Baja vs. cheap Nilight LEDs - Are they worth it?

Baja Squadron Sports vs. Nilight 4 inch combo pod lights. See the difference in design, features, waterproofing, and brightness.
Nilights - amzn.to/2ZfF5Md
Baja Designs Squadron Sports - amzn.to/2ZdfH9N
Baja Designs Squadron Pro (not tested) - amzn.to/2Z6EbkU
Giveaway winner was Overland Minivan (@overlandminivan on Instagram). Enjoy!
All links are affiliate links.

[@mr_inventor1015]

Honestly a really good review, thank you sir. I'll be purchasing the $20 ones because I'm poor

[@NilightLed]

really good choice

[@LeaveNoTrashBehind]

Same haha, on that budget build.

[@bwillis8020]

it all depends on the application, underneather the rear bumper for a close up work light additional reverse light these are perfect.

[@anthonyfletcher8053]

@@bwillis8020 in 90% of applications the Nilights will suffice. I can’t see the extra light output being worth the extra 3 figures to the average joe.

[@samuelfasching3448]

I have my NiLights mounted up high as dedicated ditch lights and they're perfect for the trail as I don't need to see a great distance ahead of the truck. They're mainly for spotting obstacles close and on the sides of my vehicle and they work great for that.

[@Captain-Awesome]

As a distinguished gentleman rocking the XJ, I would choose the Nilights to have money for the next time I break my front axle 🤓.

[@flex-jsteve540]

Just buy carbon 44 axles....

[@garrettabsher3139]

same way for my TJ lol

[@gibby3198]

Ha lol I just flipped my xj and the pods got destroyed 😂 I’ll be sticking with nilights too

[@Colorado4x4]

Hahaha. That’s great

[@darrenseepersad3705]

Lol ah a man of culture I see.

[@TheShangralaaaa17]

Been using the cheap ones for 2yrs and they've been great

[@dimascuevas5834]

Same. They are holding up very well.

[@NilightLed]

thank you for your always support

[@Tacojordann]

Mine will be here tomorrow, are they hard to wire up?

[@TheShangralaaaa17]

@@Tacojordann not at all. I used a fog light harness that allowed me to plug them directly into the fusebox

[@Tacojordann]

@@TheShangralaaaa17 ah I see, I’m confused of the mounting situation. Do they mount directly to your hood or where do they mount to? It doesn’t look like I’m the pictures it comes with enough to mount to something.

[@SexualParasment]

Great testing dude, real life testing versus shining on a wall is much more useful

[@gzrgldr8288]

I have several of the nilites. 52" bar, 20" inch bar and the 60w 4" lights similar to the ones you tested. They have lasted well and for the price, you can't beat them. Would love to get the Baja's, but just can't see paying that much for them for as little as I need them.

[@deabruzo]

I have nilughts. They've been going strong for 3 years now. The wiring harness wouldn't work for me, I solder a proper connection. Knowing I was getting cheaper lights I actually took mine apart and added a ton of extra waterproofing. Really good value for the spend.

[@Voyager23B]

Good to know! I am installing 52” Nilight bars on a 16’ tandem work trailer for exterior lighting. They should be great!

[@alexisgomez3195]

Thank you for sharing all your experiences. Personally getting into Overlanding and I have learned a lot from your videos.

[@luckyyou200]

Overlanding 🤣 aka yall taking your vehicles where they shouldn't be and destroying everything in the way

[@imtiazali935]

this review was very helpful. i got a pair of the Nilights for my MF 194-4 tractor and just 1 was good enough for working. thank you very much for the video

[@mikedbiery]

I’ve been researching lights this week. Thanks for the comparison. Looking of something for my Forester

[@keithmerryman4402]

Thank you for the review on Baja Squadron Sports vs Nilite 4 inch combo pod lights. I have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler straight 6 cylinder. I'm worn out looking at the many different lights available. A good review on two of them! Thanks again for the video!

[@erickbaumgardner3347]

Always enjoy your content! It’s been a great channel to watch as I’m just starting out. Cheers from Louisville!

