Hi X,

I've tested more than 20 bike lights over the last year.

Cheap $5 ones from AliExpress.

Premium $100+ ones from name brands.

Everything in between.

It turns out there's a price point where everything changes.

Most cheap lights ($5-$15) work fine... for about 6-12 months.

Then the battery dies, the mount breaks, or the brightness drops.

Most premium lights ($80-$150) are overbuilt.

You're paying for Bluetooth apps you'll never use and features that don't make the light actually better at lighting up the road.

But there's a price point where the quality jumps dramatically.

Between $25-$50, you start getting:

✅ Solid aluminum chassis (not flimsy plastic)
✅ Battery life that lasts years, not months
✅ Mounts that actually stay tight
✅ Consistent brightness that doesn't fade

I've tested lights at every price point. The ones I'd actually buy with my own money?

They're mostly in the $25-$50 range.

See which lights rank highest on the Cycling Gear Leaderboard:

What lights are you using right now? Hit reply and let me know.

Mike

P.S. Did you know I also created the Carbon Wheel Scorecard? One big database where I ranked the 20+ carbon wheels I've reviewed! You can check it out here.