Amber vs clear

[Baja Designs]

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Amber vs Clear

The off-road lighting age-old question: amber vs. clear lights. What is the difference, and can one color of light actually be better than the other? Let’s dive into the science behind off-road light color offerings, and figure out which is best for an off-road application.​

What is Color Temperature?

First, we need to understand how the unit of measurement of the Kelvin Scale describes the color output of light. The Kelvin scale ranges from 1000 to 12,000; the lower the Kelvin, the warmer the color temperature of the light and will typically represent yellow, orange, and red. The higher the Kelvin number, the cooler it will be and will be blue, indigo, or violet. Baja Designs lights emit 5000k, which is recognized the closest color to natural daylight. Our amber lights, or more accurately selective yellow lights, are specifically designed for off-road driving in inclement conditions and are about 3000K. We use “amber” as a generic trade term to describe the alternative to our clear offerings. Through years of racing heritage and engineering, we have found selective yellow

to be superior to a more orange hued amber color, mainly because of the greater effective lumen output.

Baja Designs Amber Wide Cornering

Baja Designs Clear Wide Cornering
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Light Spectrum

The visible light spectrum is the section of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum that is visible to the human eye. Without taking several college courses on what that means, essentially, that equates to colors the human eye can see. Each color has a different wavelength that affects how light refracts through airborne gasses; the warmer the color, the longer the wavelength, and the cooler the color, the shorter the wavelength. Each color also effects how that portion of light is perceived. Many blue light blocking products exist in optical and display systems because the human eye has difficulty registering the blue to violet hues, which can lead to fatigue. The greater perceived resolution and definition while using Amber light is main mechanism benefiting to the observer.

Amber Color

Amber color can be achieved in several ways, with the most common being a lens or light cover that white light passes through, giving the Baja Designs signature selective yellow color. The other way is starting with an amber-colored LED, such as the LEDs that can be found in our RTL. Overall, amber LEDs and bulbs do not match the lumen output of the clear emitters. The most important concept to keep in mind is that regardless of clear or amber, if the intensity is too great in the environment, oversaturation will occur, and the driver will experience a reflective glare.​

Amber does have one drawback.; Due to the color temperature of the lens, the effective lumen value of light output are reduced by a small percentage (~15%).​

Because of the decreased optical workload needed by the observer, objects in the foreground will appear sharper and more distinguishable. Subjectively speaking, many professional drivers have reported the benefits of amber hued lights for both high and low beam applications. Now amber does have one drawback.; Due to the color temperature of the lens, the effective lumen value of light output are reduced by a small percentage (~15%). The white light is going to be marginally brighter than the amber when directly compared.

Clear 

Human eyes have evolved into seeing best at noon on a sunny day, which translates to a color temperature of 5000° Kelvin, the same as our ClearView optical system. A color temperature of 5000K greatly reduces driver fatigue and increases terrain recognition when compared to a great number of our competitors’ offerings, which range from 6000-6500K. Baja Design exclusively uses 5000K LEDs on all our LED lights.  
With a clear lens, the light will project further than with an Amber lens due to its 5000k color temperature allowing more colors of light to escape. But due to the blue, Indigo, and violet rays passing through the optics there is a greater chance that the observer will experience glare, due to the reduced ability to register those colors.

Verdict

When designing the most optimal lighting package, application is the main consideration to consider. If you are aiming for high-speed open desert driving, clear and intense lights are your best option. If you are driving through inclement environments such as dust, snow, or fog, then we recommend running amber lights with dimming, or high/low capability. We don’t believe that a perfect all-around light package runs solely off of just amber or clear, but in fact, a mix of both. Thankful due to our uService you are able to swap out lenses yourself and see which is best for you.

What Is Your Lighting Zone?

The needs of every off-roader are different, so we’ve created a Lighting Zone system to help you mix and match the right products, with the right lenses, in the right places to achieve the absolute best results. We believe it’s not just about having the brightest lights, but using the right lights in the right way and all that ties into the right color temperature. A high quality and strategic lighting package will make you safer and give you that competitive edge, but it is important to understand the proper placement, power and pattern for each zone. Whether you love rock crawling and overlanding, or racing 100mph in the desert, we have lights that will perfectly illuminate each and every zone.
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[SDXLT]

Really informative write-up! Looking forward to putting some lights on my rig in the future and will find the zone system helpful

 

[mtbikernate]

more discussion about "why it works" with yellow/amber lights.

