An image of an off-road truck equipped with a light bar, pod lights, round lights, and rock lights going down a dark wooded trail.

Off-roading can be an exciting experience that takes you off the beaten path and into nature, but it’s an activity that requires planning and preparation. One of the most important factors when you’re out on the trail is visibility, and that’s where off-road lighting comes into play. When the sun sets and you’re miles away from the nearest paved road, you’ll be glad you came prepared.

Off-road lighting offers much broader and more intense lighting than a vehicle’s stock lighting setup, which makes it crucial for visibility in the dark and adverse weather conditions. But when it comes to outfitting your vehicle with off-road lighting, you might be asking where to start? Before you start, it’s best to have a firm understanding of the different terms and types of lighting available and what’s best for you.

Basic Terms

Lumens and Lux

Simply put, lumens are a measurement of the total amount of light emitted in all directions by a single light source. This rating can vary wildly—a typical household lightbulb might put out around 800 raw lumens while our 50" light bar puts out 22,680 raw lumens.

Lux, on the other hand, is a measurement of how much light that falls on a surface at a given distance. A single lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. This makes lux a useful measurement when considering the effectiveness of lighting in specific situations, particularly when distance is important.

 

Beam Patterns

Beam patterns are an important thing to consider depending on what you intend to use your off-road lights for.

Spot beams produce a long, narrow beam of light that brightly illuminates a specific area. This style of light beam is ideal for high-speed driving and seeing far down the trail.

Flood beams create a short-range, wide spread of light that illuminates a large area around your vehicle. Flood beams are perfect for spotting obstacles and low-speed off-roading.

Combo beams combine spot and flood patterns in one light, offering great long-distance visibility and wide illumination for the best of both worlds.

Driving beams provide a very bright beam pattern focused straight ahead, ideally used in tandem with the vehicle’s high beams. They offer a wider, more rectangular beam of light compared to spot beams. Driving beams are perfect to simultaneously illuminate straight ahead and the edges of the trail.

A chart demonstrating the light beam pattern of a spot beam.
A chart demonstrating the light beam pattern of a flood beam.

Color Temperature

Color temperature, measured in Kelvins (K), describes the color of the light. The lower end of the scale, around 3000k, refers to a warm, yellowish light, while the higher end of the scale, around 6000k, refers to a bluish-white light. Off-road lighting typically falls in between 4000K to 6000K for an ideal balance between visibility and reduced glare.

For optimal visibility, Borne Off-Road lighting is rated for 5700k to offer a vivid white daylight color.

IP Ratings

IP (Ingress Protection) ratings indicate how effective an electronic device—in this case, off-road lighting—resists dust and water. The rating consists of two numbers. The first number indicates protection against solid objects such as dust and debris, while the second number indicates the level of protection against liquids.

For example, the IP68 rating that all Borne Off-Road lighting is rated for means that the light is completely dust-proof and is protected from water when continuously submerged, even beyond one meter.

Types of Off-Road Lighting & Accessories

Light Bars

An image of an LED light bar for trucks powered on at night.

Light bars are long, continuous rows of LEDs that are often mounted to a vehicle’s roof, bumper, or grille. They are ideal for wide and powerful illumination, and they’re useful in a broad range of scenarios.

Some light bars, such as Borne’s, feature a daytime running light (DRL). DRLs not only provide a sleek look to your vehicle, they also make it easier for others to see your vehicle in adverse conditions such as rain or fog.

Available in sizes ranging from 10” to 50”, Borne Off-Road Light Bars use a combo beam pattern to illuminate both near and far.

Pod Lights

An image of an LED pod light for a truck powered on and mounted to a red Ford Bronco.

Pod lights are compact, versatile lights that can be mounted almost anywhere on a vehicle. Borne Off-Road Pod Lights feature adjustable brackets so you can adjust your lighting setup depending on the scenario, and they’re available in either spot or flood beam patterns.

Round Lights

An image of two round lights for a truck mounted to the front bumper of a Ford Bronco.

Round lights offer best of both worlds with the intense brightness that light bars provide while maintaining the adjustability of pod lights.

Borne Off-Road Round lights use a driving beam pattern for far-reaching visibility. They also feature the same DRL technology as our light bars and the two-axis adjustable brackets used in our light pods.

Rock Lights

An image of rock lights for trucks mounted to the wheel wells of a Ford Bronco and powered on.

Rock lights are designed to be mounted in the wheel wells or underneath a vehicle. They are meant to clearly see the ground directly beneath the vehicle, which is essential for rock crawling and off-roading in areas with lots of obstacles and rough terrain. Sometimes getting home safe means being able to spot that jagged rock that could pierce your oil pan, and that type of scenario is exactly where rock lights are a must-have.

Light Covers

An image of an amber light cover mounted to a light pod that is powered on.

Light covers can serve two purposes. They provide protection against rocks, debris, and branches to keep your lights safe and looking sharp. If they’re tinted and not opaque, they can change the color of the lighting, which can improve visibility in certain conditions. For example, amber covers can greatly improve visibility in foggy or dusty environments.

Switch Controllers

Switch controllers are needed to manage multiple lights and other accessories, allowing you to control your lighting setup from a single panel. Having your controls centralized makes it easier to adjust your lights on the fly, which comes in handy when you’re far out on the trail in rapidly changing conditions.

Wiring Harnesses

A wiring harness is a pre-assembled set of wires, connectors, and relays that simplify and streamline the installation of off-road lights. The Borne Off-Road Wiring Harness ensures a secure and reliable connection with an IP68 rating and waterproof relay for superior protection against the elements.

Making sure you’re prepared by choosing the right off-road lighting setup for your needs is a surefire way to make your next outdoor adventure smoother and safer. Whether you need long-range visibility, broad illumination, or specialized lighting for rock crawling, understanding the fundamentals of off-road lighting is an important step in building the right setup and tackling the trail with confidence.