Flood vs. Spot Light Bars

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The first question we ask when someone needs a light bar is "do you need spot or flood?" Below, we're listing the differences between the two, what each type is better suited for, and our recommendations for light bar styles.

1. Flood

Flood light bars disperse light in a wide, flat pattern. You'll get more side-to-side coverage with flood lights, and less distance coverage. The difference is in the lens: flood light lenses are smaller and shaped differently than spot and allow the light from the LED chip to travel at a wider angle.

These types are best suited for seeing into the ditches at night, or lighting up a broad area on a work site, field, etc.

Performance's R-Series are the best option if you need a flood light bar. They're a reliable, all-purpose bar, perfect for trails and off-roading so you can see all around you.

2. Spot

Spot light bars have a bright, concentrated beam of light that shines long distances. The light is focused on the road or path, without the ditch coverage of the flood light bars. Spot light lenses are larger and thicker to magnify the light and focus it.

These types of light bars enable you to see further down the road, lighting up obstructions, animals, etc.

The F-Series is the best option if you're needing a far, focused beam of light. This series comes in straight or curved, and has a higher wattage LED chip for brighter, more powerful light.

3. Combo/Convertible

Combo light bars feature the best of both spot and flood. The outer sections of light is flood for ditch coverage, while the inner sections of the light bar are more focused and shine long distances.

Performance's X-Series are the best light bars we offer with 7 W LED chips and a limited lifetime guarantee. They're a powerful combo light bar, but the sections can also be converted to spot or flood to suit your application. The XS-Series is the single-row version of this light bar, with the exact same chip and features and slimmer profile.

The lenses on the spot and flood sections of the X-Series are the same, but the flood sections have a panel in front that disperses the light. This means that you can put flood panels on your entire light bar, part of your light bar, or leave them out entirely.