When used for its intended purpose a good 4×4 can go anywhere it pleases. Rock, mud, sand, doesn’t matter, you jump in to your off-roader and go discover the wilderness. Or if you prefer, rev up your engine and race in ridiculous terrain. Regardless of your specific use, you are going to need to take a few precautions. Check your suspension, verify your threads, and make damn sure you have a working high quality light bar. The first two will likely need a mechanic, the last one will only need me. With a 4×4 you can usually fit whatever sized light bar you want, so I’m going to focus on the 30″ bars today, I’ll throw in a 40″ and a 50″ for good measure though.
The 30″ bar will grant you the best of both worlds, great output lumen with low power draw. You can usually run this size for a little longer than the others, depending on the brand too. Over the last few weeks I’ve been able to check out light bars in all sizes, and this size, in my opinion, is the best value for your money. But I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention a few good giant bars.
Even if you don’t go for the options I have listed here you should come away from this article with a little knowledge. The most important thing to take into account when looking for a new light bar is the IP rating. IP, or Ingress Protection, is a two digit number that tells you the all about the durability of your light bar. With a 4×4 you should be fine with a 67 or higher. The six is the dust and particle protection, 6 is the highest so go dunk it in mud, while the second number, 7, refers to the water resistance. A 7 is great, will stand up to <1m submersion, so unless you take a dip in a lake, and I know that does sometimes happen, you should be fine. You should also pay attention to your warranty. A good company will have a variety of sizes for sale, and an excellent warranty, you’ll likely be paying more in the short term though.
So let’s take a few options, help you get an idea of what to look for.
Best LED Light Bars for 4×4
Auxbeam Curved 180W 32″ LED Light Bar
Starting with an Auxbeam, my go to move. When it comes to budget options few can match them. Their curved bars are fantastic value for money, and I am a fan of curved designs. Curved bars allow for a longer field of view, which when combined with the spot lights, allow you to see more than with a non-curved design. Expect more than 50,000 hours of life out of this bar. Our IP rating is 67, which is Auxbeam’s standard. Output lumens is a dazzling 18,000LM. The warranty is only a year though, but you can be certain that if it breaks in that time it was not caused by you. Overall there is a lot to like with this one, a decent warranty, a 30 day money back guarantee, and one of the longest lived bars on the market.
Size: 34.5″ x 7.1″ x 5.4″ including bracket.
Weight: 8.5 pounds.
You can get the AuxBeam Curved 180W 32″ For the Best Price Online By Clicking Here
Eyourlife 240W 42″ LED Light Bar
Our second discount bar, and this time we are going up a weight class. Eyourlife is one of three budget options that I would recommend, the other two being Auxbeam and ANNT. All three have a wide range of products, in terms of sizes and curves, and a decent, if not amazing, warranty. I have seen my fair share of no name light bars online, and while they may be slightly cheaper, there is no peace of mind. The Eyourlife bars seem to be on sale at the moment, so with a discounted price you would be hard pressed to find a better option in this price range. To check out the current sale price you can click here. IP rated to 67, a little less than Eyourlife’s standard, and a max brightness of 14,400LM. Expect around 30,000 hours of life out of this one. Warranty is year and you get your 30 day money back guarantee. Overall a good choice.
Size: 46″ x 5.6″ x 5.3″ in bracket.
Weight: 13.2 pounds.
Click here to view all the specs and reviews of the Eyourlife 240W 42″ Light Bar
KC C-Series 30″ 180W LED Light Bar
Back to the 30″ options, and to our first expensive bar. KC is a great company to go with, not only do they offer terrific products, but they have, in my opinion, the second best customer service in the market. All of their products come with an astounding 23 year warranty. Where they got that number from I have no idea, but it is impressive. This bar will output 16,200LM and will cost you a fair bit more than the others we’ve mentioned however you can sometimes find some good deals here.  All KC C-Series bars are IP rated at 67, would have preferred to see that 8, but 7 is more than sufficient for off-roading. Be sure to look through all of their products, and if you find one on a different line you like let me know.
Size: 31.38″ x 3.09″ x 3.40″ including bracket.
Weight – ~8 pounds.
Click here to check out all the KC C-Series Light Bars CUrrently Available.
Rigid Radiance 50″278.7W LED Light bar
Finishing off with the bespoke. Rigid have been hand making light bars for years, and their focus on high quality products combined with excellent customer service have made them my go to recommendation. The Radiance series is more of a budget option from them, but it is packed with features and uses some interesting tech too. Rather than a combination of spot and flood lights the Radiance uses Broad Spot optics, a solution that combines the effectiveness of both kinds of light. Expect to pay a lot for a 50″ Radiance, though I have seen them go for pretty good prices on Amazon. Output Lumen here is 15,876LM, and you’ll notice that isn’t an estimate, unlike all other options I have seen on the market. IP rated to 68, so good for submarines too, Rigid offer a lifetime guarantee with all of their products, a service not matched by annoy other firm as far as I know. If you want top quality products, at good prices with excellent after care, then go for a Rigid.
Size: 6.25″ x 7″ x 50.5″ including bracket.
Weight: 16.4 pounds.
Went for a blend of high end and budget this time. If you don’t go for any of these it should give you a good idea of what to look for in a big boy light bar. Just remember that all of these firms offer their bars in a variety of sizes, from 10″ all the way to 50″ and beyond. When it comes to finding the right bar for your 4×4 you will be drowning in options, so be sure to check the warranty, check the IP rating and check the output Lumen. If you are satisfied with all three, then buy.
