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The best tailgate light bars offer some of the most important functionality while out on the trail. There are many types out there, but the best possess five crucial functions: Working as strobe, reverse, flashing, brake, and turn signal lights, employing white, amber, and red colors that light up in sequential order to inform approaching drivers of what you are doing and where you are going.
A minimum of 60-inch lengths and triple-row formations offer the best combination of utility and size. Other factors include ease of installation, construction, brightness, and color temperature for superior illumination over traditional stock halogen bulbs. Keep reading to find our top recommendations for tailgate light bars, key features to look for, top brands, and more.
Our Methodology in Selecting Tailgate Light Bars
Our product selections, rankings, and awards for this story are based on research. While we haven’t conducted real-world testing on all of these products yet, we’ve looked at consumer testimonials and data, tutorials, and general discussions on social media and in forums. We also consider price and specification in the context of the segment. And, of course, we rely on our institutional knowledge of the automotive landscape to weed out weak products.
For this review, we researched and evaluated more than 15 tailgate light bars, assessing them based on several factors. These include utility, color temperature, lumen count, construction, and ease of installation. Our preferred tailgate light bars offer triple row formation setups that can work a minimum of five critical functions as strobe, reverse, brake, turn signal, and running lights with white, red, and amber lighting. They should also be built to last with rugged IP67 dust and water ingress protection ratings, an in-line fuse for short circuit protection, and silicone sealing to prevent moisture build-up. This is especially critical in off-road environments.
Summary List of Best Tailgate Light Bars
- MICTUNING 60-Inch LED Tailgate Light Bar
- Partsam 60-Inch LED Trunk Tailgate Light Bar
- Nilight 60-Inch Tailgate Light Bar
Best Tailgate Light Bars Reviews & Recommendations
Easiest to Install
Mictuning 60-Inch LED Tailgate Light Bar
Best Compact Design
PARTSam 60-Inch LED Tailgate Light Bar
Best Universal Fit
Nilight 60-Inch Tailgate Light Bar
Our Verdict
When it comes to choosing the best tailgate light bars, our Best Overall choice is the OPT7 60-Inch Redline Triple LED Tailgate Light Bar. It offers greater functionality than standard lights with a monstrous LED count (1,200), size (60 inches), and one of the most rugged constructions we’ve seen with IP67-rated aluminum causing and an easy-to-install format using double-sided adhesive. It also allows drivers to hardwire directly to truck lights (as opposed to a trailer adapter) for more powerful illumination. Consider it a winner across the board.
FAQs
Q: Do LED lights use a lot of electricity?
A. Compared to stock halogen bulbs and incandescent lighting, LEDs offer much more energy savings.
Q: How do I choose a light bar?
A. The five most important factors: utility, color temperature, lumen count, construction, and ease of installation. Utility ranks above and beyond. Our preferred tailgate light bars offer all of the functions needed to let approaching drivers know what you are doing and where you are going. Look for tailgate light bars that offer strobe, reverse, brake, turn signal, and running light functionality with sequential operation of white, red, and amber lighting.
Q: What should I look for in a good tailgate light bar?
A. Utility: Our favorite tailgate light bars replicate all of the critical functions needed to alert oncoming drivers of what you are doing and where you are going. Go for tailgate light bars with strobe, reverse, brake, turn signal, and running light functionality that offers white, red, and amber lighting setups that light up in logical sequential order.
Color Temperature: Tailgate light bars typically come in one of two color temperatures: 6,000K and 6,500K. 6,000K is classified as a day white color that offers excellent brightness for near and far-field applications. A 6,500K color temperature errs in the bluish tint side and offers a bit more flair. Plus, these color temperatures are easier and more cost-effective to manufacture due to less red/green phosphor coating needed to produce additional wavelengths for the blue and yellow side of the spectrum, which can extend to cost savings for your own unit.
Lumens: Lumens are the measure of the total amount of visible light. The higher the lumen count, the greater the brightness. For areas with super low visibility and a heavy fog/rain concentration, opt for higher lumen count tailgate light bars.
Construction: We are big fans of tailgate light bars with one or more of the following features: IP67 waterproof rating, silicone sealing, and heatsinking. All work to limit/eliminate dust and water ingress, prevent moisture buildup, and allow heat to be transferred away from the device and into the atmosphere to cool the unit down.
Installation: Our recommendation is to go with tailgate light bars with a simple plug-and-play installation that requires no more than a four-way flat connector wire. Some tailgate light bars are even equipped with double-sided automotive-grade 3M tape for easy sticking. Avoid units that require tools or modifications.
Q: What color temperature should a tailgate light bar offer?
A. Look for tailgate light bars with a 6,000K or 6,500K color temperature, which falls under the daylight white side of the spectrum. These are the most commonly used for automotive lighting applications thanks to the excellent visibility offered for near and far-field applications.