While most people are familiar with light bars and fog lights, relatively few people are aware of LED ditch lights. While they are lesser known than other types of auxiliary lighting, they are an affordable and practical way to improve your visibility while driving at night.
To help you understand your lighting options, we are going to explain what LED ditch lights are and go over some situations where they can be beneficial. From there, we will recommend five of the best LED ditch lights on the market today!
What are LED Ditch Lights?
Essentially, LED ditch lights are low-profile light cubes or pods that are mounted to either side of your vehicle’s hood. In most cases, they are mounted near the windshield and on the very edges of the hood. They are mounted at roughly 45o angles, so they are facing away from the vehicle, rather than straight ahead. This is meant to illuminate the sides of the road and improve the driver’s peripheral vision.
Situations When LED Ditch Lights are Beneficial:
Improving visibility at either side of your vehicle can be incredibly beneficial, especially during the following driving situations:
- Backcountry Driving and Driving in Non-Illuminated Areas – If you are passing through backcountry roads at night, or you live in a rural area that lacks streetlights, ditch lights can help you spot wildlife that could run out on the road. In the United States alone, nearly one million car accidents are caused by collisions with deer and other wildlife each year. Ditch lights can help you avoid these destructive accidents.
- Added Visibility for Off-Roading – Off-roading at night can be difficult, especially if you are following a narrow trail. Ditch lights can help you see trail markers, upcoming obstacles, and wildlife.
- Navigating Narrow Roads and Alleyways – Ditch lights can be helpful for commercial drivers that have to navigate in narrow and poorly lit areas.
Aside from improving visibility and safety, LED ditch lights are affordable, easily installed, and they can actually improve the look of your vehicle.
The 5 Best LED Ditch Lights
Now that you understand what LED ditch lights are and how they can be beneficial, we can go over some of the best options on the market today.
1. Baja Designs – Squadron Sport 557803 LED Ditch Light Pair
Baja Designs is known for offering high-performance LED lights for off-roading purposes. Their Squadron Sport LED ditch lights each use four powerful LEDs and they are capable of producing an impressive 3,150 lumens at just 26 watts per light.
- Exceeds MIL-STD810G (Mil-Spec Testing)
- uService - Replaceable Lenses And Optics
- Lumens: 1,800 Utilizing 4 LEDs (Per Light) at 20W / 1.4A
- Fit type: Universal
You get two ditch lights, as well as the necessary wiring harnesses at a reasonable price. The lights produce a natural color, which helps reduce eye fatigue. Given that these lights were designed with off-road enthusiasts in mind, it is no surprise that they have a rugged appearance and construction. Their unique ‘MoistureBlock’ treatment means each set of lights is waterproof and fully submersible, while stainless steel hardware and mounting brackets keep the lights secure in all driving conditions.
While they are a little bit on the expensive side, they perform exceptionally well and the powder-coated cast aluminum housing gives these lights a really clean look.
2. Auxbeam – 4″ Side Shooter LED Ditch Light Pods
These Side Shooter ditch lights from Auxbeam are a budget-friendly option that still delivers an impressive level of illumination. Their unique side reflectors get the most out of the LED lights, which each draw 19 watts. They have a waterproof rating of IP67, so they are suitable for all types of off-road driving.
- Operating Voltage: 10-30V DC. Beam Type: 30 degree(spot beam)& 60 degree(flood beam) combo. Color Temperature: 6000K; Working Life: 30000 hours above life time.
- Diecast aluminum housing. Lens material: PC. Mounting Bracket: Alu firm bracket.
- Low current draw (5.4A@12V, 2.5A@24V): no harms to battery and save gas.
- Led offroad lights with IP 67 Waterproof rate, longer valid irradiation distance than normal halogen bulb. Anti-corrosion, and impact resistant.
The die-cast aluminum housing looks great and helps protect the LEDs from impact damage. Users have a choice of two mounting options – a 30o spot beam style, or a 60o flood beam. An efficient set of rear cooling fins helps disperse heat and keep the lights running for extended periods. Straightforward and adjustable mounting brackets help ensure a quick and easy installation.
3. Nilight – ZH009 LED Spot Lights with Wiring Harness Kit
These affordable and super bright LED ditch lights were designed to deliver a concentrated beam of light on either side of your vehicle for improved visibility at night. The adjustable mounting brackets allow users to easily direct light to an angle of their choosing.
- High-quality LED chips Emits bright white light; concentrated spot beam illuminates to further distance
- Adjustable mounting bracket can be adjusted to about 45 degrees
- Special designed die-cast aluminum alloy cooling fins effectively extend the lifespan to over 30,000 hours
- Superior quality wires for better electrical conductivity, high temperature and melting resistant, outstanding bending performance
- Includes: 2Pcs 18W spot LED light bars, 1Pc wiring harness and mounting brackets
The temperature resistant, die-cast aluminium housing protects the LEDs, while simultaneously dissipating heat. A high-quality wiring kit also ensures lasting performance and an easy installation process.
4. AUXMOTEC – 40W LED Cube Ditch Lights
- 3 inch 40w Yellow Lamp, 10W US led chips, enables longer illumination range and better visibility
- Aluminum alloy shell, steel mount bracket, high light optic transmission PMMA Lens, durable to withstand any harsh condition.
- Size approx. 7.5cm*7.5cm*7cm, with adjustable mount bracket
- IP68 waterproof rating and Eco-friendly low power consumption design with integral heat sink, life span over 50,000 hours.
These powerful LED ditch lights were designed to improve visibility at night and in all weather conditions. Each set of LEDs is protected by a durable aluminum housing and stainless steel, corrosion-resistant mounting brackets.
The adjustable mounting brackets allow you to select your preferred angle and they can easily be mounted at the point of your choosing. Whether you want to mount each cube to the hood of your vehicle, or you prefer to mount them on a front bumper or roof bar, the choice is up to you.
5. Rigid Industries – 202213 D-Series Pro LED Spot Lights
The Rigid Industries D-Series is one of the most durable sets of LED ditch lights on the market today. They are available in a variety of mounting options and can be adjusted quickly and easily. At only 3’ x 3’, these cube lights are incredibly compact, but still deliver an incredible level of illumination.
- Universal Fit - 2 Pack
- Instant on/off with no warm up
- Durable Polycarbonate lens
- Beam Distance @1Lux - 268.7 . Beam Distance @.25Lux - 537.4
In terms of appearance, a durable, UV-resistant matte black powder coat finish and prominent Rigid Industries branding ensure the lights have a professional look. Each set of lights is designed to last and features an integrated thermal management system, voltage protection, reverse polarity protection, and a waterproof rating of IP68.
If you are an off-roading enthusiast that takes your vehicle over rough and uneven terrain, these LED ditch lights are an excellent option.
Final Words
Whether you take your vehicle off-roading and need to be able to follow trail markers in all lighting conditions, or you just live in a rural area and could benefit from added visibility at night, LED ditch lights are a practical lighting upgrade that will not break the bank!
