10 Best ATV LED Light Bars of 2020
Photo: ATV.com
Riding your ATV or UTV in the night is often an amazing experience but it's better with the right lighting, and ATV LED light bars have gained popularity over the years for this reason.
They offer a safer and more satisfying experience with their high energy efficiency and you can better concentrate on the trail ahead of you.
With the right LED lighting for your off-road vehicle, you also benefit from other advantages like ruggedness, multiple colors, a long life, and low power consumption.
By following this ATV LED light bars review, you'll get access to the best products that are available in the market, plus a guide to help you make the right choice from them.
You can also read our other LED light bar reviews on the same niche, such as 24-inch LED light bars, 32-inch LED light bars, and 50-inch LED light bars.
10 Best ATV LED Light Bars – Review
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Auxbeam 77707207AX (Spot & Flood Beam 12-Inch Light Bar) | ||
 | 2. Nilight NI01C-120W (Sturdy & Affordable 120-Watt Light Bar) | ||
 | 3. Nilight NI01A-36W (Flexible & Affordable 7-Inch Spot Light Bar) | ||
 | 4. Nilight ZH402 (Turns Darkness into Day with 28,000 Lumens) | ||
 | 5. Northpole LED Bar (Delivers 10,500 Lumens at 6,000-K Pure White Light) | ||
 | 6. Eyourlife 144W (Large 28-Inch Wide & Curved) | ||
 | 7. Kingopt Opt-02 (Set of Two 4-inch Combo Light Pods) | ||
 | 8. Bangbangche LED Bar (Set of Two 18-Watt Flood Light Bars) | ||
 | 9. Rigidhorse LED Bar (Set of 22-Inch Bar Plus 4-Pcs 4-Inch Pods) | ||
 | 10. Yitamotor 21-Inch Light Bar |
PRODUCT |
|---|
1. Auxbeam 77707207AX (Spot & Flood Beam 12-Inch Light Bar) |
2. Nilight NI01C-120W (Sturdy & Affordable 120-Watt Light Bar) |
3. Nilight NI01A-36W (Flexible & Affordable 7-Inch Spot Light Bar) |
4. Nilight ZH402 (Turns Darkness into Day with 28,000 Lumens) |
5. Northpole LED Bar (Delivers 10,500 Lumens at 6,000-K Pure White Light) |
6. Eyourlife 144W (Large 28-Inch Wide & Curved) |
7. Kingopt Opt-02 (Set of Two 4-inch Combo Light Pods) |
8. Bangbangche LED Bar (Set of Two 18-Watt Flood Light Bars) |
9. Rigidhorse LED Bar (Set of 22-Inch Bar Plus 4-Pcs 4-Inch Pods) |
10. Yitamotor 21-Inch Light Bar |
1. Auxbeam 77707207AX – Spot & Flood Beam 12-Inch LED Light Bar
Photo: Auxbeam
- Power: 72 Watts
- Lifespan: 30,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 K
Auxbeam is one of the best ATV LED light bar brands and it combines innovative features to offer you one of the best ATV LED light bars for the money with this product.
The light bar is just 12 inches wide but it packs enough light intensity to produce up to 7,200 Lumens of brightness using 72 Watts of power. The light is a bright white light of 6,000 K, produced by 24 Cree LED chips.
With its combo beam, you get a 30-degree spot and a 60-degree flood beam. This light bar also offers an operating voltage between 9 and 32 Volts, making it an ideal system for a range of applications.
Auxbeam promises a lifespan above 30,000 hours, which is okay but not impressive.There are also cheaper 12-inch bars in this review, but they don't have Auxbeam's quality.
The bar is IP-67 rated, meaning it can withstand dust and immersion in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, so, if you are looking for the best 12-inch ATV LED light bar, then here you are.
Pros:
Cons:
2. Nilight NI01C-120W – Sturdy & Affordable 120-Watt LED Light Bar
Photo: Nilight
- Power: 126 Watts
- Lifespan: 30,000 hours
- Color: 6,000K
First up is this offer from Nilight. It's a top-rated ATV led light bar, which does everything that it's meant to do. It combines a spot and flood beam to create the perfect illumination wherever you are.
With its 20-inch width, you can easily light up both small and larger areas, with the spot beam's 30-degree angle, plus the 60 degrees of the flood beam.
Although the construction includes silicone gel and aluminum housing with fins to offer a high level of heat dissipation, the LEDs have a rated working lifespan of only 30,000 hours, which is about half of what many others offer.
You also get adjustable mounting brackets with the package, a 2-year manufacturer's warranty, which is not great but acceptable, and the light bar itself is IP-67 rated, guaranteeing you protection from normal dust and water ingress.
