Buyer's Guide to Off Road Lights
If you’ve had the chance to drive off-road or in other remote areas after the sun sets, you’ve likely found out that your vehicle’s stock headlights are less-than adequate; this is when a quality set of off road lights are worth their weight in gold. While they’re not legal on public roads, they are one of the best initial modifications you can make to your truck or 4x4 to improve off road driving and safety.
In this guide we’ll walk you through the process of selecting the right off road driving lights for your truck, SUV, or 4x4, how and where to mount them, and cover the 8 best off road lights on the market at a variety of price points to fit your overlanding needs and budget.
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What Are Off Road Lights, and Why Do You Need Them?
Off-road driving lights are designed to supplement your vehicle’s stock high beams by illuminating an area further and wider than the stock lights are capable of.
A quality set of off road lights will provide a mixture of wide flood-beam illumination for improved peripheral visibility and spot beam projection for increased down range visibility to better anticipate and navigate obstacles, changes in terrain, or potential hazards when driving off road at night.
How Many Off Road Lights Do You Actually Need?
You may see up to three different categories of off road lights:
Driving / Spot lights (or a combination)
Auxiliary / Ditch lighting
Under Body / Rock Lighting
But, a single pair of quality off road driving lights will be capable of illuminating everything you need to see as you would normally drive off road - including close obstacles, peripheral ditches, distant hazards, and everything else in between.
During the rare nighttime rock crawling adventure, you’ll find yourself making better use of a spotter and a good flashlight* over any blinged-out rock light kit* for maneuvering around obstacles.
Running more than two lights is not going to greatly improve your off-road driving experience (in fact it may even degrade visibility in some conditions).
Other than for aesthetics and for the ‘gram, extraneous off road lights are just an obvious indication that you have spent money on modifications that don’t actually add utility or value to your vehicle (a.k.a, you don’t know what you’re doing).
How to Compare and Choose the Best Off Road Lights
There are several factors that go into quantifying an off road light’s performance and effectiveness for overlanding and off-roading at night.
Beam Distance
Beam distance refers to the reach of an off road light’s output. Your vehicle’s stock headlights feel inadequate off-road, because they’re only legally able to output a few hundred feet ahead of your vehicle on public roads.
So at a somewhat higher average driving speed, say 65 MPH, you’re only getting about 3-4 seconds of reaction time to sudden potential obstacles or dangers.
By increasing the beam distance (or throw) of available light using a quality set of off road driving lights, you’ll be able to see further out thus increasing your reaction time.
Color Temperature
A light’s color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K). Bluer/cooler lights (above 6000K) appear brighter to the human eye, but this type of brightness isn’t a benefit when driving. Cool to cold color temperature lights are harder to look at, and can cause eye fatigue while driving. Plus, if that light is bounced back to your eye by reflective road signs, precipitation (fog, snow, rain), or particulates (dust), it can effectively limit your visibility.
Warm color temperature lights (2700-3500K) do not produce this “blinding” type of brightness, making them easier on your eyes (especially head-on like traditional incandescent stock vehicle headlights). However, if a light is too warm you’ll start to lose color accuracy. When driving this could translate into a deer blending in with background foliage nullifying any advantages the additional off road lighting may provide to your reaction time.
Generally, the ideal color temperature of an off road light will fall in the 4500 to 5500 Kelvin range. This is approximately the same visual spectrum that morning/afternoon sunlight provides and results in less eye fatigue than 6000K temperature lights while maintaining good visibility.
Beam Pattern
Beam Pattern refers to the spread or dispersion of light. While you want your off road light to provide increased reaction time with a longer beam distance, you also want it to be able to illuminate objects and potential hazards in your periphery - such as animals (or other vehicles) on the shoulders of a trail.
A beam’s vertical spread also plays a factor, especially on uneven or unpredictable surfaces. A beam pattern that offers a broad vertical spread of light output will illuminate hazards above and below your vehicle, such as a rock ledge jutting out over the trail or a deeper-than-expected dip in the track. This nice even dispersal of light, free of shadows or hot spots, can be challenging for off-road light manufacturers to achieve, but it’s paramount to ensuring a light’s effectiveness in improving off road driving visibility.
Light Output
Output is probably the most common, and convoluted, method that manufacturers use to tout the performance of their off road lights.
