Whether you’re biking for fun, exercise, or competition, you must be aware of your surroundings at all times. While biking makes it easy to see in front of you and your periphery, it’s challenging to turn around to check what’s behind you.
Having to turn almost 180 degrees to see behind you while operating your bicycle can be risky and can lead to accidents. To stay as safe as possible, you need a high-quality rearview mirror.
Bicycle rearview mirrors allow you to effortlessly be aware of all of your surroundings, including traffic or other bikers approaching from behind. This way, you can focus better on the road or course in front of you.
As avid bikers ourselves, we understand the importance of finding the right rearview mirror. We also realize there are many available options on the market. So we put together a list of what we think are the best bicycle rearview mirrors.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Hafny Bar End Bike Mirror
The Hafny mirror has been a favorite among bicyclists for years. This mirror features a recyclable stainless steel lens and an adjustable and durable frame, and it is a perfect fit for most bikes.
This mirror’s lens is unbreakable stainless steel. When most of us picture stainless steel, we think of it being silver, but the stainless steel in this mirror is almost clear, making seeing behind you a breeze.
Because Hafny uses stainless steel and not glass like most other mirrors, the mirror is unbreakable. That means if you get in an accident, your mirror will not shatter. Stainless steel is also recyclable, which makes the Hafny an excellent environmental choice.
The Hafny bike mirror sits on a foldable, adjustable frame, so it barely takes up any extra space. The compact design allows you to easily park and store your bike without needing additional accommodations for the mirror.
This bike mirror fits almost any bike handle, including drop handles. You can install it anywhere on your handlebars, depending on your preference.
The Hafny fits inside open-ended grips measuring from 14.8-23 mm internally.
If you have a close-ended grip, you will need to cut a hole in the end of the grip, which can seem intimidating, but it’s not a big deal. The hole is very small, and if you don’t like the mirror, the hole is easily repairable.
Pros:
- Clear, unbreakable stainless steel mirror
- Recyclable
- Foldable, adjustable frame for easy storage and parking
- Fits anywhere on your handlebars
- Can fit multiple styles of bikes handlebars
Cons:
- Requires cutting a hole if the bike has a close-ended grip
Best for Bar Ends: Mirrycle MTB Bar End Bike Mirror
The Mirrycle bike mirror is a small 3-inch rearview mirror. Its lens is glass, and its frame is plastic resin. Its small, adjustable frame makes it ideal for mountain biking and travel.
The mirror’s plastic resin frame makes it inexpensive but tough and durable. Its cost-effectiveness makes it easy to repair or replace if the mirror becomes damaged.
This mirror might be compact, but its convex lens provides a broad view of the world behind you. The lens also pivots, so you can freely move the mirror to best suit your field of view without having to remove the mirror to readjust.
The Mirrycle bike mirror fits a wide variety of handlebars, ranging from 13.75-22.5 mm in interior diameter.
This mirror is super easy to mount to your handlebar, and the packaging includes the equipment required to mount it.
Pros:
- Compact and adjustable
- Cost-effective
- Diverse, fitting a wide range of handlebars
- Includes the wrench needed to mount the mirror
Cons:
- Small field of view
- Made of glass, so shattering is a risk
Best for Drop Bars: Sprintech Road Drop Bar Rearview Bike Mirror
The Sprintech rearview mirror is perfect for bicycles with drop bars. This mirror is lightweight, made of shatter-proof plastic with a chrome coating, reliable, and easy to install. It’s also great to use in pairs.
Typically used in pairs, the Sprintech option allows you to have one mirror for each of your handlebars, which increases your field of view. Two mirrors are convenient since the Sprintech mirrors are much smaller than other bicycle mirrors.
The Sprintech mirror contains a strong and durable plastic, making the mirror lightweight. The mirror fits tightly into your handlebars, which is very convenient for you while operating the bike. You don’t have to worry about accidentally kneeing or elbowing your mirror out of place.
The end of the mirror is reflective because of the chrome coating, which provides a clear view of everything behind you.
To install the mirrors, remove your bar’s endcap and replace it with the provided Sprintech cap. From there, you screw the female mirror piece into the male receptor, and you’re all set.
Pros:
- Perfect for drop bars
- Lightweight and shatterproof
- Easy to install
- Fits tightly and close to your bike, so it’s hard to knock off accidentally
Cons:
- Works best in pairs, but single mirrors are available for purchase
- Small field of view
Best Handlebar-Mounted Mirror: MEACHOW Bicycle Mirror
This MEACHOW handlebar mirror is an angular rearview mirror made of nylon, aluminum, and shatterproof glass. Its sleek design makes the mirror one of the more stylish options on the market.
This mirror is the widest one on the list, coming in at 5.3 inches across, providing a wider range of view than most other mirrors.
This mirror doesn’t mount to drop bars, and it will only fit a handlebar with a 22.2 mm outer diameter. You will need a 4mm hex/2 Nm torque screwdriver to install the mirror. The tool does not come with the mirror.
The arm of the mirror is nylon, and the clamp is an aluminum alloy. These materials combined make the MEACHOW mirror very durable and able to withstand impact reasonably well.
The glass is blast-proof and shatter-proof, with an anti-glare coating that helps you clearly see what is behind you. The mirror also comes equipped with a reflector strip on the back, making riding at night much safer.
The MEACHOW’s arm rotates up to 360 degrees, providing a much better and closer view of what is behind you.
Pros:
- Rotatable 360 degrees
- Wide field of view
- Shatter-proof glass
- Stylish
Cons:
- Only works for 22.2 mm handlebars
- Arm can break if the bike tips over
Summary
Finding a high-quality rearview mirror for your bike is essential to having a safe bicycling experience.
A rearview mirror increases your awareness of your surroundings without the need to make big movements while riding, which can affect your equilibrium. Your forward focus also drops when you look behind. Hence, a bicycle rearview mirror helps you continually gather information about your surroundings, giving you more feedback to plan your riding strategy with more confidence than having to rely on turning your head constantly.
When shopping for a rearview bike mirror, it’s essential to consider how big your handlebars are, what placement you prefer (bar end or handlebar, for example), what field of view you prefer, and how easy it is to install the mirror.
The four mirrors on this list are the best bicycle rearview mirrors, and we hope one of them fits your needs.
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