lite & Orion £49.99

As well as ensuring that you’re seen, these Moon Sport lights will do a decent job of showing you the way on unlit roads: the Lepus Lite front lamp produces up to 400 lumens. It’s waterproof to IPX7, while the Orion rear is rated IPX5, and both are USB-C rechargeable. Depending on which of the steady and flashing modes you use, you’ll get runtimes of up to 80 hours from the front and up to 53 from the rear, which peaks at 50 lumens.

Individual lights under £50

Proviz 2-Way Helmet Light – Front & Rear £17.99

This is strictly an auxiliary light as you’re required by law to have white front and red rear lights mounted to your bike, not your helmet. It’s nevertheless useful for making you conspicuous at night. As long as you sit relatively upright, the red rear light and 150-lumen white front light will both be visible. The front is bright enough for on-the-go bike maintenance and finding keyholes, as well as advertising your presence. Runtimes are decent, starting at 3 hours on high, and it’s USB rechargeable. It’s waterproof to IPX4, which means it can withstand rain.

AXA Juno Battery Auto Off Rack Light 50mm £23

If your commuter bike has a pannier rack, a rear light that fits here is the best option. A rack light bolts in place so can be left on the bike, and it won’t be obscured by luggage or clothing. AXA’s Juno fits 50mm-spaced mounting plates. It’s visible from 500 metres, water and shock resistant and incorporates a reflector. Although it runs on disposable batteries (2 x AAA), they’ll last for 50 hours. An auto-off function when the bike is stationary for five minutes means you won’t accidentally run the batteries flat.

Plazma Vigor 1000 Lumen Powerbank Front Bike Light £24.99

Reduced to just £12.49 at the time of writing, the Plazma Vigor 1000 is also great value at its full price. Maximum light output is a dazzling 1,000 lumens – enough to see by on midnight singletrack trails. It’ll run for 1.5 hours like this, or up to 100 hours on its lesser modes. A digital readout shows battery life remaining. As well as being USB rechargeable, the lamp doubles as a USB power bank so you can use it to charge your cycle computer or phone.

CatEye AMPP 500S Front Bike Light £39.99

This is one of the cheapest of CatEye’s AMPP lights, which go all the way up to 2,200 lumens with the £179.99 AMPP 2200. It’s still powerful enough to light your way on dark lanes, running for 1.5 hours at 500 lumens (or up to 60 hours flashing at 100 lumens). Side visibility is also decent. The build quality is good, with an easy-to-use button, IPX4 water resistance and a FlexTight mounting bracket that’s more secure than silicone straps. Optional helmet and fork mounts are also available. Note that, while it is USB-C rechargeable, a cable isn’t included.

Ravemen CR450 £44.99

Ravemen’s aluminium-bodied CR450 has a couple of useful features missing from most rivals. The first is its T-shaped beam, which has a cutoff at the top to prevent scattering light into the eyes of oncoming road users while still lighting your way effectively. The second is a remote button, so you can operate the light without letting go of the handlebar. Runtimes range from 1.7 hours at 450 lumens to 33 hours flashing, but you can plug it into a power bank (if you have one) for longer runtimes. It’s rated IPX6 (garden hose proof) for water resistance.