Which LED Warning Lights Should You Choose?
When compared to the alternative vehicle lighting options – halogens and HIDs – LED warning lights most certainly come out on top.
LED lights offer instant, super-bright illumination at the flick of a switch, resulting in a clear, glare-free view of the road ahead. They’re also incredibly energy-efficient, requiring very little power to operate. And since LEDs contain no hazardous substances, they’re recyclable and much more eco-friendly than halogens and HID lights.
Furthermore, LED warning lights have an impressive lifespan – they’re durable enough to last for up to 50,000 hours. To put it another way, you can use LEDs every single day for 12 hours, and they’ll continue to function for more than 10 years.
With all of the advantages of LEDs, choosing them over halogens and HIDs is a smart move. But, deciding which models to purchase and install can be a definite challenge. Below, you’ll find our best tips on how to outfit your vehicle with the right warning lights.
Laws on LED Warning Lights
As you’ll notice when you begin shopping, LED lights come in a wide array of styles and configurations. However, you may not be free to equip your vehicle with any models you like.
Your city or state likely has laws regarding the usage of vehicle warning lights. Everything from the colors, beam patterns and placement and more might be regulated – and if you install LEDs that aren’t street legal, the police could pull you over when you’re trying to do your job. Plus, the wrong vehicle lights could even put you and others out on the road in danger.
Our advice? Call up a local law enforcement agency and ask about the rules before you make any decisions. Don’t trust this step to Google, as much of the information found online is either incomplete or inaccurate.
Types of LED Warning Lights
Once you’re aware of the local and state laws, you’ll be ready to start exploring your LED light options.
As we mentioned, many different types of vehicle warning lights are available. The high-quality products we carry here at LED Equipped include:
- Beacon lights that have heavy-duty magnets for temporary mounting
- Dash lights with super-strong suction cups to hold them in place as needed
- Light bars which use fixed brackets for secure and permanent placement
- Mini light bars that offer a slimmer, more compact profile than full-size models
- Grill lights for mounting in or around the grill or elsewhere on a vehicle
- Running board lights which are designed to fit neatly into recessed grooves
- Visor lights for discreet, out-of-sight mounting on the interior of a vehicle
- Hideaway lights which remain completely hidden from view until turned on
You can install more than one type of warning lights, as LEDs can be wired to share the same power supply. At LED Equipped, we offer several bundles that make it easy to go with a multi-light installation, as they include all of the hardware and accessories you’ll need for mounting – and you get everything for a discounted price.
Mounting LED Warning Lights
Which type or types of LEDs should you install? Your warning lights need to be placed so as to be easily visible from all directions, while also providing you with the illumination you need to travel safely. Therefore, it’s a good idea to think about where you’re going to mount your vehicle lighting before you shop.
Placing a LED light bar on your vehicle’s rooftop can give you 360 degrees of output, which allows for the greatest safety and visibility. But, you can achieve the same degree of illumination by installing a combination of front-facing and rear-facing lighting. For instance, you could place visor lights along the interior of the front and back windows. Or, you might opt to mount LEDs on your vehicle’s grill and on the rear bumper.
In addition to thinking about where to mount your LED warning lights, you’ll also need to consider how to mount them. Many models come with universal brackets that work for most driving situations, but you can also go with any of the following:
- Temporary mounting, using suction cups or magnets to keep the LEDs fixed in place
- Tab mounting, securing the LED warning lights to the existing tabs on your roof rack or cargo bar
- Clamp mounting, attaching the LEDs to the bars on your rooftop, bumper or grill with special heavy-duty fasteners
- Flush mounting, placing the LEDs in a recessed area for a discreet vehicle lighting solution
- Specialized mounting, using custom-fabricated or vehicle-specific hardware to secure the LED lighting
As you make your decisions about mounting, don’t forget to take measurements of your planned installation spots. Skip this step, and you could easily end up buying LEDs that don’t quite fit the space you have available.
At this point, you’re probably wondering about the difficulty of installation. We can ease your mind – all of our LED warning lights come with detailed, step-by-step instructions, and you can always contact us for help if you run across a problem. You can spend extra to hire a professional – and you may want to if you’re planning for a multi-light setup or thoughts of wiring have you worried – but you don’t have to go that route.
Shopping for LED Warning Lights
When you’re ready to find the right LED warning lights for your vehicle, you’d be wise to look for a reputable LED lighting distributor. That way, you can count on paying a fair price and having a great customer experience.
A trustworthy lighting distributor offers products from the world’s leading manufacturers and has friendly, knowledgeable specialists who can answer questions and offer advice on choosing LED warning lights to suit your vehicle. That’s exactly what you’ll find at LED Equipped – and we go the extra mile by backing all of our high-quality products with a 3-year warranty.
LED Equipped is a Shopper Approved lighting distributor, with nearly 800 reviews and an overall score of 4.6 out of 5 stars. We also work quite hard to maintain an A+ rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. Many of our competitors cannot make these statements – and none have the same level of dedication to customer service.
Keeping our customers happy is our ultimate goal, and we accomplish this through our high product quality, low prices and our willingness to provide prompt answers and assistance over the phone or via email. We also have an easy, hassle-free return process. In the unlikely event the products you purchase aren’t quite right, you can get a refund or exchange your LED warning lights with no questions asked.
All of this has led us to become the leading LED lighting distributor for law enforcement agencies, ambulance fleets, fire departments, construction companies, towing services, first responders, utility companies and private security firms. Our products can be found on countless official service vehicles around the country, and we’re confident we can meet your needs.
Make LED Equipped your vehicle lighting distributor of choice, and we’ll make every effort to ensure your complete satisfaction. For more information on our vast selection of products – or to get personalized guidance in choosing your LED warning lights – head to our website or give us a call today.