The Best Fog Lights to Kick at the Darkness
We get it, seeing in the fog and night, or even snow and rain, is tougher than seeing in the dark on a clear night. Because while your headlights are designed to throw light far down the road to light up any possible dangers, that aim makes them bounce light right back in your eyes when the air isn’t clear. That’s where fog lights come in. Either as an add-on or as a factory feature, fog lights are designed to keep their light low. That way it projects down the road instead of lighting up just the raindrops. Picking the right fog lamps isn’t easy, so we’re here to help.
If you often drive in inclement or foggy weather where visibility can be impacted, you may want to consider fog lights. Remember, visibility is a safety issue and being able to see as clearly as possible while you’re behind the wheel is extremely important. Fog lights are better suited to deal with low visibility environments, improving your ability to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
Below, you’ll find our top picks of the best fog lights that are available to help you drive more safely when the weather turns south. For more information on the best fog lights, refer to our table of contents.
Table of contents
- 1. Editor's Pick: HELLA ValueFit
- 2. PIAA Black LED Fog Lamp Kit
- 3. Rigid D-Series Fog Lights
- 4. KC HiLiTES Gravity G4 LED Fog Lights
- 5. Nilight Flush Mount LED Light Pods
- 6. SYLVANIA Ultra Cube LED Light Pods
- Factory Light Replacements
- 7. OPP ULITE LED Fog Lights for 2013-2017 RAM 1500
- 8. BICYACO LED Fog Lights for 2015-2019 Ford F-150
- 9. Concept Fog Lights for 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado
- 10. Lusgwufad LED Fog Lights for Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, Solara, and Sequoia
- How do Fog Lights Work?
- Why Are Some Fog Lights Yellow?
- Different Types of Fog Lights
- What to Look for/Avoid while Shopping for Fog Lights
- Recent Updates
1. Editor's Pick: HELLA ValueFit
For decades, HELLA has been making fog lights and off-road lights for all types of vehicles. While they offer professional-grade rally lights, they also offer more affordable options like these. The HELLA Valuefit flood beam lights each hold four high-performance LED lamps. The whole lamp uses 16 watts, a fraction of a traditional halogen lamp, and puts out much more brightness.
These fog lights are available in black or white and are meant to give you HELLA lighting tech with more value. They can be mounted on light bars as well as aftermarket bumpers or you can bolt them directly to body panels if that's how you want to do it. The lights can be submerged for short periods, able to withstand up to two hours at up to 30 feet below the surface of the water. Great not just for your car or truck but also for your boat, ATV, or even tractor or snowblower. They are sold individually, though, not as a kit.
Product features:
- HELLA value line
- Four LED lamps
- Water submersion capable
2. PIAA Black LED Fog Lamp Kit
PIAA is one of the biggest names in lights. The brand offers a complete range of lighting equipment ranging from driving lights to off-road lights, to these LED fog lights. The LP530 series LED lamps come in a small package that makes it easier for you to mount them virtually anywhere on your car, truck, SUV, or even your ATV or UTV. The lights are IP67 rated, meaning they do a great job of keeping out both water and dust, ensuring that they can handle the conditions you throw at them on the dirt as well as on the pavement.
These lamps come with a 6000k white light output, helping them replicate daylight for better visibility in the fog. The lamps have a 10G vibration rating, handy when you're going to spend the entire day on washboard roads. Maybe most importantly, the kit comes with a full wiring harness including a relay and a lighted switch so they're easy for you to install and get on the road.
Product features:
- Full wiring harness
- Long 2-year warranty
- LED-specific reflector
3. Rigid D-Series Fog Lights
Rigid LED lights are so reliable that Toyota even uses them as factory equipment on models like the Tacoma TRD Pro. These lights are SAE compliant, so if you're planning on using them on the streets you don't need to worry about shutting them off when there's an oncoming car. The LED color temperature makes them look like daylight to help penetrate the fog and the dark.
A patented Clarilux optic system gives these LED lights the ideal spread and height for the light output to do the best job at seeing through a foggy night. The lights have a limited lifetime warranty thanks to the high-grade alloy housing and heat sink. They're also protected for under- and over-voltage as well as for reversed polarity if you're prone to having troubles with your vehicle's electrical system. Finally, a pressure-equalizing vent can help keep the lenses clear from condensation as well as ensuring there are no issues even if your day involves driving up a mountain.
Product features:
- Limited lifetime warranty
- SAE compliant
- Patented optic system
4. KC HiLiTES Gravity G4 LED Fog Lights
Any self-respecting import truck from the 1980s was incomplete without the bright yellow smiley face covers that came with a set of KC HiLiTES on the sport bar. Today, KC is just as cool and is still making lights. But the company has made its offerings much more modern with LED models like these Gravity G4 Amber LED fog lights. They come with a fog beam pattern that is both SAE and ECE street legal, so you can use them in North America or in Europe.
These LED fog lights use a special gravity reflective diode technology that KC says means a more controlled and farther reaching light. These ones can hit more than 800 feet down the road. Once the lamps are attached to your vehicle, KC's innovative mount lets you adjust the lights more easily to make sure they're aimed properly without having to loosen the entire mount. A shatterproof lens and magnesium housing mean these lamps should be able to handle everything you can throw at them.
