Wearing lights on your wrists and feet aren’t always the perfect solution when Running at night. They can slip and slide and aggravate you so much that you’ll be watching the clock instead of where you’re going.

Sometimes a better bet is a light you can put on your Chest. To find the best running chest light for you, keep reading our guide below for pointers and recommendations.

Why Do I Need a Chest Light?

In a perfect world, our lives wouldn’t interfere with our running schedules. We wouldn’t have to work through all the sunlight during the short day hours of fall and winter. We would be outside training in broad daylight instead of bundling up at night and strapping on lights.

But life doesn’t work like that––we have commitments that leave us scrambling to find any spare moment for running. Sometimes that means it has to be at night or in the pre-dawn hours of the day when others in your house are still sleeping and you can slip away without any uproar.  

But when you’re running in the dark, things can get dicey fast. If you can’t see the road and any potholes or other stumbling blocks in your path, you risk injuring yourself when you run in the dark.

Even worse is the thought of what could happen to you if a motorist doesn’t see you because of the cloak of darkness. You could be hit by a car or even killed. It happens to road runners every year, but no one ever believes it will happen to them.

Chest lights, headlamps, and other types of lights are the best way to avoid becoming a statistic. Having a light on your body while you’re running in the dark is a great way to light up your path and alert motorists that they’re sharing the road with you.

Should It Be a Solid or Blinking Light?

Some runners seem to prefer using a solid chest light while they are running, whereas others seem to favor a blinking, strobe-like light that rapidly flashes. Which is the best light to have?

Part of that depends on your personal preference and part of it depends on what your primary concern is while you’re training in the dark.

Let’s look at some of the factors you should consider before deciding on one type of light or the other.

• If your primary goal is to be seen by motorists: If you are more worried about drivers not seeing you and possibly striking you with their vehicle, you might want to opt for wearing blinking lights. They demand attention. Look at ambulances with their flashing lights––when you’re driving, you notice them right away. That’s why flashing lights are best at attracting the attention of motorists.
• If your goal is more about seeing obstacles in your way: Flashing lights aren’t as great when it comes to illuminating your way. If you’ve been burned before by stumbling in the dark as you’ve run, you know how easy it is to trip and injure yourself when you can’t see where you’re going. Solid lights help you avoid any unpleasant surprises in the terrain you’re covering.
• How easily you suffer from headaches triggered by lights: Some people can’t handle flashing lights very well because they can trigger headaches for some people, especially those who suffer from migraines. If you’re prone to headaches, you should definitely stick with a chest light that emits a solid beam of light.

The best policy for most runners is finding a light that allows you to switch back and forth between a solid mode and a flashing light mode. Many chest lights offer both functions; however, some don’t, which means you may have to choose.

What Else Should I Look for In a Chest Light?

If you’re looking for a nice safety kit that has plenty of running light options, you should check out our new kit. If you decide to go with a simple chest light, instead of a runner’s kit, you should make sure it meets all your requirements for a good light.

• Comfort: A chest light has to fit well and comfortably. You don’t want something that shifts so much that you’re constantly playing tug of war with it just to keep it in place. You also don’t want it to feel too tight or restrictive.
• Brightness: The light has to be bright enough to be easily seen or to light your path while you’re running. If it isn’t bright enough, you won’t feel secure enough to keep training at night.
• Batteries: The batteries should not peter out on you after just a couple runs, unless they are rechargeable batteries. You have to make sure you’ll get enough hours on your batteries to make your purchase worth your while.

The Best Running Chest Lights

Q-seedling LED Chest Light

Pros

• It has three white light modes, including a high beam that will illuminate your path well, a lower light, and a strobe light.
• The strap is flexible and adjustable so you should be able to find a comfortable fit that works for you.
• It’s lightweight so you won’t feel weighed down by your light source.
• It’s fine to use in a light rain because it is water resistant.
• It comes with a rechargeable battery.
• Depending on which mode you use it, the battery will last about two to five hours, which is enough time to get a long run in.
• It comes with a charging cable.

Cons

• Because the light points straight out in front of you instead of at the ground, you may still need a headlight to see your path, unless you angle the chest light occasionally at the ground with your hand.
• You’ll have to charge it for about six hours before you can use it for the first time, which can be a long time for any excited runner waiting to try out new gear.

 Suptig Chest Light

Pros

• This light has three modes ––normal, low, and flashing.
• On high light, the battery power will last 1.5 hours, but on low light, it will work for four hours. If you want to run with just the flashing lights on, your battery power will work for up to six hours.
• The band is highly elasticized, which means you’ll get all the stretch you need to ensure a comfortable fit.
• This option also has lights on your back for added safety.
• You can recharge the battery.
• It only takes one and a half hours to recharge the battery.

Cons

• The casing that holds the light is hard and feels brittle so you need to make sure you don’t drop this light––if you do, the plastic will likely break.
• Once the rechargeable battery eventually dies, you’ll have to replace the whole light.

 Pannovo Running Chest Light

If you want your chest light to assist you in taking some sports photos, this might be a good pick for you. It’s compatible with the GoPro camera so you’ll be able to get great photos of the things you see while you’re on your runs.

Pros

• This light shines up to about 65 feet in front of you, which is nice when you want more time to react to any obstacles that you come across in your running course.
• You can fidget with the length and the tightness of the strap on this chest light so you’ll be able to find a fit that holds the light steady while still allowing you to breathe.
• It’s an affordable option for runners who are on a tight budget.
• It has five flashing red lights on the back part of the strap so motorists coming up behind you will be able to spot you.
• It has three lighting modes––a flashing light, a high steady light, and a low steady light.

Cons

• You can use it during some light rain, but you should leave it at home if the rain is going to be heavy or if there is a lot of snow expected while you’re on your run.
• You have to charge it five hours every time you use it.

Powstro Chest Running Lights

Pros

• The straps won’t dig in or ride up when you’re running because they are adjustable.
• You’ll be seen from both sides because this light has white lights on your chest and a series of red lights on your back.
• It has three different modes of light––you’ll get low, high, and strobe lights.
• This belt is lightweight so you won’t feel it banging against your chest when you’re moving, even if you’re sprinting.
• It’s affordable.
• It’s rechargeable.

Cons

• You can’t adjust the position of the beam.
• This is better for road running than it is for trail running because you’ll only get about 10 feet illuminated in front of you.

Adogo Chest Running Light

Pros

• In addition to the three modes of 250 lumens, 180 lumens, and 90 lumens, you’ll also get a power-saving mode of 70 lumens.
• This light is USB rechargeable, which means you’ll be able to get repeated use out of it without worrying about battery replacement.
• You’ll get white lights on the chest and red lights on the back so motorists can see you from either direction.
• The length of the chest light can be adjusted so most people won’t have any problem finding a comfortable fit.

Cons

• It’s not waterproof so you shouldn’t wear it in the rain.
• It takes five hours to fully recharge, which is longer than some other chest lights.

And the Winner Is … 

The Powstro light is one of the best running chest lights because, unlike many others, it is waterproof, not just water resistant. 

As every runner knows, when you’re training for a big race, you’re sometimes going to have to run in conditions that are less than ideal. If you’re going to keep your training at the level you need, you’ll have to tough it out in rain and snow. This light will help you do that.

With three modes of light, a rechargeable battery, comfortable straps, and lights on both the front and the back, this light has everything you might need.