In this article I’m going to cover the best 1000 lumen bike lights. Or rather, bike lights with at least a 1000 lumen output.
1000 lumens is the sweet spot when you’re looking for a bike light with a lot of flexibility in terms of usage. You can use it as a very powerful road or commuting light, a perfect setup for gravel and adventure-type riding, and it’s perfectly adequate for the average trail ride as well.
Furthermore, a lot of these lights have integrated batteries, which means a smaller, lighter form factor. And whether or not the light comes with a helmet strap or mount out of the box, they can be used as such as well.
Naturally price is a pretty important aspect of any product, including bike lights. And 1000 lumen bike lights are simply cheaper on average than lights with a higher output. And not everybody, including me, is willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a single light.
The list is quite extensive, so I’ve added a table overview at the end of the article to make it easier to compare the various specifications.
So let’s see what made it on my list of the best 1000 lumen bike lights.
Towild Cl 1200Pro Smart Bike Light
The Towild Cl 1200Pro Smart Bike Light has everything going for it, and is the most budget-friendly light on this list with 1200 lumens.
That’s impressive, especially considering the fact that it also offers a remote to go with it, as well as a Garmin mount. That means you can either put it on your handlebars or use it out front with your existing mount.
A 4000 mAh battery is housed in a waterproof aluminum shell, also something not every other competitor does. And 3 modes makes this light incredibly simple to use.
The power button on top of the light also serves as a battery indicator.
Say what you want but this brand has learned what it takes to make an effective and user-friendly bicycle light. And with that price, you can’t go wrong.
- Very cheap, large battery
- None
Cateye Volt 1700
The Cateye Volt 1700 is the only road bike light on this list with a tool-free removable cartridge battery. And that’s the core advantage this rather pricey light has over all of the other ones listed here.
The other, bigger advantage is that you could take a charged spare battery with you. You can proceed to ride happily on the brightest setting never having to worry about a failing light because of a depleted battery. But the proprietary battery is extremely expensive, setting you back more than a hundred dollars a piece for the 6800 mAh version.
It has a powerful dual LED spotlight, which is rather narrow with low flood characteristics, making this light unsuitable for anything but overall straight road cycling and touring. It has the basic high, low, medium, daytime, and flash mode. Cycling through these modes is done with a button located at the top of the light, which also is a 3-level battery indicator.
You can buy an optional out front and helmet mount.
- Removable cartridge battery
- Expensive, narrow beam
Knog PWR Trail 1100L Front Bike Light
Knog is of course well known for their happy multi-colored frog lights. With their PWR modular system they’re taking on the competition in the premium bicycle lighting department. The Knog PWR Trail is their second-most powerful light at 1100 lumen powered by a 5000 mAh battery.
The lights have a modular setup, which means that the light and battery are two separate units. When buying as a singular package the most obvious feature is that the battery doubles as a power bank as well. Another great feature is that this modular nature means you can buy as many spare batteries / power banks as you want, which makes it more suitable for bikepackers who like to ride at night.
The power bank feature is awesome, because such a function is usually only reserved for lights with external batteries. And since you can very easily detach the light from the handlebar the power bank functionally is more user friendly, because you can power your phone, let’s say, while drinking a cup of coffee.
The PWR modular system is extremely well designed with anodised black units splashing bright red colors. And Knog went beyond bicycle lights by enabling you to power such devices as a portable speaker, lantern, and the obvious function as flashlight.
There’s an adapter mount so you can use the light with any Garmin, K-Edge, and GoPro tri-prong mounts. And you can also opt for a front mount.
The detachable light holds 3 LEDs. Two with flood light lenses and one spotlight. They offer ample illumination in non-lit areas, and on lit roads, this light will prove to give you hours of illumination
The twist function of the light to switch modes is great and easy to use while mounted on a helmet.
You do get a dedicated piece of software so you can program your own custom mode (ModeMaker App), but it works clunky and other lights work just fine out-of-the-box with pre-programmed modes.
- Great-looking light, unique modular design
- Expensive
Magicshine ALLTY1500 Compact Road Front Light
The Magicshine ALLTY1500 Compact Road Front Light is a well-crafted product with a sturdy aluminum casing.
It houses a single spotlight with an LED strip on top of it for close proximity visibility. The 5000 mAh battery is powerful enough to last you dozens of hours on a low setting. At its highest setting you’ll burn through it in 2 hours.
As with many other lights the power button on top also serves as the battery indicator. A nice touch, and also a thing you see more and more, is the Garmin-style mount. So you can use this light as a standalone product, or combine it with your existing Carmin computer.
Naturally the case is waterproof. For any normal road use, the low setting is more than enough, and you’ll only need from medium to the highest setting for really fast descents. Its beam has a soft transition from spot to the side and an excellent overall quality to it.
The combination of solid design, ease of use, Garmin compatibility, and beam quality makes this a standout light within this category.