[@trjnsd6874]

Nicely done - informative, straight forward info & simple. Covered all the bases, answered my questions. Jeep WK Hemi so I need less expensive options, especially since its my daily and I only get to off-road a few times a year. Thanks

[@Zanmiester]

great video and review! I love that you actually used manual settings on your camera to give us a good comparison of the 2 lights (i have seen to many flashlight comparison videos where they did not do that lol). The Bajas look amazing and I would love them if I had a specific build for off-road/aesthetics but since I'm looking at more for lights for occasional use the nilights seems perfect for me. Again, great review/comparison, I just like the vid and subscribed!

[@thejeepinrealtor5742]

I love the Baja Designs. But I’d have a hard time paying 10x more especially considering, while brighter, they provide less flood.

[@matthewmoran1271]

Matt McDowell you can buy them with different lenses such as flood, wide cornering, and driving combo.

[@Free-49]

They never stop providing though, China lights can't match up.

[@daves1203]

@@Free-49 I'd say "China lights" do just fine considering they're 10 times cheaper.

[@tCCZebra70]

Great review! From the looks, the 1/10th the price did more than 1/10th the job. I have a set of Nilight's on the way already or I would have gone through your link. Only using them for close-up work loading the truck at night so should be just fine.

[@austingisel521]

I have the nilight pods. They are awsome budget lights. I have them on my 09 silverado and they are perfect for going on the highway because my headlights dont light up squat near me but having the pods makes it a lot easier to see on the road. I would love to have a second set just because you cant have too much light in my opinion.

[@El_Rey]

I have the Baja Squadron Pros mounted as ditch lights on my 2019 Lexus GX, and they are just as bright as my stock headlights and fog lights. That's a ton of bright, clean light from two small pod lights.

[@daves1203]

I'd hope so considering they're $440 for a pair compared to $20 Nilights.

[@bwillis8020]

Great review, i honestly believe the application of these lights plays a big part in the decision. I personally believe the 20$ light would surfice.

[@outbackeddie]

Nice review. I think there is a place for cheap lights, as well as expensive lights. I would probably go with the cheap ones because I just need a couple of lights to connect to some motion detectors so that I can light the perimeter of my RV if anyone starts snooping around in the middle of the night. The cheap-o's will easily fit the bill.

[@OverlandGeneration]

I wonder about ridgid industries lights??? Cool video! Thanks for shedding some light on the subject!

[@RevereOverland]

I need to do a Baja vs. Rigid comparison!

[@Ram-vt3rm]

^ would love to see it. Great video. Super informative and well constructed. I am a fan of those BD lights for sure! :)

[@SosaGamer]

Overland Generation rigid is Chinese with branding tbh

[@jedmassey]

Great info.. I've bought these exact lights for back up lights on my overland trailer and my back up lights on my truck will actually out shine those while being hooked up lol. But its still a good light..couldn't justify paying 200+ for lights.

[@sandiegodan1296]

Love the look of the Baja but don’t know if they are worth the cost. But I’ll get one of ‘em. Great review and very honest and evenhanded

[@thare82]

Great vid! I still like the Nilites due to the fact that if they do break ( I’m rough on my stuff) I’m not out an arm and a leg to replace them. If i win I will be installing them on a 2009 Subaru Forester.

[@NilightLed]

light the night always

[@nickt9968]

Cool video, with the nilight I feel you get 80% of the power at 20% of the cost, they would be perfect for my kei truck.

[@larshenderson4933]

Nice review. I currently have several of the nilights to install.

[@useryggfdcc]

Now this was an excellent comparison test!

[@zamboni68]

I use the Niilight work lights on my 589 Fab truck bed half rack to light up the campsite. Had them 2 years and no issues. Set of 4 for cheaper than one “quality” light.

[@321southtube]

FANTASTIC, HONEST, AND WELL MADE video...really good stuff. 👍

[@konner3593]

for the price I'm definitely going with the nilights. These would go on the side of my truck to see ahead and to the sides

[@silverbulletrt02]

I'd pick the Baja's for light output, but the Nilights for the price. Either would go great on my Colorado

[@shaneandrews8907]

Baja's look nicer but being on a tight budget the Amazon lights would do the job. Jeep WK

[@trjnsd6874]

Whoa - someone else drives a WK?! Howdy! Must be why we like the less costly option. Leaves more $ for parts&repairs.

