RIP OFF OR NOT? THE L.E.D WAR THAT ROCKED THE WORLD

By Evan Spence 7 Min Read

Ever since I can remember, Lightforce has been the innovator and the gold-standard of 4X4 auxiliary lighting. They’ve always been some of the best-looking, brightest, and most-durable on the market. If you wanted a fair-dinkum set of spotties – you could never go wrong with a set from Lightforce. Plus they had always been Aussie-made, wearing the mark of the proud Skippy.

But two years ago, ARB caught them asleep at the wheel with the launch of their innovative high-end Intensity light. You see, ARB had a problem that was shared with most 4X4 tourers. LED technology was bright, energy-efficient, and durable – but the form factor of how it was delivered, usually by way of a light bar, didn’t exactly fit well into your standard bull bar. Seeing room for innovation, ARB worked with American off-road LED lighting pioneer Rigid Industries to put high-tech LED technology into a more familiar shape. The ensuing product took the high-end lighting world by storm, firmly planting it in people’s minds as the light to have.

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Even though Lightforce’s competing Genesis HID put more light further down the track, at a more affordable price, the crowds had spoken: LED was in, and almost everything else was out. It wasn’t until a few months ago, almost two years after ARB launched the Intensity, that Lightforce launched a competing range of LED products.

The Copycat
Lightforce has always made a fantastic product. The issue here though is that the Lightforce LED215 bears more than just a passing resemblance to the ARB Intensity. The striking similarity begs you to ask the question:
“Is it a direct copy?”

No other major aftermarket lighting company has produced an LED light that looks even remotely similar to the Intensity, likely because they are not blind. They’ve all put their own engineering prowess and design considerations into their own unique products. Hella’s LED offering looks nothing like ARB’s, nor does Peak’s offering, or Narva’s, or Xray Vision’s lights.

The two share an almost identical LED array, a similarly-styled bolt-on front cover, a waterproof connector made by the same company, and a remarkably similar stainless steel mount. You’d even be forgiven for thinking the light’s heat sink is exactly the same. Sure, the colour is different, but in my opinion, everything is way too similar.

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There are some changes, but that’s something I can’t help but think was instigated more by the legal team than the engineering team. Take one quick look and you’ll understand why we have reason to believe that both companies have been in legal discussions about the similarities of the Lightforce product.

Is it a Knock-off of a Knock-off?
Months after the ARB Intensity was launched, Chinese factories (namely those located near Guangzhou) started pumping out knock-off versions of the Intensity. As demand increased, frankly the quality of the product increased. While it never quite reached the quality you’d expect from a well-known manufacturer, it certainly made a statement that said: “we could manufacture your lights.”

Our suspicion is that one of those factories is now producing the LED215.

When we asked Lightforce if the LED215 was designed ‘from the ground up’ by their team, or if changes were made to an existing light produced by their selected manufacturer, Lightforce’s response was that they “selected a business partner who we knew would be able to interpret our design improvements, and work with us to create the best light for our end customers…” The very fact that they’re talking about improvements seems to confirm our suspicions.

At the end of the day, China is the leader in technology manufacturing, and even Apple outsources production of the iPhone to Foxconn, a completely different company. So it’s not always a bad thing from a quality standpoint. That being said, Lightforce has built their reputation on Aussie-made products, so it’s a bit unsettling to see the iconic Australian brand shift manufacturing overseas for their high-end product range.

What’s Different?
Lightforce added four separately switched daytime running lights at the edges of the LED light array to give the LED215 a cool, modern look around town. Mounting filters to the Lightforce is also much easier than with the ARB Intensity. Lightforce claims a higher light output at longer distances, but we’ve found the ARB to be much brighter at the distances that matter, usually between 100-200 meters.

The Real Knock-offs
Setting design similarities aside, ARB and Lightforce both make a great product. The real knock-offs here are the lights that use subpar components, little if any weather sealing, and undesirable materials. They lack the high quality construction of both the Lightforce and the ARB, have ZERO backup if they were to fail, not to mention that they’re all show and no go –they don’t perform. One particular light has copied the ARB so effectively, they’ve even ripped-off their logo. We reached out to ARB for comment on the rumour that these lights are so similar they’re actually the same light…made in the same factory. They assured us there’s no truth to that, as the ARB Intensity is manufactured in the United States, and the knock-offs are made – as you might have guessed – in China.

Words by Matt Scott


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