- Premium build, rock-solid beam
- None
Magicshine RN 1500 Exclusive Colored Bike Light
If you want to add a bit of flair to your rides you might want to go for the Magicshine RN 1500 Exclusive Colored Bike Light.
In terms of output it’s similar to the ALLTY1500, except it has a single large spotlight. The top half of the glass is shaped in such a way to serve as a floodlight, negating the use of an added LED strip.
Besides the standard gray, there’s a red and blue anodized version, which is nice.
As with the other 1500 lumen light, you get your Garmin mount, battery life indicator in the form of the power button, and 3 easy to use modes.
The LED seems to burn a bit faster through the battery, but this 1500 version is definitely the better looking one.
- One of the best-looking lights on the market, Magicshine's high quality build, great beam
- None
Magicshine MJ900S Lightweight Mountain Bike Light
The Magicshine MJ900S Lightweight Mountain Bike Light is one of the most affordable mountain bike lights well under a 100 dollars.
A single lightweight light powered by a 2600 mAh external battery offers a beam of surprising quality. It’s one of the smallest externally powered lights you can find.
Personally I’m not a fan of externally powered lights when they are so small, considering the many alternatives. But the battery doubles as a power bank and offers a significant runtime.
Another thing to consider is the fact this light can be directly hooked to your e-bike’s battery. And the package includes a helmet mount out of the box.
With an out front Garmin and GoPro compatible mount it offers the mounting flexibility that should come with every light nowadays.
It has 3 modes and a standard flash mode, so it covers the basics.
I feel this light can be a great addition when you’re looking for any of the special features it offers. If you’re just looking for a bright light, go for one with an integrated battery instead.
- Very affordable for an MTB light, e-bike compatible, helmet mount included, excellent beam quality
- External battery
Lezyne MEGA DRIVE 1800i
The Lezyne Mega Drive 1800I is a powerful 1800 mAh front light
So you can set up any of its 7 functions using an app. You can control both a rear light and the front light with the app in a feature called link control. The app also lets you create custom programs besides the factory settings. You can do the same type of thing pairing the light with your Lezyne GPS.
So how about the light itself? The 7 functions are divided into 3 flashing and 4 constant modes. The light has the highest power output, divided across 3 LED’s. It has a sidelight feature as well. The light itself is obviously bright enough for normal road use. The beam is quite narrow, and even with the 1800 on paper, the light doesn’t seem to make the most of this potential power.
It’s attached to the handlebar using a strap. Luckily Lezyne offers another mount to get the light out front.
There’s a port at the bottom front, which either lets you plugin an optional remote or extra battery, both are nice features.
If you plan to use it with a Lezyne GPS and rear light, you get the most out of the smartphone options. If used as a single light, I’d go for something simpler, which’ll give you more bang for your buck. Even though this is not the most expensive light out there.
- Dual control of front- and rear light, customizable programs
- Powerful but narrow beam
Lezyne SUPER DRIVE 1600XXL
The Lezyne SUPER DRIVE 1600XXL looks almost identical to the Mega Drive and offers the exact same features, only with a smaller 1600 lumen output.
So if you want to save your money and are perfectly fine with a little less maximum power, go for this one. The economy, enduro, and blast settings are the same, so you’ll only miss 200 extra lumens on the overdrive setting.
- Dual control of front- and rear light, customizable programs
- Narrow beam
Lezyne MACRO DRIVE 1300XXL
One step below the Super Drive sits the 1300 lumen Lezyne MACRO DRIVE 1300XXL.
Where the Super Drive and the Mega drive don’t really differ that much, the standard Enduro setting of the Macro Drive is 450 lumens. That’s about 60 percent of the other two and it shows.
If you consider the amount of money you save on this one, and none of the three are budget-oriented, I’d go for one of the other two.
- Dual control of front- and rear light, customizable programs
- Stronger lights are better investment
Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500
I’m not the biggest fan of their design but the beam quality of the Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500 is undeniable.
Light & Motion have been in the illumination game for years and it shows. They went for a GoPro compatible mount to enable an out front or helmet setup, besides the strap for the handlebar.
Even at 1500 lumen, the beam quality is solid enough for trail riding, with the beam offering enough flood for tight cornering.
Operating the light is easy enough with a button to toggle between medium and race mode, where you get all the power you need. It means the light, with its hooded design, is perfect for a quick trail run or your everyday commute.
If I’m correct you can let the battery get replaced should you pass about 300 cycles, which is the lifespan of the battery. So if you care about the environment that’s a big plus.
- Superb beam quality
- Expensive
Light & Motion Vis 1000 Trooper
The Light & Motion Vis 1000 Trooper is a high-quality offering from this long standing brand.
The light ticks all the right boxes. A 1000 lumen single LED spotlight with a waterproof aluminum casing.
A high-quality beam predominantly meant for road riding and commuting, with a strap mount to attach it to your handlebars.
It has standard modes, including a daytime flash mode, and side lights for added visibility.
