Night time joy rides off roading in a 4WD vehicle are sme of the best outings I have ever had. Of course, doing that at night requires some serious lighting to stay safe and know where one is going.
Besides the head lights, and maybe a light bar, spot lights are a valuable asset for safety, hunting and aesthetics. Because of this, I decided to review 5 of the best LED spotlights for 4WD vehicles so you too can bask in their light! But first…
How Can a LED Spotlight Come In Handy For Your 4WD?
A light bar with multiple spot lights attached isn’t just a cool look, it’s a useful tool for lighting up the path for any low light excursion in an off road vehicle. While headlights and fog lights definitely help, having a row of lights higher up can show us more of what’s in front of us.
Using LED spot lights is a good idea also because of their efficiency. While out in the boonies, we don’t want drain our battery or over tax the alternator. That turns a fun night of four wheeling into a not so fun night of forced camping in what perhaps may not be an ideal location. LED lights are much more efficient than equivalent brightness metal halide lamps.
How to Setup & Install a LED Spotlight For a 4WD?
Wiring kits, brackets, and other hardware are either going to be supplied with the lights or are easily available from wherever you buy the lights.
One of the first necessary steps is to mount an accessory light bar to your off roading vehicle. On the roof, like a cop car, is probably one of the more popular choices of mounting locations. Other options include a rollover bar, a roof rack, or on the grill. I’ve even seen some mounted on tailgates as well.
There are also the options of moveable spotlights, operated from inside the cab, or hand held spotlights. See our review of hand held and marine LED spotlights for some ideas. You can also check out this helpful video below for wiring your spotlights to the battery of your vehicle.
How I Found The Best LED Spotlights For 4WD
There are some basic factors to consider when shopping for the best LED spotlights for 4WD and off road vehicles. Here are some I considered, you might come up with some more, but I found these to be the most important.
- Waterproof: If designed for a vehicle, they should already be waterproof. If adapting some other design of lamps, be sure they can operate in rain, snow, mist, and other inclement conditions.
- Color temperature: Most headlights are on the cooler (bluer) side of daylight balanced color temps. Matching up the spot lights to that standard will make it easier to see without undo eye strain.
- Brightness level: We want it to be bright enough, without going full nuclear option.
- Mounting: Mounting and position options for manoeuvrability
- Price: As usual with all my equipment shopping reviews, I do not object to paying more for higher quality, but I am also always looking for a good value.
Top 5 best LED spotlights for 4WD, off roads, Jeeps, Fords & More!
1. Auxbeam 2Pcs 7″ LED 80W Spotlights (Editors Pick)
Auxbeam 2Pcs 7″ LED 80W Spotlights Specifications
Size: 7″
Brightness: 80 Watts
Voltage: DC 10~30V
Life Span: 50,000 Hours
Waterproof Rating: IP67
Price: Click here to find latest price
Auxbeam 2Pcs 7″ LED 80W Spotlights Review
Kicking off my list are the mighty Auxbeam 80W spotlights which in my opinion were the best spotlights that I tested and were by far the most durable.
As for the the brightness level of these lamps, it was very impressive thanks to the 16 x 5W high intensity CREE LED’s in each lamp. On average this gave me a large spotting range of about 300+ yards. I set the light pattern, or cone, to either flood or spot. Flood will cover a wider area, spot will have more range with less area illuminated.
Waterproof and shock proof, the operating temperature of these lights will cover just about anything from the Arctic tundra to the Gobi Desert. So, taking it to the lake just outside the city limits won’t phase them at all, even on the hottest day of our vacation.
While the mounting kit was great, if I could change anything, I would like to see the positioning hardware to be a little more robust. Adding locking washers seemed to eliminate any issues caused by vibration creeping. Using locking washers instead of a thread locking product seemed to be the better solution.
Overall this spotlight kit is also attractively priced, good looking and is durable enough for all but the most vigorous of intrepid explorers. Because of this it earns a number one spot on my list and comes highly recommended!
2. Led Light Bar Nilight 2PCS 9″ 96W Spotlight
Led Light Bar Nilight 2PCS 9″ 96W Spotlight Specifications
Size: 9″
Brightness: 96 Watts
Voltage: 9-30V DC (fits 12V, 24V vehicles)
Life Span: 50,000 Hours
Waterproof Rating: IP67
Price: Click here to find latest price
Led Light Bar Nilight 2PCS 9″ 96W Spotlight Review
Next up on my list are the LED branded 2 piece spotlight kit. To be honest, this product came neck and neck with the above featured spotlight. While this particular unit actually has a bigger wattage, I found the actual mounting bracket to be on the weak side which lessened my rating. Nonetheless a fantastic light!
When lit up, this lights were phenomenally bright and gave me a line of sight range of close to 400 yards when mounted on top of my truck. So if you are after long distance spotlights, these might be the ones for you.
