Best Glock Night Sights for Low-Light Scenarios and Home Defense
Night sights are a key addition to any defensive handgun, especially for Glock’s which don’t have the best factory sights anyway.
I know, I know, “Perfection” is their motto, but there are some ways that we can improve Gaston’s Gat just a little bit to make it better for self-defense, especially in low-light conditions.
These are the best choices for Glock owners looking to upgrade to sights that work better both at night and during broad daylight. I’ve used all of these sights, and several other models as well and I can confidently say that these won’t let you down when you need them most.
First, we have to talk about…
Why You Need Night Sights and How to Choose
All defensive pistols should have night sights. Don’t buy a pistol for self or home defense if you can’t afford to put night sights on it. They’re not that expensive, as you’re going to see in just a minute, and you can install them yourself if you don’t want to pay a gunsmith $50 to handle it for you.
The vast majority of violent crimes (Assault, rape/sexual assault, home invasion, and murder) happen at night. If you’re carrying a gun to protect yourself and your loved ones, you definitely need to be able to use it in low-light scenarios. You can be the best shot in the world, but even John Wick is going to miss if he can’t see his sights.
Finally, factory Glock sights suck. Don’t get me wrong, I adore all of my Glocks, and I rarely leave the house without my G19 or my G43. That doesn’t change the fact that I knock out the OEM plastic ball-and-bucket sights before I ever take a new Glock to the range, and you should do the same if you’re going to be using yours to defend yourself.
So, when picking night sights, you want something that’s bright, durable, and easy to use in both daylight and darkness. This is more important than you might think because some night sights are very difficult to use in bright sunlight.
Also, sights and optics are always going to be a little subjective, especially on a handgun where everyone’s eyes and technique are going to be a little different. If at all possible, give each of these sights a try before you buy. Head down to your local rental range, or ask your buddies what they have on their guns.
With all that out of the way, let’s look at some sights.
Top Picks
Contents
Ameriglo Pro-IDOT
Product
AMERIGLO i-Dot Series Sight Set for Glock - Fits Gen 1-4...
Top Overall Pick
- Green Tritium with Orange Outline Front Sight, Green Single Dot...
- Case Hardened Front and Rear Sights Makes The i-Dot Extremely...
- Dot-Over-Dot Design Creates A Quick Vertical Sight Alignment
- Fits Gen 1-4 9mm/.40/.380, Gen5 10mm/.45
Our rating 
Details
- Green Tritium with Orange Outline Front Sight, Green Single Dot...
- Case Hardened Front and Rear Sights Makes The i-Dot Extremely...
- Dot-Over-Dot Design Creates A Quick Vertical Sight Alignment
- Fits Gen 1-4 9mm/.40/.380, Gen5 10mm/.45
Ameriglo has carved out a name as one of the best suppliers of budget-minded night sights in the business, and their Pro-IDOT line is one of my favorites for anyone looking to get night sights on their gun without breaking the bank.
These simple iron sights use a fluorescent orange circle around a green tritium lamp for the front sight and a simple green lamp under the rear notch for rapid target acquisition. These are “combat efficient” sights like most defensive sights, and are designed to be quick to acquire in low-light situations. These aren’t going to be super precise for target work, but they’ll get the job done. Where they really excel is that panic-filled moment when you have to draw quickly from a holster and fire, no matter how bright it is outside.
And if you’re worried about quality at this price point, don’t be. Ameriglo machines the housings for these sights, but Trijicon, one of the most reliable names in sighting solutions makes the tritium inserts so you can be sure they’ll never let you down.
I put some Ameriglo sights in a Gen4 Glock 19 almost seven years ago, and they’re still just as bright as when they went in, and actually saved my life once in a confrontation with a rabid wild dog that really wanted a piece of me as I opened the gate to our property late one night.
In short, they really do work, and I continue to trust my life to them.
TRUGLO TFO
Product
TRUGLO TFO Tritium and Fiber-Optic Handgun Sights for Glock...
Top Overall Pick
- FASTER TARGET ACQUISITION - When brightness counts, get the...
- UNMATCHED VISIBILITY - When shooting in glaring daylight or...
- TFO TECHNOLOGY - Combining glow-in-dark Swiss Tritium and...
- SNAG-FREE DESIGN - Constructed of durable CNC-machined steel and...
- COMPATIBILITY - The TFO Green Front & Yellow Rear Sights are...
