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Best Aftermarket Bumpers for the Toyota Tacoma

Updated on Oct 25, 2024

Your Tacoma’s bumpers are some of its most integral structural components, guarding the front and rear end against impacts, abrasions, and minor collisions. With so much reliance on these components, like your family's safety, do you trust the thin plastic covers and aluminum crash bars installed from the factory? Instead, consider installing a beefy, aftermarket bumper from RealTruck! We carry all the top styles and models, ensuring a product that's complementary to your style and needs.

Aftermarket bumpers are typically manufactured from high-grade tubular or plate steel, ensuring maximum strength and durability. They aren't only functional, however, but also stylish! Aftermarket bumpers provide your Tacoma with the rugged aesthetics it deserves, from the sharp, angular designs of plate-steel bumpers to the off-road-inspired shapes of low-profile, tubular steel bumpers.

Whether you’re building an overlander, bolstering your Tacoma’s impact resistance, or simply aiming to improve appearances, we carry the bumper for you! If you’re having trouble narrowing your options, don’t worry! In this guide, our experts outline the top Toyota Tacoma bumper styles and aftermarket bumpers.

Table of Contents:

Front Bumper Styles

There are several styles to choose from when selecting a new bumper for your Tacoma, including base, bullnose, prerunner, and more! In this section, we’re categorizing the characteristics of each style and including our top product in each!

Base Bumpers

Base bumpers are simple, no-frills, plate steel bumpers offering basic features like LED light mounts and D-Ring shackle lugs. While base bumpers don’t include integrated grille guards, bull bars, or additional features, they offer outstanding durability and sleek lines, ideal for most applications.

Experts Choice: Fab Fours Matrix Front Bumper

The Fab Fours Matrix Front Bumper is another entry into the bumper expert’s catalog, combining the key features of its Winch and Vengeance front bumpers for a sleek, stylish, and durable design. This bumper features provisions for numerous accessories, including dual ¾-inch D-Ring shackles, a 30-inch LED light bar, four LED light cubes, and up to a 12,000-lb. winch (accessories sold separately).

Features:

Sturdy 1/16" plate steel construction
Black powder coat finish
Accommodates up to 12,000 lb. winches (sold separately)
Houses 30" single-row LED light bar (dual without winch) and cube lights (sold separately)
Includes vehicle-specific mounting brackets and hardware
Removable light inserts for a customizable appearance
Increases tire clearances and airflow through the radiator, AC condenser, and fluid coolers
Integrated D-Ring mounts and sensor cutouts
USA-made
Limited lifetime structural / 2-year finish warranty

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Bullnose

Bullnose Bumpers are similar to base bumpers; however, they feature an integrated bull bar consisting of a single tubular or plate steel hoop for additional impact resistance and rugged styling. Like base bumpers, they typically feature integrated LED light mounts, D-Ring shackle lugs, and other accessories.

Expert’s Choice: Black Horse Armour II Front Bumper

The Black Horse Armour Front Bumper is a sleek, one-piece bumper manufactured from durable cold-rolled steel for superior strength. An optional plate-steel bullnose protects your Tacoma's grille against minor impacts and abrasions, especially useful when mowing down brush on the trail! Optional light mounts and skid plate are available, taking the Black Horse Armour II Bumper to the next level!

Features:

One-piece cold-rolled steel construction
Semi-gloss black powder-coat finish
Offered with high-powered LED lights (optional)
Simple no-drill installation
Includes all necessary hardware
Optional skid plate and bullnose
Low-profile design
Limited 1-year warranty

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Grille Guard

Grille guard bumpers offer the impact resistance of a base bumper with added styling and comprehensive grille protection of a grille guard! These bumpers are traditionally manufactured from plate steel and feature integrated uprights, horizontal supports, and headlight guards, forming a rugged grille guard to protect not only your Tacoma’s frame but also the grille, headlights, and hood!

Expert’s Choice: Ranch Hand Midnight Series Grille Guard Front Bumper

You can’t discuss grille guard bumpers without mentioning Ranch Hand, the leading provider of quality ranch-style, grille guard bumpers for every make and model, including your Tacoma! The Ranch Hand Midnight Series Grille Guard Front Bumper is a new twist on a classic design, featuring a sleek plate steel base bumper with a 12-gauge tubular steel grille guard, offering comprehensive front-end protection. Each bumper comes in a sleek black powder coat finish and includes various light mounts for improved visibility.

Features:

3/16” steel construction
12-gauge tubular steel grille guard
Black powder coat finish
Provisions for auxiliary lighting (lights sold separately)
Optional winch plate accommodates up to 12,000 lb winches (sold separately)
Includes all necessary mounting hardware
Simple, no-drill installation
Sensor-compatible
USA-made
Limited 1-year warranty

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Mid-Width / Stubby

When we think of mid-width/Stubby bumpers, there’s likely a similar image of a Jeep Wrangler sporting a shortened bumper for added articulation; however, how does this style translate to a Tacoma? Unlike the other styles on this list, mid-width/stubby Tacoma bumpers don't replace the front bumper; instead, they work alongside the factory unit to add durability, features, and rugged styling.

