ARB Intensity IQ Driving Lights: What Do You Get for $2,000?

Most driving lights do one thing. You pick spot or combo when you buy them, bolt them to the bar, and live with that beam pattern. ARB’s Intensity IQ takes a different approach: each 9-inch lamp has four separate sets of optics, and you choose how much each one contributes, either with a switch in the cab or from a phone app.

At around US$1,850 to $2,000 a pair, it’s one of the most expensive round driving lights you can buy. Here’s what the specs say, what the lumen numbers actually mean, and who should pay for the flexibility.

Four optics in one housing

Each lamp combines four optic types, using 31 Cree LEDs in total:

Super Spot: the long-range pencil beam, for seeing far down a straight road.
Spot: a slightly wider long-range beam.
Midrange: a parabolic reflector that lights the zone between the near field and the distance.
Flood: a wide spread for the foreground and the edges of a track.

The physical controller gives you up to eight preset combinations. In the app you can set the brightness of each optic across 20 levels and save your own patterns. So on an open highway you might run mostly spot, and on a winding forest track switch to mostly flood and midrange so you can see the corners instead of the trees 1km away.

Key specs

Spec	ARB Intensity IQ
Size	9-inch round
Light source	31 Cree LEDs, four optic types
Output	14,060 lm raw / 6,666 lm effective
Reach	1,350m to 1 lux
Colour temperature	6,200K
Power	170W, 12.9A at 13.2V (as listed by ARB)
Operating voltage	11–32V
Protection	IP68, polycarbonate lens, die-cast aluminium body
Weight	3.8kg
Warranty	3 years
Price	A$2,154 a pair in Australia; around US$1,850–2,000 a pair in the US

Raw lumens vs effective lumens

This is worth understanding before you compare lights. Raw lumens is what the LEDs produce on paper. Effective lumens is what actually leaves the lamp after losses in the optics, lens and heat. ARB quotes both: 14,060 raw and 6,666 effective. A lot of cheaper lights only advertise the raw number, which makes them look brighter than they are. When you compare, line up effective with effective.

The other useful figure is distance to 1 lux, which is roughly the brightness of full moonlight on the ground. The Intensity IQ reaches 1 lux at 1,350m. For context, that’s long-range territory, so this isn’t a light that gives up distance to get its flexibility.

Power draw and wiring

ARB lists 170W and 12.9A at 13.2V. If that’s per lamp, a pair pulls about 26A with everything on, which is a meaningful load. ARB sells the lights as a pair with a harness, and the harness is the right way to wire them, through a relay and a properly rated fuse rather than tapping into an existing circuit. If you run a lot of accessories, check that your alternator and wiring can handle the extra load, especially if you also run a fridge and a DC-DC charger. Our guide to sizing a 12V power system covers how to add up those loads.

Is the flexibility worth the money?

For most people driving at night a few times a year, no. A good fixed-pattern combo light costs a fraction of the price and does a decent job everywhere.

The Intensity IQ starts to make sense if you regularly drive at night on very different roads, say long highway stretches followed by tight forest or mountain tracks, and you’ve been frustrated that your current lights are either too narrow or too wide. Being able to change the pattern on the move is genuinely useful there. The IP68 rating, aluminium body and three-year warranty also matter if the lights live on a bull bar and take rocks and pressure washing.

One more thing to check before buying: rules on auxiliary driving lights vary by country and state. In many places they may only be used together with high beam and must switch off with it. Check your local regulations.

Quick answers

How bright is the ARB Intensity IQ?

ARB lists 14,060 raw lumens and 6,666 effective lumens per lamp, with a reach of 1,350m to 1 lux.

Can you change the beam pattern?

Yes. Each lamp has Super Spot, Spot, Midrange and Flood optics. You can switch between up to eight presets with the controller, or adjust each optic across 20 brightness levels in the app.

How much does the ARB Intensity IQ cost?

About US$1,850 to $2,000 for a pair with harness in the US, and A$2,154 in Australia.

Sources

We haven’t tested the Intensity IQ. This article is based on ARB’s published specifications and retailer pricing, which can change.

Featured photo: 4Wheelhouse on Unsplash. The lights shown are not ARB Intensity IQ lamps.