Our rating
Details
- FASTER TARGET ACQUISITION - When brightness counts, get the...
- UNMATCHED VISIBILITY - When shooting in glaring daylight or...
- TFO TECHNOLOGY - Combining glow-in-dark Swiss Tritium and...
- SNAG-FREE DESIGN - Constructed of durable CNC-machined steel and...
- COMPATIBILITY - The TFO Green Front & Yellow Rear Sights are...
TRUGLO is another name you’re probably familiar with if you’ve done any previous research into night sights, and you’ve probably heard good things to boot.
That’s because TRUGLO is one of the biggest suppliers of law-enforcement night sights, and they even make factory night sights for several OEM manufacturers. The TRUGLO TFO sights, in particular, are popular because they combine fiber-optic inserts with tritium lamps for a more consistently bright sight picture in the brightest sunlight, or when it’s pitch blackout.
TRUGLO’s TFO line is probably my second choice for someone looking to pick up a set of night sights on a budget, so just compare prices and features with the Ameriglo set above and see which ones you like best, or can get at the best price.
I like the TFO’s in particular because they perform great in all lighting conditions, which is not something I can say about all the night sights that I’ve tried. Best of all, they offer color contrasting front and rear sights, which I always highly recommend for any shooter of any skill level.
In a high-stress situation, all your fine motor skills are going out the window, and your ability to quickly find that sight picture you practiced so much at the range is going to be immensely degraded.
Having a color-contrasted front sight, in this case, a brighter green front post that contrasts with the slightly-dimmer yellow rear notch, allows you to train your eyes to quickly find that front post, and not be distracted by the bright rear sight.
This makes target acquisition and rapid defensive shooting that much easier, and can really improve your shot placement in a panic situation.
TRUGLO TFX PRO Handgun Sight Set
Product
Truglo TFX PRO Handgun Sight, Glowing Shock Proof Tritium...
Top Overall Pick
- Day and Night Sight: Truglo TFX PRO Sight upgrades your handgun;...
- Unmatched Visibility: Designed to provide maximum brightness...
- Focus Lock: Gun accessory fits standard holsters and has a...
- Shock-Resistant Capsule: Efficient TFX PRO comes with a...
- Fortress Finish: Gun beam is impervious to oils, chemicals,...
Our rating
Details
- Day and Night Sight: Truglo TFX PRO Sight upgrades your handgun;...
- Unmatched Visibility: Designed to provide maximum brightness...
- Focus Lock: Gun accessory fits standard holsters and has a...
- Shock-Resistant Capsule: Efficient TFX PRO comes with a...
- Fortress Finish: Gun beam is impervious to oils, chemicals,...
The one downside of the TFOs is that they’re not the most durable things in the world. They’re still more durable than the factory Glock sights, but if you’re looking for something that can take being thrown around a bit better, there are some other options out there.
TRUGLO’s TFX PRO line is a good place to start. These are the ones you’ll see on a lot of law enforcement guns, as they’re designed to take some abuse, and even stand up to harsh chemical substances like sweat, gun oils, and solvents so you don’t have to worry so much about them being degraded that way.
The TFX PRO series uses the same hybrid combination of fiber-optic inserts coupled with tritium lamps so you get the best of both worlds in every lighting, and the sights themselves feature a deep rear U-shaped notch and anti-glare serrations at the back, and a high-contrast red ring around the front sight for rapid target acquisition.
All in all, these sights are great for anyone looking to improve the sights on their Glock, but they’re especially great if you might have to knowingly carry your weapon into a dangerous situation.
They’re rugged and reliable, and easy to use in a high-stress scenario. I personally carry them on one of my guns, and I’ve never experienced a single issue in the three or so years I’ve had them.
XS Sight Systems, DXT2 Big Dot Sights
Product
XS Sights DXT2 Big Dot Tritium Night Sights. Tritium Front...
Top Overall Pick
- Fits: Glock 42,43,43X,48 models including MOS versions & all...
- Glows 24/7: Self-Illuminated tritium glows 24/7 providing a...
- Fast Sight Acquisition: Highly visible tritium front sight...
- See More Down Range: The V-notch rear allows for greater...
- Rugged Iron Sights: Durable CNC machined night sights made from...
Our rating
Details
- Fits: Glock 42,43,43X,48 models including MOS versions & all...
