REVIEW: Ultimate Rock Light Shoot Out

Ultimate Rock Light Shoot Out

With so many different types of LED rock lights available, it's best to investigate which one would work best for your construction. This is true whether your truck is a mall crawler or a true off-roader.

We will go into great detail during our tests to cover nine distinct rock lights so you don't have to. To help you make the best choice possible when purchasing LED off-road lights, we will discuss a number of factors, including brightness, control, build quality, and ease of installation.

You should also check your local rules regarding vehicle illumination to find out if these are permitted on the roads you drive on.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR 

To understand our competition, we must first establish specific criteria before delving into the best choice.

We shall first examine mounting and its ease of use. Since nobody wants to convert their wheel well into Swiss cheese, it's critical that they be simple to install and mount. For example, two on either end of the wheel well or one in the center.

We start with wiring. Are any connections waterproof? Does the wiring have enough capacity? Is using it simple? Each of these will have an answer. This criterion is arguably the most crucial one. How can rock lights ever be rock lights without sturdy wiring?

Then comes control. We're trying to find something that is part of a system. It should be able to be turned on and off, or if the unit allows, change color. We won't have the best switching system if we have to do it ourselves.

Fourth, we can choose colors. We are interested in the color's depth and the number of available possibilities. The effectiveness of changing the color is something we would like to know about some of these.

The final criterion is luminosity. Your budget will only allow for two or fewer LED rock lights. Anything extra would be superfluous and make the wiring harness more difficult. Thus, brightness plays a significant role in this exam.

THE TEST 

KC HiLites Cyclone LED Rock Light Kit 

It has been noted that this set is incredibly adaptable. We've seen them mounted under the hood and utilized for truck beds, fog lights, rock lights, and signs. This was not a specially designed rock light, then.

It does have some fantastic mounting options, though. The colored glass is in front, while the black metal and heat sink are in the back. This set gives you installation options by including a variety of mounting brackets and screws.

KC HiLites offers the option to utilize the existing plastic push pins that line the wheel well if you don't want to drill holes in it. They also allow you to replace your stock push pin with the Cyclone mount. 

A red and black wire with crimped ends should be used for the wiring. In order to distribute power to the lights, the corresponding wire kit connects to the distribution block, which is a universal fuse block that draws power from the battery. The wire kit is available in different lengths to guarantee that it reaches every wheel on the car. To send the ground (black) wires to the ground post, the wires must first be linked to the fuse block.

Additionally, they give you a red switch. This is connected by drilling a hole in the car and installing the switch in the appropriate location. You are free to use the provided switch and make a hole in your dashboard.

The two colors currently offered for this rock light are white and amber. Although our V1 prototype has vibrant color, the brightness level is far from ideal.

When testing was conducted, the V2 was not yet available. An upgraded version of these lights is currently available. Regretfully, the only colors available are amber and white.

Profile Performance Pixel LED Rock Lights 

Since some of the design features appear to have been lifted from the KC HiLites set we just examined, we decided to highlight these next. Nevertheless, they do manage to compete very effectively with the Cyclones.

We have never seen a better mounting option than these, to start. Sturdy, low-profile metal mounting tabs are available that accept tiny screws. If you have any steel to mount it to, you may also utilize a fantastic magnet mount alternative. The magnet mount is unquestionably robust for this use.

Profile Performance is an expert in wiring. Its features include excellent connectors, logical wiring, an abundance of wire, complete waterproofness, and modularity. This means that you can extend the wring if need be. It also connects to the controller easily, and the wring is much the same whether you have RGB or single-color.

A splitter is connected to the RGB cable and the Bluetooth application. Each spit can operate four sets of four rock lights. The wires are quite lengthy, waterproof, and have exposed cables at the end for joining if you have a single-color system.

If you purchase the Morimoto XBT Color Controller, you can use the Bluetooth controller to change the lighting on the entire system. The single-color systems contain color LED chips, so you get a superb color profile, in addition to the RGB lights being available in any color you desire.

These function admirably in terms of brightness. Because of their circular design, the light is brilliant and provides excellent coverage.

C4 LED Rock Lights 

Although it isn't mentioned clearly, all of the images and promotional materials from C4OffRoad.com depict them being utilized as LED off-road lights. This is fascinating.

With a non-waterproof cylinder and little screw holes for equally tiny screws, the mounting is appalling. I wouldn't trust this contraption to do much more than accompany the guys on a few mall crawls.

You have to figure out how to control it. The lamp includes two naked wires, and it is your responsibility to figure out the wiring.

We can vouch for the light itself, which isn't too horrible. It's a highly vivid shade of red. However, it is clearly not waterproof. There is no lens to shield the exposed LED chip. Just as worrisome as the absence of waterproofing is the brightness.

It's good that a sticker is included with the packaging.

eBay Rock Light 

We also tried a random one from eBay. In all honesty, this is most likely not as it appeared in the listing images. There is no waterproofing of any type, and it is just a lot of plastic. Inside the housing, the exposed wires are clearly visible.

Spending any amount of money on things is not worthwhile. The red and black wiring is just 10 inches long, and there are no accessories. Regardless of the control system you employ, I wish you success in getting this to every wheel on your truck.

In terms of performance, only a few white LEDs shine through a red piece of plastic. It emits very little light and isn't particularly bright.

LED Mercy 

This is another nameless LED rock light that we discovered online, similar to the eBay set. To our surprise, this gadget was not marketed under the LEDMIRCY brand. We should also mention that the headlight versions of the items that we have previously evaluated were appalling.

The only wire included with this set is about a foot long and extends from the back of the rock light. Therefore, a lot of additional cables will be required for your car to be fully lit.

