SAE Fog Light Shootout: Diode Dynamics vs. Baja Designs

[@Ram-vt3rm]

Great video. Very informative, professional and respectful.

[@diodedynamics]

Much appreciated! We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrZakclyde]

Great video. I often shop around looking at Baja Designs products for my motorcycle. I currently have Denali lights, and Diode Dynamics wasn’t even on my radar. I can really appreciate a company that can put out a video with all the facts and doesn’t have to bash the other company. I just ordered a set of SS3 sport SAE fog lights that will also act as conspicuity lighting on my motorcycle. I can’t wait to see how they do.

[@diodedynamics]

That's awesome to hear! Thanks for the positive feedback!

[@ocratitude]

I've been using diode dynamic bulbs for a few years now on multiple vehicles. I absolutely love the fog pods in my crosstrek, perfect for watching for deer on country roads. It's really nice to see the confidence DD has in their products.

[@brandonvanhorn5898]

I've had the pro yellow's for almost a year on my tacoma, and this definitely was your leading competitor in my research. Came down to beam dispersion for me, and I absolutely love them. No regrets, but would love to see the that warranty increase when new technology allows for it. 😎 Nice to a respectful comparison directly from Diode. Cheers

[@choicemojave6655]

As always, great video. A masterclass in comparison … thorough and respectful. This approach really gives DD credibility in the crowded market. Recognition to your marketing department 👍🏼. Your efforts are appreciated. Would you please consider making your lights look more traditional/ old school? 🙏🏼

[@Jeff-501]

Love my diode dynamics SS3 on the F250. Recommend 100%

[@cpftank09]

For me it’s always been about the width, even intensity across the width and the ability to melt snow which is why I’ve stuck with Pro and Max Yellow. The 4Bangers are also a phenomenal product as well, but they sacrifice width for intensity. Each have their own place and everyone has their preferences. Can’t go wrong with any of these products.

[@diodedynamics]

Thanks for the feedback! We appreciate the Support!

[@andrewjohnlozicajr66]

Being Biased is subjective. I personally feel that D.D. has the better product. Not only offering a price point for all consumers but also not bashing B.D. Having the optional back light is a nice touch as well. The wider and more powerful output in the Max is a no brainer for me. Honestly, a 8 year warranty is without a doubt, a great warranty as well. This video solidified not only my purchase of the SS 3 Max but my bumper choice as well. Having the ability to use factory mounting options when so many aftermarket bumpers have this size of cutout for the foglights. Motometal lost a sale due to them forcing you buy BD as thier cutouts and mounting points are designed for this smaller fog light. However, DD has factory mounting options for the Rubicon, Saharah and more. Also, they solidified a HiLine Fender Light purchase from American Adventure Labs and upon seeing there video on the 2nd Gen Light and finding out they worked directly with DD to design this Light. Thank you DD for working with other companies to help produce quality products such as what American Adventure Lab does and are still Proufly MADE IN THE USA!

[@diodedynamics]

Thank you for the support! We appreciate the positive feedback!

[@nibbsie7875]

I have 3 pairs of the max and love them! Cant beat the brightness with the SAE pattern! I have had a brand new baja light fail, which they replaced, and a second one after about 3 years.

[@Sptsmn700]

Love my ss3 max’s. Waiting for the ss3 lasers to come out for A pillar hyper spot.

[@SpookyMontero]

Both are great everyone has their own preference.

[@Imagination_Station2224]

I’ve always loved Diode Dynamics products. Have been using them for the last 6-ish years. Now I have a set of DD SS3 Max Yellow fogs (that I purchased on Black Friday in 2022 to soften the blow to my wallet) waiting to go on my 1500 Ram and can’t wait to throw em on and see just how incredible they are in person!

[@diodedynamics]

Awesome! We can't wait for you to enjoy them!

[@jeffmccartney3457]

I have the white SS3 Max SAE Fogs in my Gladiator. While i love the heck out of them and they are super bright, I can't run them on the road. Every passing car bright lights me because of the light spread. This fog output pattern needs more fine tuning and better cuttoff. If you did the SS3 Max with more of a sharper cuttoff that would be awesome. Unless i point these things directly at the ground i'm getting bright lighted and have started looking for alternatives even though i don't want to.