- Glows 24/7: Self-Illuminated tritium glows 24/7 providing a...
- Fast Sight Acquisition: Highly visible tritium front sight...
- See More Down Range: The V-notch rear allows for greater...
- Rugged Iron Sights: Durable CNC machined night sights made from...
XS Sight Systems is a relatively new name in night sights, but it’s one worth remembering. They’re best known for their Big Dot Sights which, as you might guess, utilize a larger-than-normal front sight post.
The goal here is to trade a little bit of precision for a whole lot of speed. Having such a large front sight post gives you much more to focus on when drawing your Glock (or any gun) and trying to find that sight picture. In a defensive situation, your eye is going to be drawn all over the place, and focusing on that front sight for good shooting technique may be difficult.
With a Big Dot, you don’t have to worry about that. This is a long way from a target-style sight, but it’s still plenty accurate for a defensive situation where you’re probably going to be shooting with a less-than-ideal sight picture anyway.
I like the Big Dot because it represents a new innovation in pistol sights, but it’s not just a gimmick like some other sight systems. There’s actually some very sound psychology and a sound understanding of tactics and defensive shooting that went into this.
These sights are great for all Glocks, but I particularly like them on smaller-framed handguns that don’t have the best sight radius anyway. If I have to pull my gun to defend my life, perfect shot placement is a secondary concern to getting rounds on target quickly.
The person with a knife charging out of the darkness with a knife doesn’t care about A-zone hits after all. I just need to get hits on the upper torso before he gets to me. This sight setup helps with that. They’re still plenty accurate for that followup headshot in a Failure to Stop situation, trust me.
Trijicon Night Sights
Product
Trijicon GL601-C-600836 Night Sight,HD XR Orange Front...
Top Overall Pick
- Trijicon GL601-C-600836 night sight
- Set Org front Outline for Glock 17
- 17L, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38,...
- Notch Width:0.169 inch
- One-handed slide manipulation
Our rating
Details
- Trijicon GL601-C-600836 night sight
- Set Org front Outline for Glock 17
- 17L, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38,...
- Notch Width:0.169 inch
- One-handed slide manipulation
Of course, we can’t talk about night sights and not mention Trijicon. Trijicon is one of the biggest names in optics around the world, and they’ve built their empire on reliable and robust equipment that’s well-designed.
And Trijicon night sights only add to that reputation for reliability and function.
Trijicon has long been the standard for most night sights, so much so that many OEM manufacturers actually use Trijicon night sights in their upgraded or high-end guns, and many other sight manufacturers actually use Trijicon inserts.
They’re a little pricer, generally speaking, but there’s something to be said for buying the best, especially when your life is potentially on the line. I personally carry these and use them in one of my competition guns, and I couldn’t be happier with the performance, or the life I’ve gotten out of them.
I recently held mine up against a buddy’s new ones, and my eight-year-old sights were only just noticeably dimmer, and still plenty bright for any kind of night time shooting.
A Note About Red Dots
Before we wrap this one up, I do want to make a note about pistol-mounted red dots. Red dots, in general, have come a long way in the last decade or so, and nowhere is that more evident than in the multitude of optics-ready pistols that are being made for concealed carry.
With so many excellent options out there for carrying guns, either open or concealed and with so many of them being available with slide cuts for a red dot, I think it’s something everyone should try out for themselves.
Glock has a number of MOS (Modular Optics System) guns that are optics-ready right out of the box, so no worries there, and there’s always aftermarket slide options like Lonewolf.
A red dot doesn’t make a gun much harder to conceal at all, and they’re even more robust than most night sights, as well as faster to get on target with some training.
If you’re looking to try out a red dot for yourself, I recommend looking at the following. In no particular order:
I’ve used all of these, and have all of them on various guns right now, but I carry the Burris model. Try them and see which ones (if any) you might want to carry. I can guarantee they’ll hold up, and serve you well.
Parting Shots
That’s about it for Glock night sights. There are a number of other brands out there that perform well, but I don’t like recommending stuff I haven’t used. Of the ones not listed here, I trust Meprolight and Night Fission if you want to order off the menu, and haven’t had enough time with the others to say.
I hope this look at all the options out there has helped somewhat, and if so, let me know in the comments, either here or on social media. Also, feel free to tell me what I got wrong, what you disagree with, or what night sights I should have included instead.
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