Product features:
- More than 800 feet of reach
- You get to use those signature KC covers
5. Nilight Flush Mount LED Light Pods
If you're looking for a more affordable lighting option, try these fog lights from Nilight. They offer a combo beam design that's packed with LED lamps. This recommendation gives you a fog beam at the bottom, spot light at the top, and a flood light in the middle, making them ideal for your off-road vehicle. The lights are a surface mount, so they can go into a slot in your bumper or into your grille where they'll hide out of sight until you need them.
A template is included so you can cut and drill exactly the right places when you're installing them, they also have all the mounting hardware you'll need for a clean and simple install. The total output is 42W, making them much brighter than any factory halogen. They're also resistant to dust, water, vibration, and corrosion, with a 30,000-hour rating to ensure long life. Nilight's Flush Mount LED Light Pods come with a two-year warranty.
Product features:
- Affordable
- Comes with mounting template and hardware
6. SYLVANIA Ultra Cube LED Light Pods
If your car has headlights, there's a good chance that the bulbs inside them come from SYLVANIA. The company is a leader in automotive lighting, and it makes aftermarket equipment as well. Like these off-road LED fog light pods that offer 2,360 lumens. They're not for road use, but they will offer you maximum illumination in the foot for your boat, off-roader, or all-terrain vehicle. Even a snowblower, yard tractor, or snowmobile.
The kit comes with the LED pod lights as well as corrosion-resistant stainless steel mounting brackets. You can wire the pods up yourself or get an accessory wiring harness that helps you set everything up like a professional. Each pod uses just 8.5 watts letting you add even more lights to your vehicle. The pods offer a limited lifetime warranty that helps back up their water, dust, and corrosion resistance. They also have a polycarbonate lens for impact protection in tough use.
Product features:
- OEM manufacturer
- Lifetime warranty
- Loads of light
Factory Light Replacements
Plenty of cars and trucks come with fog lights from the factory. But if they don't offer the performance you need, don't just throw in an LED bulb to replace your original lights, especially if they're scratched or broken. The next few recommendations on this list are bolt-in replacement LED fog lights for some of the most popular vehicles in America. We recommend to research vehicle-specific applications if you don't want one of the universal fog lights we have already recommended on our list.
7. OPP ULITE LED Fog Lights for 2013-2017 RAM 1500
Looking to upgrade the factory fogs in your Ram 1500? Forget a replacement bulb in the same housing, they're not designed for each other and will never give you optimal output. Try these Ram 1500 LED fog lights instead. It's a complete replacement kit including new housings, new lenses, and an LED with a 50,000-hour lifespan. Meant to fit 2013-2017 Ram 1500 pickups with a rectangular factory fog lamp, they are plug and play. Use the original hardware, and the manufacturer says that each side should take just 15 minutes to install.
They offer daylight-temperature light and have the right cooling to keep an LED bulb working correctly. Waterproof to IP67, they're dustproof in a sealed housing and have a scratch and impact-resistant polycarbonate lens. Improve your bad weather driving and improve your truck's factory looks without any bolt-on bars or lights sticking off of the bumper for an OEM+ appearance.
Product features:
- Factory fit
- Upgraded light
- Cool appearance
8. BICYACO LED Fog Lights for 2015-2019 Ford F-150
Upgrade your 2015-2019 Ford F-150 with these LED fog lamps designed to fit all trims of the F-150 and even 2017-2018 Super Duty trucks. They use a factory connector for a plug-and-play installation. Just unbolt and pop out your tired factory fog lamps, pop these ones in, and be ready for the worst weather. SAE approved and DOT marked so they're legal for use in every state.
An aluminum alloy heat sink keeps the LED lamps cool and helps with their long lifespan. The lights output 2,400 lumens per set with a wider and more distributed pattern than the factory fog light. They also have a sharper cutoff, which is what helps you see through the fog in the first place. The lights can also be adjusted once installed to make sure that they're not aimed at oncoming traffic and are doing what you bought them for.
Product features:
- Great looks
- Factory fit
- Improved bad weather lighting
9. Concept Fog Lights for 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado
Get rid of the dim factory fog lights in your 2019-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with these LED upgrades. They swap out for the factory halogen lamps and use factory hardware. They're DOT and SAE approved and take just a few minutes to replace. With more light, they can help you see farther down the road in rain and fog. These fog lights are offered in this chrome-look, but are also available in a dark finish depending on the look you want for your truck.
Designed to fit into the factory location and use factory wiring, you can also wire them yourself and add them in the factory location even if your truck didn't come with fog lights when new. The lights can be adjusted once they're fitted for proper aiming, making sure you're not accidentally blinding other drivers. Reviews say they're easy to install and will even fit in 2500 and 3500 series Silverados with a bit more work.