[@diodedynamics]

We highly recommend watching this video provided below, showing how to aim your fog lights, to ensure you have them aimed properly. If done correctly, you should not have anyone flashing their high beams at you. The cutoff of these lights are very sharp and are SAE/DOT compliant. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pma1iaRobb-Cj9E

[@jeffmccartney3457]

@@diodedynamics easier said then done with the mounting arrangement and how it’s setup on the Jeep gladiator. There’s barely any room for adjustment. If you did the adjustment screw like on the elite it would have been nice. What I’m saying is the elite is similar to the ss3 sport. Just wish you did the output also that’s similar to the max’s

[@diodedynamics]

@@jeffmccartney3457 In a perfect world, we would absolutely keep the same output pattern while increasing the intensity. However, due to the different surface areas of different intensity LED chips, this unfortunately cannot be the case. The Sport LED chips have the smallest surface area, allowing us to aim a smaller point in a very precise beam pattern, while the Max LED chip surface area is a bit bigger, making for a slightly larger output pattern. If you would like assistance with aiming your fog lights, you can also give us a call at 314-205-3033 Monday-Friday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. CST, or shoot us an email at [e-mail], and our in-house US service team would be happy to help you with that!

[@diodedynamics]

@@yottooverland Your Fog lights should not overpower your headlights. They are simply for better visibility in bad weather as well as a more wide beam pattern than your headlights to see more on the sides of you. We have a video showing how to aim your fog lights properly to get the best use out of them! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pma1iaRobb-Cj9E

[@stevemckibben1201]

​@@diodedynamicsby bad weather you mean fog or rain as they simply do Not work well while driving in freezing snowing conditions and will fade quite quickly as the snow packs the lenses. For freezing snowing conditions you need halogens or significant heat to melt snow and ice from any lens and the colder and heavier the snow the hotter those lenses need to be just to keep up and there is not a single led fog light made that does this job adequately for serious road driving in heavy snow storms. OTR or BC Mtn Trailing

[@socalpaul487]

Very happy with my SS3 Pro fog lights. I was able to adapt one of the Tacoma mounts to my 2006 1st Gen Tundra, but it would really be nice if you would make an actual mounting kit for the 1st Gen Tundra.

[@diodedynamics]

That's great! We can absolutely pass that along to our team for future consideration!

[@dannyschreckengost1973]

Just got SS3 sports in amber for my tacoma! And i also got diode license plate lights. DD for life!

[@Anthony-kd5ku]

With the pro Yellow/amber backlit the output is amazing. Love them in my high country.

[@diodedynamics]

Thanks for the support! 💪💪

[@FloridaSoundsGood]

Bravo for making this. 👏

[@diodedynamics]

Thank you for the support! 💪

[@J.Young808]

I have to purchase the mounting brackets and wiring for my Tacoma since I bought the SS3 SAE Max amber for a Subaru Crosstrek and never got that car, nor installed them in my 2005 Outback XT.

[@LnWilliams]

Bravo. Seriously amazing information and solid comparison. I cannot believe the difference in candela between the white and yellow Max.

[@diodedynamics]

The Max Yellow Fog is truly designed for any conditions with bad visibility, and in these conditions, the most output possible is not necessarily the best option. Thanks for watching!

[@Nicholas-db5sl]

The DD Amber backlight is absolutely gorgeous. I have the DD SS1 pod SAE fogs fitted to my Ford Ranger’s Bull-Bar. Together with the SS3 Ditch lights, that sport the same colour Amber Backlight, then my truck at night looks Amazing. Highly recommended.

[@kylebrott4484]

I have the backlit ss3 fog lights and love them. And install is easy

[@GhettoFabulous670]

I like how the Baja designs look, from the housing, to the lens etc. But I can't pay for that price when DD has a proven light work and for a cheaper price. So I bought the ss3 sport for my ditch lights, and I love it! Even the wiring harness was thick and high quality.

[@diodedynamics]

Thanks for sharing! We're glad to hear you love them!

[@texasgrillchef8581]

It’s nice someone makes SAE DOT approved fog lights. But what’s interesting, at least in the three states I have been in. The police have never questioned anyone on their fog lights, not when inspections were at one time required were they ever an issue. So wondering why it even matters.

[@diodedynamics]

In some states, regulations are a bit more restricted on aftermarket modification, so we wanted to make a product that all customers in all 50 states can use without any trouble!

