Best Bike Mirrors In 2022

How We Chose Our Selection Of The Best Bike Mirrors

As well as testing many of our listed products first-hand, our team of professional researchers read through hundreds of customer reviews posted on both social media and reputable retail websites. And to be sure that we offer you the very best deals possible, our team takes into account just about every detail you can imagine, ranging from price and brand to ease of product installation, as well as build quality, functionality and overall durability. Armed with this information, our team at Gearhungry are confident that we can bring some of the most informative, objective, and well-balanced opinions right to your fingertips.

Brand - A recognizable brand name can be enough to sway many customer no matter what type of product they are in the market for. And although we know this fact to be true, we also believe that there are many new start-ups and small, less well-known companies that are manufacturing great products that definitely deserve to be reviewed. So by carefully selecting all of our products, we aim to bring to you a healthy balance between household name brands along with a few of the lesser known ones to bring you a broad overall picture of what products are currently available to you.

Price - At Gearhungry, we understand that personal budgets are always going to be a major factor when it comes to purchasing new products. So, to make sure that everyone is catered to, we ensure that we include a wide selection of products from across the price range. And as professional reviewers with many years of experience, we also know, and point out to you, that high price tags don’t always translate to superior products, and that budget products are often extremely good value.

Reviews - To get you the best deals in today’s digital shopping environment, we spend many hours carefully reading through customer reviews to get the latest insights and objective opinions of products and services. Every review we read, we carefully evaluate for clarity, authenticity and informational value to ensure that all of the product and services contained in our lists are of the very highest standards.

Features To Look For In A Bike Mirror

There are a number of features to look out for to ensure that you get the best bike mirror for your bicycle.

Right Or Left Installation - Where you live and which side of the road you ride on should be the first thing you consider when you’re in the market for a new bike side mirror. If you live in the USA or Europe, you will definitely need a left side mirror to see traffic coming up from behind you – whereas if you live in the UK or some of the many other countries that drive on the left side of the road, you will need a right side mirror to view the vehicles behind you. Of course, like many other riders out there, you could just get a pair of cycle rear view mirrors, and you’ll always have every angle covered.

Construction Quality and Materials - Once you have figured which side you need your bike mirror on, it’s time to have a good look at construction quality. You can get a good idea about construction quality by checking through the reviews, but it is also a good idea to check with the manufacturer’s specifications. So, if you are after a visor or eyeglass mounted mirror, you will need to look for lightweight materials in both the mirror and the mounting arm: stainless steel, titanium both bode well for the mounting arms, whereas lightweight acrylics or other synthetic materials should be used for the lens. For handle bar and bar end mounted bike mirrors, again look for materials but pay special attention to mounting mechanisms and pivots. Good builds will generally use stainless steel in pivots, polished steel for the lens and lightweight resins or polycarbonates for the mounting arms.

Compatibility - As with most things in life, all cycle handlebars are not made equal – so it’s important that you check the compatibility of a new bicycle rear view mirror with your own cockpit set-up before you press the buy now button. To be fair, most bicycle mirrors do come with plenty of wiggle room, but some oversized or super skinny handlebars may push a mirror’s compatibility spectrum a bit out of their comfort zones – for minor tweaks, some electrical tape can usually firm things up if a fit is a bit on the loose side.

The other thing, you must consider is the compatibility of the mounting system: for racing bikes you will need drop bar specific mirrors, and for mountain or commuting bikes, a bar end, or inner bar mount is the best option. Also check how much space you have on your handlebars to ensure the mounting mechanism has enough room to be securely attached.

Size - When thinking about size, you need to consider both the actual reach of the mounting arm and the diameter of the lens. For mirrors that are mounted on bar ends, the length of the arm is fairly standard, but for mirrors with center mounts, the lengths can vary considerably. What diameter lens would best suit your cycling requirements depends on your riding style and the type of bike you ride. For daily commuting, most riders seem to prefer a larger diameter lens for a maximum field of vision, whereas for off-road riding and road racing, most riders tend to lean towards a smaller more compact lens. However, at the end of the day, the diameter of the lens does come down to personal choice – but if you’re not sure, you could always take a quick peek at some bikes parked around your town to get a firsthand look.

Adjustability - The adjustability of a bike rear view mirror is also an important factor to take into account when considering a new purchase. The more adjustability you have, the more tweaking you will be able to do to get the perfect position for your riding style. The best bar mounted mirrors will have two points of adjustment: one on the mounting mechanism itself and one at the base of the lens frame. This allows for the maximum amount of adjustments for your overall mirror setup. Cheaper models may only have adjustments on the base of the lens frames, and while this is enough for most riders, it is always nice to have those extra adjustment options. For mirrors mounted on bar ends, hinges are also very common – this allows the lens to be pushed in and out when necessary, and also serves as a great safety feature if the bike should accidentally fall over, or if you hit an obstacle when out riding.

Bar End or Mid Bar Mounted Mirrors - The last thing you need to consider before ordering your new bike mirror is whether you would prefer a bar end or mid bar mounting system. Both have their pros and cons but essentially it comes down to the type of cockpit set-up you have and your riding style. If you already have a fairly busy mid-section on your bars, a bar end setup would probably work best for you. On the other hand, if you have just purchased some nice new closed end grips, you certainly will not want to ruin them by cutting the ends off to make room for a bar end insert locking mechanism. Mirrors that are mounted in your bar ends are also generally more resistant to vibration than their mid bar mounted counterparts – this, as you may well guess, makes them the top choice for mountain bikers, gravel riders, and generally everyone who likes to spend time on bumpy but less well travelled paths.

Bike Mirror FAQ

Q: Why do you need a bike mirror?

A: As you have probably noticed, lots of cyclists have been riding around for years and never felt the need for a rear view mirror. So you may well ask yourself if you actually need a bike mirror in the first place. Well, the answer to that is simply no, you don’t actually need one –but that said, having a rear view mirror could save you from serious injury or possibly even save your life. Many accidents are caused when cyclists fail to see fast moving traffic coming up from behind them when making outwards maneuvers. Using a simple rear view mirror can significantly reduce this risk and at the same time help you to save energy and your precious momentum by not having to slow down to turn your head.

Also if you cycle regularly in built up areas where traffic is particularly busy, you will always have a better understanding of what is going on around you, boosting your riding confidence, and making you a safer all round rider. Remember, being aware of what is going on behind your bike is as important as what is happening in front of you. As an added bonus, you also don’t have to keep looking over your shoulder, which at times can actually be a bit of a pain in the neck.