Best Off-Road Lights (2024)

Types of Off-Road Lights

Before diving into our top off-road light choices for the year, let’s first analyze the various form factors and categories of lights we're reviewing.

Cube & Pod Lights

Cube and pod lights are popular for ditch lighting, auxiliary reverse lighting, bumper lighting, and retrofitting into factory fog light cutouts. While this category is relatively broad–encompassing LED and halogen technologies as well as rectangular, round, and square shapes–a similar form factor extends across all entries. 

Cube and pod lights are relatively small (generally under 3.5 inches wide and tall), allowing them to fit into tight locations that other, larger lights cannot. They also typically feature a single mounting stud or hole, requiring only one small anchor point for a secure installation. Additionally, cube and pod lights are entirely self-contained, necessitating only a power source and ground to illuminate, making tapping into existing fog light or high-beam harnesses a breeze.

Round Lights

Round lights are a subcategory of cubes and pods; however, their circular form factor lends to particular uses. Round lights are excellent for retrofitting into round fog light holes on factory bumpers, making for a clean, factory-style appearance. 

Like cubes and pods, round lights are also available in LED and halogen technologies. Round LED lights are typically smaller and feature higher output, while round halogen lights–like the KC HiLiTES Daylighter–are a popular choice for mounting on the roll bars and brush guards of retro builds.

LED Light Bars

LED light bars are long, slender aluminum housings packed with high-intensity LED chips, producing exceptional output without drawing much power. LED light bars are a common choice among off-roaders and weekend warriors, offered in varying dimensions, lumen counts, and beam patterns. 

 Conventional LED light bars are typically bolted to front bumpers, roof racks, and above the windshield to provide front-facing output; however, multi-function bars are routinely mounted facing the rear of a vehicle on racing applications, functioning as auxiliary brake, running, and signal lights.

Lighting Technologies

When selecting off-road lights, it’s crucial to differentiate between lighting technologies, namely LED and halogen.

Halogen Lights

Halogen lights have been around for generations, with the first records dating back to the late 19th century! However, the first widely-available halogen bulbs weren’t marketed until the 1950s; either way, halogen bulbs are a dated but reliable technology. Halogen bulbs feature a tungsten filament within an inert-gas-filled glass bulb, producing the familiar warm, yellowish glow. 

While halogen off-road lights can be relatively bright, they draw significantly more energy than comparable LED lights and have a far shorter service life. They also feature a dated appearance best suited for retro applications. Halogen off-road lights typically feature round or rectangular designs, glass/polycarbonate lenses, and alloy housings. 

LED Lights

LED off-road lights are simply housings that utilize modern LED (light emitting diode) technology, giving off significantly more light per unit of power that they consume compared to dated halogen technology. On average, LEDs use approximately 80 percent less energy than comparable halogen lights to put out the same lumen count, resulting in less drain on the battery, less strain on the charging system, and more run time even when your vehicle isn’t powered on. LED lights also last significantly longer than comparable halogens, meaning fewer replacements and savings down the road! 

LED off-road lights come in several different form factors, including bars, pods, and cubes. Traditional LED lights feature polycarbonate lenses and finned aluminum housings for exceptional durability in even the most unforgiving environments.

How to Choose an Off-Road Light

Off-road lighting can be a challenge to narrow down; between different styles, technologies, and lumen counts, it’s tough to know precisely what you need for your ride and which product will best meet your expectations. To help with your selection, consider the following before making a purchase.  

What Are Your Needs? 

Do you want to boost your ride’s aesthetics or light output? If your ride is a dedicated daily driver that rarely sees dirt roads, especially at night, you can likely get away with basic LED pods. However, a quality LED bar may better suit your needs if your vehicle regularly spends time on dimly lit trails or dirt roads.

How Much Space is Available? 

When it comes to auxiliary lighting, space may be a limiting factor. If you’re looking to mount ditch lights or retrofitted LED fog lights, you’ll likely be limited to smaller LED lights. However, an LED light bar is a convenient, self-contained unit if you're considering a roof-mount setup or have ample space in your factory/aftermarket front bumper.

What’s Your Budget? 

Off-road lighting can easily reach prices over $1000 for an individual light depending on the brand, technology, lumen count, and size. As a result, it’s best to know your approximate budget before making a purchase. Your budget also coincides with your needs and expectations; if you don’t need race-grade lighting, there’s no need to spend double, triple, or even quadruple the price for it! 