[@wikemazowski2666]

Lifted wk2 here!!

[@coffinspiremgmt]

Thanks for making this video. I was hesitant on buying the nilights despite good reviews on amazon but I figured I'd youtube it. Im going to go with the nilights. They are good enough for turning them on a handful of times a year. If I lived in a desolate area with no street lights I would have bought the baja's.

[@RevereOverland]

Bajas definitely have a time and a place, but for 90% of users, the Nilights are perfectly good!

[@williamdarby8778]

I put 2 of them on the bumper of my work truck 3 years ago and both are still in good shape.

[@mikes7405]

we have three 4 wheelers on the property and they all run different variations of ni lights. we have 2 creeks, brush, trees that dont move, and the ni lights hold up very well. Been working for couple years now and a couple have 3-4 years on them now

[@RyanGr33n]

Nice comparison. I bought 8 of those nilight pods and use them as area lights around my camper van, because they’re also WAY less $ than “scene lights”, and you can point them wherever you want them to shine, instead of the fixed position scene lights. I wired them through motion sensors so they double as security lights whenever we camp in a sketchy area.

[@lolivingston6827]

That's amazing. You should do a tutorial on here

[@suhhdudee5153]

I agree sounds cool you need to show us

[@lornebatez2013]

thanks for your review, I'm putting my nilights inside my truck canopy to illuminate the rear of my truck when my canopy is open. im not worried abought water just light for when it gets dark out in the back country.

[@homeguy4]

I've used Rigid with all my JK's, the Baja lights will be the next set I'll get.

[@PapaDougsAdventures01]

Great Job. Baja is the clear winner obviously. Since you kept the Baja I would love to see you compare them to the Rigid light?

[@chrisjane1194]

I just took off my ni-lights and they have been on my rig since march of 2019 (it is now almost aug 2020), they still work, they just started to look ugly with oxidation. for the money, they are WORTH it.

[@chadryanh]

You did awesome on comparing and testing!

[@brianjames3567]

I desert race a class 2-1600 car off road and use this exact NiLight model for cornering lights. You can't beat the quality and performance for the price. They also offer this set in a kit with a wiring harness.

[@antn8387]

I have a set of the Nilight's...they pretty much live outside underneath my rig. They've been rock solid so far.

[@livinlife451992]

Awesome test, very helpful! Thanks

[@dtbeltz]

I have NiLight's on my truck and my Kubota tractor and am very happy with them. They are not perfect but I soldier my wires so a harness is useless. But that's me. I did have one on my truck take moisture during Hurricane Matthew (Had it in my factory lights too).. but it's more than a pressure washer. They did swap it no issue.

[@RevereOverland]

I'm glad Nilight were able to stand by their product. I guess on my next test I need to put the Bajas through a hurricane!

[@dtbeltz]

@@RevereOverland Bring them on over we can test them this fall.

[@RevereOverland]

I read that you've got something brewing to the south at the moment

[@barkinsahin]

Squadron Pro version makes a huge difference.

[@CenCal-nd6sg]

Great video man ! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@buster5643]

This is probably the best review I've seen

[@alexandregh.3831]

Great real life review. Do you have a long term review of either one of these?

[@nathanjaffrey]

I really like both but I would definitely go for the NiLites. I have had really good luck with the mid range and even the low range for quality and performance. Yes, the other set looks nicer but hard to justify that purchase with nice quality lights for far less. If I was selected to win I would mount them on the tire carrier of my Ford Bronco as a rear visibility and backup lights.

[@RevereOverland]

The definitely look nicer, which is really important if you do it for the 'gram!

[@luchaDor]

Nice review. I struggle with the cost considering I'll use my 5-7 nights/year...$30 for 90% of the light seems like a good cost/benefit trade off.

[@RevereOverland]

That's kinda my thinking too. If it were something I had to rely on for recovery or emergencies, it might be different.

