So, you are looking for the best LED lights for your truck bed?
Look no further as the best options are listed below!
LED lights can be useful as a way to light up your truck bed in order to see things well at night. Not only that, they also look really cool. Especially, if you experiment with different colours!
When it comes to choosing the best LED truck bed lights though one has to take all the above into account, but also cost-effectiveness, longevity and how easy it is to install.
Taking all of that into account, this article cover has compiled some of the best, and provides some valuable insight into each one.
More reviews: Best Light Bars for Car & Best Automotive Test Lights.
LED Truck Bed Lights – Top Picks:
Nilight TR-05 Waterproof LED Light
Best LED light strip
OPT7 Aura Multi-color Truck Bed Light
Comprehensive features
Xprite RGB LED Truck Bed Lights
Best bang for your buck
LED Truck Bed Lights – Detailed Reviews
There are so many options available on the market and a lot of them are pretty much the same thing so the following reviews cover the best of the different variations and designs.
1. The Nilight TR-05 Waterproof LED Light
Best Choice
PROS
CONS
Summary
With the Nilight TR-05, you will get two truck bed light strips that produce a powerful white light. Also, if you would like colour, there is also a RGB version which allows you to customise your color.
It comes with everything you need to mount the strips, connect to power and it includes an extension cable to reach your power source. This LED strip can also be used for your side door light, step bar LED light, and an RV awning light.
This is a great choice because it is priced well, easy to install and will definitely give your truck a lot of style!
This is one of the cheaper options so if you are working with a budget this may be the right choice for you. However, if you have a bit more to spend, it may be worth having a look at our premium pick which will mount more securely and last longer.
How to install
When you purchase this LED light for your truck, you will first of all strip off the 3M to be positioned behind the light strips and gently stick the light strips on both sides of the truck bed.
Next, you can make use of the additional mounting hardware to easily fix the light strip and utilize the zip tie to actually tie and at the same time clean the wire as well.
To connect your two-way splitter, you can search for the two way splitters on the wire bundle on the light strip plus the off/on switchblade fuse, then connect all of them. To connect your extension cable, search for the yellow and red wire positioned on the on/off switchblade plus the wire bundle of the extension.
Link the red to the red and the yellow to the yellow with the aid of the crimp cap terminals To connect easily to a power source, link the red and yellow wire in the extension bundle to your power source. Place the red to the positive and the yellow to the negative.
Also, check installation guide here.
Key features:
- 12V DC
- 2400 Lumens
- 6000K (temperature of light)
- White light and RGB option
- 2x 60inch strips
- 180 LEDs
- Easy installation with self adhesive tape.
- Sealed Housing – Protected against water, dirt and sand
2. Xprite RGB LED Truck Bed Lights
Best RGB and budget option
PROS
CONS
Summary
The Xprite LED lighting system consists of 2x distinct strands of four light clusters. Each cluster has 4x LED’s.
Each and every of the rectangle truck lighting pod is a hundred percent waterproof and can withstand harsh weather conditions.
has a thickness of .25. This alone makes them highly easy to hide.
Every one of the pods can be mounted underneath your bed rails with the aid of the additional screws or 3M tape. It can be controlled with the included remote which works at a range of over 100ft.
Incredibly, its lighting kits consist of 8 preset static colors. There are also 4x lighting effects, 4x sound activated options and you are able to control the brightness.
If you are looking for a budget option, just select the white only version which will be cheaper than any of our other competitors!
Key features:
- Its design is unique and functional
- It is easily installed
- Remote controlled RGB with 8 Colors
- Waterproof clusters
- Total of 32 Ultra-bright LED’s
- 0.25 inches thick clusters
3. OPT7 Aura Multi-color Truck Bed Light
Premium RGB Option
PROS
CONS
Summary
This RGB option really steps up the game. It has more color option than most, more features and is the sleakest design.
It makes use of eight LED pods that can fill up your entire truck or pick up with incredible white or RGB colored lights. The brightness and color of the LED lights can be controlled and there are 3 flashing presets.
Furthermore, the opt7 also includes a unique tailgate switch which can be installed so that your LED truck bed lights turn on automatically when your tailgate is opened! This is an awesome feature!
