Baja Designs Vs. Diode Dynamics

[TheRouteLessTraveled]

I'm debating between Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics for my roof and bumper lighting...

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-XL-Linkable-Kits.asp

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-Roof-Bar-Kits.asp

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-windshield-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-grille-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

I am not interested in Rigid, KC, or any other option except Baja and Diode Dynamics as they are the only true US-based brands at the present time sourcing as many components they can from the US and assembled in the US.

Which kit or brand do you prefer? Why?

Cheers,
Kenny

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[@BadBlueBronco]

I went with diode dynamics and I am very pleased. quality is amazing and I felt the cost was best.

 

[j_marinelli]

I'm debating between Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics for my roof and bumper lighting...

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-XL-Linkable-Kits.asp

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-Roof-Bar-Kits.asp

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-windshield-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-grille-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

I am not interested in Rigid, KC, or any other option except Baja and Diode Dynamics as they are the only true US-based brands at the present time sourcing as many components they can from the US and assembled in the US.

Which kit or brand do you prefer? Why?

Cheers,
Kenny

Warranties are a little different between the 2.

Baja is "Limited lifetime warranty or 49,930 hours of operation, whichever comes first "

Diode is " In addition to our standard 3 Year replacement warranty, this product carries an additional 5 years of protection against manufacturing defect, for a total of 8 years of warranty coverage. "

I have heard Baja has better lenses but Diodes lighting has higher output.

I ended up going with Diode as the pricing was a little better at the time and am very happy with the SS3 as ditch lights by my mirrors.

@4x4TruckLEDs.com can do a much better job probably explaining more differences as he offers both of their products.

 

[604Bronco]

I'm debating between Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics for my roof and bumper lighting...

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-XL-Linkable-Kits.asp

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-Roof-Bar-Kits.asp

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-windshield-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-grille-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

I am not interested in Rigid, KC, or any other option except Baja and Diode Dynamics as they are the only true US-based brands at the present time sourcing as many components they can from the US and assembled in the US.

Which kit or brand do you prefer? Why?

Cheers,
Kenny

I went with BD for my light bar and pocket lights - pics in my build thread in my signature.

I chose these due to the forum feedback being very positive, and loved the look. Very happy early days, especially with the quality and light output.

 

[TheRouteLessTraveled]

Warranties are a little different between the 2.

Baja is "Limited lifetime warranty or 49,930 hours of operation, whichever comes first "

Diode is " In addition to our standard 3 Year replacement warranty, this product carries an additional 5 years of protection against manufacturing defect, for a total of 8 years of warranty coverage. "

I have heard Baja has better lenses but Diodes lighting has higher output.

I ended up going with Diode as the pricing was a little better at the time and am very happy with the SS3 as ditch lights by my mirrors.

@4x4TruckLEDs.com can do a much better job probably explaining more differences as he offers both of their products.

I have SS3 ditch lights on my Bronco currently and fog pocket kit on order.

I've pondered about BD but can't seem to steer away from TIR optic technology that DD offers compared to BD standard lenses.

Picture pulled from here of SS5 lens:

https://www.diodedynamics.com/off-road/off-road-accessories-wiring-lens/replacement-lenses.html

Any benefit to reflector optics from BD?

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

So we're one of the biggest dealers for both brands. We stock more Diode and Baja then pretty much any dealer I've come across (i'm waiting for the day I find a dealer who stocks more then us).

So WE KNOW a thing or two about these brands.

Baja Designs has a lifetime warranty. Their annodized housings/powder coating is a lot better quality then Diode Dynamics. They also have a better pattern for off-road use I've found. It just seems to dominate more down range for off-road use. They are also more $$ then Diode Dynamics.

Diode Dynamics has an 8 year warranty. They powder coat their housings but I've found their coating is not as durable as Baja. However they have a better street legal output over Baja Designs (who's SAE is not as bright, but is intended as a "fog" light).

Diode's SAE Wide and SAE Driving are rated to be street legal and have more output over Baja Designs. They are also less $$ then Baja Designs.

Now this is a generalization when it comes to fog lights. On our demo truck we run Baja Designs XL Linkables on the roof and bumper, XL80s on the pillar and S2 on the rear. For our fogs, 3 pairs of Diode Dynamics Lights (2x SS3 Max and 1x SSC2 Flood, which we will change to a combo).

So you can see we ran the Diode for better street legal output and the Baja for 2 reasons

1) It was available months before Diodes kits
2) We prefer the build quality on the Baja Designs housings.

Now, neither company has a kit available RIGHT NOW. Meaning... you'll be on a waiting list. Baja's kits have been in the market but they are REALLY backed up over there, so you're looking at a few months to see their XL Linkable Kits.

