Rigid Industries introduced their E-Series line of LED light bars almost 10 years ago. This Rigid LED light bar review is specifically about their latest 30″ E-Series, the 130312, which is the result of continuous advances in Rigid engineering and component improvements.
These light bars find welcome homes in truck, car, racing and emergency vehicle applications because of their reliability and ruggedness not to mention their incredible brightness. The E-Series spot beam is specifically designed to project light to vast distances while providing excellent side lighting with the LEDs that are dedicated to the flood beam.
The 30″ E-Series is one of Rigid’s most versatile, efficient and powerful light bars. It is compact enough that it fits well on the vehicle roof, in the grill or on a roll bar or truck rack easily. You can take advantage of their rugged stock mount or custom mounts to fit any vehicle. These bars come with an impressive list of features:
- 60 super bright 3W LEDs
- Power consumption under 200 watts
- Patented hybrid optics using both lens and reflector
- Industry-best spot beam projection
- Rugged extruded aluminum case with powder coat finish
- Unbreakable polycarbonate lens
Rigid 130312 Details
This light has an astounding penetration in the darkest conditions. The spot portion of the beam reaches over a kilometer, while the flood beam creates a wide swath of light about half that distance. This makes it ideal for high-speed driving or when spotting game or hazards on nighttime trail excursions.
In-House Circuit Design
Rigid designs all their own internal circuitry using the highest-quality components. This allows them to create electronic conditions that ensure each LED exceeds its expected 50,000+ hour lifespan. They use quality LED drivers to maintain a narrow range of output current regardless of the input voltage. The LED heat sinks are generously oversized to keep the LEDs running cool so they can produce their maximum lighting output.
Quality Mechanical Design
Unlike less expensive lights that use sheet metal housings, Rigid’s E-Series 30 inch LED light bar has a stiff, sturdy A360 extruded aluminum case that stands up under the most brutal weather and the hardest jolts. Stainless steel brackets are provided that adjust to 3 different positions, but Rigid also offers customized bar mounts. Rigid’s E-Series is guaranteed to dampen any projection vibration.
Hybrid Optics
Many LED light bar manufacturers depend on stock LED lenses, reflectors or rarely both to direct light forward. Rigid has patented a trail-tested system that uses collimating reflectors and individual LED lensing behind the unbreakable polycarbonate cover to achieve the optimum projection of each LED’s light output.
Specifications
Feature | Description |
Outer dimensions | 34 x 7 x 7 inches |
Weight | 18 lbs. |
IP rating | IP68 |
Input voltage | 10 to 30 VDC |
Nominal current | 12A |
Number of LEDs | 60 LEDs arranged in double rows, producing 13800 raw lumens |
Light color | Between 6100K and 7000K depending on current source stock |
Beam Pattern | Combination flood and spot |
Extras | Plug and play wiring harness that includes a heavy duty switch |
Warranty | 2 years |
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHyAr0-Ta1c
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A 30 inch LED light bar designed, engineered and assembled in the U.S.
- Deep light penetration thanks to a patented hybrid optical system
- Rugged extruded aluminum housing and stainless steel mounts
- Custom molded water seal and Deutsch IP68 wiring connectors
- Versatile size for many mounting options
Cons
- Blue-white spectrum is known to lead to driving fatigue
What Buyers Are Saying
It is nearly impossible to find a Rigid LED light bar review about the E-Series that does not routinely garner 5-stars from happy buyers. The 30″ and smaller lights in this series have dozens of YouTube demonstrations that illustrate how the Rigid brand has garnered such high esteem by recreational, highway and emergency vehicle drivers.
Buyers’ first impressions are usually around the build quality of the light bar build as soon as they take it out of the box. Once it is mounted and operational, the light brightness, even at dusk, blows them away. There are some head-to-head comparisons to less expensive lights with the same length where the difference between the two light bars is like the difference between moonlight and sunlight. This shows that Rigid’s efforts to harness every lumen from every LED have paid off.
Buyers are also impressed with how easy it is to mount the lights. Rigid includes versatile mounts and clear instructions. Any do-it-yourselfer with a few common tools should be able to handle attaching the light within a grill or on a rack or roll bar easily. For roof mounting, it would be wise to consult YouTube once again to learn how to remove your vehicle’s head liner if it has one.
Even though the 6100+K spectrum of this light has poor color render at night and induces driver fatigue on long journeys, no one seems concerned about that. It seems that Rigid may be on to something.
Conclusion
Rigid has once again come out with a top tier, quality LED light bar product in the 130312 E-Series light bar.
Yes, you will pay quite a bit more than for similar size light bars coming out of China, but that comparison is false given that the Rigid E-Series is in an entirely different class.
Not only do they beat out the inexpensive light bars in terms of performance and efficiency, they are built to last under tortuous trail conditions for the long haul. All in all, they are one of the best LED light bar investment with excellent visibility and high build quality.
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