4x4 Lights

What Should I Look for in a 4x4 Light?

Off-road driving lights are mainly designed to shine light on the ground in front of a vehicle. This is done to improve visibility, particularly when the terrain is uneven or full of obstacles. When looking for off-road driving lights, there are a few features that you want to make sure it has: waterproofing, brightness, and mounting options.

Waterproof 4x4 Lights

Understandably this is a problem area for many people. If your lights aren’t waterproof, they can be ruined if it starts raining during your trip. Make sure that the light provides protection against water and rain to ensure that you won’t have any issues. Most good quality 4×4 lights will include an IP Rating of 67 or higher. The IP rating of a light (or any item really) is a technical term that indicates how water resistant the light is.

Without going into great detail an IP67 or higher rating means the item is waterproof up to a minimum of 1m below the surface and entirely sealed from dust and dirt. An IP66 rating means it’s resistant to heavy showers or spraying and entirely sealed from dust and dirt. As your vehicle lights will be exposed to the harsh environment (including rain, dust, dirt and so on), it’s vital that they conform to a high IP Rating, to avoid damage and equipment failure.

4x4 Light Brightness

With the advancement of technology, it is now possible to see clearly even on the darkest of nights due to high brightness levels of many driving lights. Of course when driving at night in isolated off-road areas sufficient brightness is critical in order to avoid making any mistakes.

Traversing difficult terrain during the daytime can be challenging, but if you find yourself covering the same terrain at night and without decent lighting, well, you’re in for a particularly difficult (and potentially dangerous and/or expensive) time. Ensuring your 4WD lighting setup is sufficient will not only provide clarity for what’s up ahead, but also peace of mind before heading out.

Available 4×4 Light Mounting Options

Depending on the light you’re getting, will determine the type of mounting options available to you. Whether you’re mounting a light bar on your roof rack, or a pair of spots on your bull bar, there are various options one should consider prior to purchase.

The Difference between Driving Lights and Light Bars

Driving lights, as the name suggests, are designed primarily for driving. They are traditionally installed in the front of the vehicle, facing forward, in order to illuminate the path ahead. Driving lights (or driving spots as they are sometimes called) provide a far greater distance of illumination to that of light bars.

Light bars are primarily used for lighting the space around the vehicle, and are often used for camping purposes when the vehicle is stationary (although this isn‘t a hard and fast rule of course). They provide a much wider, spread out field of vision in comparison to driving lights.