Additional GoPro mounts are available for either an out front or helmet setup, but other lights offer that out of the box.
It means that if you’re looking for just a light and nothing more, you get a lot for your money.
- Excellent beam quality
- None
Light & Motion Vis Pro 1000 Trail
The Light & Motion Vis Pro 1000 Trail is exactly the same as the Trooper version.
This one offers a helmet and GoPro mount out of the box for a higher price. But you’re better off buying the other one with the mount of your choice and save some money in the process.
Unless you like the white anodized aluminum of this version.
- Excellent beam quality
- None
NiteRider Lumina OLED 1100 Boost Front Bike Light
It offers 7 settings divided across 4 constant and 3 flashing modes. Low, medium, high, and boost mode are the options you get, through which you cycle with a button located on top of the light.
The light has two LEDs behind big flood light lenses, which ensures you have a soft transition and quite a bit of spread to each side. There are two dimples in the plastic casing so you have your sidelight as well.
I think part of the premium price for this light is the fact it offers an OLED screen on top of it displaying battery life, time remaining and the mode you’re in. The benefit of the displayed information cannot be understated. And once you get used to it you’ll probably never want to go back to a light that doesn’t have it.
The light is attached to the bar with a bracket and a thumb screw for on-the-fly adjustability. Third-party options for center and front mounting are available.
The light has a pretty distinctive design with large silver heatsinks at either side of the composite black body.
This light definitely brings something extra to the market and in terms of user-friendliness this one is probably the best.
- Distinctive design, OLED screen, great flood characteristics
- None
Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500
I’m not the biggest fan of their design but the beam quality of the Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500 is undeniable.
Light & Motion have been in the illumination game for years and it shows. They went for a GoPro compatible mount to enable an out front or helmet setup, besides the strap for the handlebar.
Even at 1500 lumen, the beam quality is solid enough for trail riding, with the beam offering enough flood for tight cornering.
Operating the light is easy enough with a button to toggle between medium and race mode, where you get all the power you need. It means the light, with its hooded design, is perfect for a quick trail run or your everyday commute.
If I’m correct you can let the battery get replaced should you pass about 300 cycles, which is the lifespan of the battery. So if you care about the environment that’s a big plus.
- Superb beam quality
- Expensive
Specifications 1000 lumen bike lights
Name | Price | Max lumen | Battery type | Battery capacity (mAh) | Battery life (Hrs) | Mount type | Rating | Light control | Weight | Body | Helmet mount | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Towild Cl 1200Pro Smart Bike Light | 50 USD | 1200 | internal | 4000 | 1.5 – 10 | Garmin | remote | 176 | aluminium | optional | ||
Cateye Volt 1700 | 240 USD | 1700 | internal | 6800 | 5.5 – 15 | strap | waterproof | light | 256 | aluminium / plastic | optional | |
Knog PWR Trail 1100L Front Bike Light | 130 USD | 1100 | internal | 5000 | 1.7 – 250 | bracket | IP66 | light | 230 | aluminium | optional | |
Magicshine ALLTY1500 Compact Road Front Light | 90 USD | 1500 | internal | 5000 | 2 – 30 | Garmin | IPX7 | light | 133 | aluminium | optional | |
Magicshine RN 1500 Exclusive Colored Bike Light | 90 USD | 1500 | internal | 5000 | 1.5 – 12.5 | Garmin / GoPro | IPX7 | light | 172 | aluminium | optional | |
Magicshine MJ900S Lightweight Mountain Bike Light | 70 USD | 1500 | external | 2600 | 1.5 – 25 | Garmin | IPX6 | light | aluminium | yes | ||
Lezyne MEGA DRIVE 1800i | 175 USD | 1800 | internal | 1.5 – 148 | strap | IP7 | light | 237 | aluminium | optional | ||
Lezyne SUPER DRIVE 1600XXL | 150 USD | 1600 | internal | 2 – 148 | strap | IP7 | light | 227 | aluminium | optional | ||
Lezyne MACRO DRIVE 1300XXL | 100 USD | 1300 | internal | 2.5 – 148 | strap | IP7 | light | 208 | aluminium | optional | ||
Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500 | 108 USD | 1500 | internal | 1.5 – 6 | strap | IP67 | light | 216 | aluminium | optional | ||
Light & Motion Vis 1000 Trooper | 60 USD | 1000 | internal | 1.5 – 9 | strap | IP67 | light | 121 | aluminium | optional | ||
Light & Motion Vis Pro 1000 Trail | 122 USD | 1000 | internal | 1.5 – 9 | strap | IP67 | light | 121 | aluminium | yes | ||
NiteRider Lumina OLED 1100 Boost Front Bike Light | 130 USD | 1100 | internal | 1 – 18 | bracket | light | 172 | aluminium / plastic | optional | |||
Light & Motion Seca Comp 1500 | 108 USD | 1500 | internal | 1.5 – 6 | strap | IP67 | light | 216 | aluminium | optional |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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