[@lanix17]

I love my SS3 Max. I mainly use them off road and when they go on God wonders who turned on the lights early. (I may have them pointed up a bit 😅)

[@robertng135]

I love my DD SS3 fog pocket pro driving lights. But I really want the SS3 Max sae fogs. Do you make a mount kit for a 2020 Silverado 1500 so I can move the driving lights to the hood?

[@diodedynamics]

To get the correct setup you're looking for while saving money, you can opt to order a pair of SS3 White Max Combos (assuming you went for the white fog pocket option), then simply replace the optic from your current Pro fog to the max and vice versa. Sadly we do not make the brackets for the 2020 Silverado 1500 at this time, however you can get another brand bracket and mount our lights on them! I'll link the Max Pods below for you! www.diodedynamics.com/stage-series-3-sae-white-max-led-pod-pair.html

[@chriswilke]

I have a 2015 2500 Chevrolet silverado. Will these fit with your mount in the opening before my transmission cooler? The vertical space is 4 1/2 inches.

[@diodedynamics]

It may require you mount them with our Universal mounts, however they should fit in that space!

[@nate61989]

I have the SS3 max fog lights in selective yellow. Light output is amazing, no complaints there, I absolutely love them. My only pet peeve is that I was hoping they would match the color of my Baja designs light bar much better than they do. The lens cover on the Baja is yellow, and online, even in this video, the selective yellow housing on the Diode Dynamics appears much more yellow than it is in person, the ones I got actually appear closer to the orange “amber” color than they do to the selective yellow color, so that’s pretty disappointing, wouldn’t have bought them and would have originally gone with Baja had I known. Other than that I love them but will probably end up switching to Baja so the front end lighting of the truck doesn’t look weird. Can Diode please make a more yellow lens housing available on your pods and light bars? That’s the only reason I went with Baja light bars over Diode Dynamics lol (yellow matches the truck, orange and amber do not)

[@diodedynamics]

Hey there! If the color of the optic is your concern, you can easily swap to our Pro Yellow Fogs! Since the chip used in the Max pods only come in a cool white, the darker yellow (amber) optic is needed to counter the cool white to achieve a selective yellow beam color. As far as output goes, you can certainly swap the optic from the max yellow to a yellow fog optic used in both the Sport and Pro models, to get very close to the output color of the Baja Lightbar you have! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

[@417hatchimitsu]

Do you guys have anything that is more universal as I am planning on putting it on X164. Vehicle came without fog lights so wanting to add one but not much market for this vehicle.

[@diodedynamics]

We do offer a universal mounting solution that you can secure any way you see fit! Check them out in the link below: www.diodedynamics.com/products/led-off-road-lights/led-pods/ss3/standard-bezel.html

[@superdutyzack]

Is it true that if I run a clear lens on the amber pods, I’ll get a warm white color?

[@diodedynamics]

That is true, yes!

[@superdutyzack]

@@diodedynamics is it like a 5000k look, or is it warmer?

[@diodedynamics]

@@superdutyzack We haven't done exact measurements, since this is not a product we offer on the website, however it comes out to about 4800k!

[@avoverlandsupply]

nicely done!

[@markglosser4266]

Do you offer a ‘plug n play’ pair for a 2022 Sprinter to replace factory fogz?

[@thechappie]

I need them for my sprinter as well!!

[@diodedynamics]

We'll be sure to pass it down to our team for future consideration!

[@SPARTAN-107]

I can vouch for these, my DD Max's are a step above my rigid fog lights in every way.

[@diodedynamics]

We appreciate the support!

[@tacomanetwork]

I’ll stick with my BD 2nd Gen for my 3rd Gen Tacoma. They’re solid IMO

[@drj2162]

WHAT IS THE WAVELENGTH OF THE DIODE MAX SAE FOG YELLOW?

[@diodedynamics]

If you are looking for the nanometers, yellow light sits around 570-580nm. All of our yellow Stage Series Pods are 3000k on the Kelvin scale!

[@ianpaddick2003]

You need a 6” one for the tundra like Baja has ! Your 6” fogs have all the issues you say you don’t want!

[@diodedynamics]

We'll be sure to pass the recommendation along to our engineering team for future consideration! 👍

[@JuskoLord247]

Which one gives brighter lighting? The amber ones or the white ones with the amber cover?

[@diodedynamics]

It all depends on your application, and what other lighting you currently have! Yellow will seem less intense, however will provide better depth perception and visibility in bad weather. If you put a yellow cover over a white pod, the output color will be more of a lime green tint. It comes down to personal preference!