In relation to mounting, the wire exits the rear of the device, so drilling three holes is necessary to attach it to the wheel well fully. Additionally, the accompanying hardware is as inconvenient. Cheap and somewhat made of stainless steel, I can't guarantee that the screws will be sufficient for the entire set. Additionally, the kit comes with a number of adapters, some of which are incompatible with the rock lamp because of the location of each wire.

Since these lights don't have an integrated control system, you will need to figure out how to switch them on on your own. This causes the three LED chips to function with the desired color. While the brightness is acceptable, the vibrancy and color spread are poor.

LY8 Rock Light 

This and the LEDMIRCY sample that we just viewed appear nearly the same. The only variations are the quantity and kind of LED chips in the light. Otherwise, they are the same.

The wire position issue that arises when mounting is the same as it was in the LEDMIRCY examples. Furthermore, the screws are made of imitation stainless steel, and they are too short to reach anything significant when using the spacer.

With less than a foot of cable, wiring is equally problematic. It is missing the leads and switches that are necessary to make these usable, and there are bare leads. You will need to play with these yourself if you want to turn them on.

Although the additional LED chips provide a more pleasing color, the LEDMIRCY sample is still brighter.

RIGID Industries Rock Light Kit 

The hardware is fairly similar to the LY8 and LEDMIRCY sets, with a similar visual design and the wire on the back of the light. However, it includes spacers designed to accommodate your wheel's curved surfaces.

The bag nuts and bolts included with this kit would undoubtedly fail if there were a presentation category for this test. What about practically? Many long, self-tapping screws made of stainless steel are available, as are numerous bolts and nuts that can be utilized for almost any purpose.

The bag nuts and bolts included with this kit would undoubtedly fail if there were a presentation category for this test. What about practically? Many long, self-tapping screws made of stainless steel are available, as are numerous bolts and nuts that can be utilized for almost any purpose.

It should function by connecting a cable to the appropriate positive and negative wires on the battery terminal distribution blocks. After that, you drive to the two blocks from all four corners of your car.

Only one red-illuminated rocker switch controls the television. Despite its straightforward appearance, this switch is highly do-it-yourself, and if you are not experienced with electrical wiring, we advise hiring a professional to install it.

Regarding the lamp's performance, its true red LED light produces a color that is superior to that of any other LED light available. It is available in yellow, green, blue, red, and white. One or more of them would adequately fill your wheel, and the brilliance is just as strong.

OPT 7 Aura Quantum Rock Lights 

If we were evaluating lights based only on product packaging, opt 7 would be the winner. Unfortunately, despite its outstanding presentation, this set will not advance to the winner's circle.

With their watertight connectors and lengthy extension harnesses that allow them to reach every inch of your car, these opt 7 lights are incredibly versatile. However, things get complicated when it comes time to hook them up in your vehicle.

The tiniest ground wire in the world connects to another extremely small wire set. The device then connects to your battery via what looks to be a laptop charger wire. Even though it's not very watertight, the concept is sound and reminiscent of Profile Performance.

If you prefer not to wire the kit, they also provide you with some fuse tap kits. Thus, you can locate a battery or ignition fuse and insert it. Finding the ground is the only thing left to do, and it should be relatively straightforward.

The building itself looks pretty remarkable. Although the two mounting tabs on the sides are sturdy, the included screws don't seem to be. We advise using higher-quality screws. A rubber spacer for fitting to a roll cage is also included with opt 7.

It features a TV-remote style to change the color of your lights and a keychain remote control fob to operate the set. However, the remote's brightness buttons don't seem to function.

All things considered, the lights are incredibly stylish, have good wiring, and provide interesting control possibilities. But the brightness isn't that amazing, and the unit size is a bit larger than we would like.

Vision X XP Rock Lights 

Being the first to bring LED light bars to the off-road market, Vision X has a long and illustrious history. With side-mounting and strengthened poles, the pods themselves have a footprint that is highly industry standard.

The mounting kit includes a variety of spacers and bolts to meet your installation requirements. Some of them are too small for specific applications. There is a pole mount for ATVs, indicating that Vision X spends a lot of time near them. In case you also require one, there is a spacer available.

The wiring arrangement is noteworthy for a single-color light. It features a lengthy harness, a relay, battery connections, and waterproof connectors. Thanks to Vision X's expertly designed wiring system, there is enough wire to reach every part of your car.

This rock light controller from Vision X is really cleverly designed. It is connected to a splitter integrated within a distribution box. A relay harness that attaches to the positive and negative terminals of your battery powers that distribution block. Additionally, it has an integrated switch to make managing your lights simpler.

Performance-wise, the LEDs are excellent Cree units that are frequently used in auxiliary lights. These automotive-grade, specially filtered lights create vibrant color. These LED rock lights are really brilliant, as one might anticipate. Two of them would be more than sufficient for your wheel well.

The Finalists 

We assembled the top three to conclude our test. This is the place to be, regardless of what matters to you. By combining the best of the lot, we can determine which one is the finest in terms of quality, brightness, wiring, installation, and control.

We currently have the Rigid Industries Rock Light Kit, the Profile Performance Pixel Rock Lights, and the Vision X XP Rock Lights.

The Profile Performance kit's brightness is not comparable to the other two based just on appearance. The Bluetooth controller and mounting system are great features. The different components more than compensate for the brightness, even though it's not the brightest choice available. Even so, you would have more than enough light from two of these in your wheel well.

If you want the brightest light available, look no farther than the Vision X and Rigid Industries Rock Lights. Both are incredibly bright; however, their wiring isn't the best. With regard to their light dispersal, the two differ primarily. Rigid Industries' beam is narrower than Vision X's. Nevertheless, the distinction is insignificant.