Could Garmin's new front light with built-in 4k camera rival Cycliq? £459.99 Varia Vue with auto-incident detection launches

Garmin today unveiled its new Varia Vue, a front light with a built-in 4k camera that promises to record "crystal-clear video and automatically saves it if an incident is detected". At £459.99, it's significantly more expensive than rival light/camera combos that we know of, and you'll also need to budget in the cost of a memory card and Garmin Vault subscription if you want to use Garmin's software for storing and editing footage. 

The Varia Vue will sit alongside Garmin's Varia rear light and radar in its product line-up of accessories designed to "increase safety and visibility" for cyclists, the Vue able to sync with the Varia RCT715 radar taillight camera to record rides from both angles.

2025 Garmin Varia Vue (credit: Garmin)

It all points to Garmin hoping to rival established ride-recording brand Cycliq, whose cameras have consistently impressed. The £299 Fly12 model, a 400-lumen front light with 4k camera, offers up to seven hours of continuous recording.

> Everything you need to know about bike cameras

At a suggested retail price of £459.99, the Varia Vue is significantly more expensive than Cycliq's offerings or any other competitor that we know of, although Garmin's light has five modes maxing out at 600 lumens. On the battery life front, the Varia Vue offers seven hours of continuous recording too, when in day flash mode, or up to nine when the headlight is off.

Garmin says its light modes automatically adjust to match a rider's speed and surroundings when it's connected to a compatible Edge cycling computer, while the headlight is designed with a cut-off beam reducing the light intensity above the cut-off line, to avoid blinding oncoming riders and traffic.

2025 Garmin Varia Vue (credit: Garmin)

For convenience, the Vue's camera and headlight settings can be changed via the Varia smartphone app or through a compatible Edge computer. 

The product also has a concealed microphone to record audio alongside the 4k video. It will require a memory card, something that is not included in the £459.99 price, and to store footage in the Garmin Vault that will require a subscription that's £9.99 a month or £99.99 for the whole year. 

> Best bike cameras

Just yesterday Wahoo launched its "cutting edge" Trackr Radar rear light, following in Garmin's footsteps in offering a radar rear light. Today, Garmin has taken the next step and followed in Cycliq's footsteps to offer a front light with a built-in camera, the underlying point that we're seeing more of these premium safety-focused devices from the big cycling tech brands.

2025 Wahoo Trackr Radar (credit: Wahoo)

In the Vue's case, the built-in camera records "sharp, 4k video while Electronic Image Stabilisation keeps the footage steady". The device can detect incidents, automatically saving and storing video before, during and after the event.

When it is connected via Wi-Fi, any saved footage can be automatically uploaded to Garmin Vault for secure storage with an active subscription, and video from a ride can be reviewed and edited through the Varia app too. Garmin's RCT715 also has automatic upload capabilities. 

"With Varia Vue, cyclists can embark on rides knowing they're more likely to be seen on the road when using the headlight and are equipped with a high-resolution camera that can capture it all," Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing commented.

"We're thrilled to add another tool to Garmin's unparalleled cycling line-up, giving riders the confidence they need to pursue their passion with greater peace of mind than ever before."

Has Garmin addressed Varia issues?

Garmin Varia Vue side view (credit: Garmin)

Being able to store your footage in the Garmin Vault does appear to address one of our complaints about the Varia RCT715, the app for that leaving plenty to be desired according to our reviewer. However, the cost of a subscription to use the Vault is significant, £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year. That means you'd need to pay £459.99 for the Varia Vue, purchase a memory card as the device doesn't come with one, and then pay a penny short of £100 to store and edit your footage in the Vault for 12 months, moving the cost for one year closer to the £600 mark. If you only use video editing software for your bike camera then that £9.99 might be a more affordable solution than some other video editors, but you could of course upload your footage elsewhere, and use free or significantly cheaper editing software to remove that rolling cost. 

Garmin promises the image quality will be "crystal-clear" 4k, something we'll be interested to try out considering our review of the Varia raised issues with the 1080p video quality. Many of the concerns we raised with that device appear to have been targeted for improvements here, although coming at a cost of at least £200 more when factoring in the extra upfront cost, memory card and annual Vault subscription.

We've requested a Varia Vue for review. Will the image and camera quality be enough to clearly capture number plates if you're unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of a near miss (or worse), and can this camera/light combo really justify the heavy premium over the rest of the bike camera market? Hopefully we'll be able to report back in a few weeks' time.

You can check out the full product spec on Garmin's website.