[@codyparker679]

I have the nilight on my atv. So far solid water proofed and $12 for the pair versus 250 for the factory head lights replaced and easily 3 times brighter I'm super happy with them got 2 more pair just cause

[@titaniummaster1532]

Great review, In my opinion the Baja light is much better. If you have an expensive rig and plan on using it a lot and or you want to increase your chance of not having a malfunction I’d always go with the more expensive one. Right now I am looking at the Baja Design’s LP6, and the modular set up as well. In the past I’ve used Rigid. That being said I do have a good cheaper brand on my sxs (but not to cheap) and they have held up great through rain, mud, snow, heat, and cold. Thank you for the in-depth review. Can you do an Baja Design LP review? And maybe a KC light review…..?

[@barry8458]

Avoided the crazy cost of high end lights for my ATV and got me a pair of 7” side shooters ..it’s more than I expected and works great for 50 somewhat bucks with wiring included…for its price it’s well worth it !

[@deerspringdine1041]

Nilights for sure! Does the job and affordable. Jeep WK

[@slor008]

Will be getting the nilights... Live in the cities and will only use when I got camping.. total of 1 week out of the year lol

[@itsdarkest]

I use nilights and I love them, I bought cheap expecting to replace them but they've lasted a long long time so far

[@txpocks1047]

$200 for pod lights?! HFS 😳 I’ve had the Nilight pods and 12’ bar for about 3 years now. Work great in all weather conditions. Absolutely love them. 0 complaints here 👍

[@stever.9171]

Nice review. I don’t think the Baja lights would get my money over the Nilight brand just from a budget perspective. That’s a great deal more money for a light that is better but not overwhelmingly better.

[@defenderoFreedom]

I bought regular leds off Amazon. They work great, bright, and didn't spend $400 on baja designs

[@nismor3490]

After running a cheaper china bar i see the importance on the optics and quality....i cant swing the higher end baja design lights but the sports offer a quality bsng for the buck setup. If you drive your rig fast at night BD is the way to go ni questions asked!!

[@RevereOverland]

Definitely agree with that summary. Here in KY I think the cheap ones are fine. I stuck with the BD since I head out to the desert every summer!

[@bassingbasics6621]

I just got the nilight pods to use as a backup pod on my 4Runner

[@PSYCHOPATHiO]

Fair unbiased comparison, nice job.

[@HalBarnett]

Very thorough review. Thank you.

[@duringreyowl2588]

Thanks an excellent review, well I'd chose the cheaper Nilight pods because of the flood radius and also my financial situation. I live in the desert where it's pitch black and the constant livestock crossing the main road out here. These would make my travels much much safer.

[@NilightLed]

thank you for your always support.

[@buckeye8480]

I like the Baja look, and brightness better. But I'd probably go with the Nilights for price, I'd only use them a few times a year. Sometimes I park in remote areas, someone would steal those Baja's. They'd go on a 99 Tacoma. Good review!

[@RevereOverland]

Someone stealing them is definitely a concern. I'm tempted to pick up some keyed nuts.

[@aaronolsen8787]

Are you going to be testing the rigid d-series pro? Any plans on testing a vision x light cannon? Great review by the way! Very thorough water testing. I've seen the cheapies and rigids fail when placed in a bucket of ice water.

[@RevereOverland]

I'd like to test some of the competition's lights, but they're all so expensive!

[@mattewflash3421]

I have the nilight one and yes they leak they are about 6 months old and one has stopped working, the other works fine but yes it has water in it I don’t expect it to last much longer.. Roadshock lights I have found to be the best.. they are found at HarborFreight and they are amazing and a great warranty

[@OverlandUncharted]

Great comparison man!

[@RevereOverland]

Thanks!

[@Silverback_GMT410]

I have the Nilight and I’m very happy with them. But since I took them off my truck due to trading in for a nicer one. I’m contemplating to go with a bougie brand. I love the color on the Baja though the flood wasn’t as impressive as I hoped. Definitely doesn’t seem like it’s 10x better as the price would suggest.

[@Silverback_GMT410]

And Nilight offers a relay with their “included” wiring harness.

