Best LED Fog Lamps: Mist the Mark

Top 8 LED Fog Lamps

Tacking extra lights onto one’s vehicle is a practice nearly as old as the concept of the automobile itself. After all, you know better than the cadre of engineers who worked for ages designing the thing, right?

We jest … but only a little bit. It is true that some stock headlamps are approximately as bright as fireflies in jam jars, not to mention the unique needs of drivers heading off-road and into the wilderness. Long haul drivers in areas sodden with wildlife will also sing the praises of more forward illumination.

Selecting an octet of options from Amazon was our job; making sure you’re not running afoul of local regulations and the constabulary by fitting these things is your job. And don’t forget to RTFM during installation.

This list is being headlined by a couple of options from well-known brand names. Yes, they're some of the most expensive choices in the post but LED lights are almost always a prime example of getting what you pay for. Ever see a commercial trailer with tail lights no brighter than your cousin Cletus? Those are, in all likelihood, the cheapest lights the owner could find.

These units from HELLA are mounted in an aluminum die-cast housing that provides effective heat dissipation via cooling ribs on the back. Combined with an extremely lightweight design and low power consumption, they are worthy successors to the brand of lamps that lit the way through countless Baja 1000 events.

Nearly every single gearhead on this continent remembers the KC HiLiTES that used to appear on the roll bars of trucks 30 years ago. Their sunny yellow protective covers bore a smiley happy face comprised of the brand name. Your author always wondered how much of a pain in the butt it was to climb up there and remove them before hitting the 'on' switch.

These specific units are designed to be mounted in the fog lamp buckets of most 2010-2016 Jeep Wranglers but similar lights are available in a universal style. Their patented Gravity Reflective Diode (GRD) technology is said to yield a more controlled and farther reaching light beams. As a bonus, it's IP 68 rated meaning they'll survive a quick dunk in water.

Stepping into the cheaper end of this pool but staying high on the ladder in terms of customer ratings are these lamps from a company called Hikari. They contain five different lighting modes, including a big flood pattern.

The horizontal amber strip both looks good and reminds this author of the new Bronco, even though its pattern is slightly different. Such a beam can be useful in emergency situations. An oversize heat sink is made of aluminum alloy and the wiring is good for an IP 68 waterproof rating as well.

These small 3-inch LED light pods incorporate what the seller calls a ‘4D Fish eye hyperspot lens’. Why is this helpful? It should (should) create illumination designed to project light on extreme distance but ensure high brightness in close quarters. We say 'should' because, though this product's ratings have improved since the last time we visited this subject, they are still below 4 stars.

The pods have an aluminum housing for extra durability compared to lesser metals while also doubling as heat sink. The seller asserts these lights are good for about 50,000hrs of life which is approximately equal to the average length of a finance class. They are IP67 rated for water.

With over 12,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s safe to say these LED pods are one of the most popular units of its type at BezosCo. The cup-of-coffee price tag may have more than a little bit to do with that, stickering at less than 18 bucks for the pair.

An adjustable mounting bracket is included, meaning one can angle these things at either nightcrawlers or the international space station depending on your mood (please aim them correctly). They are waterproof in about 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. If you’re swamped longer than that, ruining a $15 set of lights is the least of your problems.

Here’s a set of lights that hew most closely to the traditional definition of fog lamps, casting a yellow glow down the road and through the mist. Thanks to their rectangular housing stretching 5 inches across, these lights will likely do a better job of casting light in a wide dispersal pattern than a square pod.

The manufacturer promises a run time of 30,000 hours, meaning they’ll last for 13 years if you run them for six hours a day. They also boast of an upgraded reflector cup with a broad reflective plate to deliver a multi-angle reflection.

Though round in shape, the seller nevertheless (hilariously) describes these things as a light bar. Now, your author may not have a degree in geometry but he’s reasonably certain a bar needs to be rectangular. Pedantic thoughts aside, these non-bars measure 4.5 inches across and are said to be reasonably waterproof.

Reviews are solid if not spectacular, good enough for a 4.3 out of 5-star rating from over 1300 respondents. Real-world pictures show these things on vehicles varied as a Toyota FJ Cruiser and a Yamaha Warrior ATV. The latter proves that these things don’t require a bunch of power to run.

Putting the word 'submersible' in the title of a product is like catnip, drawing attention like plutonium in the lettuce crisper. The company says their driving lights are made of a die-cast aluminum housing and are equipped with shatterproof lenses, a statement your author always takes as a challenge.

They boast of waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof properties able to resist the harsh environment of off-road driving. They'll apparently weather wet, conditions, deep water, snow, and sand. The service life is rated up to 50,000 hours or the amount of time you spend waiting around for your buddy to winch himself out of that mud hole. Again.

From time to time, TTAC will highlight automotive products we think may be of interest to our community. Plus, posts like this help to keep the lights on around here. Learn more about how this works.

(Editor’s note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our ‘90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don’t find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Rental Reviews, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Main Photo Credit: ilmarinfoto/Shutterstock.com. Product images provided by the manufacturer.]