Yellow Off-Road Lights Work. Here's Why | The Drive

I would like to see the paper referenced later on in the article from one of the author's sources.

also, there's this:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...of-white-light-attracts-fewer-bugs-180977495/

 

[OFC Ranger]

Through years of racing heritage and engineering, we have found selective yellow to be superior to a more orange hued amber color, mainly because of the greater effective lumen output.​

I am not doubting what you say as you guys have vast more experience than me in such matters. However I do want to ask if you happen to have any photos or data to this point or is it more of personal preference voiced by your drivers. What is "Greater effective lumen output"? Is it like the 15% between white and yellow? Greater? Smaller? Something else?

I always feel compelled to ask for this information anytime a company takes a "we said it, so trust us" approach to a claim.

Again I am not doubting anything you are saying as I press these types of questions regardless of product or business size. Its just a personal tick of mine that is all.

 

[Baja Designs]

The Greater Effective Lumen Output means that we are trying to get the max output of lumens that we can with an amber lens. We run a “selective yellow” that will be able to achieve the max output without sacrificing any more lumens. If we go with more of an Orange hued amber, we will not be able to achieve the max lumen output that we are trying to aim for. Selective Yellow is just what works for us and what our company is trying to achieve.

 

[Peragrin]

I am not doubting what you say as you guys have vast more experience than me in such matters. However I do want to ask if you happen to have any photos or data to this point or is it more of personal preference voiced by your drivers. What is "Greater effective lumen output"? Is it like the 15% between white and yellow? Greater? Smaller? Something else?

I always feel compelled to ask for this information anytime a company takes a "we said it, so trust us" approach to a claim.

Again I am not doubting anything you are saying as I press these types of questions regardless of product or business size. Its just a personal tick of mine that is all.

My first hand experience. I was a newish driver driving in a full on snow storm, only slightly milder than what hit buffalo near christmas. (I actually grew up in that region) I could barely see, high beams (pure white light ) was worse. however I discovered that my amber turn signal flashing gave me enough visiblity along the side of the road so that I could stay right where I needed to be and to see enough to identify roads, driveways, etc. you are talking about 100' of visibility.

Since then all future cars and trucks had fog lights, and I switch them out to amber/yellow ones.

Some have been better than others, but amber always is better in weather. rain/snow/fog.
pure white light is great on clear nights.

 

[OFC Ranger]

My first hand experience. I was a newish driver driving in a full on snow storm, only slightly milder than what hit buffalo near christmas. (I actually grew up in that region) I could barely see, high beams (pure white light ) was worse. however I discovered that my amber turn signal flashing gave me enough visiblity along the side of the road so that I could stay right where I needed to be and to see enough to identify roads, driveways, etc. you are talking about 100' of visibility.

Since then all future cars and trucks had fog lights, and I switch them out to amber/yellow ones.

Some have been better than others, but amber always is better in weather. rain/snow/fog.
pure white light is great on clear nights.

I am not asking about white vs amber.

I am asking about amber vs yellow.

 

[OFC Ranger]

The Greater Effective Lumen Output means that we are trying to get the max output of lumens that we can with an amber lens. We run a “selective yellow” that will be able to achieve the max output without sacrificing any more lumens. If we go with more of an Orange hued amber, we will not be able to achieve the max lumen output that we are trying to aim for. Selective Yellow is just what works for us and what our company is trying to achieve.

But no concrete numbers? I believe you, I was just curious what the loss of lumens is like going from yellow to amber.

 

[Fawnbuster]

I prefer both as needed. True amber ( not yellow called amber) for my eyes cuts through fog and heavy snow and allows me to see depth better. White bounces off and reflects back into my eyes, the yellow lenses bounce back on me also . Worked midnight shift most of me LEO career so take it for what its worth. I have white at the moment high and low, and have amber snap on lenses for the Pillar lights if needed , I would like to put an amber led bar in my grill that has both spot and flood lenses.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I just like the classic amber look. So Lamin-X was able to scratch that itch.

With that said, I am only using my auxiliary fog equipment if weather is bad and its slow going. If I am using them I am not traveling at fast speeds at all.

 

[AdamHarris]

I am not asking about white vs amber.

I am asking about amber vs yellow.

You literally said “between white and yellow.” I’m all about being snarky but jeez.

 

[OFC Ranger]

You literally said “between white and yellow.” I’m all about being snarky but jeez.