[@7777Gixer]

I just ordered 4x Nilight pods from Ebay. The same one in the test for USD$45. I find the performance are almost the same except for the colour temperature. But for 10 times lesser in price, Nilight is a winner.

[@thedanktank6217]

What kind of mounting do you have at the base of your front windshield/rear of hood? Those look perfect for what I need!

[@lordrichard8184]

I like the spots better on the $200 lights. But the cheap ones are solid flood/fog lights. I’d probably put both on the truck for that reason.

[@rossgentile3186]

I liked your video very helpful I’m looking to put these lights on my can am x3 and my f350 lariat truck can you tell me where to got the brackets for the truck and I would buy the Baja designs because of hood opening but main reason is it picked up the tree in your video which is key given you could be Traveling at speeds over 50 miles an hour

[@connormcawesomeface9350]

I like the baja's more because of the side by side brightness. I think either would be okay on my stock Wrangler TJ because my incandescent bulbs are terrible. Love your channel, are you going to overland expo east again this year?

[@RevereOverland]

The Baja lights definitely performed better, but you'd hope so for 10x the price! I'm undecided about Expo East. The venue is supposed to be a lot better than last year, but it's still really expensive. I may just save the money for my next trip!

[@connormcawesomeface9350]

@@RevereOverland I had the same thoughts about the expo, I'm still debating driving down for the day Saturday just because it's so much closer this year

[@sergiojardon6725]

thanks!! very useful review,I am going o buy a pair for my pickup probably the cheapest :)

[@unclejoeyv]

Thanks for sharing!

[@carlstanoyevic3070]

I would prefer the nilight over the baha one as I would never mount them on back side of hood all the glare off hood is miserable in rain , snow , fog . dust and just plain reflections. Try mounting on front side of hood I believe that you will have better light out and wide give it a try you’ll see what I mean. Good luck. Carl

[@ebx2323]

It's a catch 22 because the nilight lights wider but the baja lights further. Haven't checked the price of the baja but I can only imagine that they're at least 4 times the cost.

[@codylucente]

Thankyou for a good review.

[@NarrowRoadAdventures]

Good review. Baja’s are obviously better and have a more control beam. Cost is more than I could stomach paying for a light. I’d buy the cheaper. Nicely done. What amateur radio do you have mounted on your dash?

[@RevereOverland]

Thanks! I don’t think you can buy the radio anymore, but here’s a link: amzn.to/2p7EOLA

[@stingray4xe142]

I like the Bajas better but I'm cheap. If I were to get a free set of lights they would be going on a 06 WK. Great video BTW

[@trjnsd6874]

Surprised to see there are three of us WK drivers watching this.

[@donniehensley2545]

I have a set coming Friday, I’m putting them on 2005 F150

[@alexcarreno3486]

the nilight only last about 3 weeks and got full of water I installed on a semi truck .I but 2 sets and the ones I put on my pickup last about a month.

[@shaweehillsworkshop4226]

I am really surprised the cheap lights didn’t fail in the water test. My gut feeling is they will eventually fail and it will be much sooner than the Baja as caulk doesn’t typically fair as well in the weather. All that being said, it’s not worth 10 times the money to buy the Baja!

[@RevereOverland]

I honestly wasn't expecting them to perform so well!

[@JK-ll9bf]

Good thorough review. The bajas were def brighter..but I'd probably go with the cheaper ones. I could buy 2 for the front, 2 for the back and 1 for both sides and not even come close to the price of the bajas. Plus I wouldn't stress as much if the break.

[@Rasp]

Came across your video looking to buy some POD Lights and realized you live in the same town as me. Small world LOL 😂

[@diggerPD]

I appreciate the value of the Nilights but I live out of town where there are no streetlights and lots of wildlife . I have the Squadron Pro's in place of the factory fog/driving lights on my 2018 Tacoma. I wouldn't go for any less lighting even for a fraction of the price. The truck looks factory stock until you hit the bright lights!

[@HuntrPat]

I bought a pair of amber nilights that came with everything.wire harness, switching,. It's 72 watts should have been 30 which is the legal limit. But it's so bright I'm afraid to get a ticket. So I use it when it's foggy.

