Wheel lights are a great fun addition to your bike. They also help make you visible at night and increase safety, especially when viewed from the side.
Lights for bicycle wheels come in a whole variety of different colors and patterns. The best bike wheel lights are the Monkey Light M232 Wheel Lights because of their brightness and the many customization options they provide.
Choosing lights that suit your needs is the most important part. If you like flashy colors, then ultra bright LEDs that create patterns are the best for you. If you prefer something subtle, white LEDs are perfect for increasing visibility without bringing too much attention to yourself.
- 1 Bike Wheel Light Comparison
- 2 The Best Bike Wheel Lights
- 2.1 1. Monkey Light M232 Bike Wheel Light – Best Overall
- 2.2 2. Bright Spokes LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best Rechargeable Lights
- 2.3 3. Activ Life LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best Budget Option
- 2.4 4. Monkey Light M204 Bike Wheel Lights – Best Looking Lights
- 2.5 5. Macywell Bike Spoke Lights – Best Spoke Lights
- 2.6 6. Monkey Light NLX1 LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best LED Count
- 2.7 7. Sarissa Bicycle Hub Ligh – Best Hub Light
- 2.8 8. Tipeye LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best for Single Wheel
- 3 How to Use Bike Wheel Lights on Your Bike
- 4 How do you decorate a bike with lights?
Bike Wheel Light Comparison
| Name | Batteries | LED Count | Multicolor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monkey Light M232 Lights | 4 x AA | 32 | Yes |
| Bright Spokes LED Lights | Rechargeable | 20 | Yes |
| Activ Life LED Lights | 3 x AAA | 21 | Yes |
| Monkey Light M204 Lights | Rechargeable | 4 | Yes |
| Macywell Spoke Lights | 1 x CR2032 | 6 | Yes |
| Monkey Light NLX1 Lights | 3 x AA | 40 | No |
| Sarissa Hub Light | 3 x LR44 | 8 | Yes |
| Tipeye LED Lights | 3 x AA | 20 | No |
If you intend to use them often, the best lights for your bike will feature a USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery. These rechargeable wheel lights are typically more expensive but ensure that you save on the cost of batteries.
The longer you plan on using them on your wheels, the more you’ll save on batteries by getting rechargeable models over battery models.
Below is a list of the best bike wheel lights that provide visibility at night and last a long time while shining brightly.
The Best Bike Wheel Lights
1. Monkey Light M232 Bike Wheel Light – Best Overall
Batteries: 4 x AA | LED Count: 32 | Multicolor: Yes
Monkey Lights from MonkeyLectric are some of the best-known bike lights around. The M232 model featured here offer crazy customization options that make them perfect for everyone.
With 32 full-color LEDs shining at 200 lumens, the Monkey Light M232 can display colorful patterns as well as subtle lights that improve visibility without being distracting for passers-by.
Having the option to choose between fun patterns as you ride and a more practical mode that makes sure you’re seen is what makes these wheel lights one of the best selling sets available.
Features of the Monkey Light M232 Wheel Light include:
- 32 Full-color LEDs
- Super bright lights to make sure you’re seen
- Full 2 year warranty
- Easy to install and configure
- Lasts up to 20 hours on just 3 x AA batteries
These lights are the best wheel lights because of their customization options and full-color LEDs.
2. Bright Spokes LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best Rechargeable Lights
Batteries: Rechargeable | LED Count: 20 | Multicolor: Yes
These LED wheel lights for bikes from Bright Spokes are a great budget buy. With 7 colors available from the 20 bright LEDs, you can change colors in seconds and give your ride a whole new look on the road.
Our favorite thing about the Bright Spokes lights is that they have a rechargeable battery back that you can plug in via USB. That means no more wasting money on batteries!
Bright Spokes’ lights can fit any bike, from foldable bikes all the way up to 29″ mountain bike wheels, and you don’t need any tools to install them.
Features of the Bright Spokes LED Bike Wheel lights include:
- 20 Full-color LED lights
- Fits any bikes’ wheel size
- USB Rechargeable battery pack
- 18 different lighting modes
- Durable, waterproof, high-quality silicone tube cover
These are the best bike lights to purchase if you aren’t interested in displaying patterns and prefer lights around the rim. They’re considerably cheaper than the Monkey Lights M232 model and have fewer customization options, but still pack a punch.
3. Activ Life LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best Budget Option
Batteries: 3 x AAA | LED Count: 21 | Multicolor: Yes
Activ Life lights look great on any bike and turn heads wherever you go. A whole set of 21 LED bright bulbs are powered by just 3 x AAA batteries and take less than 5 minutes to install (no tools needed!).
These bike wheel lights come with a waterproof, durable silicone tube cover that makes sure your wheels keep shining for years to come.
You can buy Activ Life’s bike wheel lights in a range of colors. At the time of writing the colors available are red, green, pink, blue, white and multicolor options.
Features of the Activ Life LED Bike Wheel Lights include:
- 21 color LED lights
- Multiple color options
- Fit any bicycle wheel
- Highly rated by Amazon reviewers
- Batteries are included and last ages
Regardless of which variant bike wheel light you consider from the Activ Life, you can rest assured they offer great visibility at a low cost.
4. Monkey Light M204 Bike Wheel Lights – Best Looking Lights
Batteries: Rechargeable | LED Count: 4 | Multicolor: Yes
The Monkey Light M204 model makes your bike wheels look like something out of the future. They’re the best bike spoke light out there bar none.
Unlike most lights for bike wheels, they fit on the spokes rather than around the wheel rim. This results in a stunning light pattern that looks great on any bike.
You can buy the Monkey Light M204s in a rechargeable battery model (highly recommended) or save a few bucks by getting the AA battery model.