Pros:
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3. Nilight NI01A-36W – Flexible & Affordable 7-Inch Spot Light Bar
Photo: Nilight
- Power: 36 Watts
- Lifespan: 30,000 working hours
- Color: 6,000 K
There are times when all you need is a spot beam and not a flood or a combined beam. Nilight makes this light bar for such applications. It's compact at only 7 inches but it produces lots of brightness using just 36 Watts.
It's made from a 6063 aluminum with high-intensity LED chips, which produce a 6,000 K LED light color. The input voltage ranges from 9 to 30 Volts, enabling its easy use with 12 and 24-Volt vehicle batteries.
The unit is water and dust-proof, with CE, FCC, and RoHS certifications easily making it the best ATV LED light bar for the money in this review.
Nilight rates the LEDs to work for 30,000 hours at least, which is a bit on the lower side, but the package includes a 2-year warranty, which is great for the price.
Pros:
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4. Nilight ZH402 – Turns Darkness into Day with 28,000 Lumens
Photo: Nilight
- Power: 288 Watts
- Lifespan: 30,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 Kelvins
Nilight offers another 20-inch combo light bar here that's perfect for those on the search for the best ATV LED light bar for the money. It features a rugged construction and comes with all the mounting brackets for an easier installation.
High output is the highlight of this LED bar. It offers 28,800 Lumens of light intensity and is therefore, a monster.
These 28,800 Lumens of white light brightness is produced by 96 3-Watt LEDs in flood and spot beams. It comes with an ingress protection rating of IP-67 but it's not DOT approved, so you can't use it where DOT is needed.
On the other hand, Nilight includes a wiring harness in the package and it's backed by a 2-year warranty.
Note: You can get a good harness with fuse and switch for about $15
Pros:
Cons:
5. Northpole LED Bar – Delivers 10,500 Lumens at 6,000-K Pure White Light
Photo: Northpole Light
- Power: 126 Watts
- Lifespan: 30,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 K white light
In case you're on the lookout for a good ATV LED light bar with something extra, then here's an offer you may want to take a closer look at.
It's from Northpole Light and although it costs more than most other light bars on this list, it also includes 2 extra lights, which add a good argument to its high price.
The light bar measures 20 inches across and uses 126 Watts to produce 10,500 Lumens of brightness, while the 2 work lights each use 18 Watts.
Northpole Light rates its lifespan at 30,000 hours and backs it with a 1-year warranty, which are both not very impressive. But then, the quality is high and the price is good.
Pros:
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6. Eyourlife 144W – Large 28-Inch Wide & Curved LED Light Bar
Photo: Eyourlife
- Power: 144 Watts
- Lifespan: 50,000
- Color: 6,000 K
Eyourlife presents a beautifully-curved 28-inch LED light bar with two unique features, which make it one of the best LED light bars for four wheelers. The first is the ability to turn the light bar around for up to 360 degrees on its axis.
The second unique feature is its IP-68 rating, which makes it more water-resistant than the other light bars on this list. With an IP-68 rating, a device can get submerged in up to 30 meters of water for up to 30 minutes without getting water inside it.
Another nice feature is the way the bar curves when other bars are simply straight.
There are a total of 48 Cree LEDs on this light bar and together, they produce over 10,000 Lumens of bright pure white light. They also have a long lifespan of over 50,000 hours.
Note: You can get a good harness with fuse and switch for about $15
Pros:
Cons:
7. Kingopt Opt-02 – Set of Two 4-inch Combo Light Pods
Photo: Nilight
- Power: 60 Watts
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 K
Here you get 2 pieces of LED light pods to use as you please. Given their smallness and independence from one another, there's no limit to what you can do with these lights.
Each pod is 4 inches wide and combines spot beam LEDs in the middle, with flood beam LEDs surrounding them. Each one also comes with a mounting bracket kit and a 1-year warranty.
You get 60 Watts of power from each pod and they both produce very bright 6,000 K white lights. Voltage choice is also possible between 9 and 30 Volts, making these pods able to get installed almost everywhere.
On the flip side, they don't come with a harness, so you may need to do extra work during the installation, like combining their switching, or when you want to mount them on opposite sides of your ATV.
Note: You can get a good harness with fuse and switch for about $15
Pros:
Cons:
8. Bangbangche LED Bar – Set of Two 18-Watt Flood Light LED Bars
Photo: Bangbangche
- Power: 18 Watts
- Lifespan: Above 50,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 Kelvin
Bangbangche's 2-piece flood pods is a great solution for those who need to improve their vehicle's lighting. It offers you a pair of floodlights without spot beams, allowing you to customize them according to your liking.
They are also IP-67 rated and able to withstand up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Their aluminum casing and large fins also guarantee quick dissipation of heat, to help extend the LEDs lifespans.
The downside is that they only offer a flood beam and each pod produces just 18 Watts of light. They are, however, rated to last 50,000 hours.