[@titan_six]

I think for the price, I’d still go with the NiLite’s. I did the same thing with the 20in LED bar in my lower grill on my Titan. Spent $25-$30 and I’ve submerged it in mud and water and never had issues with it and it’s very bright. I’d definitely use the pods your giving away for ditch lights on the side of my tool box in my truck bed. That way I can have lighting almost 360degrees around my Nissan Titan for when we go camping/overlanding.

[@RevereOverland]

The flood pattern on the Nilight is excellent - they'd be great for side lights.

[@tonynimmons111]

I like the Baja lights. They are just brighter and I need to put on my car hauler trailer.

[@drainmonkeys385]

Well. You can buy 5 sets of the nilite and buy a harness and still have money left over for gas...if you burn one nilite out.. you still have 4 more left to replace

[@alexaw2010]

Great review. Is having flood or spot better for night ride? Or situational?

[@joshuarounds7180]

Alex Aw it’s very situational and in an ideal world you would have both. Spots give you a longer field of view which is beneficial for faster speeds were as floods give you a wider field of view for better up close vision and situational awareness while going over more technical obstacles.

[@RevereOverland]

Joshua pretty much nailed the answer. I went with combo since I wanted a bit of both. The spot pattern is for the distance while out in the desert going fast, so I can see the road ahead. The flood pattern for when I'm in and around Kentucky, going slow through the forest!

[@rustyshaklferd1897]

The output is from 30v. How have you guys fed them 30v? I know a second battery in series would get 28v, but seems like overkill. 2 capacitors in series would work. What do you recommend?

[@philipknudsen8653]

The Bajas were brighter but not 10x the price brighter! For the same price you could add a great bar light upfront to get the distance and use the pods for rock lights which is what they’re meant for.

[@no_peace]

Plus you can get different brightnesses of nilight for like $3 more lol

[@jdoucetteguitar]

excellent review. Very helpful.

[@Grodd70]

Definitely a HUGE Difference in performance and price.

[@edwardsteinjolt3720]

i bought a set of nilight (the on on this video) and then i gotr a Blazer led pods and theres a literally night and day difference, nilights are cheap and glare everywhere

[@st3v3murray]

I'm curious if the two lights were aligned the same in the brightness test - was the Nilight aimed lower than the Baja Designs? I'm sure you looked at it, but I'm always curious. S-

[@RevereOverland]

Aligned as best I could!

[@bugoutjeep8065]

Great comparison. I'm pretty sure the reason the Baja was hotter, was due to the LEDs actually drawing the actual wattage, but maybe not. I've bought so many cheap lights and they are all better than expected and make sense economically and I've got so many vehicles and equipment that I can find a use for most lights, but there's certainly something to be said about quality and these high end pod lights, imo, should be compared to some of the cheaper light bars. As I've been playing with lights, I've realized it's more of a system than anything. Stratospheres of lights and a bit of redundancy are great things and if you run a lot of layers of light, quality and size start to matter and this is a 3D game, in front, behind, sides, etc. And it's vehicle/mission specific. On my truck, with less easy mounting points (and less tight turns off-road) I'd rather have some high quality pods above the headlights, cheap rail near headlight height and high quality fog amber pods mounted low. On my Jeep with rack, I can get away with cheap bars (mounted just about anywhere there seems to be a screw hole) and high quality amber fogs mounted low (still saving up though). I've got a preference and it's not what I currently buy, the cheap stuff still makes economic sense for most of us, but I'll eventually add in high quality lights strategically. Keep up the great work. Would love to meet up sometime on the trail, though you guys go harder than I've probably got the skills/nerve for.

[@eladionunez2032]

I would use The chepa ones on my klr650 and the baja designs on my xr650r. I would be happy with both On the right machine.

[@eladionunez2032]

Oh and by the way I ran th he cheap ones on my klr for 2 years with no problems whatsoever. Just use loctite. And I did appreciate the super wide flood angle gave me some piece of mind when riding in deer territory could see 180° easily. But on a fast serious offroad dirtbike I would invest in the Bajas. Distance is key. Great video.

[@NYTROeast]

The different in the spot light could be with in the light angle / adjustment