ATV riding is becoming more popular among all groups of people. Compared to the enjoyment of doing a sport, ATV rides have become more fun and adventurous.

It is enjoyed for leisure as it provides thrill and fun for the rider. But if you are riding an ATV, there is an integral thing you shouldn’t miss — LED light bars.

Why Do You Need An 12″ LED Light Bar For ATV

So if you want to enjoy riding an ATV, you need the perfect light especially, during the night. An LED light bar will provide better vision for you at night.

These light bars are also energy-efficient, meaning they consume less energy and last longer. LED light bars can also be installed easily.

Selecting the perfect LED light bar for your ATV can be a tough decision, and this is why we have created this guide to help you make the right decision in finding the best-LED light bar for your ATV.

The availability of LED lights in the market has drastically increased.

Selecting the right LED light bar is even more challenging as the products look almost similar.

It won’t be easy for someone who has no knowledge or is not very familiar with LED light bars to select the perfect one for their ATV.

As you go through this guide and understand much better about LED light bars, you will be able to select the best-LED light bar for your ATV rather than getting one from the market without prior knowledge.

Here are a few things you need to consider before purchasing an LED light bar for your ATV:

12″ LED Light Bar for Pickup SUV ATV UTV Truck 

Make your night rides brighter with NV’s 12″ LED Combination Spot/Flood Light Bar.

It fits on your bumper, roof, or cage to supplement your headlights and light up the dark.

• Beam: Combination / Flood / Spot
• Length: 12 Inch
• Power: 72 Watts
• Color temperature: 6500K
• Waterproof rate: IP67

Decide The Type Of Riding For Which The Light Is Needed

Usually, people consider 10-15 inches lengthy LEDs covered in a billet casing for their ATV. This is usually the common choice of most owners, so we will talk about it in this guide.

However, similar lights are related to the phrase “light bars.” We’ll discuss some of them below, and you might find them as efficient as standard light bars.

• LED Work lights (micro-pod) — These are perfect add-ons for your light bar.
• Powerful LED lamps — Works as spotting lights and a perfect element for your bike’s headlights.
• Work Lamps (Flush-amount) — ATV’s bodywork requires a hole, so that needs to be cut.
• Amber LED Light Bars— Perfect to get rid of fog during the night.
• LED Whips — Dune riding or off-riding will be excellent if these lights are installed to receive optimal visibility.

If you don’t have a particular need, we understand. Maybe you are looking for light bulbs for your ATV, and that’s alright.

You may find halogen headlights as one of the ideal choices for on-road requirements

But they might come off as a disappointment when you take your ATV on off-road rides in its familiar environment.

• Riding off-road.
• Riding on the trails.
• Racing at high-speed.
• Mudding.
• Perfect for both forest and farm environments.

These are some of the instances that you cannot do without light. You’ll never feel as if it’s too much light when you ride your ATV in these instances.

So understanding your primary requirement will make things easy for you. Once you know the requirement, selecting the ideal light bar becomes easier.

Check The Legality Of The Light.

Before you go ahead with your purchase, you must make sure that the legal aspect of installing LED light bars to your ATV is clear and out of problems.

There are laws and regulations for ATVs and light bars. So you need to check them to avoid legal issues.

Though ATVs are legal to use, some LED light bars may not.

As LED light bars are meant for off-road driving and not on normal roads, you need to check and make sure that the type of light bar you use is legal.

Different states have different legal requirements, and therefore, you have to make sure what it says in the area you live.

Usually, off-riding has no issues with the legal system, even if you plan to install LED light bars on your ATV.

Find The Perfect Spot To Install The Lightbars So You’ll Have Clarity On Style & Size

Do you know where you want to install the light bar on the quad?

If you haven’t decided it, you better pause your frantic search because it’ll lead you nowhere.

Once you decide on the spot, you’ll be able to make a clear decision on the purchase that you’re going to make.

The spot selected must be somewhere on top of your bike so that the light beam will not be impacted by deep snow, grass, or brush.

If you place the light bar low, it will not provide broader area coverage and will end up damaged.

Similarly, the place you decide to mount the LED light bar should be somewhere protective, and it should keep the light bar away from scratches and other accidents.