Product features:
- Adds fogs to your truck even if they weren't included when new
- Fits in factory spot
10. Lusgwufad LED Fog Lights for Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, Solara, and Sequoia
Put LED fog lamps in your Toyota truck or crossover with this recommendation using high-quality CREE LED lamps. Thanks to Toyota's legendary engineering, these LED fog lights will fit your 2005-2011 Tacoma, 2007-2013 Tundra, 2008-2015 Toyota Sequoia. They'll even fit your 2004-2006 Toyota Camry Solara. The lamps offer 6,000k light and a 50,000-hour life. They're fitted in an aluminum and polycarbonate housing that should offer a lifespan to match the lights.
Plug-and-play installation drops into your factory light location, all you need to do is swap over the wires. SAE compliant light at 2,500 lumens using just 27 watts for low power consumption. They have an IP67 rating for waterproofing meaning they'll hold up to downpours as well as water crossings. Though maybe don't do any fording in a Solara. Get rid of those tired fog lights and bring back some style and improved visibility to your Toyota pickup.
Product features:
- Long life
- Bright light
- Factory fit
How do Fog Lights Work?
Fog lights are different lights than your standard driving lights, DRLs or headlights. They are in another enclosure with separate switches and bulbs. Sometimes they’re placed externally on a car, like on the roof or bumper, and other times they can be integrated in a lower grille or bumper. They are typically angled downwards so the light doesn’t simply reflect off the fog, snow or rain and right into your eyes — this is why you shouldn’t use your highbeams while driving in these conditions. Fog lights also won’t pose a risk to oncoming drivers by dazzling them like your highbeams do.
With a flat and wide beam of light, fog lights can illuminate parts of the road in front of the car that are usually hard to see in certain conditions. They’re not just useful for fog—they can help with visibility in dusty, snowy, rainy, and misty conditions too. In such situations, drivers may have a hard time seeing the load markers, or other hazards like downed trees and other debris, so fog lights can help highlight the important areas of the road without posing a risk to other drivers.
Why Are Some Fog Lights Yellow?
For many years, yellow lights were popular for fog lamps. France even made all low beam lights yellow for decades. The reason was that it was thought to reduce glare in bad weather, helping you and oncoming drivers. While there is evidence to support that, France changed back to the conventional white light some years ago. Yellow fog lights are often obtained through the use of a coating of tint on the bulb or a yellow lens in the lamp, which doesn't emit the right yellow light while actually blocking some of the light because of the tint. For those reasons, we suggest white-light fog (and headlight) lamps.
Different Types of Fog Lights
There are a few different types of fog lights. While most fog lights are designed to be used to illuminate in front of the vehicle, there are such things as rear fog lights, which help make your car more visible to other vehicles.
Additionally, fog lights differ in the type of lights they use, here’s a breakdown:
LED Fog Lights: These types of fog lights use light emitting diodes, which use much less power and generate less heat than the other light sources. They’re pretty efficient and tend to have a long lifespan too, meaning you won’t need to replace them very often. Finally, LED lights can be tweaked to shine in different colors, which assist in cutting through certain situations. These tend to be more expensive than halogens.
HID Fog Lights: Similar to headlights, you can get high-intensity discharge fog lights, also known as HIDs. They use xenon gas, which is lit by an electrical charge. Similar to LEDs, there is no filament to burn, they are more durable than standard halogen lights. These lights are very bright and fairly efficient in terms of power.
Halogen Fog Lights: Most cars with built-in fog lights use halogen lights, so they’re typically commonplace and easy to find. They’re also much more affordable. However, they don’t last as long as other forms of lights. Additionally, they’re not the brightest lights out there.
What to Look for/Avoid while Shopping for Fog Lights
There are a few key things to look for when buying Fog Lights.
Longevity: LED fog lights are typically rated in terms of how long they can run for and that range varies by tens of thousands of hours. You’ll want a set that can run a while, with some offerings featuring 50,000 hours of lighting.
Wattage: Efficiency is something that buyers should be concerned about when it comes to new lights. Low wattage lights use less power, but may also be less intense, depending on the types of lights they are. LEDs are capable of being low wattage but plenty bright.
Lumens and Output: The lumens and voltage of the lights are how you can tell how bright they will be. LEDs are rated by their lumens, while other light types use volts.
Fit and Finish: Some lights you buy will be replacements for your cars standard, built-in fog-lights, while others will be mountable, aftermarket additions. Know what you’re getting and whether your car has the space and electronics system to support a new set of lights.
Warranty: As always, a warranty helps provide peace of mind when buying aftermarket equipment. Look for equipment that have multi-year warranties, so you can breath easier knowing that the company stands behind its products and will back you up if anything goes awry.
Recent Updates
Feb 24, 2022: Removed Promoted Product recommendation.
July 13, 2021: Updated promoted product recommendation.
June 30, 2021: Updated the entire article with new product recommendations and additional information on fog lights.
January 21, 2021: Updated with a promoted product recommendation.
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Photo Credit: Denis Puzyrkov / Shutterstock.com
Evan moved from engineering to automotive journalism 10 years ago (it turns out cars are more interesting than fibreglass pipes), but has been following the auto industry for his entire life. Evan is an award-winning automotive writer and photographer and is the current President of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. You'll find him behind his keyboard, behind the wheel, or complaining that tiny sports cars are too small for his XXXL frame.
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