LED Light Bar

Ever planned to take the Big Lap Challenge and test your endurance cruising the entirety of Australia in six days? Or ticking off the bucket list in driving through Australia’s Greatest Road Trip, Route 66, the Outback Way? Whichever off-road adventure you choose, you need to be accompanied by only the most suitable LED light bar mounted on your overlanding vehicle. 

Australia is known for its rich and diverse roads and trails, which are worth being experienced up close. Numerous sceneries and landscapes must be traveled by land since this country is a big continent with both coastal plains and complex mountain ranges. Since you can spend most of your time traveling with your off-road ride, you’ll find yourself cruising through challenging tracks requiring only the best driving light for your safety. 

As there can be as many LED lightbars available in the aftermarket, choosing the worthy companion for your off-road adventures might take a lot of work. Aside from the hefty, LED-loaded light bars, there are spotlights and other driving lights to choose from. Wait, what? Aren’t they all the same? 

Difference Between These Lighting Accessories

Just a quick and easy reference in differentiating all these outdoor LED lighting accessories is to determine their size and usage. Light bars are composed of several LED bulbs lined horizontally, spreading the light output from side to side. Usually, they are mounted on your reliable roof rack, but other creative off-road enthusiasts may place them depending on their preference. 

Driving lights can be used as a general term to describe any lighting accessory to assist you with driving. However, they can be those auxiliary lights placed in front of your rig, focused on the immediate track you are taking. These LED driving lights are strong enough to give ample illumination to the terrain for added visibility. However, the spread of driving lights can also be broad, but less than what LED light bars provide.

On the other hand, spotlights are focused on a specific spot alone. They usually come off as LED pods because they are small and consist of only a couple of bulbs. Spotlights are specifically made to give a well-defined, intense, high-powered illumination in a given area. Since they are small, they can also be used to illuminate a camping ground or the preparation area while mounted on your off-road vehicle.

Choosing the Right LED Light Bar for your Vehicle

You probably realized what you’ll be needing is an LED light bar because of the wide terrain reach that it can provide. These LED light bars come in handy when cruising through unfamiliar territory, and some have different patterns to offer that are flexible to use depending on your preference. 

But what should you consider in getting the most suitable LED light bar for your off-road ride? Here are some of the things to check before getting one: 

Mounting Spot

One of the most important things to consider before getting your first LED light bar is where you’ll mount them. Usually, these light bars need to be placed above your vehicle’s roof to utilize its maximum capacity through the help of an LED light bar bracket. Consequently, having them mounted together with your roof rack can provide illumination from afar. Lucky for you if your chosen LED light bar has a dual beam pattern. 

Beam Patterns

Understanding the beam patterns of your auxiliary light accessory is also essential before purchasing your first LED light bar. Plenty of car LED light bars have combo beam patterns, enabling you to simultaneously reach illumination for a far distance while having the usual light spread you’ll get from a light bar. There are also slim LED light bars that only provide spot illumination or flood lighting beam.

LED Light Accessory Technicalities

Collectively, these factors are the specifications of your chosen light bar. You need to consider the amount of light your accessory can emit or its brightness (lumens), your light bar’s light reach even if you are far away (candela), and the amount of light in a given surface (lux). You’ll even come across some color temperature (Kelvin) specs when looking for the most suitable LED light bar. These technical specifications determine your LED light bar's power when taking Australia's dark, relentless trails by night. 

Wattage or Power Requirement

Calculating the power requirement of your LED light bar is one of the crucial things to consider before buying any off-road light accessories. You need to know your vehicle’s wattage output capacity if it will be able to hold off your LED light bars for a long time. Since lightbars consist of several light pods or LED bulbs, you’ll need to check if your vehicle is optimized. Overheating and having busted lights might be expected, especially when these LED lightbars aren’t used properly. 

Best LED Light Bar Options to Tackle the Australian Trails

Now that we already have an idea of the factors to consider before getting your LED light bar, here are some of the recommended lighting accessories to mount on your off-road ride. These auxiliary lights are deemed suitable for Australian roads, whether for Overlanding or just driving by through the freeway. 

Ultra Vision Nitro Maxx 305W 35" LED Driving Light Bar

One of the most appropriate LED lightbars to mount on your off-road vehicle, the Ultra Vision Nitro Maxx 305W 35” LED Driving Light Bar is first on the list. This lighting accessory can be your most reliable tool in tackling different Australian routes. Made by Ultra Vision, a hundred-percent Australian brand, the 35-inch LED Lighting Bar is proven tested efficient on the local terrain. 