It has a long life span of 30000 hours plus authentic 3M auto tape rated for 25kg. Like the others, it can be installed discretely underneath your bed rails.
You will have sixteen accent colors that will provide you with all the customisation you need. Also, the sound sync is a sophisticated innovation that will allow the LED lights to move according to the bass of your music.
Everything you can dream of can be found in the Opt7 LED light.
Key features:
- Makes use of sound sync technology
- It has a wireless remote
- Can withstand water, dirt, sand and even snow
- Tailgate switch – lights turn on when tailgate is opened.
- 16 RGB colors
4. Excoup Super Bright SMDs Waterproof LED Lights
Good quality white cluster system
PROS
CONS
Summary
This LED light system for your truck bed is not a strip of light but rather 8 bunches of 6x LED light clusters. This creates a nice visual appeal and also does the job of illuminating your truck bed.
Each cluster is small and easy to fit in a way that you don’t see them.
However, these are slightly more time consuming to install as there are screws (if you choose to use them) on every cluster. They do come with self adhesive so if you use that in combination with the screws you will have a hardy installation.
Each of the bed lights comprises of two feet of wire positioned between the pods and it features a total of about twenty-one feet of power wire. Thus, you can easily cover however large an area you want to by spacing out the LED clusters.
While this LED truck bed light has less LED’s than some of the others, it makes up for this in brightness!
Key features:
- Waterproof clusters
- 2x cords (each with 4x LED clusters)
- Total of 48 ultra-bright white LED’s
- Cluster sizes – 1.4 x 1.4 inches and their thickness is 0.2 inches.
5. Mictuning White LED Cargo Bed Light
Another good option
PROS
CONS
Summary
Mictuning as a company focuses on trading superior products and offering the most ideal customer service you can find. So, that alone could be reason enough to give this product fair consideration.
The light strips from Mictuning are built with LED chipsets that have IP67 waterproof hosing. This gives them incredible protection against things like dirt, sand, powerful wind, rain, etc.
These LED lights are highly durable and have a running time of roughly 30000hours.
This is another simple, working, cost effective LED slight strip solution for you truck bed. It does the job as intended, enough said!
Key features:
- 12V DC
- White light
- 2x 60inch strips
- 180 LEDs
- Self adhesive tape make installation easy
- Waterproof Housing
Buying Guide
There are a few considerations when buying an LED truck bed light. If you want the one that is best for you, take a look at the items below to see what to look out for:
White light vs. RGB
This is simple, are you looking for a practical solution that allows you to see whats in your truck bed when it is dark. If yes, white light may be the best option for you.
However, if you are looking to add some atmosphere and style to you truck you should definitely look at the RGB options. These can take the visual appeal of your truck to next level!
The RGB options allow you to customise the color to whatever you prefer and there are often other presets available as well.
Decorative vs Functional
Following from the above, it is clear is that you can use your LED truck bed light for both decorative purposes and functional purposes. Therefore, you need to decide what you goal is.
The great thing about these LED lights is that they can be used for more than just your truck bed. You could place your lights in your interior cab under your dashboard, underneath your rail and underneath your car’s body.
Keep in mind what look and function you want to achieve when buying the best LED truck bed light!
How easy is installation?
Installing the physical lights with all of the above options is generally pretty easy. However, the difficulty lies in the wiring.
You will actually need to carry out some wiring on your own and this is not always the most intuitive process if you are inexperienced. It is entirely possible to do without experience, just follow the guides available online such as this video below:
Battery Powered LED Light Strips
Generally, all of the above options can be connected straight to your cars battery which is the ideal installation. However, there are one or two options that can be connected to your cigarette lighter socket as well.
List of features
You’ll also want to look out for the list of functionality included with your LED lights. Here are a list of extra features you may want to have:
- Remote control
- Wireless remote control
- Multiple color options
- Flashing color presets
- Tailgate switch (automatically turns on when tailgate is opened)
- LED’s respond to sound
Compatibility
Before going ahead to consider the brightness of the LED light, its build, and colors you will need to select, you should, first of all, ensure that the exact model you are selecting for purchase fits adequately with your truck.
To execute this, you should focus your aim on the exact length of the cord. Reading through this guide, you will notice that the products listed all comprise of excess wiring.