Most Brush Or Bull-guards Are Produced To Suit The Light Bars.

Therefore, they come with well-secured mounting spots, ideal for light bars to be kept in place.

Bull-guard will be a great place if your bike has it, and as it’ll keep the light bar protected.

But what if the bull guard is missing from your bike?

Well, if you have the budget for it, you can consider getting one as it’s essential.

Another good choice is the front rack of your ATV. You can find mounts and brackets that suit any bike. You can lift the LED light bar higher with the help of these, but you’ll leave them unprotected.

If you’re into aesthetics, then you’ll not be willing to install a fat LED light bar to kill the look of your bike.

Another suggestion is a customized grill, or you can consider an OEM grill cutout to suit the light bar.

If you consider this option, check the airflow because it restricts the radiator’s airflow.

If that happens, the light bar and bike might become hotter. These options don’t cause much of an issue most of the time.

Try to find a spot to mount the LED light to metal. Plastic fenders might not serve the purpose as much as metal does.

Attaching the light to the plastic might create light flicker and shake when you ride on challenging surfaces. Therefore, try to avoid it as much as possible.

Almost all LED bars are offered with mounting brackets. This is a universal thing and may not work well on any spot on your bike. So you have to provide an extra effort to find the right spot to fix it.

It’s vigilant to Google your bike’s model, make, and “LED bar mount” to find the available options.

Usually, you’ll come across extension brackets produced to work on sturdy spots of the bike’s front. This will let you install any LED light bar that you prefer.

Once you decide where you want to mount the LED light bar, you should check the mounting bracket that will suit the spot selected.

What Are The Features Of An Ideal Light Bar

You must know the most and least essential features in a light bar if you want to settle for an ideal light bar.

Wattage

There’s no unlimited power for ATVs, and any other extra accessory for power will pressure the battery and the charging structure if installed.

On the good side, too much power is not needed for an LED light bar to function. Usually, the wattage of an LED light bar is specified in the product’s spec sheet.

This would show the amount of power needed for the light bar to be used. You will find the right light bar without affecting the power budget unless you get a 50″ monster car.

If everything works fine, you will not face any issues, yet you can always check on the manual to confirm that the system supplies a higher power than the used light bar.

The capacity of about 100 watts can be saved if you replace a powerful stock headlight with an LED light bar.

No power is supplied to the light through the charging process while operating the engine.

If you do not want to drain the battery with long-term use of the light, then a light bar with reduced wattage will help.

If you tend to use the light even when the ATV is not operating, then it’s from the battery that the power should come off.

These are some of the usual reasons for the ATV battery to keep draining.

You should always choose a light with the least wattage, even if a couple of lights produce the same range of brightness.

The light with the lowest wattage contains better LEDs and highly effective ones.

Voltage

Even though a high number of LED lights are designed to function at both 12V and 24V, ATVs usually operate on 12V. I

f you use a 24V light bar for a 12V ATV, it will not be used.

The LED will not ignite if it runs on a voltage lesser than its actual capacity.

Weight

Usually, light bars are aluminum, which ensures lightweight. When it comes to light bars, weight should not be an issue, as light bars are all made in a manageable weight.

If you are into quad racing, you may consider the weight, but even the heaviest ones are quite practicable.

Shape

Lightbars are available in many shapes. The most common types of light bars are straight and curved. Small round lights and even square-shaped ones are available

but they are considered ‘work lights.’ Even though they are not light bars, some find them a good choice for ATV.

Both the bar shapes act in different ways. The curved light bar usually costs more than the straight bars,

and the light of the curved bar spreads more towards the sides and is often used for off-road riding.

Any light with the same effect focusing on effective deflectors is a much-budgeted option.

Life Span

An LED light bar’s lifespan is considered an advantage as they last long. The most common being in the range of 50,000 hours.

Some low-quality LED bars may not last as long as they are supposed to. Never settle for a cheaper light bar option as it may have a much lower life span.

Heatsinks

The lifespan of any LED light bar will be affected by excess heat. A light with sufficient cooling will dispose of the heat of the LED’s thus resulting in a higher lifespan.