Quick Specs Rundown: 

Power Requirement: 300W

Beam Pattern: Combo Widr©

Mounting Option: Base and Side Mount

Light Output: 36,960 Lumens
No. of LEDs: 60 x 50W bulbs

Color Temperature: 4500K or 5700K

Lifespan: 50,000 hours

The Ultra Vision Nitro Maxx 35” LED Driving Light Bar has boosted performance that can reach a beam distance of up to 1600m of usable light. This roof-mounted off-road accessory provides a beam pattern with Widr© Optics that allows reflection technology to amplify the lighting output far beyond the usual. Plus, the Hi/Lo option is available upon purchase, allowing you to control the light bar output according to the driving and road conditions. 

Another great feature of the Maxx 305W LED light bar from Ultra Vision is its flexibility in its mounting option. Side and base mounting hardware is plausible, with additional anti-theft nuts and LED light bar wiring harness to secure your aux light in place. 

Osram 40" LED Light Bar FX1000-CB Single Mount

Although Osram isn’t locally produced in Australia, it is a worldwide brand worthy to be considered on the list of the best LED light bar to mount on your off-road ride. This German-born tech company provides one of the most outstanding LED lights for your overlanding needs, like the 40” LED Light Bar FX1000 CB Single Mount. This extra set of light accessories can be your companion on your next Australian Outback adventure.

Quick Specs Rundown: 

Power Requirement: 12V/24V

Beam Pattern: Combo Beam

Mounting Option: Single Mount

Light Output: 8,000 lumens
No. of LEDs: 40 high-performance LED bulbs with OSRAM technology

Color Temperature: 6000K

Lifespan: 5,000 hours

The Osram 40” FX1000-CB Single Mount is a slim LED light bar integrated with innovative technology to support your off-road adventure at night. This light accessory can reach up to 625 meters of illumination with 8,000 lumens of usable light, enough to propel you through dark and unknown trails. Equipped with a polycarbonate lens as an additional feature, the LED slim light bar from OSRAM can accommodate a wide range of beams depending on user preference. 

One of the most advanced features of this 40-inch LED light bar is its integrated driver and thermal management control system that measures and regulates the temperature output of the auxiliary light. This top-of-the-line functionality prevents overheating the OSRAM LED light bar, thus, extending its lifespan for extended usage. 

Ultra Vision Nitro Maxx 205W 24" LED Light Bar

If you aren’t a high-powered LED lighting accessories fan and don’t want to mount a full-length light bar on top of your overlanding rig, maybe you’ll consider mounting this mid-ranged LED light bar from Ultra Vision, the Nitro Maxx 205W 24” LED. This off-road auxiliary light is just the right amount of illumination you’ll need through different Australian time zones. 

Quick Specs Rundown: 

Power Requirement: 200W

Beam Pattern: Combo Widr©

Mounting Option: Base and Side Mount

Light Output: up to 24640 Lumens
No. of LEDs: 40 x 50W bulbs

Color Temperature: 4000K or 5700K

Lifespan: 50,000 hours

Don’t be fooled by this compact-sized Nitro Maxx LED bar light accessory. It may be a smaller version of the other Ultra Vision LED light bar on this list, but this supplementary light accessory performs well under the dark, long and risky roads of the land down under. The same Combo Widr© technology enables the user to get increased light output through Ultra Vision’s reflection innovation. 

Since the Ultra Vision Nitro Maxx 200W LED light bar is only 24 inches long, the mounting possibility for this lighting accessory can be limitless. Whether on top of your roof, with your roof rack, or on a comfortable spot on your vehicle’s bumper, you’ll get the same light output from Nitro Maxx. Plus, lighting brackets for side or base orientation, a wiring harness, and anti-theft nuts are included upon purchase.

LED Driving Lights

Just in case you have changed your mind about mounting a full LED light bar on your off-road vehicle, or you’re not really a fan of installing an overpowered auxiliary light, then let me introduce you to an alternative light source to guide you through the night. 

LED Driving Lights can supply the same amount of brightness to your nighttime adventures minus the spread that goes from side to side that LED light bars are capable of giving. These driving lights are suitable to use on familiar terrains and straight or winding roads at night and are more compact and less power-needy, unlike light bars. 

Here’s an example of a compact LED driving light worthy of replacing your LED light bar when you don’t feel like mounting it. 

