Best barbecue grill light

Cookouts shouldn't have to grind to a halt when the sun goes down. Instead, pick up a lamp to light your culinary way. You'll find that the best barbecue grill light is one that's compatible with your grill and grilling style. Our staff pick won its place on this list, and deservedly so. FIREOR's duo of ultra-bright LED barbecue grill lights are designed with magnetic bases, so they can be affixed anywhere on the grill's flat surfaces. In addition, you can flex the light to fall wherever it's darkest, thanks to a 360-degree gooseneck.

 A few other styles are included below, namely lights that attach to the grill lid's handle and some that clamp to various spots of your grill. Big Green Egg devotees, we considered you as well—you'll find a grill light designed especially for you. Check out this lighting collection below, and find your favorite.

Our best overall barbecue grill lights are from FIREOR. These twin lights are cleverly designed and made incredibly convenient by their AAA battery power and magnetic bases. Topped by a gooseneck lamp packed with nine glare-free LEDs, these heat-resistant lights will brighten every nook and cranny of your barbecue for up to 100,000 hours. For maximum visibility, station these LED lights on either side of the grill and adjust the flexible neck as needed. As long as you've chosen a flat surface, FIREOR's lights will cling tightly and handle any inclement weather that gets thrown their way.

For Weber fans (like my father and grandfather before me), accessories make an already excellent grilling experience even better. Their Grill-N-Go barbecue lamp is designed to mount on your Weber grill's handle, and its LED bulb casts a wide enough beam to light up those shadowy cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Battery life is surprisingly long for this lid light, too. Thanks to a motion-detector on/off switch, you won't accidentally leave it on all night to find a drained battery the next time you're barbecuing. Weber's grill light is detachable via a quick-release tab, and it's a thoughtful piece of design. Still, there's a catch: it only connects to the lid's handle and nowhere else. So you'd have to hold it by hand to direct its glow elsewhere, and that could get dicey if you're already holding tongs or a clean serving plate. 

A smoothly-expanding set of sidelights sets Cuisinart's Grilluminate barbecue grill light apart from its handle-mount competitors. Generally, they're a single light with a relatively narrow illumination range, but the telescoping design widens your viewing space. It'll clamp tightly to most brands of grill handles and isn't aimed at specific models like the Weber light we just discussed. Cuisinart chose bright LED bulbs with a 10,000-hour lifespan, and it runs on AAA batteries as many grill lights do. The only frustrating feature I could find was that it clamps onto the grill's lid handle, and that's it. It has a quick-release tab to make it easier, but there aren't any secret magnets hiding inside the light. 

If you have a large or deep barbecue grill and find that most grill lights leave dark corners, consider the LED grill light from NextLED. The light temperature is a warm, pleasant 3200K, similar to your household lightbulbs. It also lights your food in a far more appetizing way than cold white or fluorescent bulbs would. Finally, NextLED sourced extra-high quality, dimmable diodes from Cree LED with a better lumen-per-watt ratio and extended lifespan. An extra-wide magnetic base anchors this light more sturdily than other models, and it's heat-resistant up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to a protective steel frame. This is likely the grill light I'd choose solely because of its dimming feature, which is easy to use by holding down its power button. So if you're like me and have poor night vision, add NextLED's far-reaching light to your shopping cart. 

Big Green Egg grills and smokers have a devoted fanbase, and any new accessories are always welcomed. StarBright's barbecue grill light is a recent addition, with a stretchy strap that secures the light to your Egg's lid handle. Forget about replacing batteries endlessly, too—this light comes with USB rechargeable lithium-polymer AA batteries. You can rotate the light itself inside its cylindrical base to expand or contract the light to fit your Egg's cooking surface area, accommodating both the large and extra-large sizes. The output for StarBright's grill light is 150 lumens, which is plenty bright for nighttime barbecuing. However, keep in mind that its heat resistance is a bit lacking; don't attach this light to the handle until you've closed the lid. 

Bottom line

Fumbling with your phone or headlamp while trying to see what you're grilling at night is a thing of the past. The best barbecue grill lights eliminate that struggle, allowing you to cook safely in the dark—hands-free. Our best overall barbecue grill light is a two-pack from FIREOR, and they're well-equipped to brighten up your meal as it cooks. You can place them at either side of your grill on any metallic surface, and tilt their goosenecks to direct that light. Most grill lights are similarly designed for those reasons. 

If you'd rather use a handle-mounted grill light, then your best bet is Cuisinart's Grilluminate LED lamp. The outer sections extend and lock in place, to broaden the light beam. It clamps firmly in place, so you won't have to worry about it falling off into a rack of ribs. AAA batteries power this barbecue grill light, so make sure to keep a couple of packs on hand.

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