The Best LED Lights for Your Car Interior (Review) in 2020

LED lights might not be essential for how your car runs, but if you spend money and time investing in your vehicle, why not have a little fun with its interior, too? There are plenty of ways to improve how your car looks, such as upgrading the seats, buying new car mats, and refurbishing the dashboard. However, those features can set you back hundreds of dollars.

If there was a way to upgrade how your car looks and how you feel riding it for only double figures, would you be interested? If yes, there are some simple factors to have at the front of your mind so you know what you’re looking for and select the best option for your needs. 

Benefits of LED Lights for Your Car Interior

Car gimmicks can be unreliable and sometimes look tacky. Fortunately, LED lights for your car’s interior add a touch of your personality while looking different from similar models.

Picture you and your friends driving at night, and someone drops something in the back of the car, or perhaps a passenger wishes to read a book during the ride. Without switching on the car’s main interior light (which is illegal and distracting to other drivers), there’s little other light within a car’s interior. 

Fortunately, LED lights enable everyone inside of the car to see, without impacting other road users’ safety. Not to mention, the LED glow during a night drive makes your car look awesome. You can customize the colors and modes to suit the music you’re listening to or what kind of mood you’re feeling, so you never have to have a dull ride again. Plus, these products won’t drain your car’s battery or cost money to operate, so there’s really not much more than the cost of the purchase to consider.

• Changes the ambiance within your car
• Allows passengers to see rather than sitting in the dark
• Personalizes your car’s interior for a cheap price

Popular Types of LED Lights for Your Car Interior

There are two types of LED lights to choose from, and the choice is purely down to your budget or how much light you’re hoping for. You should also consider the durability you’re looking for, as some light strips are longer-lasting and made with additional features.

• LED Strips

LED strips are the most common types of LED lights for a car’s interior. These products come equipped with numerous tiny LEDs throughout the strip’s entire length. You’ll also have a wide selection of lengths and widths to choose from.

LED strips have a single-color or multi-color mode, and you can switch between the two accordingly. Strips allow you to synchronize the tempo to suit your music, and you can even dim the brightness via a remote control or Bluetooth app controller.

• LED Tubes

LED tubes appear similar to LED strips, though they are a rounder shape and the light expands around the entire tube for a brighter effect. For this reason, they stick out farther than strips, which can make them an inconvenience to some passengers. They’re also more difficult to stick down to a surface due to their protruding shape. Tubes also come with features such as synchronizing the speed to your music’s tempo, and typically come with a remote control so you can customize your color choice. 

The Most Important Features of LED Lights for Your Car Interior

LED lights are mainly purchased for a fun factor, so it’s essential they have the displays and colors you’re hoping for. But there’s also some boring stuff they must cover, including installation and power supply so they work accordingly in your car. Once you’ve matched up these features to your chosen product, you can feel more confident in making a purchase.

• Power Supply

If you’re adding lights to your car’s interior, the product will require a power supply, which can affect your car battery’s life and performance. From our selections above, you’ll discover that the most common supply is through the cigarette lighter, so ensure this is in full working order before making a purchase.

You should also consider the LED light’s voltage and check that they’re not too powerful for your car’s battery. On average, the smarter car LED strip lights will operate on 12 volts. Though there are some smaller measures, they're rare. You should also look for lengthy wires (or wireless options) that can cover the entire space you need inside of your car.

• Installation

Car LED strip lights should take less than half an hour to install, and will come with double-sided tape or velcro on the back of the lights. This way, you can quickly secure them to different materials in your car. Consider if the strips are flexible so you can move them around corners and adjust them to the spaces you wish.

A weak adhesive can make the installation process lengthy, and even unsuccessful, so look at customer reviews before making a purchase. If your product comes with a remote control, this should be self-explanatory and have the different modes, settings, and lights clearly labeled so you won’t spend hours setting up the lights.

• Colors and Modes

These are the most important features of the LED lights, since you’re purchasing them to add color to your car. Most will have a minimum of four colors—the primary ones—but some products have additional colors to choose from. You may also have various settings to choose from, so you can create a multicolor effect to create a customized shade. 

To make your car’s interior more exciting, LED lights often have various modes, including solid, flashing and more. It’s also common that the lights adjust to your music’s tempo, bass, and volume. This way, the lighting matches your music’s mood and the ambiance within the car.

Tips for Buying and Using LED Lights for Your Car Interior

Before purchasing LED lights for your car’s interior, consider the number of strips you need according to your vehicle’s size. Most light kits include four pieces, although more expensive options provide more.

Look for advanced features such as sensors so the lights automatically switch on when your music plays, after sunset, or when you open your car door. Some LED strips come with a sound-activated function, whereas others are simpler with a remote control or Bluetooth app to control the settings.

You may also wish to consider the number of LED lights in each strip. Opt for a minimum of 30; otherwise, they won’t shine super bright. If you have more than 50 LED lights per strip, they’ll be ultra-bright and glow in the dark.

• Choose a combination of thickness. Thin strips are great for sneaking into thin cracks, whereas thicker strips cover a larger surface area.
• Consider different timing settings, so you can have quicker or slower tempos, depending on your mood.
• Opt for trusted safety features such as automatic shut-off to prevent draining your battery, and waterproof and shockproof strips to remain durable.

Best LED Lights for Your Car Interior FAQ:

Once you’ve followed the steps above to discover the best LED lights for your preferences, there are still some factors to consider regarding maintenance, installation, and size. Here, we’ll cover several questions that you may want to ask yourself throughout the buying process.

Q: What length of wire do I need?

A: We recommend wires at three feet long, though this depends on how much coverage you’re looking for. Shorter wires can limit your coverage, whereas longer wires can be difficult to hide. Consider your vehicle’s size to choose accordingly.

Q: Does the weight of the lights matter?

A: Yes. Heavy, bulky strips are more prone to falling off surfaces while you turn around. However, strips with more LED lights will be brighter but heavier. As such, they should be equipped with strong adhesive tape to prevent it from falling off.

Q: Do the lights have to be water-resistant?

A: Not necessarily, if you only intend to apply the lights inside of your car. However, some users prefer this additional safety feature should you accidentally spill a drink!

Our Top Pick

We’ve chosen the OPT7 Bluetooth LED Lights Kit as the best LED lights on the market for your car’s interior. Its versatile color mixture lets you create the perfect shade for your ride. Plus, the strong adhesive tape keeps them securely attached to your car, so they don’t fall off and break.