News

Jun 26, 2023

Best UTV Lights (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023

Don’t let the night end your day. We may earn revenue from the products

Don't let the night end your day.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

If the factory headlights on your UTV are leaving something to be desired, it's time to consider a new set of offroading lights. Unlike headlights, auxiliary lights can take many forms on your UTV. Whether you’re looking for a behemoth of a light bar or a simple set of pod lights, you can find a nearly never-ending list of options at every lumen count and price point you could imagine. With the sheer number of options available, it's hard to cut through the haze. That's why we’re here. From wattage and color temperature to warranties and IP ratings, we did the research to find the best lighting solutions out there. These are our picks for the best UTV lights.

Baja Designs ONX6+

Rough Country Black Series Dual Row

Rigid Industries Radiance+

Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, "wisdom of the crowd" assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

Best Overall: Baja Designs ONX6+

Best Value: Rough Country Black Series Dual Row

Honorable Mention: Rigid Industries Radiance+

Best Modular Lights: KC HiLiTES Gravity LED Pro6

Best Pod Lights: Pro Comp 75W Wide Angle Cube

Best Flood Lights: Nilight 60001F-B

For our top picks, we decided to look specifically for light bar options as those are generally the starting point for any light setup. We also opted for combination beam patterns when searching for our best lighting picks as these provide the most usability for most people. That said, we also included options for specific needs like modularity. Outright brightness was always a top consideration, but a good light doesn't stop at its lumens. We used The Drive's review methodology in considering other factors like IP ratings, warranty coverage, color temperature, and overall price. To better compare relative performance and price differences, we picked the 20-inch option for all light bars. We also opted exclusively for LED lights for their performance benefits.

Best Overall

Best Value

Honorable Mention

Best Modular Lights

Best Pod Lights

Best Flood Lights

The Baja Designs ONX6+ is simply put the brightest, most durable light on the market today. If your budget allows for the price tag, you won't be disappointed. But, if the ONX6+ is more light than you need, check out the Rough Country Black Series Dual Row light.

For all of the lights recommended in this article, we opted for LEDs thanks to their neutral color temperature, efficient power consumption, and longer overall lifetime. LED lights have become increasingly prolific in many offroad lights, but depending on your exact needs, it might be worth looking at HID or halogen bulbs. These different types of bulbs can offer lower cost or greater illumination than LEDs, although they often come with downsides such as overall shorter lifetimes.

Lights are about a lot more than just lumens. If you want a new set of lights to truly improve your nighttime driving experience, then you need to understand what exactly you need them to do. Generally speaking, you’ll find three different types of beam patterns available depending on the exact light: spot, flood, and a combination of the two. If you’re doing high-speed nighttime driving in your UTV then a spot light would likely be the most useful option for you as it lets you see far ahead on your path. The inverse is true if you’re going on slow-paced rides. If you’re only needing to see relatively close by, then a flood light would be a good option.

The level of protection your lights need from the elements is ultimately going to vary depending on the kind of environments you take your UTV through. Whatever your needs, the IP (ingress protection) rating system provides a useful scale to understand the level of protection your lights have against dirt and water.

The IP code is composed of two numbers. The first number refers to protection against solid objects like dirt and goes from zero to six. The second number refers to protection against liquids and goes from zero to nine. For reference, the Baja Designs ONX6+ has an IP69K rating, making it dust-tight, waterproof up to nine feet, and pressure washable. By comparison, the IP67 rating of the Rough Country Black Series Dual Row makes it dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water.

Smart engineering and good build quality are always going to be your first protection against malfunctions, but should something go awry with your headlights you want a trust-worthy warranty plan that keeps your UTV performing as it should. This starts, of course, with reading about the plan itself. How long is it? What exceptions do they not cover? Does it extend to secondary owners or is it only good for the original purchaser? Beyond that, spend a little time reading through forums about actual customer experiences. See if the business's support department was quick to respond and easy to work with or if they were slow and difficult.

If you’re looking to maximize clarity and visibility you want to pay attention to color temperature in any UTV lights you’re considering buying. Across the light options included here, the color temperature ranges from 5,000K to 6,500K, placing them in the white, daytime light segment of the spectrum. This is generally considered the best temperature for visibility. Most LED headlights generally stay in this range, but LEDs can go as low as 3,000K, a warm yellowish light, or as high as 12,000K, a cool blue light.

Depending on the quality and type of light you get, prices can run anywhere from $20 to $1,700. Light bars generally cost more than pods, with a budget-friendly option going for $100 to $200 while a high-end light bar can run anywhere from $500 to $800 for a 20-inch model. Pod lights tend to cost much less, anywhere from $20 to $200, but their performance isn't ultimately comparable to light bars of equivalent quality. Depending on the company, other necessary equipment like mounting hardware and wiring harnesses may not be included in the base price, which can add to the price significantly.

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.

A: The answer to this depends on the type of light you’re mounting. Spot lights benefit from being placed high up, as they’re meant to throw light a long distance. Since flood lights are meant to illuminate the area close by, you want them mounted lower down.

A: Legality is always going to depend on your local government's laws, but generally speaking, offroad lights are not street legal. Most street legal vehicles meet various standards around light brightness, placement, and DOT compliance that offroading setups do not comply with.

A: Many light manufacturers include instruction manuals of varying detail outlining how to mount and install their lights, making the process relatively painless for many buyers. But if you’re not especially savvy when it comes to mechanics and electrics, it might be worth considering taking it to a professional to have it done.