Features of the Monkey Light M204 Wheel Lights include:
- Spoke light effect looks amazing
- USB recharging so NO BATTERIES!
- Really bright 4-LED setup
- Fits most wheels above 16″
- Easy to attach to spokes
- Waterproof and comes with anti-theft strap
We’d recommend these as one of our top picks to anyone who prefers an inner spoke light effect to an outside wheel rim effect. We think they look much better but having 4 lights instead of the usual 20+ does reduce visibility while at a standstill.
5. Macywell Bike Spoke Lights – Best Spoke Lights
Batteries: 1 x CR2032 | LED Count: 6 | Multicolor: Yes
Macywell’s Bicycle Spoke Lights are an affordable choice for those looking to add a bit of color to their bicycle wheel.
You get a pack of 6 LED lights that clip on to your spokes easily, and they’re available in a load of different color combinations.
These are one of the funkiest looking lights on bike wheels we’ve seen. You can choose from full brightness, fast flashing, and also slow flashing modes depending on your preferences and the level of visibility you want to achieve.
Features of the Macywell Bike Spoke Lights include:
- Zip tie installation keeps lights secure on your wheel
- Waterproof and suitable for off-road use
- Super bright LEDs and mix-and-match color options
- Easiest bicycle wheel lights to install and remove
These lights are great for people who want to constantly switch up the lights on their bike often without having to mess around with settings.
6. Monkey Light NLX1 LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best LED Count
Batteries: 3 x AA | LED Count: 40 | Multicolor: No
Monkey Light’s NLX1 sits just inside the rim on the spokes, and make for a much better effect than lights that are tight to the wheel rim.
What you also get with the NLX1 model is a total of 40 LEDs, that’s enough to make sure you’re seen. In fact, it’s more LEDs than we’ve seen available anywhere else.
As with all Monkey Light bicycle wheel lights, they’re super easy to install and use. They’re made in the USA and are totally waterproof and weather resistant.
Features of the Monkey Light NLX1 LED Bike Wheel Lights include:
- Super bright LED bulbs
- 40 LED lights for the best visibility
- Easy to use and install
- Made in the USA – high quality
- Fits most bike wheels 16″ or bigger
It’s no secret we love Monkey Light’s lights. These are no different. We recommend these to cyclists who want to totally pack out their wheels with 40 LEDs as opposed to the usual 20 LEDs found on other models.
7. Sarissa Bicycle Hub Ligh – Best Hub Light
Batteries: 3 x LR44 | LED Count: 8 | Multicolor: Yes
Sarissa’s Bicycle Hub Light is a little different. Instead of attaching the wheel light around the rim as with most bicycle wheel lights available, you fit this to your hub.
The effect is pretty impressive. With 8 LEDs shining out along the spokes of your bike wheel, you get a rotating light show that boosts visibility in even the darkest conditions.
The hub light is fully waterproof and can take a battering.
Features of the Sarissa Bicycle Hub Light include:
- Something different to your usual lighting
- Waterproof and highly durable design
- Easy to install on bike hub
- Fits bike hubs 35mm in width or more
- Stands out among other lights
The Sarissa Bicycle Hub light is one of the best bike lights for kids bikes especially. We love that it’s easy to remove and fits on wheelchairs and all sorts of bikes.
8. Tipeye LED Bike Wheel Lights – Best for Single Wheel
Batteries: 3 x AA | LED Count: 20 | Multicolor: No
Tipeye’s LEDs lights stand up to the test of time and shine as bright as many of the other more expensive options around.
They’re waterproof and super durable, giving off a bright effect in any weather conditions. All bike lights sold by Tipeye are eligible for a 30-day refund and get a 1-year warranty.
Features of the Tipeye LED Bike Wheel Lights include:
- IP65 Waterproof tube cover
- Easy to install and needs no tools
- Lasts ages with 3 AA batteries
- 20 really bright LED lights
These are a great set of cheap bike wheel lights, and perfect for people who want to buy a single wheel rather than a set.
How to Use Bike Wheel Lights on Your Bike
Not only do these bicycle wheel lights look amazing, but they also make sure you’re seen at night. Using them when riding in low light or night conditions can make you stand out from the side where normal reflectors wouldn’t.
Let’s look at a few questions riders often have about bike lights and how best to use them.
How do you decorate a bike with lights?
There are several different wheel light styles that you can fit to your bike wheels. Here are the most common types of lights for wheels:
- Spoke lights. Spoke lights attach directly to the spokes and usually give off a much more noticeable effect when moving.
- Wheel rim lights. The most common type of lights, wheel rim lights fit around the edges of the rim. These look great and can be subtle, making the best option for professionals who don’t want to make bright colorful patterns on their way to work.
- Hub Lights. Hub lights attach at the hub and shine out along the spokes, hitting the rim and giving off a varying array of colors. These are great for kids and are usually very affordable and easy to install.
How do you put a bike wheel light on?
Most of the bike lights available today are super easy to install and also come with various customizations that can be operated even after they’ve been installed.
How you put your wheel lights on your bike will depend on the type of lights you have. All of the lights recommended in this guide come with very clear instructions and take no longer than 2 minutes to install.
There is no need to use tools to install bike wheel lights. Some come with adhesive strips, others with zip-ties and anti-theft clasps, so it differs hugely between products.
What is a Monkey Light for Bike Wheels?
Monkey Lights are one of the most popular ranges of bike wheel lights that are made by MonkeyLectric.
They’re well known for their various customization options and stunning bright light displays. We highly recommend choosing a Monkey Light to decorate your bike wheels, as we’ve always found them to be of the highest quality.