This implies that if you own a huge truck, the lights mentioned above will adequately suit your desired needs.
Voltage
Another factor to highly consider is the voltage of the light you are buying. While a majority of the LED truck bed lights, if not all, actually have a voltage of 12 that practically matches the voltage of the battery of your truck, it will cost nothing to carry out a double check on the exact stats.
Durability
An important factor to highly consider is the durability of the LED light you want to purchase. When you are searching for a model that will last for a considerable number of years, you should endeavor to look out for things like the lighting pods.
Have it in mind that the pods are actually the protective cover that protects as well as safeguards LED lights. For this reason alone, you should be going for a model that comprises a closed housing that is not just waterproof but shockproof as well.
This will help in extending the lifespan of your lights. No one wants to spend a lot on a product that will not last a long time.
Size And Shape
Like the models that have been listed and written about in this article, you will notice that they are all available in varying shapes and sizes and not one distinct shape or size.
This is basically nice as it provides you and other interested customers with the alternative of customizing your truck in accordance with whichever need that you have in mind.
Note that, you should always purchase or seek out models that provide you with not just a classic but simple design as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the questions so many people have asked with regards to the LED truck bed lights include but are not limited to:
What is the LED light exactly?
LED lights have been in existence for roughly fifty years even though countless people are of the belief that it is a relatively recent innovation in the world.
Nonetheless, people see it as a new technology because of its much more current developments in white LEDs that have moved on to displace the legacy lighting systems.
These developments have turned out to be highly prominent in our automotive industry as truck manufacturers, as well as owners, are capable of taking advantage of its brightness, power-saving features.
LED’s are also long-lasting and their color can be changed.
Meanwhile, in simpler terms, the lights work by utilizing a ‘light-emitting diode’ hence the name, LED. LEDs are semiconductor chips situated in a reflector, and the power runs up to the chip which inadvertently lights it all up.
Unlike standard lights, LED lights do not heat up. In contrast the work by generating photons that shine amazingly bright and actually last for a long time.
When compared with the regular lighting formats like the prominent halogen lamps, LED lights simply make use of about twenty-five percent of the same power but lasts roughly five or more times longer.
What kind of vehicle can I use my LED lights for?
Since they are much brighter than the popular halogen lights, LED lights are incredible for trucks. This is due to the fact that trucks are driven in hazardous conditions.
Also, lots of emergency service vehicles make use of LED lights as their standard lights. Added to the mix are SUVs and pickups.
Are LED truck bed lights legal?
While they are not illegal, there are specific restrictions one needs to know of before acquiring them. The major-specific restrictions have to do with their colors. Should your lights flashing yellow, blue or red, they could actually be mixed up with either ambulance vehicles, fire or even the police.
A person might get pulled over for colors like that. Moreover, the laws all vary from one state to another different state. For those who are not sure of the laws of their region, they can contact the local transport authority of that region.
Will my LED truck kits work with my Tonneau cover?
Of course, they will work. This is because the majority of the adhesive that supports the LED truck kit simply stick to the fiberglass and all other materials. Also, they come with the prominent IP67 waterproof silicone housing.
Are my LED lights waterproof or water-resistant?
It is vital to read through the description of each product carefully to understand if the lights are water-resistant or not.
Been water-resistant and waterproof are based on different things. To be more than sure that your LEDs will not die destroyed, users can make use of the RTV silicone in case of any unforeseen exposure to soldering and copper.
However, it is not really necessary in some cases except if you have created your very own DIY lighting bar or strip.
What colors options do I have?
With LED lights, you are not limited to either a red light or a white light. If you buy and RGB option from our list, you can get up to 16 color variations.
It solely depends on you and the color that will bring out the beauty of your truck.
Bottom Line
It does not matter if you are simply searching for the best LED truck bed lights to light up your truck in the dark or trying to make an exclusive statement; the aforementioned LED lights are all great options for your truck.
The main thing is to decide what function and style you are looking for, and choose accordingly. Be sure to pick the color and design that best suits that purpose.
Also, keep in mind that you can use LED lights to further customise other parts of your truck, not just the truck bed.
I would suggest you find a nice balance between functionality and style. Don’t be afraid of the RGB options as they can add a lot of personality to your truck!