Best Off-Road Lights by Category

Now that we have a general understanding of off-road lighting, let’s take a look at our expert’s top selections for the 2023 year. 

Best Cube Off-Road Light

Baja Designs Squadron Pro

When it comes to our top cubes and pods, it’s a tough battle between the Baja Designs Squadron and Diode Dynamics SS3 series; however, we’re giving the slight edge to the BD Squadron PRO. Featuring impressive output, a sleek design, and an industry-leading warranty, the Squadron PRO takes the cake. 

Features

• Hard anodized aluminum housing

• Hard-coated polycarbonate lens

• Built-in overvoltage protection

• Replaceable lenses and optics

• 49,930-hour life expectancy

• 3-stage black powder coating

• IP69K certified (Waterproof up to 9ft and pressure washable)

• IK10 compliant (Mechanical impact testing)

• USA-made

• Limited lifetime warranty

Best Round Off-Road Light

KC HiLiTES Daylighter Gravity LED Lights

While the KC HiLiTES Daylighter Gravity LED Lights aren’t the brightest or most technologically-advanced lights on the market, there’s something so effortlessly cool about the retro round housings and characteristic yellow smiley-face covers of the Daylighter series. And when upgraded with modern LED technology, you’re getting the best of both worlds–blending modern efficiency with timeless design. 

Features

• 6" aluminum housing

• Available in driving and spot beam patterns

• Available in black and stainless steel finish

• Features Gravity reflective diode technology

• Protected against EMI interference

• Hard-coated polycarbonate lens

• IP68-rated (dustproof and waterproof up to 1 meter in depth)

• Flexible base mounting system

• Plug-and-play installation

• 5-year limited warranty

Best LED Light Bar

Baja Designs OnX6 30” LED Light Bar

Baja Designs makes a second appearance on our list with its OnX6 30” LED Light Bar –a professional-grade, dual-function light bar putting out a whopping 31,910 lumens at maximum brightness! With a slim 1-row design, durable aluminum housing, polycarbonate lens, and limited lifetime warranty, how can you go wrong? 

Features

• Aircraft-grade aluminum with mil-spec hard-anodized housing

• Hard-coated polycarbonate lens

• Built-in overvoltage protection

• Replaceable lenses and optics

• Features battery management technology

• 49,930-hour life expectancy

• IP69K certified (Waterproof up to 9ft and pressure washable)

• IK10 compliant (Mechanical impact testing)

• USA-made

• Limited lifetime warranty

Best Budget Off-Road Light

Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport

We’re well aware that not everyone can or wants to spend $500 to $1,000 on LED lighting. For this reason, we’re including our budget favorite: the Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport. Diode Dynamics has been a long-time player in the off-road lighting market and is known for offering powerful LED cubes at affordable prices; the SS3 sport is no exception. The SS3 sport packs all the same technology as the company’s pro and max models, only scaled down for those that don’t require race-grade lighting. The result is a premium set of lights with a lengthy warranty for around the 200 dollar mark. 

Features

• Available in white or amber

• Advanced TIR (total internal reflection) optics

• High-intensity LED chips

• Durable powder-coated aluminum construction

• Integrated Deutsch-style connector

• Pin fin heatsink design

• 10,600-candela output

• USA-made

• Limited 8-year warranty

Best Overall Off-Road Light

Baja Designs Squadron Sport

Alright, alright; we know we may get some flack for a third Baja Designs entry, but the company creates some of the best bang-for-your-buck off-roading lighting available on the market today. Our favorite overall off-road lights are the Squadrons, yet again; however, this time in the Sport trimmings. Offering 3,162 lumens a piece out of a 3-inch, budget-friendly LED pod is a feat on its own, especially when paired with the light's limited lifetime warranty. For most applications, a pair of Squadron Sports will provide more than enough visibility, no matter the terrain. 

Features

• Hard anodized aluminum housing

• Hard-coated polycarbonate lens

• Billet machined aluminum bezel

• Stainless steel hardware and bracket mounts

• Built-in overvoltage protection

• Replaceable lenses and optics

• 49,930-hour life expectancy

• 3-stage black powder-coated housing

• IP69K certified (Waterproof up to 9ft and pressure washable)

• IK10 compliant (Mechanical impact testing)

• USA-made

• Limited lifetime warranty

When shopping for your next set of off-road lights, don’t forget to check out our extensive inventory on RealTruck. We offer all of the top products, as well as detailed installation videos, reviews, and comparisons. 

For additional information or order assistance with any of the products on this list, contact the experts at RealTruck.