Lumens
There are actually two different measurements of a light’s lumen output used by off road light manufacturers (sometimes interchangeably in an effort to befuddle would-be consumers from accurately comparing their product with a competitor’s).
Raw Lumens: Raw lumens are used by individual LED and HID bulb wholesale manufacturers to convey maximum possible brightness of their light in ideal laboratory conditions. Most bulbs and LEDs cannot be powered at 100% of their output without overheating and degrading life expectancy.
So when off road light manufacturers use these LEDs or HID bulbs in their products, their real-world output typically falls by 10 to 25%; this is then further reduced by the reflectors and protective lenses the manufacturer uses to control and direct the LED or bulb’s output which result in further performance losses.
Effective Lumens (or e-Lumens): Effective lumens are a controlled measurement taken by an off road light manufacturer from a finished product. However, this assessment is typically performed a distance of one meter (or 3.28ft) in front of the light, so this metric is still not an accurate real-world performance indicator. This brings us to the next (and best) measurement of an off road light’s output.
Lux
A lux is a measurement of the intensity of an off road light. One lux is equal to one lumen of light spread across one square meter (or 10.76 square feet). This may sound arbitrary but it’s based on a real-life scenario: it’s approximately the same amount of light required to comfortably read a book or newspaper-print in the dark.
Then, by measuring the distance at which an off road light can produce a given quantity of lux, you get a realistic portrayal of the light’s beam distance (or throw). And the width at which that same performance is achieved will provide a quantifiable description of the light’s beam pattern and effectiveness.
While not universally adopted, the industry standard means of conveying this metric is: the distance at which a given pair of lights can project (throw) one lux, and the width at which that same beam continues to provide one lux.
This creates an easy and transparent way to compare one manufacturer's light to another’s, as opposed to the opaqueness of using lumens as a metric for comparison.
Components, Design, and Technology
There are four main components that make up the average off road light’s construction:
Reflector
The reflector is responsible for redirecting the light emitted by the light source and projecting it in a controlled manner to maximize the light source’s effectiveness.
Lens
The lens is a translucent cover that, when combined with an adequate sealing gasket, provides varying protection from dust, debris, and water. Often manufacturers will offer off road lights with a variety of colorized lens options as well, such as amber, yellow, or red, to suit certain driving conditions better than a standard translucent lens. Or they’ll offer removable lens covers to change your light’s output color on the fly. (Amber and Yellow light cuts through fog, dust, snow, and rain more effectively.)
Housing (including Circuitry & Heatsink)
The Housing encloses the rear components of an off road light and, along with the lens, ensures the light source, internal circuitry, and reflectors are protected from the rugged off road driving environment. Often the housing will also serve double-duty as a heatsink to help dissipate heat created by the lightsource.
Light Source
While the halogen bulb reigned supreme in the early days of off road light design, and is commonly what you’ll find in stock headlights, the off road light industry has mostly adopted LEDs and HID bulbs for their increased efficiency, longevity, and effectiveness.
LEDs
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a small semiconductor that emits light as electricity passes through it. An LED’s entirely electrical design means they provide their rated illumination potential instantly, as soon as you flip the switch to turn them on. And because LEDs are smaller than traditional light sources they create new manufacturing possibilities for off road lighting solutions.
While LEDs create a lot of heat at their semiconductor junction points (necessitating larger heatsinks), their output does not project infrared radiation (heat), as HIDs or older halogen bulbs do. So, the lens of an LED light will remain reasonably cool to the touch, and you won’t risk melting the light’s rock protectors if you accidentally flip the switch and leave them on all night (ask me how I know).
As for longevity, quality LEDs typically last around 50,000 hours, so in off road lighting applications they’ll likely outlive your vehicle. If a single LED does burn out or has a fault, usually the entire off road light it's housed in must be replaced - though this is not the case for some (like the user serviceable Baja Designs lights we discuss later in this article).
HIDs
High Intensity Discharge bulbs (HIDs), on the other hand, use pressurized xenon gas that is excited by a high-voltage ballast’s electrical current arcing between two diodes. This heats up the gas in the bulb, creating luminance. Unlike LEDs, this heating process takes a moment to reach its fully rated potential, so the output of HID-based off road lighting will slowly grow in brightness after you flip the switch to power them.
HID bulbs’ larger size does make them more effective at creating light when compared to a single LED, and designing a single efficient reflector for their larger light source is much easier than doing the same for multiple small ones (as is the case with most LED-based off road lights). So, off road lights made with HID bulbs are generally more capable of projecting light out further than comparably-sized off road lights that use LEDs.
HID bulbs also create more heat than LEDs. The heat projected by the HID bulb isn’t all bad though, as it can help melt snow accumulation and prevent snow and ice from building up on the lens when driving in sub-freezing weather.
HID bulbs have a life expectancy of around 9,000 hours, which provides years of off road driving use. Off road lights with HID bulbs are typically designed so that the user can service and replace the bulb when it’s burned out.
All these components must work in concert with one another to create an effective off road driving light that will stand up to the abuses of off roading and overland travel.
How and Where to Install Your Off Road Lights
Here are some tips for selecting a proper mounting location and installing your new off road driving lights.
Selecting a Mounting Location:
Mounting off road lights to your roof, or worse, the rear corner edges of your hood (or A-pillars), will be more likely to bounce light off your hood, reducing visibility and causing eye fatigue. In precipitous or dusty conditions these poorly positioned lights will illuminate these particles right in front of your windshield, making visibility worse than just using your stock headlights.
So, the best place to mount your off road lights are out in front of your vehicle, where they won’t reflect back off your vehicle’s painted surfaces and back into your eyes. But finding a suitable location out front is not always easy.
Some stock front bumpers can be modified to accommodate off road light mounting brackets, and most aftermarket bumpers will give you options for mounting off road lights in a front and center location. However, keep in mind that any obstruction - such as a pair of 9-inch diameter off road lights - in front of your vehicle’s radiator, A/C evaporator, or transmission cooler system may impact vehicle performance. So we recommend monitoring engine and transmission temps before and after off road lighting installation to make sure you’re comfortable with any effect the lights may have.
Alternative Mounting Locations:
License plate brackets - Depending on design and your state's license plate restrictions/requirements, this can be a suitable location for a smaller pair of off road lights.
Recessed (or hidden) light mounts - Depending on your specific vehicle’s grill design, you may be able to place a mounting bracket inside the front grill. However, these may limit or obscure your off road light’s performance, and may limit airflow to your vehicle’s cooling system even more.
Unused factory fog light locations - If your stock bumper came with unfilled fog light housings, many off road light manufacturers or aftermarket suppliers will provide mounting brackets to suit these locations.
If you must mount your off road lights in an overhead position (such as to a roof rack or the front of a camper/topper) you may consider opting for lights with more of a concentrated Spot Beam pattern to minimize reflection as much as possible while still providing down-road visibility improvements.
Wiring Your Off Road Lights
A high quality set of off road lights will include a wiring harness, or at the very least the manufacturer will sell one separately, to make installation relatively straightforward.
The harness should include either a simple on/off switch, or a more complex double-pull double-throw or multipanel switch to select from multiple lighting options, if applicable. You may also have the option to connect your off road lights to your vehicle’s high beam switch, enabling you to operate them as you would your standard high beams.
Whatever the case, if you’re not comfortable with reading wiring diagrams, or with doing electrical work on your own vehicle - it’s best to enlist a professional to install your off road lights so you don’t inadvertently ruin your lights or damage your vehicle’s electrical system. This would also be a good time to consider having an auxiliary switch panel* installed to manage future vehicle accessories and modifications.
Which Off Road Lights Should You Buy in 2024
Below you’ll find a list of the current top eight off road driving lights on the market in order of cost so you can pick a set that’s right for your needs and budget!
Most Versatile Off Road Lights
ARB Intensity IQ LED Off Road Driving Lights
The ARB Intensity IQ is one of the most advanced off road driving lights on the market. With four sets of output optics ranging from Super Spot, Spot, Flood, and Midrange, it’s extremely versatile. At the max spot setting the ARB intensity IQ outputs 1 lux at a distance of 4,429ft, or on full flood beam configuration it outputs 1 lux at 2,953ft with a beam width of 328ft. Each light can be configured independently, and controlled with either a dedicated switch (with up to eight customizable presets) or via ARB’s LINX phone app.
However, all this versatility does come at a higher-than-average price point, and we personally find the futuristic aesthetics of the Intensity IQ off road lights a bit hard to stomach for our older budget overland vehicle. But if you drive a more modern vehicle, they may suit it just fine.