Expert’s Choice: Westin Pro-Series Mid-Width Front Bumper

The Westin Pro-Series Mid-Width Front Bumper is the ultimate add-on for those that prefer the styling of their Tacoma’s OEM bumper but would like to add features like light and winch mounts. The Westin Pro-Series ditches the center section of your Tacoma’s factory bumper with a rugged plate-steel replacement, featuring provisions to mount a single-row LED bar and up to a 12,000-pound winch! It’s finished in a stealthy black powder coat, ensuring a rugged aesthetic that’ll surely complement any off-road or overland build.

Features:

Provides a winch capable upgrade replacement of factory bumper
Durable steel construction offers more strength and style than OE bumper
Features E-coated base coat and textured black powder-coat
Includes cutouts for off-road lighting (lighting type varies by application)
Accepts most medium-duty winches between 8,000 - 12,000 lbs (depending on application)
Winch access ports on either side for easy operation
Has provisions for front parking sensors and sensor plugs for models without sensors (where applicable)
Comes complete with vehicle-specific mounting kit and install guide
Backed by Westin's 3-year limited warranty

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Modular

Modular bumpers are a budget-friendly bumper option that still offers the durability and rugged aesthetics of a one-piece aftermarket bumper. Instead of manufacturers fully welding the bumper and shipping it in one piece, Modular bumpers are kept in several smaller pieces and adjoined by the supplied hardware, making shipping, assembly, and installation far simpler.

Expert’s Choice: Westin Pro-Mod Front Bumper

The Pro-Mod Front Bumper is a premium, multi-piece offering from body-armor expert Westin, featuring a lightweight yet sturdy design. The bumper ships in several pieces, including a heavy-duty 10-gauge center section and outer wings; this allows for less-expensive shipping methods and a lower overall cost. Each bumper is finished in a premium, dual-layer finish, consisting of an impact-resistant powder coat atop a corrosion-resistant E-coat. The Westin Pro-Mod accepts most 30-inch LED light bars; optional steel skid plates bolster front-end protection.

Features:

Lightweight yet sturdy modular design allows for quicker shipping compared to heavier bumpers
Built from tough 10 gauge steel with outrigger brackets supporting the wings
Dual-layered e-coat/powder-coating for superior corrosion resistance
Steel valance included on some applications
Optional skid plates available for off-road protection
Accepts most 30" LED light bars (sold separately)
Covered under a 3-year warranty

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Prerunner

Prerunner bumpers follow the form factor of grille-guard and bullnose bumpers, consisting of a standard base bumper with an integrated front-end guard; in this case, a tubular prerunner bar, featuring a central hoop with tubular wings at either side. Like base bumpers, prerunner bumpers often feature light, D-Ring shackles, and even winch mounts.

Expert’s Choice: Hammerhead Low Profile Prerunner Front Bumper

The Hammerhead Low-Profile Prerunner Front Bumper offers sleek, low-profile styling and outstanding strength, featuring a heavy-duty 7-gauge steel construction and a rugged tubular prerunner bar. Whether blasting through brush on an unmaintained trail or clipped by a careless driver in a parking lot, this bumper will help to keep your Tacoma’s front end in one piece!

Each bumper features various LED light mounts and heavy-duty shackle mounts, adding functionality to your Tacoma. A sleek black powder coat finish finalizes the bumper’s design, adding to its sleek and stealthy appearance.

Features:

Sturdy 7-gauge steel construction
Two-stage, textured black powder coat finish
Accommodates four-3.25" cube lights and a 20" LED light bar (sold separately)
Vehicle-specific mounting kit included
Shackle mounts tie into frame rails
USA-made
1-year warranty

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Tube

Tube front bumpers offer classic tubular styling, popularized by early Baja racers and 70s show trucks. These bumpers feature low-profile tubular designs for maximum tire clearance and approach angles–ideal for dedicated wheelers and overlanders.

Expert’s Choice: N-Fab RSP Textured Black Prerunner Front Bumper

N-Fab is one of the leading suppliers of high-quality body protection, and the RSP Textured Black Prerunner Front Bumper is no exception! This bumper is manufactured from high-grade 1.75-inch steel tubing, providing exceptional strength and durability. A tough powder coat finish coats the entire bumper, protecting the underlying steel against scuffs, chips, chemicals, oil, and UV fading.

Each bumper features N-Fab’s multi-mount lighting design, allowing you to mount your choice of dual-stacked LED light bars or four round lights. Each bumper also includes a lightweight yet durable aluminum skid plate, protecting your Tacoma’s front end when cresting hills and scraping over sizable obstacles.

Features: