Finding the Best LED Strobe Light Bars

by Simon Wells

LED Strobe Light Bar Features

Strobe LED light bars are the first choice in alert lighting for police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, rescue vehicles, highway construction equipment, and roadside assistance trucks. They offer conspicuous, head-turning brightness and significant advantages over competing technologies.

Versatility

Strobe LED light bars to use dozens of LEDs and multiple light heads along with programmable controllers. They provide any type of flash/strobe pattern imaginable. The LEDs may be white, blue, red, amber, green or purple to further enhance visibility.

Directional traffic alerts, rotating beacons, heart-stopping strobes, and blinding takedowns are all possible with unlimited lamp arrangements to suit any purpose.

Reliability

Quality LEDs have lifespans of 50,000 hours. Because dozens of LEDs make up a light bar, redundancy is built in. In the best LED strobe light bar, current draw is tightly controlled over a wide voltage range, so the light bar works equally well with 12V or 24V battery systems.

High Efficiency

LED strobe light bars output more light per Watt than other types of lights. Small to medium LED light bars can from using a cigarette lighter adapter. A standard vehicle battery can run most light bars for several hours.

Types of Strobe LED Light Bars

Due to the alert lighting demands of emergency and public service vehicles, strobe LED light bars to come in many styles:

  • LED Strobe Beacons – Flashing and/or rotating beacons used for warning and hazard lights. Rotation can be digital or mechanical.
  • LED Strobe Fixtures – Standalone light heads used with marked and unmarked police cars, fire trucks and other rescue vehicles. They are compact and come in many colors.
  • Emergency LED Light Bar – These have a variety of configurations, including combination light bars for illumination and advisories, built-in beacons and highly conspicuous strobes. They come in all colors and some include dual- or triple-color LEDs.

How to Choose the Best Strobe Light Bars

Federal Signal, Whelen, Wolo, Xtreme®, ThunderEye, and LUMAX are top makers of strobe LED light bars, beacons, and fixtures. These light bar makers have been in the emergency vehicle lighting business for decades, so you can trust their products.

Since emergency strobe lights are exposed to weather extremes, dust, salt, and other chemicals, ensure they use tough polycarbonate or quartz lenses and have an IP67 intrusion rating. Research strobe LED light bar reviews to verify quality and pick up installation and operation tips.

Black Oak LED Jeep JK 8-Circuit sPOD SourceSE Digital Programmable Terminal Block

8 Circuit SE System w\Touchscreen for Jeep JK 2007-2017

This fully programmable Jeep JK digital terminal block from Black Oak LED connects eight electrical branches up to 30A each — with ease. Daisy-chain four sPOD SourceSE models for 32 circuits total.

It includes a two-minute, 11.2VDC low-voltage cutoff plus automatic over-current protection from 1.5A to 30A without fuses.

Everything is programmable via a 320 x 240 backlit LCD screen connected via audio and RJ-45 ethernet jacks. With the sPOD SourceSE, only your imagination limits a new or expanded array of light bars, pods or other accessories for your Jeep JK.

Features

  • CANBUS-compatible Jeep JK circuit control
  • Programmable, expandable, upgradeable
  • Supports eight 30A/12.5V DC branches
  • Daisy-chain four sPOD SourceSE for 32 circuits
  • Lighting effects: dim, strobe, flash, etc.
  • 320×240 touchscreen in billet aluminum case
  • Supports multiple touchscreens
  • 11.2VDC/2-minute delay LVCO
  • Low maintenance, easy troubleshooting

What Customers Are Saying

Jeep JK owners with multiple LED light bars, pods, rock lights, and other accessories love how sPOD SourceSE supplies a one-stop solution for managing and monitoring their lights and electrical system health. They find installation easy and are delighted by the programmable lighting effects.

Pros

  • Complete electrical accessories power solution
  • Built-in protection and fault recovery
  • Heat-proof terminal block and touchscreen
  • Programmable from multiple vehicle locations

Cons

  • Pity that it is only for Jeep JK Models 2007-2016

21st-Century Jeep JK Electrical Accessory Control

Future-proof your Jeep JK by enabling up to 32 centrally managed electrical circuits for big light bars, fog light pods and any other electrical accessory you can imagine. Buy it now to lay the foundation for an exceptional, expandable array of Jeep JK devices.

Xprite Gen 3 Amber 18W 36-LED Emergency Hazard Strobe Light with Magnetic Base

 Xprite Gen 3 Amber Yellow 36 LED 18 Watts High Intensity Law Enforcement Emergency Hazard Warning LED Mini Bar Strobe Light with Magnetic Base

Emergency vehicle, tow-truck and heavy equipment operators love the ease-of-use and penetrating visibility of the Xprite Gen-3 36-LED Strobe Light with 18W of power and 16 distinct flash patterns.

It instantly sticks to any magnetic surface and plugs into any 12V DC cigarette lighter or AUX socket with a long 10-foot non-coiled cord. Separate power and lighting pattern switches mean instant off and on without pattern cycling.

A total of 36 LEDs in a 2-1-2-1 layout produce intense amber light from all four sides. Crystal clear lenses and an ABS shell provide maximum durability in all weather conditions.

Features

  • Dimensions: 12 x 3 x 6.25 inches
  • 36 super-bright 50,000-hour amber LEDs
  • IP67 waterproof rating
  • Runs from 12V DC outlet
  • Strong magnetic mount
  • Non-coiled power cord for maximum extension
  • Patterns: rotating, flashing, alternating, L-to-R, R-to-L, etc.

What Customers Are Saying

Buyers with multiple vehicles needing warning lights love the Xprite’s price. Others like this strobe’s on-demand ease of setup and the ability to share among vehicles. Equipment operators with plastic roofs mount a metal plate for attachment.