Highest Output Off Road Lights
Lightforce HTX2 - Hybrid LED/HID Off Road Lights
The Lightforce HTX2 uses a best-of-both-worlds approach to off road light design using a combination of twenty 5000k LEDs for fast illumination and a user-replaceable 5000k Philips HID for distance- to deliver 1 lux at 5,906 feet (that’s literally over 1 mile away), with a width of 367 feet (more than the length of an American football field)! Plus they’re fully dustproof, waterproof, and submersible up to 3.28ft (1 meter).
Lightforce Beast - LED Off Road Lights
The recently released, Australian-made, Lightforce Beast LED-based off road lights haven't made it state-side yet. But when they do, they’ll offer one of the highest outputs for an LED-based off road light, making one lux at 4,911ft and a width of 459ft! Plus they’re 3-position selectable - offering flood, spot, and “beast” (which is a combination of spot and flood) modes to choose from.
Most Rugged Off Road Lights
Baja Designs LP6 Pro - LED Off Road Driving Light Combo
Baja Designs are unique in their use of Direct Ducted Cooling (DDC) vents and copper drive technology to squeeze 100% of their LED’s output.
They offer a 5000K light color with 42 degree beam spread wide driving optics and 8 degree spot optics for longer range visibility, with a total output rating of 8600 effective lumens from six forward facing LEDs, plus 1700 lumens of integrated peripheral lighting from four side-facing LEDs, creating a total of 200 degrees of light output.
They’re rated to be waterproof and submersible in up to 9ft of water, with mil-spec impact resistance, and they are user-serviceable if repairs are needed.
However, until recently they’ve been a bit cagey with their light’s output numbers. Their recent white paper, through a non-industry-standard conversion process of 3.16 x (10 lux measurement), lets us know that the effective output of the LP6 Pro Diving Combo is 1 lux at 1,488ft. So while these are excellent for slow-moving off road applications, they’re not industry leading by any means.
We’ve personally found the LP6 Pros (and more recently the LP9 Pros*) to have plenty of output for our slower off road driving style, and their 49,930hr average life-expectancy means we’ll replace our truck long before our off road lights ever come close to needing to be replaced. Plus they offer a variety of colorized backlighting options and lens covers that make them adaptable to varying driving conditions AND they look good on most vehicles.
That said, if we were to make a change in the future we’d likely consider the Lightforce HTX2s before investing in another set from Baja Designs, despite their higher durability and longevity ratings.
Best Mid-Range Off Road Lights
The Solis line of off road lights by ARB shares a similar, almost flagrant, lack of aesthetics - similar to their higher-end intensity IQ lights (see above). This “squatted design” supposedly intended to improve the stability and reduce vibration by lowering the light’s center of gravity.
Aside from the poor aesthetics however, they are an incredibly effective off road LED-based lighting solution at a very reasonable price point, and ARB’s trusted reputation throughout the off road industry gives peace of mind. They’re dust and waterproof rated IP69, and have a 5-stage dimmable switch to throttle light output to accommodate driving speed/needs.
ARB Solis 36 Spot/Flood LED Combo
The 9-inch Solis 36 Combo includes one spot beam patterned light (to be installed on the driver’s side front of the vehicle) and one flood beam patterned light for the passenger’s side. This combination has a rated output of 1 lux at 4,798 feet of distance!
ARB Solis 21 Spot/Flood LED Combo
The 7-inch Solis 21 Combo includes one spot beam patterned light (to be installed on the driver’s side front of the vehicle) and one flood beam patterned light for the passenger’s side, and has a rated output of 1 lux at 2740 feet.
Best Budget Off Road Lights
Lightforce Striker HID Off Road Lights
Though this light has been around for quite some time, this tidy combo of HID-based off road driving lights is an extremely great value considering it’s able to project one lux of 5000k light out to 2,624 feet with a beam that’s up to 302 feet wide.
The HID bulbs are rated at 3000 hours of life expectancy, which is still a LOT of off road night driving.
Auxbeam Side Shooter LED Off Road Driving Lights
If your budget is tight, and you’ll only be using your off road lights for very short durations a pair of Auxbeam Side Shooters will output one lux of cooler 6500k light at 2,024ft; with a respectable IP68 waterproof rating and a very wallet-friendly price point it’s hard to ignore their value proposition.
Hopefully, this guide has shed some light 😅 on the topic of off road lighting and helped you select an off road driving light solution that’s right for your needs and budget.
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