[@dmitrisafonov6976]

Can your fog light be mounted vertically, and to spin the lense 90 degrees to correct the beam?

[@diodedynamics]

Unfortunately, they cannot. The pods can be mounted upside down however!

[@712jimenez]

Im running both the white & amber SS3 Max fog lights on my truck. If you want the Best you have to pay to play.

[@diodedynamics]

Thanks for the support! 🤘

[@wayned3137]

Diode dynamic is nice but just won’t fit in my c4 bumper.

[@diodedynamics]

We've seen several customers run our lights in their C4 bumpers! What vehicle and bumper do you have, and what lights are you looking to install?

[@wayned3137]

@@diodedynamics Thanks for the response. I have 21 tundra C4 overland bumper with metal plates. I know that the DD light will fit the hybrid bumper but overland series only has a 3 inch cutout so I had to go with Baja design.

[@diodedynamics]

@@wayned3137 Fair enough! You could still mount our SS3 pods in that 3" cutout for future reference! 😉 Our 30" lightbar is also the right size cutout with the Overland Series if you have that!

[@I5ZQ8]

Man but the bajas have a dual pod mounting kit for my truck tho 😅

[@diodedynamics]

What year make and model do you drive?

[@I5ZQ8]

​@@diodedynamics2014 chevy silverado 1500

[@UnitedStatesFBI]

release fog lights for mazda or adapter to fit elite fog lamps into mazda

[@diodedynamics]

We can pass that along to our engineering team!

[@canyonoverland5003]

I have an ARB bumper on my 2019 Toyota Tacoma. If there's way to remove the ARB's stock fog lights and mount your fog lights, you have my business.

[@diodedynamics]

There's always a way! You can simply remove the ARB Fogs, Drill a hole to mount the pods from the top, and use our H11 to DT adapter harness to keep factory functions! Here is a link to the pods and harness: SS3 angled Bezel SS3 pods: www.diodedynamics.com/products/led-off-road-lights/led-pods/ss3/angled.html H11 Adapter Harness: www.diodedynamics.com/deutsch-dt-adapter-wires-w-backlight-tap-pair.html

[@thepab3072]

On the fence between the fog SS3 pro white and the fog SS3 Max white. Going to use them to keep thing legal cause I have yellow LED bulbs in my low and high beams. My local law says I need SAE white lights so I'm going to run them when ever I see cops or need more lights. The all yellow LED bulbs set up is amazing, seriously don't understand why they don't make it legal. I don't blind people even tho the S-V4 bulbs are super bright and I see better in all weather. Too bad Diode Dynamic don't make powerful yellow LED bulbs (H11/H09) cause I would have bought them.

[@jakelish]

No 4bangers?

[@WheelProsCollection]

How does Morimoto compare?

[@Kaezox]

Black Friday Deals 2023?

[@diodedynamics]

Stay tuned to our social media channels for the latest upcoming updates! 😉

[@carlosdiaz486]

How come the Morimoto 4Bangers are not compared in a SAE shootout?

[@dannyrivera9865]

Cuz they’d probably win.

[@patriotfighter331]

Made in 🇺🇸

[@travismorgan3252]

No 4bangers?!!!

[@adrenalist_media4341]

What’s a 4Banger

[@travismorgan3252]

@@adrenalist_media4341 the Morimoto competitor product that would win this shoot out

[@contagiousingenuityagency5273]

​@@adrenalist_media4341Morimoto 4Banger - their direct competitor, search it up

[@kuntsniffer9437]

I bought some Baja Designs ones for my wife’s 4runner with the assumption they were made in USA from online research, when they came in I couldn’t find the country of origin, I then pulled back a sticker they put on the box covering up they were made in Mexico. I will be buying the Diode Dynamics lights for my 4Runner, I don’t know the warranty was less though, can you buy the LED’s to replace these when they go bad without buying a new set of lights?

[@diodedynamics]

Hey there! While Baja does offer a lifetime warranty, it is limited, and is often declined. Here at Diode Dynamics, while we only offer an 8-year warranty on our pods, it is a full warranty. If anything goes wrong in those 8 years, a 2-minute phone call is all it takes to get a new pod sent your way! We send out the new pods with a return label as well to make the exchange as painless as possible for you, in the unlikely event that we need to initiate a warranty claim!