The ideal ones are those with beefy cooling fins at the rear. The heat of the LEDs and the circuit board will be disposed of by itself,

maintaining low operating temperatures, which ensures the long life of the light bar.

To keep the electronics of the light cool, select a metal core PCB type.

A light with a proper cooling system will last longer as the heat has a way to cool down.

The heat that builds up affects the lifespan of a lightbar.

Lumens

A unit called lumens is used to measure the intensity of light. The lumens range can
measure the brightness of light accurately.

Though watts are used to measure the intensity of traditional light bulbs, lumens are used for LEDs. LEDs are produced in various colors; lumens to measure brightness are more accurate than watts.

The effectiveness of an LED light bar varies from a standard light bulb. Even if the same amount of watts are used, one can light up more than another as the watts are used effectively.

The higher the lumens, the brighter the light will be. Lightbars for ATV can be found in a range of 1000 to 3000 actual lumens.

A much poorly made LED light may light up brighter initially but fade off within seconds of use.

Some manufacturers will sell these kinds of lights with the promise of a higher lumen value. Always stay on the lookout and stay away from such cheap light models.

The brightness of the light depends on how the eyes perceive it, based on its color.

So the brightness isn’t in correspondence to its amount of lumens as it is measured along with an instrument.

The light bars will often be listed as raw lumens without the actual one.

To calculate the effective lumens, the mentioned raw lumens should be multiplied by 0,8. (How to Measuring Light Output)

The Quality Of LED And Its Effect

LED light bars for ATV vary in quality. A poor-quality LED light bar wouldn’t last long for years and burn out faster.

Even though some LED light bars are expensive, they are high in quality and can be used for an extended time.

The expensive ones have more effective LEDs, producing more lumens for every watt.

The cheaper ones work harder to draw high watts, to sum up to the brightness range, making it too hot to run.

Always make sure to check the quality of the LED light bar and a well-known manufacturer before purchasing.

For good quality with an excellent output for each watt, Epistle and Cree are the best-known ones in the market.

An LED light bar uses the power to produce light while the usual light bulbs power is primarily used in heating, and this outstanding feature makes the LED the best option.

An ordinary 40 watt light bulb will produce about 450 lumens, while an LED with quality will produce 2000 lumens or even more with the same amount of lumens. LED lights have transformed the whole lighting market.

Durability

The durability of a light bar is essential to be considered when selecting the perfect LED light bar for ATV. LEDs need to be taken good care of since they are pretty fragile.

An LED’S casing should be built in a way it withstands the use when it is put in while riding an ATV; even in harsh conditions than a cast casing, an extruded aluminum is much more rigid.

A good casing of an LED light bar should keep away dust, dirt, and mud and should be waterproof, corrosion-proof, scratch-proof, shockproof, and withstand extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. The IP rating of the light indicates this.

The IP rating has two numbers, one for dust resistant and the other for waterproof.

The better option is the one with a higher number. Select the light which has an IP rating of 67 or even higher.

This range of lighting can handle any harsh conditions, even if it was down in 1m deep water or mud while using an ATV.

The wiring connectors are also a factor to consider. To prevent issues like corrosion, they must be waterproof, and a silicone or rubber gasket beefy connector with good quality will do.

Avoid getting cheap lights made with fragile mounting hardware. These tend to rust and make the ATV look worn out.

The mound should be adjustable and rigid even be suitable for various mounting circumstances.

Color Temperature

The color temperature is used to describe the color output of a light, measured in the Kelvin scale.

One needs to understand that a higher color temperature of an LED does not mean that it heats more than one with less color temperature.

This scale indicates the scale in which the color of the metal in the light glows when exposed to certain levels of temperatures.

The LED light’s color temperatures usually range from 2700K to 6500K.

• 2700K – 3000K: A light in this range has a warm color, like yellow/white.
• 3000K to 5000K: A light in the 3000K to 5000K is slightly a brighter yellow, more towards a complete white.
• 5000K – 6500K: A light will be cool white in this range.

At lower temperatures, the light glows in color red/yellow. These warm yellow lights are found to comfort the eyes but are pretty unrealistic.

The light glows in white at higher temperatures, which looks almost blue. These bright lights may cause tiredness in the eyes.

