Being able to see what’s in front of, behind, and to the side of you is never more crucial than while driving off-road. Well, aside from maybe photographing great white sharks without the protection of a cage. But when it comes to potentially dangerous activities on land, off-roading can quickly become incredibly dangerous if you’re not able to see the trail around you.
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What’s particularly neat is the Intensity IQ is four lights in one. ARB says that thousands of beam patterns are available from four different included optic types—Super Spot, Spot, Flood, and Midrange. The Super Spot and Spot optic have an evenly dispersed beam for illuminating everything in the distance, with the former reaching especially far. The Flood model maximizes light spread to light up your foreground, and finally, the Midrange optic uses a parabolic reflector to illuminate the area in between.
Boosting the IQ’s customizability are eight preset lighting configurations for whatever illuminating task is at-hand, which is switchable via a physical controller or by smartphone app. Or, arrange your light pattern entirely to your own liking.
The units themselves are built to a high standard and feature polycarbonate glass that will stand up to the elements, as well as resist impacts from rocks, gravel, and anything else that could put them out of commission.
Finally, the effective output of each type is quite good. The Flood puts out as much as 6,666 lumens, while the Spot lays down 6,613. As far as outright raw light output, the Spot is rated at 7,070 lumens max, and the Flood hits as much as 14,060 max.
These lights are a tremendous step forward for off-road illumination as they take the best technology that LED lighting currently has to offer and concentrates it into an effective, energy-saving, and customizable way to safely traverse any trail. Versatility is a crucial factor in off-road gear, and having the versatility of four lights in one saves space and simplifies anyone’s off-roading experience. They are, however, extremely expensive, even in the world of off-road lighting.
Coming in at $1,850, ARB’s Intensity IQs aren’t for the average off-roader, but for those that absolutely need the best and brightest. But when the night comes, and the land is dark, these ARBs will absolutely be the only light you see.