Diode has not released their SS5 Crosslink kits yet, they are coming in March now I believe. So you're still waiting a few months.

From what we heard, the SS5 kit is supposed to be REALLY BRIGHT. It's going to be competing with the Baja Designs XL kits.


So hopefully that helps. I'm not going to be promoting the SS5 kits UNTIL we test them, because that's just not fair to our customers. We love Diode products and we love Baja products, but until I test it first-hand, I won't recommend it.

I'm SURE it's not junk and it's going to be AWESOME but i'm just being honest. I have not personally experienced it but have high hopes it's going to be a fantastic product.

If you plan to off-road, go with Baja because the powder coating and housings are higher quality.

If you want to save some money and don't plan to off-road, go with Diode Dynamics.

Or mix/match like we did. We've got our "off-road" lights and then our "street legal" lights.

BTW, everything I mentioned above is not a secret. We've been 100% open with both our Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics reps in the above. So both companies know where we stand when it comes to their brands

 

[TheRouteLessTraveled]

So we're one of the biggest dealers for both brands. We stock more Diode and Baja then pretty much any dealer I've come across (i'm waiting for the day I find a dealer who stocks more then us).

So WE KNOW a thing or two about these brands.

Baja Designs has a lifetime warranty. Their annodized housings/powder coating is a lot better quality then Diode Dynamics. They also have a better pattern for off-road use I've found. It just seems to dominate more down range for off-road use. They are also more $$ then Diode Dynamics.

Diode Dynamics has an 8 year warranty. They powder coat their housings but I've found their coating is not as durable as Baja. However they have a better street legal output over Baja Designs (who's SAE is not as bright, but is intended as a "fog" light).

Diode's SAE Wide and SAE Driving are rated to be street legal and have more output over Baja Designs. They are also less $$ then Baja Designs.

Now this is a generalization when it comes to fog lights. On our demo truck we run Baja Designs XL Linkables on the roof and bumper, XL80s on the pillar and S2 on the rear. For our fogs, 3 pairs of Diode Dynamics Lights (2x SS3 Max and 1x SSC2 Flood, which we will change to a combo).

So you can see we ran the Diode for better street legal output and the Baja for 2 reasons

1) It was available months before Diodes kits
2) We prefer the build quality on the Baja Designs housings.

Now, neither company has a kit available RIGHT NOW. Meaning... you'll be on a waiting list. Baja's kits have been in the market but they are REALLY backed up over there, so you're looking at a few months to see their XL Linkable Kits.

Diode has not released their SS5 Crosslink kits yet, they are coming in March now I believe. So you're still waiting a few months.

From what we heard, the SS5 kit is supposed to be REALLY BRIGHT. It's going to be competing with the Baja Designs XL kits.


So hopefully that helps. I'm not going to be promoting the SS5 kits UNTIL we test them, because that's just not fair to our customers. We love Diode products and we love Baja products, but until I test it first-hand, I won't recommend it.

I'm SURE it's not junk and it's going to be AWESOME but i'm just being honest. I have not personally experienced it but have high hopes it's going to be a fantastic product.

If you plan to off-road, go with Baja because the powder coating and housings are higher quality.

If you want to save some money and don't plan to off-road, go with Diode Dynamics.

Or mix/match like we did. We've got our "off-road" lights and then our "street legal" lights.

BTW, everything I mentioned above is not a secret. We've been 100% open with both our Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics reps in the above. So both companies know where we stand when it comes to their brands

Thank you for the extensive feedback @4x4TruckLEDs.com

The only thing I disagree with is the finish of BD vs DD. I owned BD before DD entered the market and found their pods being anodized fade over time compared to DD powder-coated finish withstanding several drops during the installation process (clumsy me).

 

[BUDXR7]

Good lord. Is the stadium lighting really necessary? Roof, windshield, bumper + headlights? I may be ignorant but what scenario requires this amount of lumens? Seems overkill unless your signaling Batman.

 

[4x4TruckLEDs.com]

Thank you for the extensive feedback @4x4TruckLEDs.com

The only thing I disagree with is the finish of BD vs DD. I owned BD before DD entered the market and found their pods being anodized fade over time compared to DD powder-coated finish withstanding several drops during the installation process (clumsy me).

Yes years ago I had the same issue with the BD lights bezels fading over time. However they've made changes over the last year or two to their finishing and it's supposed to be better.

I'll take photos of my XL80 on my Raptor tomorrow, as those have been on there about 2 years now and are not fading.

 

[Baja Designs]

Hey guys,

Appreciate the input and the conversation. I am sure you will consider any input from us to be a bit biased (I genuinely feel our build quality and off-road performance is top tier, in case you are wondering) but I am more than happy to chime in if you guys have specific questions.