Ultra Vision NITRO 180 Maxx LED Driving Light Combo

The Ultra Vision Nitro 180 Watts provides ample illumination when cruising through the darkest roads. With a light output almost equivalent to what slim LED bars provide, this LED driving light accessory can easily match your preference when you want to mount a much smaller, low-profile lighting system to your off-road vehicle. Plus, there is no need to worry about learning the LED light bar wiring diagram, as these driving lights are easy to mount and install and usually last a few minutes. 

Quick Specs Rundown: 

Power Requirement: 180W

Beam Pattern: Combo Contrl® optic

Light Output: up to 14600 Lumens

Lens Construction: Polycarbonate Lens with IP68 Protection
LED Light Source: 19W Cree LEDs

Color Temperature: 4000K or 5700K

Lifespan: 50,000 hours

The Nitro 180 Maxx LED Driving light is composed of multiple high-powered LED bulbs capable of projecting a combination beam pattern through the Contrl® optic technology from Ultra Vision. This innovative design enables the 180W driving light accessory to reach up to 2200 meters of usable light. 

This off-road accessory measures 230mm in diameter, and can be mounted anywhere on your overlanding vehicle, depending on the location that suits your style. The Nitro Maxx 180W LED is sold in pairs, providing ample brightness and illumination on your track.

LED Spot Lights

When looking for an outdoor lighting accessory that’s more precise in focus and concentrated on a designated area, having a reliable LED Spot Light can be your solution, these spotlights, or sometimes fog lights, are typically smaller in size and usually comes in four capable LED bulbs.

What can an auxiliary LED light measuring a couple of inches illuminate? Well, there’s a lot. These LED spot lights may be small in size but have enormous effects on the terrain you’ll need to conquer or make your camp comfortable at night.

Here’s one of the best LED spotlights to mount to your off-road rig that can level up your experience while overlanding.

Front Runner 4"/100mm LED Flood Light With Bracket

Front Runner is one of the most famous brands known for its prowess in the Overlanding industry. They have been the front runner in supplying off-road enthusiasts with reliable tools, gear, and equipment, one of which is the four-inch LED flood light. 

The Front Runner 100mm LED flood light might be small, but there is numerous possible uses for this lighting accessory. Use the 4-inch LED light as a fog light to illuminate peripheral views while cruising rugged trails, or use it as a camping light that gives enough brightness to your whole crew. 

Quick Specs Rundown:

Power Requirement: 27W

Beam Pattern: Flood Pattern

Beam Angle: 60 Degree Flood

Light Output: up to 1700 Lumens

Lens Construction: Polycarbonate Lens

LED Light Source: 7W Square LED

Having a pair of these 100mm LED flood lights is enough to guide you through difficult trails by supplying a 60-degree flood beam illumination. This perfect angle might help you get a clearer peripheral view of the side tracks you are about to take, especially on unknown and less traveled trails. 

As the LED Flood Light from Front Runner comes with a stainless steel powder-coated light bracket, the little LED auxiliary can be mounted anywhere you like. The included bracket comes with a power inlet and outlet to produce light, depending on where you want it to be. Some may even mount them on their roof racks' side or rear rails.

LED Light Bar FAQs

Are LED Light Bars, and any other LED auxiliary lights, legal to use on any Australian road?

LED lights, either light bars, flood lights, or driving lights, are legal and safe to install in any Australian region. However, there are specific guides on installing them correctly on your off-road vehicles to promote safety among other motorists. Some guidelines may include proper redirection of the LED light bar’s projection, maintaining safe illumination distance for other drivers, and the number of LED bulbs permitted to be installed on your Overlanding ride. 

Are LED Light Bars always linear in design or style?

Plenty of designs are being developed to suit other enthusiasts’ needs in their off-roading journey. Typically, LED light bars are constructed with the bulbs lined up together depending on the width of the lighting accessory. However, 4x4 LED light bars are available in the aftermarket, where the LED bulbs are arranged differently than the conventional LED light bars. 

How do you properly take care of your LED light bars or any LED lights?

Maintaining any off-road accessories depends on how a person uses them. However, choosing durable and reliable lighting accessories can be your first line of protection that you can have. Purchase off-road LED lights that are made with waterproof and dustproof materials. They can easily prolong your LED light bars' lifespan and prevent unforeseen damages from occurring. 

Next is to maintain the correct output requirement for your LED light bars to prevent overheating and busted lights from happening. Frequently checking the temperature of your lighting accessories can also help take good care of your LED auxiliary lights. 

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