The Best Brush Guards: Protect Your High-Riding Investment

Brush guard and bull bar are often interchanged, though let's denote the former as something that protects headlights in addition to front bumpers. There are many, many options out there; use this handy guide to figure out the best brush guard for your truck or SUV.

Sadly, we didn't get to have any in-person, hands-on experience with any of these products. It also might appear that we played favorites with Black Horse, but, rest assured, that isn't the case. Instead, we poured over reviews for a handful of popular off-road platforms, and Black Horse happened to generally come out on top each time. We looked into ease of installation, features, and durability, and compared them with the price tags each unit commands. Some of these are a little on the spendy side, but the consumer reviews point to them being wise investments. For more on how we select products, take a look at this.

Rugged Ridge is a brand that's no stranger to producing quality off-road equipment, and its comprehensive brush guard for the Jeep YJ and TJ is no exception. This unit not only looks great, but is quite useful out on the trail. It's easy to attach recovery equipment to, protects a YJ/TJ's front end well, and provides enough room for adding a winch. Installation is easy, too.

Some consumers report that they needed to do a little extra finagling with a drill to get its hardware right, thus providing a flush/clean installation. Others mention some minor paint chipping. Be prepared to do a little modification, and also be sure to verse yourself in RR's warranty just in case.

This brush guard by Black Horse is a solid overall unit for the price. It fits the overall front end quite well size-wise and aesthetics-wise, provides ample room for a winch, and provides ample protection as well.

It's also easy to install, and goes for a very reasonable price compared to similar bars for this generation Toyota 4Runner. Installation is easy, but it might be a little time consuming due to the tight quarters of where it bolts up. It also might require some modification to fit nice and flush. If you own a 2003-2009 Lexus GX470 or Toyota 4Runner, check out the same bar for your generation Toyota/Lexus truck.

Black Horse's brush guard for the popular 2015-2023 Ford F-150 is ready to watch over your blue oval rig out on the trail, or heck, even putting up with inconsiderate parallel parkers. Consumers report that it's generally easy to install, looks great, and is made well.

However, others point out that the directions left a little to be desired. Then, because of the different engines and trims of this-generation F-150, not all trims may be compatible—be sure to double-check application notes.

Simple and no-frills is never a bad thing when it comes to off-road equipment. Not that a brush guard isn't inherently simple—it's just that this model by HECASA is especially so. This means it's a very inexpensive unit, and also very easy to install.

This brand's bar also generally looks good, but keep in mind that some modification to your bumper and/or other front-end components might be required. Some users also report receiving the wrong hardware, so be sure to do inventory before diving into using a little elbow grease. If you have a 2007-2013 Chevy Silverado (or GMC Sierra), check this version out.

We couldn't forget about Dodge Ram owners: This model by Black Horse is well rated. It looks great and is easy to use like the others in this guide, and provides ample protection.

However, some folks have pointed out that welds rusted and broke off within a couple of months. Then, some had fitment issues and needed to do a little modification. Finally, others had issues mounting it up with factory foglights.

Since these are all the best for their respective platforms, you really can't go wrong. If you want the best brush guard for your YJ/TJ Jeep Wrangler, check out Rugged Ridge 11510.01 Brush Guard. The best option for the 2010-2023 Toyota 4Runner is the Black Horse Grille Guard Modular Black. Then, if you rock a 2015-2023 Ford F-150, this one's the ticket: Black Horse Grille Guard Modular Black.

You've got questions. The Drive has answers.

A: Above all, to protect the front end of your vehicle from tree branches, rocks, and much more. Then, you can use it as a recovery point in case you need a little help getting un-stuck (or are assisting a friend with becoming un-stuck).

A: Simple, read over our guide above, but also ensure that it fits your particular truck or SUV. Unfortunately, these aren't universal-fitment, so it takes a little more research than, say, buying a winch or a set of tires. But the payoff is massive, as you'll have a nice looking addition to your vehicle that'll protect it for years to come.