After quite a few outings with these lights, I found a small issue with the nuts losing tightness after a while, so a variety of locking washers are going to be in my installation tool pouch for all the spotlights reviewed. The mounting hardware has a nice finish, as does the light housing. But as I touched on above, I felt like it not as robust as the Auxbeam lights.
As for the color of these LED’s, it is very close to my headlights, maybe just a tad on the cool side. One thing about most LED bulbs is they won’t color shift as the age. Overall the LED’s were very durable and well made which makes me confident I will get a lot of use out of this unit. Who knows, I might even buy a set for my son!
Pricing for a kit of two lamps was very reasonable. If you were planning on only mounting two spots, the attractive cost might enable you to design a four light set up for your Jeep, 4X4, or other off road vehicle. Cant go wrong with these!
3. Off Road Pod Lights 9″ 192W 2 Piece Spotlight Kit
Off Road Pod Lights 9″ 192W 2 Piece Spotlight Kit Specifications
Size: 9″
Brightness: 192 Watts
Voltage: DC 10-60V
Life Span: 50,000 Hours
Waterproof Rating: IP68
Price: Click here to find latest price
Off Road Pod Lights 9″ 192W 2 Piece Spotlight Kit Review
Coming in next is another 9” round spot light, this light kit was just a small amount less bright than the first two products tested, but it was still more than adequate for most dark sky outings. Using my locking washers, I was able to mount the lights with ease.
As I mentioned, these spotlights didn’t seem as bright as other lights tested, but were still adequate with a 250+ yard range. For the lower out of pocket cost, I could live with these just fine. Also the color temperature was a pleasingly cool white and the light pattern was closer to flood than spot, similar to some other lamps I tested.
Even though I was really impressed by the build quality and light output, I did notice that the lights I tested got a little hotter than the other LED spotlights I reviewed. Not a big deal, especially considering that they are so much cooler than equivalent xenon bulbs. Just something I noticed.
Overall I was very pleased with this unit as it gave me a great balance of price savings while not sacrificing on quality. A solid pick at the end of the day!
4. RUN-D Cube LED 35W Driving Lights
RUN-D Cube LED 35W Driving Lights Specifications
Size: 3″
Brightness: 35 Watts
Voltage: 9-36V
Life Span: 50,000 Hours
Waterproof Rating: IP68
Price: Click here to find latest price
RUN-D Cube LED 35W Driving Lights Review
I kept expecting these to break out in a rapping rhyme, but even my beat boxing rendition of Walk This Way never got them to open up. But, I digress. I was amused by the small size and cubed shape of this spot light and yet I was very impressed by their performance.
First off, we know there is no way a lower power lamp will outshine higher intensity bulbs, but the narrow beam of this spot creates an extremely usable range. About 10 degrees of spot is specified, and it looks about right.
Being a narrow beam means you have to be a little more precise in positioning them, but at the low cost of these spot lights, mounting several together is a very workable alternative to other, larger lamps.
Being smaller and still having a usable brightness, that also meant these run a little hotter than some of the other light kits. Their well designed enclosure with multiple cooling fins helped dissipate the heat nicely.
The color temperature was a smidgen cooler, as well, but not enough to call attention to except obsessive people like me. Overall a nice addition for any off roader or smaller vehicle like an ATV, motorcycle, UTV or golf cart
5. Oedro 2PACK 50W Round LED Spotlight
Oedro 2PACK 50W Round LED Spotlight Specifications
Size: 4″
Brightness: 50 Watts
Voltage: 9-36V
Life Span: 50,000 Hours
Waterproof Rating: IP68
Price: Click here to find latest price
Oedro 2PACK 50W Round LED Spotlight Review
Another smaller, hotter running light kit, I included these as among the best LED spotlights for 4WD vehicles because of their very bright output for such a small size. Easily mountable with the included brackets, though I wasn’t greatly thrilled with the wiring harness of this kit. It was a little short.
Fine if mounting them close together anywhere, but you will have to run your own wires is trying to mount on opposite sides of the vehicle.
A cool daylight color temperature is in keeping with all of the best LED spotlights for 4WD I reviewed. One other thing I realized when looking at the two smaller lamps I reviewed, they would complement the existing lights of a motorcycle very well. Larger spotlights might be bit too much for some smaller bikes.
Well, there you have it!
If you have a larger roof rack, you might even consider attaching lights all the way around. With the lower power drain of LED lamps, we open ourselves up to all sorts of options. Of course, you would want to be considerate of others in the area with you.
Avoid shining a bright white light behind or to the side when with other drivers so we don’t interfere with their safety and enjoyment. In some places, laws are in effect that govern when, where, and how much light can be used on a vehicle.
Enjoy your night time jaunt, stay safe, and obey the laws. Now, you can do all that while really seeing what you’re driving in to.
It’s important to have all weather accessories on your 4WD. Whether using it only for fun or also as a daily driver, the weather can change when you least expect it. Even if you only use your off road capable vehicle on summer vacation, it’s best to be prepared for whatever comes.