News has spread that LED lights are the latest and greatest in the lighting industry. Consumers everywhere are scouring the internet for information on which LED lights are the best. There are six factors to consider before purchasing an LED light bar, everything else is just marketing.
1. BULB BRAND
All Off-road lighting companies purchase their LED bulbs from LED bulb manufacturers. This begs the question, “Which company manufacturers the best LED bulb?” The answer is undeniably and without a doubt – CREE and WURTON LED Light bars come with the same technology developed by the most trusted name in the industry.
For more information on CREE LED bulbs, click here.
2. BULB RATING
Not all LED Light bars belong in the same weight class. Some LED bulbs are designed for a higher power output than others. The Off-road Industry is flooded with cheap light bars that use 1 Watt and 3 Watt bulbs so they can offer an inferior product at a lower price point. At WURTON quality counts, so our LED Light Bars are only available in the 5 Watt and 10 Watt bulbs for maximum visibility. When comparing one brand to another, be sure to check the bulb wattage so you’re making an apple to apple comparison.
3. REFLECTOR SHAPE
Light emitted from an LED bulb requires a reflector in order to project the light from its source. The shape of the reflector itself greatly impacts the light pattern that is produced. Despite what some companies might have you believe, this technology is not new. Reflectors have been around as long as the flash light and every company offers the same patterns: Spot, Flood, Diffused and Combo. The difference between these patterns is the angle in which the reflector is set. The angle of the reflector directly affects the distance of the light projection and the width of the beam pattern. The smaller the angle, the farther the light is projected in a narrow path. The wider the angle the closer the light is projected in a broad path. Which means the relationship that light is projected is inverse to the width of the beam pattern.
SPOT
Spot light reflectors shape the beam pattern at a 10 degree angle so the light is projected farther but offers a narrower beam pattern.
FLOOD
Flood light reflectors shape the beam pattern at a 40 degree angle so the light is reflected at wider beam pattern but does not project as far.
DIFFUSED
Diffused lights come with the same 40 degree reflector as the Flood light. But they also come with a custom molded primary lens cover is made from poly carbonate that further disperses light due to the shape of the mold.
COMBO
Combination light bars are also available in which the inside bulbs have Spot light reflectors and the outside bulbs have Flood light reflectors, giving the driver visibility both straight ahead and along the corner of his vision.
4. DUST & MOISTURE RATING
The IP rating system was created by the International Electrotechnical Commission. It categorizes the level of protection that an electrical enclosure provides from foreign objects, both solid and liquid, in order to operate the enclosed electrical equipment. This rating system is used by manufacturers of electrical equipment worldwide. In specific, IP68 means that the object is completely sealed from dust ingress and even prevents water from entering into the equipment when submerged up to 1 meter for a 30 minute time period. This is simultaneously one of the most difficult criteria for Off-road LED Lights due to internal temperature changes, and one of the most important features WURTON LED Lights offers.
5. LED HOUSING
When we designed the LED housing, we focused on a high strength frame and increased surface area around the heat sinks for unparalleled cooling properties. The material of choice for WURTON LED Housings is Aluminum 6063-T5 due to its structural integrity, excellent corrosion resistance and extrudability. Also known as Architectural aluminum, Aluminum 6063-T5 is commonly used for structural frames such as H beams and I beams. In addition, the extruded aluminum has high thermal conductivity properties which helps keep the LED chip cool through effective heat dissipation.
For more information on the strength properties of Aluminium 6063-T5, click here.
6. BETTER TECHNOLOGY. LOWER PRICE.
WURTON LED light bars are constructed from high quality materials and utilize the leading LED technology, yet we’re able to offer it at a low price though a “NO WASTE” marketing campaign. We spent ZERO dollars on trade shows, ZERO dollars on magazine advertisements, and ZERO dollars on celebrity sponsors, allowing us to offer a premium product at the lowest possible price.
