Few things are as fun as off-roading. Hopping into your vehicle of choice and hitting the unopen road can be a thrilling trek or a slow meandering journey into the unknown. If you hop on the back of an ATV though it is usually the latter. You have to take your own safety into account at all times, as fun as it is there are real dangers, and the night can be one of the biggest. You are going to need a light bar.
Luckily that is what I am here for. Over the last few weeks I have looked at all manner of bars available, from halogens to HID, and found that chief among them is the LED. No other bar can boast the longevity of the LED, and the brightness is equal to if not better than other solutions. with the ATV you’re going to want a 12″ bar, sure you can fit bigger, and smaller and I will present options in other sizes, but for the 12″ is the best of both worlds. Not so small that you’ll find the brightness lacking, but not so large as to render your vehicle ridiculous looking. Just right in other words.
The main thing to pay attention to when looking for a new light bar is the IP rating. The Ingress protection rating is a two digit code that tells you how durable your bar is. You want at least a 67, The first number is the dust and particle protection, 6 is the highest so you could dump a bucket of sand over the thing and it’ll be fine. The Second number refers to the water resistance, and a 7 is fine for splashes and submersion above 1m. I prefer an 8, or even the rare 9k, but for ATV’s I think you’ll find the 67 more than workable. You should also pay attention to the warranty that comes with these things. the more expensive options come with fantastic perks, that might be worth their weight in gold.
So let’s take a look at a few options, they are all fit for purpose, and I hope they help you make an informed decision.
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Best LED Light Bars for ATV
Auxbeam 12″ 72W Cree LED Light Bar
When it comes to the low end LED light bar market there are three names to consider. Auxbeam is the first, and the quality on offer is impressive considering the low entry costs. This 12″ solution will cost a mere $28.99 and is IP rated at 67. More than sturdy enough, and the output lumen of this option is a staggering 7000LM. If you shop around on 12″ bars you will find that brightness compares very favorably with the competition. Expected lifespan is around 30,000+ hours, though I have heard of these running perfectly for in excess of fifty thousand hours. The warranty is a year long, so be take that into consideration, and you have a 30 day money back guarantee. Overall an excellent product that is well worth the price.
Size: 16.6″ x 4.7″ x 4.6″ including bracket.
Weight: 4 pounds.
Eyourlife 12 inch 72W Cree Led Light Bar
Eyourlife is another discount option, but don’t let that dissuade you from buying. Priced at $28.00 flat, the value on offer here is better in some ways than with the Auxbeam. It is less bright, but 4300LM is still an impressive output for a 12″ bar, but it is IP rated at 68 and will certainly last the 50,000 hours at full burn. Most bars need a 10-30V DC power source, so bear that mind when making your choice. One area the Eyourlife beats the ANNT and the Auxbeam in is the warranty, a full tow years with this one, and few budget bars can match that, you also have the standard 30 day money back guarantee.If you are worried about the longevity, and don’t mind it being a little less bright, then a nice Eyourlife may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Size: 17.6″ x 6.5″ x 5.7″ including bracket.
Weight: 2.8 pounds.
ANNT Cree 20″ 126w LED Light Bar
ANNT is a mid range bar, and it is the only representative of the 20″ crowd on this list. Fitting a 20″ light bar to an ATV will require some tinkering, but it can be done, and the difference in output is staggering. For $49.88 this bad boy can output an impressive 9000LM, and is a combo spot/flood light. Lifespan should be a little longer than 30,000 hours and the warranty is the standard year. The IP rating is 67, and again unless you decide to drive around under a lake that should be more than enough. I can be certain that if this thing breaks within a year, it is unlikely it was something you did, so be sure to make full use of that warranty. ANNT have a wide range of products available, and considering their prices having a look through them won’t hurt. I would argue that the Auxbeam is the more well rounded option, but find a good price on the ANNT and you won’t be disappointed.
Size: 20″ x 2.5″ x 2.8″ in bracket.
Weight: 4.8 pounds.
Rigid Industries Radiance 10″ Cree Led Light Bar
Saved the best for last. Rigid have made a name for themselves with their high quality products, all hand crafted in house. An all American company. The Radiance series may be their budget option, but it is a full featured bar, with excellent longevity and some great tech too. Rather than a combination of Spot and Flood LEDs, the Radiance uses Broad Spot optics, combining the utility of both kinds of light. Expect to pay in and around $179.99Â for one of these. Output Lumen is recorded as exactly 3528LM, and that attention to detail is important. More than 50,000 hours of guaranteed use and IP rated to 68. Top quality stuff here. The best part of their business model is their customer service and warranty. The warranty is lifelong. If your bar breaks they will bend over backwards to fix or replace it for you, and that kind of service is seldom seen in the industry. This bar is also perfect for motorcycles, and I’ll be mentioning that again in a later article.
Size: 6.25″ × 7″ × 13.625″ including bracket.
Weight: 5.6 pounds
There we go, a fair few options to look through. I aim mostly for budget solutions, Light bars that will get the job done and are of high quality. there are other firms like Rigid, that specialize in hand crafted light bars, but looking through them I deemed Rigid to be the best of them. If you are in the market for a bespoke quality bar, just take a look through their site and I’m sure you’ll find what you need. Be sure to take a look on amazon for their products as well, as they tend to be discounted.