I will weigh in on a couple things mentioned in the thread. Our warranty service is as true to a lifetime warranty as you will find anywhere. We take a lot of pride in our build quality and performance, so if you ever have an issue, we will make sure you end up 100% satisfied.

Anodized coating has been a struggle over the years, as it is one of the few compnents that we cannot directly QC before leaving the shop. We have had a few bad batches of UV ano coating over the years. It looks nice and black when it leaves the shop, and doesn't begin to fade until well after it has been installed. We have since remedied that on many of our products, and are working on implementing a new coating on the few remaining products that are affected. The Squadron and XL bezels that have been most affected historically have already been switched over to powder coat. That said, we cover any faulty coatings under our warranty policy, in case anyone currently has an issue.

Check out our Science of Lighting page and Lighting Zone tutorials to see features and support that we offer that help set us apart from the rest of the pack of imitators and clones

 

[JoeSpeed]

Im doing diode fogs and then Baja A Pillars, not sure about a roof setup though

 

[JohnnyX]

Went with Baja Designs across the board... read a lot of reviews... I'm happy so far...

 

[TroutHunter]

Went with Baja Designs across the board... read a lot of reviews... I'm happy so far...

I like the look of the Baja Designs a lot. For the front driving, wide/cornering, and spot...did you use three of your upfitter/aux switches to control each of the sets separately? I am curious which switches (numbers) you used, if so. If you didn't use the upfitters, what did you use for switching?

 

[Bronco21fan]

I'm debating between Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics for my roof and bumper lighting...

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-XL-Linkable-Kits.asp

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Ford-Bronco-21-On-Roof-Bar-Kits.asp

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-windshield-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss5-grille-crosslink-lightbar-kit-for-2021-ford-bronco.html

I am not interested in Rigid, KC, or any other option except Baja and Diode Dynamics as they are the only true US-based brands at the present time sourcing as many components they can from the US and assembled in the US.

Which kit or brand do you prefer? Why?

Cheers,
Kenny

I’m debating the same as you leaning towards Baja design s but can’t get over the damn price I might wait for a holiday sale

 

[Bronco21fan]

So we're one of the biggest dealers for both brands. We stock more Diode and Baja then pretty much any dealer I've come across (i'm waiting for the day I find a dealer who stocks more then us).

So WE KNOW a thing or two about these brands.

Baja Designs has a lifetime warranty. Their annodized housings/powder coating is a lot better quality then Diode Dynamics. They also have a better pattern for off-road use I've found. It just seems to dominate more down range for off-road use. They are also more $$ then Diode Dynamics.

Diode Dynamics has an 8 year warranty. They powder coat their housings but I've found their coating is not as durable as Baja. However they have a better street legal output over Baja Designs (who's SAE is not as bright, but is intended as a "fog" light).

Diode's SAE Wide and SAE Driving are rated to be street legal and have more output over Baja Designs. They are also less $$ then Baja Designs.

Now this is a generalization when it comes to fog lights. On our demo truck we run Baja Designs XL Linkables on the roof and bumper, XL80s on the pillar and S2 on the rear. For our fogs, 3 pairs of Diode Dynamics Lights (2x SS3 Max and 1x SSC2 Flood, which we will change to a combo).

So you can see we ran the Diode for better street legal output and the Baja for 2 reasons

1) It was available months before Diodes kits
2) We prefer the build quality on the Baja Designs housings.

Now, neither company has a kit available RIGHT NOW. Meaning... you'll be on a waiting list. Baja's kits have been in the market but they are REALLY backed up over there, so you're looking at a few months to see their XL Linkable Kits.

Diode has not released their SS5 Crosslink kits yet, they are coming in March now I believe. So you're still waiting a few months.

From what we heard, the SS5 kit is supposed to be REALLY BRIGHT. It's going to be competing with the Baja Designs XL kits.


So hopefully that helps. I'm not going to be promoting the SS5 kits UNTIL we test them, because that's just not fair to our customers. We love Diode products and we love Baja products, but until I test it first-hand, I won't recommend it.

I'm SURE it's not junk and it's going to be AWESOME but i'm just being honest. I have not personally experienced it but have high hopes it's going to be a fantastic product.

If you plan to off-road, go with Baja because the powder coating and housings are higher quality.

If you want to save some money and don't plan to off-road, go with Diode Dynamics.

Or mix/match like we did. We've got our "off-road" lights and then our "street legal" lights.

BTW, everything I mentioned above is not a secret. We've been 100% open with both our Baja Designs and Diode Dynamics reps in the above. So both companies know where we stand when it comes to their brands

Do you guys charge when order is placed or shipped 2000 is a lot of money for the xl linkables if we won’t get them for months

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