Pros

  • All-purpose hazard light well under $50
  • Runs off battery booster for several hours
  • Generous length non-coiled cord
  • Last strobe pattern memory
  • One-year warranty

Cons

  • Could be brighter for daytime use

Excellent Budget-Priced Utility Strobe for Many Applications

Anytime you need to increase your vehicle’s or equipment’s visibility, the Xprite Gen 3 strobe is a handy accessory. Buy one today for everyday use or to enhance your roadside emergency kit.

Abrams ThunderEye 27-Inch Low-Profile Magnetic-Mount 78W Amber/Amber LED Strobe

 ThunderEye 27" Inch (Amber/Amber) Low Profile Magnetic Roof Mount Tow Truck Construction Vehicle Strobe Mini LED Light Bar
When you need the brightest emergency/hazard light with easy, semi-permanent installation, Abrams’ ThunderEye 5th-Gen 56-LED low-profile 15-pattern amber strobe is just the ticket.

Its sleek design improves fuel efficiency while extreme weatherproofing stands up to the harshest weather. Its 12-foot long power cable plugs into any 12V DC aux or cigarette lighter outlet and features separate power and pattern switches.

Abrams has a strong reputation for quality strobes for any LE, emergency, construction or mining application. It stands behind its products with lifetime customer support and an industry-leading 5-year hassle-free warranty.

Features

  • Dimensions: 27 x 4 x 12 inches
  • Weight: 15 lbs.
  • Power: 12V DC at 6.5A
  • 56 3W amber LEDs
  • 15 strobe patterns
  • Eight projection angles
  • Low wind resistance
  • Four-magnet roof mount
  • Weatherproof circuitry protection
  • Runs from any 12V DC source
  • 12-foot non-coiled power cord

What Customers Are Saying

Customers appreciate Abrams’ rugged product build with super-bright LEDs and small touches such as epoxy-protected connections and replaceable LED modules. They report that compared to less expensive strobes, these are fully visible on the brightest sunlit days.

Pros

  • Penetrating, long-range visibility even in the daytime
  • Replaceable light modules
  • Amber/White version was available.
  • Five-year return guarantee

Cons

  • Magnetic mounts too weak for over 65 MPH

You Get What You Pay For in Hazard Lighting

This 27-inch ThunderEye strobe light bar is just under $280, but that is a bargain price compared to its competitors for the brightness and features it supplies. It is ideal for warning off other drivers at long distance even in direct sunlight. Make a solid safety investment by buying and mounting one of these today.

LAMPHUS NanoFlare 12-Inch 40W 72-Pattern Amber LED Hazard Light Bar

LAMPHUS NanoFlare NFMB40 12" 40W LED Mini Light Bar [SAE Class 1] [72 Flash Patterns] [12ft Cord] [Magnet or Permanent] Emergency Strobe Hazard Warning Light - Amber
Lamphus’ NFMB40 40W LED emergency and hazard light features 360-degree projection, 40 1W 50,000-hour LEDs and dozens of strobe/flash patterns with last-pattern memory. With a flare-out mount design, these SAE Class 1 lights mount/dismount easily with built-in magnets but can be installed permanently with included accessories.

Choose from 72 strobe/flash effects including single-burst, double-flash, steady, etc. At next power-up, it retains the last-used pattern. The weatherproof PC cover is easily removable for maintenance or replacement of LED sub-units.

For around $130, it is difficult to find a brighter, more compact and durable LED emergency/hazard light than this one.

Features

  • Dimensions: 12 x 2 x 7 inches
  • 40 1W LEDs
  • 72 flash patterns
  • Last pattern memory
  • 360-degree beam pattern
  • Strong roof magnets
  • Steady Override function
  • Synchronizes with other LAMPHUS units
  • Runs from cigarette lighter or AUX outlet
  • 12-foot non-coiled power cord
  • Multiple colors available

What Customers Are Saying

Several customers state the magnets hold well over 75 MPH. They love the piercing brightness even on sunny days. Most think that having 72 flash effects is a bit over the top though.

Pros

  • Compact, SAE Class 1 brightness under $130
  • Weatherproof but easily maintainable
  • Super strong magnets
  • Multi-color units available, same price
  • Three-year warranty

Cons

  • Only stores one favorite flash effect

Remarkably Bright, Trouble-Free Hazard and Emergency Light
EMTs, police, firefighters, highway and construction workers find the coverage and brightness of this light unbeatable at the price. Buy one to see for yourself. You will be back for more.

Strobe LED Light Bar Examples

Xtreme 44 inch LED Emergency Hazard Flashing LED Roof Strobe Light Bar with Magnetic Base

The Xtreme® 44 LED Emergency Hazard Flashing LED Roof Strobe Light Bar with Magnetic Base is a 17-inch wide block of high-intensity light available in five different colors or five color combinations. Its low profile is ideal for stealth installations. It plugs into any 12VDC cigarette lighter, has on/off and flash mode switches and last pattern recall. It mounts in seconds with adhesive cups and powerful magnets.

Wolo 7900-A Lookout GEN 3 Technology Low-Profile LED Emergency Warning Light Bar

Wolo’s 7900-A Lookout GEN 3 Technology Low-Profile LED Emergency Warning Light Bar provides intense, 360-degree beams from 18 amber and 4 white 1W GEN 3 LEDs. Three traffic advisories and 15 flash patterns can be selected from a dash-mounted control module. The white LEDs are used for takedown lights. Similar models with red, blue or white LEDs are available.

Summary

Strobe LED light bars have revolutionized lighting options and visibility for all emergency and public service vehicles. Their intense visibility, versatility, and low operating costs make them the only logical choice for head-turning lighting that warns, protects and keeps traffic and operators safe.

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