Lighting is something most off-road drivers upgrade from time to time. These modifications are popular on Vehicles as well as 4x4s, boats, and work equipment.
Before you go ahead and buy lights, it’s good to know your lighting choices. We’ve written this article to help you choose your lighting. If you’re after a quick list of great options the Vehicle lab has the best choices for a variety of vehicles.
First of all: why should I upgrade?
Headlamps illuminate brighter than most stock versions and this leads to increased downroad visibility. When you have low-lying fog right in front of your vehicle, you can truly see the difference between stock and off-road models. Typically, off-road lights will offer you a wider field of vision – it really depends on the type (and design) of the lights that you are looking to have installed.
What are my lightning options?
The first decision to make is what bulb you should use. You can choose from halogen bulbs, HID – high intensity, and LED bulbs. Each of these options has their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at them:
Halogen bulbs
This is the cheapest option, but it doesn’t offer as much luminosity as others do. They also produce a slightly yellow color and have a larger wattage than the others. In order to increase lumens/brightness you also need to increase wattage. This can also suck your battery dry.
LED bulbs
LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes saves you energy/battery life – more so than halogen bulbs do – as it has compact and durable bulbs that offer whiter, stronger illumination. With that said they are also more expensive, and they’re really sensitive to temperature.
HID bulbs
These give the brightest light of them all, which makes one of the best options for your off-road vehicle. Their light is visible twice as far as LED options, and they’re also energy efficient. They hover around the same price as the LEDs.
So which one should you choose?
It really depends on your preferences and on your driving habits. If you want increased overall light in front your vehicle, then you might want to use thin LED Bars, as they can be mounted on the roof, or on the bumper, by using brackets and provided hardware.
This provides increased overall illumination of the road and is leaps and bounds ahead of stock lighting. Spotlights usually go on the hood of the vehicle so that they can shine far ahead. Often these options will be featured on boats that need a strong beam for down-water visibilty.
It’s crucial to understand your driving habits and what kind of lights you need to off raod. Also, remember that the above options are for off-road use only. With the right combination of lightning, you should be ready to hit the trails!