You can use these light pods on your ATV, UTV, and all other kinds of 4x4 vehicles with ease. They come with mounting brackets and a 1-year manufacturer warranty.
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9. Rigidhorse LED Bar – Set of 22-Inch Bar Plus 4-Pcs 4-Inch Pods
Photo: Rigidhorse
- Power: 70 Watts
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 K white light
Featuring a combo spot and flood beam, this offer from Rigidhorse allows you to choose how you want to install the 22-inch light bar plus the extra four pods.
The large bar contains 5W Osram LEDs, while the housing is IP-68 certified against dust and water, makingone of the best waterproof ATV LED light bars.
There are two beams, a spot beam with a 30-degree angle and a flood beam.
This LED light is ideal for all kinds of applications, including on ATVs and other off-road vehicles. You'll need to buy extra wiring harness though because it's not included in the package.
It comes with mounting brackets, a 50,000-hour LED lifespan, and a 1-year warranty.
Note: You can get a good harness with fuse and switch for about $15
Pros:
Cons:
Photo: Yitamotor
- Power: 120 Watts
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Color: 6,000 K (White light)
Yitamotor offers this high-quality ATV LED light bar at a great price and in a nice package. In addition to being the brightest ATV LED light bar, you'll also need a 9-feet long wiring harness, plus a switch to make installation a snap.
The bar measures 21 inches across and has three LED regions, including the left floodlights, the right floodlights, and the middle spotlights. These combine to produce its spot and flood beams.
The housing is an aluminum alloy with a solid construction for a long life and the package includes a mounting set, which lets you adjust the light bar as you wish.
This Yitamotor light bar produces a brightness of 10,800 Lumens from 120 Watts, which is impressive in addition to its 50,000-hour LED working lifespan. It's rated IP-67 and Yitamotor backs it with a 2-year warranty.
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How to Buy the Best ATV LED Light Bar
Getting the best ATV LED light bar for your ride simply boils down to knowing what features to look out for and which ones to avoid when making your choice.
Following are these important features you should keep in mind:
1. Compatibility
Compatibility is your first concern when considering an ATV LED light bar for your vehicle. You need to check and confirm that the particular light bar in question will fit into your ATV.
Does it have the right installation points or holes that match the space on your ATV? Is the power rating compatible? Does it use the same voltage as your ATV? Either 12, 24 volts, or variable?
Finally, does its power consumption in Watts equal or fall below what your ATV can supply. This is important because if the light bar needs more power than is available from the vehicle, then it won't work.
2. Types of ATV LED Light Bar
Your next point of consideration should focus on the type of light bar you want because there's a wide range to choose from. LED light bars are available in many different shapes and sizes, and the following is a listing of these different types:
- Billet Mount Bars. This type of LED light bar is best used in highlighting certain parts of an ATV, like its bumpers, fenders, and racks.
- Amber LED bars. This special kind of lighting has the characteristic of creating more visibility in dust and fog. It's made from amber-light producing LEDs and simply creates more visibility than white light. Some manufacturers even integrate it in standard, full-length LED light bars.
- Pod Sets. These are small LED sets that you can mount on any part of the vehicle that you want. They come with a single cable and are fairly easy to install.
- Full-length LED Whips. This is your standard LED light bar for the most visibility. Some may offer just a wide or a spot beam but may combine both beams to offer you the best visibility for your money.
3. Brightness
The brightness of a light source like a LED light bar is conventionally given in Lumens because it's a more accurate measurement of brightness than Watts, which many have come to depend on because of the incandescent light bulbs.
If you find a LED light bar that you're interested in but there's no mention of Lumens, then you can skip it if you like. Else, you can try to use its power information in Watts and its temperature color to guess its brightness.
4. Beam Pattern
With ATVs and other off-road vehicles, the focus is not on speed in a straight line, but rather on the terrain and surroundings. This reason makes spots lights less ideal and floodlights more preferred.
You'll often get these two patterns combined though. An ATV LED light bar which combines both spot and floodlight beams, offers you the best of both worlds.
5. Rugged Construction
Durability is another important issue to consider when looking to get a LED light bar for an off-roader. You can't use a light bar that got designed for home use or for any other reason on your ATV or off-roader.
You need something that's rugged and guaranteed to withstand the rough handling that it's going to face when it's mounted on an ATV.
6. Heat Sink
LEDs also have a lifespan like many other light sources do and the main reason that reduces their lifespan is heat. To counter these negative effects of heat, many manufacturers include heat sinks to help cool the LED arrays.
Your job is to look and make sure that you're getting a LED light bar with a heat sink and the larger the heat sink is, the better for the LEDs and for you.