This is why choosing a light within the 5000K range is ideal. This would be bright enough and still allow the colors of the light to pass with a natural flow.

Most people prefer a yellow light while riding on the snow as it is bright and shows well. A color lens cover is often offered to fit any type of riding.

Beam Pattern

LED light bars have different beam patterns for many types of uses.

The types of beam patterns include spotlight, floodlight, and available are beam patterns with a combination of the two, also called the combo beam pattern.

However, the most popular ones are the spotlights and floodlights.

The beam pattern of a spotlight is designed to throw light as far as possible and is relatively narrow.

This kind of light spreads at about a 30-degree angle from the direction point.

This kind of light is great for high-speed racing and driving down highways.

The floodlights beam pattern is designed for a broad light projection with a wide beam. This beam light spreads at about a 60 degrees angle and is great for low-speed riding.

If none of those above beam patterns seem ideal, another option is called the combo beam pattern.

The combo beam pattern is designed with both spotlight and floodlight features. This kind of beam pattern is becoming more popular as it is preferred when one is not satisfied with the spotlight and floodlight features.

A spot or floodlight usually comes in below 20″ length bars, and most common are those with a combination of the two for bars that are shorter.

Usually, many prefer the beam pattern of a floodlight for their ATVs.

However, it is not legal to use the light bar on the public roads of many countries.

A better light presence is needed when riding at much less speed and for any other work in the dark except for those who are only into trail-riding.

Spot VS Flood VS Combo: What’s the Difference?

Warranty

When purchasing light bars for your ATV, consider a warranty. This shows how long the product is good to use.

While some light bars come with a lifetime warranty, certain light bars only last up to 1 or 2 years.

Avoid purchasing light bars that do not come with a warranty. The manufacturers who do not produce a warranty are the ones that are highly doubtful about the product’s longevity.

It is better to avoid such products as they may not last long or are worth the price mentioned.

Reliability Of The Manufacturer

Many companies are on the rise in marketing LED light bars. Due to this reason, it may be difficult to figure out which ones are more reliable.

For this reason, it is better to always stick to brands that are well trusted among the larger crowd of people.

Sticking to trusted brands will ensure that you have a good product. Do your research and move ahead with a reputed company.

Plan Your Budget

Plan your budget before you go ahead and make the purchase. It won’t be easy to select the best-LED light bar without a budget.

As many LED light bars are available with various types and prices, planning a budget will help you choose the right one you can afford.

The price ranges for LED light bars can range from relatively cheap from China to costly “military-grade” ones depending on what you plan to buy.

Yet, it’s all about the proportion of quality and the cost for many. Even though the cheaper lights work, they will fail faster in terms of corrosion.

It would help if you also remembered that the higher the price, the more significant the quality.

Wiring & Installation

To install a light bar, you will need wires and connectors. Some packages include the things required for installing the light bar, like wires and relays.

Most packages do not include additional components, so you will have to purchase them separately.

Having the components ready before installation can be less stressful during the installation process.

Planning out the wiring way ahead will make it a lot easier to get the right components before you purchase the light bar.

Select A Few

Based on all the knowledge you have gained from this guide in selecting the perfect LED light bar for ATV, you can now like a few that fit your category.

The most important thing to consider is durability and the color temperature according to your preference.

Go Through Reviews

Before you make any kind of purchase, it is ideal to check the product reviews. The product reviews will give you better clarity and help you decide if the particular product is worth the price.

You Are Good To Go!

This guide has provided you with all the necessary information about selecting the perfect LED light bar for your ATV.

Now that you are familiar with and have a clear understanding of LED light bars for ATV, you are good to go ahead and make the purchase.

The most common queries related to LED light bars for ATV

FAQs

What Ideal LED Light Bar Should I Get For My ATV

The usual size of an LED light bar for ATV ranges from 7 to 20 inches. The consideration must be based on the space available to install a light bar; however, the most common size is 12 inches.

What Is The Cheapest LED Light Bar

The price of an LED light bar ranges according to its quality. Those with a strict budget can get a light bar for a low cost of 10 dollars.

It is advisable to stay away from affordable options as the price range decides the quality of the LED light bar.