The 10 Best Bike Taillights

Thanks to a budget-friendly price and a host of high-tech specs, the Cygolite Hotshot Pro (appx. $32) represents the best value for most cyclists. It's juiced up via USB, offers six brightness modes, and can last for up to 210 hours on a single charge.

With 65 lumens and 270 degrees of visibility, the Bontrager Flare R (around $56) produces enough brightness to make you stand out on the road day or night. It has lots of helpful features, including an automatic power-saving mode that kicks in when the battery gets low.

Few blinkers pack as much punch as the Exposure Lights TraceR (appx. $84), which incorporates adaptive technology that allows it to flare up to 120 lumens, depending on the environment. It's also ideal for daytime riding, since it has a special beam pattern for that purpose.

Urban cyclists with a taste for style will love the Knog Blinder Road R70 (around $43), which boasts a sleek vertical design that allows it to blend in seamlessly with your frame. Five powerful LEDs ensure it's seen clearly by all drivers and pedestrians.

Whether you're the kind of rider who demands the latest technology or you simply want to guarantee your utmost safety on the road, the Garmin Varia RTL510 (around $200) is for you. This innovative unit issues visual and audible alerts when it senses vehicles approaching from behind.

At its highest setting, the Cat Eye Rapid X3 (appx. $60) boasts a whopping 150 lumens -- enough to nearly blind passersby even in daylight. But you'll only get an hour out of it in that mode, so it's best to keep it at any of its other four brightness settings most of the time.

For the relatively low price, the NiteRider Solas (appx. $29) offers a surprising level of functionality, boasting 100 lumens, four light modes, and USB recharging. It does leave a few things to be desired, though, including a longer battery life.

The Planet Bike Superflash (appx. $19) isn't the most sophisticated or feature-rich option out there, but it is fairly affordable and, as its name suggests, plenty bright. It requires very little maintenance, too, being capable of running for up to 100 hours on two AAA batteries.

If you don't normally ride in the dark and just need something you can throw on your seat post in an emergency, the Malker Front and Rear (around $8) are perfect. They're pretty weak compared to some other models, but are nearly unrivaled in terms of sheer convenience.

The discrete Cycle Torch Micro Bot (appx. $13) emits only 25 lumens of brightness, but that's enough to keep you visible on your daily commute home. Plus, its ergonomic mounting bracket fits virtually all bike frames, and it doesn't require any tools to install.