7. Color / Temperature
Light temperature or color is given in Kelvins or K, and is a reference to how warm or cool a light source appears to one's eyes. The reference points include a candlelight at 1,500K, noon daylight on a sunny day at about 5,500 K and a blue sky at over 9,000K.
Higher K temperatures are bluer and so appear cooler, while lower K colors are warmer. Many manufacturers prefer to make LEDs in the 6,000 K range because it offers a brighter and clearer vision.
The disadvantage though is that its high blue content has a tiring effect on the retina after prolonged exposure. It's left for you, therefore, to choose between prolonged eye comfort and a crispy clear vision.
8. Weather Protection
LEDs are fragile components and so need proper protection from the environment. Even the best ATV LED light bar is no good without proper protection, so a good LED light bar should come in a good enclosure that provides good ingress protection for the LED components.
Ingress protection ratings are given as IP65, IP66, IP67, and so on. A good ATV LED light bar should offer a minimum of IP67, which means protection from dust and temporary immersion in up to 1 meter of water.
9. Ease of Installation & Use
Some light bars will come with certain features light pre-drilled installation holes or anything else that makes them easier to install or use. Such light bars should get extra points.
How to Install an ATV LED Light Bar
Photo: EAG
After buying your LED light bar, you're left with the choice between hiring someone to install it for you, and actually doing the installation by yourself.
If you're the DIY type, then you'll definitely want to install it by yourself. The following step by step guide will help you along the way to install the light bar correctly.
Step 1. The Test
The very first thing you should do before embarking on any installation is to test your new ATV LED light bar and make sure it's working as it should. Simply connect it straight to the battery and run all necessary tests.
Step 2. Preparation
Next is preparing the area to install the light bar on. Clean it and make sure it's ready. Carry out a visual and material inspection to make sure it's a good spot for the installation. Then, read the manufacturer's installation guide and keep the instructions in mind.
Step 3. Measure & Drill
If you're satisfied with the installation spot, then it's time to make measurements. You need to measure and mark out exact positions for the mounting hardware, as well as the cables.
Make sure they're long enough to reach the battery and your desired spot for the switch. If everything fits in as they should, then it's time to start drilling the holes for the mounting brackets.
Step 4. Install Mounting Brackets
Once you're done with the drilling, it's time to install the brackets, following any instructions from the manufacturer, if available. If there are no mounting brackets, then skip to the next step.
Step 5. Mount & Wire
Now is the time to mount the light bar to the brackets, or directly on your ATV if there are no brackets. Remember not to make it too tight because you'll still need to test the beam.
As soon as the light bar gets mounted, begin with the wiring process. Different LED light bars will come with slightly different cables, but there'll always be a red wire that goes to the battery's positive terminal and a black cable for the negative.
Step 6. Correct Wiring
The idea here is to have a black cable straight from the light bar to the battery and the red cable from the battery to the spot you want to mount the switch. From the switch, another cable then completes the circuit by connecting back to the light bar.
Keep all your wires away from moving parts and from heat sources to prevent them from getting damaged. Also, secure the wires to the vehicle's framework wherever you can. A good tip is to follow an existing harness when laying your cables.
Step 7. Test
Once you're done with the wiring, switch on the light and inspect it. You can make any needed last changes like properly positioning the beam, and once everything is okay, properly tighten the light bar and that's it. Congratulations.
Conclusion
We have reached the end of this best ATV LED light bars review and the turn is now yours to make a choice. You've seen the different offers in the market, including the large and small light bars, as well as the more portable pods.
You've also seen the dual beam and dual-color offers, including those with an ingress protection rating of IP-68.
Whether you need a simple light bar for four wheels or something more complex, this choice is yours alone to make.
Read More: 9 Best Off Road Lights
- 10 Best ATV LED Light Bars – Review
- 1. Auxbeam 77707207AX – Spot & Flood Beam 12-Inch LED Light Bar
- 2. Nilight NI01C-120W – Sturdy & Affordable 120-Watt LED Light Bar
- 3. Nilight NI01A-36W – Flexible & Affordable 7-Inch Spot Light Bar
- 4. Nilight ZH402 – Turns Darkness into Day with 28,000 Lumens
- 5. Northpole LED Bar – Delivers 10,500 Lumens at 6,000-K Pure White Light
- 6. Eyourlife 144W – Large 28-Inch Wide & Curved LED Light Bar
- 7. Kingopt Opt-02 – Set of Two 4-inch Combo Light Pods
- 8. Bangbangche LED Bar – Set of Two 18-Watt Flood Light LED Bars
- 9. Rigidhorse LED Bar – Set of 22-Inch Bar Plus 4-Pcs 4-Inch Pods
- 10. Yitamotor 21-Inch Light Bar
- How to Buy the Best ATV LED Light Bar
- How to Install an ATV LED Light Bar
- Conclusion