I can't believe I am having to do this;

I quoted BD whom said:

" Through years of racing heritage and engineering, we have found selective yellow to be superior to a more orange hued amber color, mainly because of the greater effective lumen output. "

I responded with:

"I am not doubting what you say as you guys have vast more experience than me in such matters. However I do want to ask if you happen to have any photos or data to this point or is it more of personal preference voiced by your drivers. What is "Greater effective lumen output"? Is it like the 15% between white and yellow? Greater? Smaller? Something else? "

Just to make sure, again: "What is "Greater effective lumen output"? Is it like the 15% between white and yellow? Greater? Smaller? Something else? "


This would imply when taking both portions together, as intended, I am asking if the lumen loss between amber and yellow is similar to that of white and yellow.

I did not, as you seem to think, ask about white and yellow. Why would I, their original post has that information.

I wasn't being snarky, the guy responded with an answer unrelated to my question, so I clarified that with a simple "that is not what I was asking".

How in the world is that snarky?

 

[mtbikernate]

I prefer both as needed. True amber ( not yellow called amber) for my eyes cuts through fog and heavy snow and allows me to see depth better. White bounces off and reflects back into my eyes, the yellow lenses bounce back on me also . Worked midnight shift most of me LEO career so take it for what its worth. I have white at the moment high and low, and have amber snap on lenses for the Pillar lights if needed , I would like to put an amber led bar in my grill that has both spot and flood lenses.

read the first article I posted. it's not glare. it's related to the physiology of your eye and how your brain processes light.

“However, the effect of different wavelengths (colors) of light on scatter by water droplets in fog or rain (or from snow) is negligible,” Dr. Bullough added, saying “The reason is that even for fog, the size of the particles is much larger than the wavelength of the light. When the particle size is similar in size to the wavelength (like molecules of gases in air) then short wavelengths (violet and blue) will scatter more than longer wavelengths (yellow and red). That’s why the sky is blue (the short wavelength light that appears blue is scattered more than the longer wavelengths), but clouds (which are made up of larger particles, more similar to fog) are white because all wavelengths are scattered equally.”

“I think a more important issue of the wavelength of light is related to the fact that the pupil decreases in size as you go from red to blue wavelengths. Since a larger pupil allows for more light to pass into the eye, red or amber light is best. Also since in fog you get reflected light back into the eye, so in this case, it is also best if the light is red or amber so that the pupil stays as large as it can.”

“There is still a reason that yellow lights might be better than white lights for driving in fog/rain/snow, and it has to do with the visual system. At lower light levels experienced at night, our visual system seems to be more sensitive to shorter wavelengths. Our eyes have two kinds of photoreceptors; rods and cones, and at daytime light levels, we see with only our cones, but at nighttime levels, we see with a combination of rods and cones. (At really, really low light levels we would see only with our rods, but that’s much lower than the light levels we experience while driving at night.)”

“Rods have their peak spectral sensitivity in the blue-green part of the spectrum, which corresponds to shorter wavelengths than the cones, which are maximally sensitive in the green-yellow part of the spectrum (longer wavelengths),” added Bullough, saying “Also, rods seem to be more sensitive to motion, and blowing snowflakes and even fog, and falling raindrops can enhance the rod sensitivity. That means if the headlights contain more short-wavelength (blue/green) energy, they will make the blowing snow/fog/rain more visible (more distracting) than they would be under headlights that are yellowish.”

“This phenomenon is different from the physics of light – both colors will reflect/scatter equally from fog/rain/snow, but our eyes will be more sensitive to the snow/fog/rain particles when the light has more blue-green content.”

But no concrete numbers? I believe you, I was just curious what the loss of lumens is like going from yellow to amber.

I'd bet that exact numbers are going to depend on the exact color temp, whether it's achieved through a filter vs. colored bulb/emitter, and there's probably some trade secrets thrown on top. I also bet that the difference between amber and yellow is less than the difference between cold white LED headlamps and yellow. noticeable? sure. but probably only really picky people on the fringes are going to care that much.

 

[Fawnbuster]

To my eyes it's glare. And all of the Law Enforcement training I've had in 34 years it's been called that so I will stick with what my eyes tell me. It's semantics so a personal definition for anyone is coupled with how they or their eyes perceive things. I didn't come to argue over a post I merely gave my personal experience from an Advanced Emergency Vehicle instructors perspective. Running with all those lights on made my eyes relish as much depth perception as I could get. Hitting a deer in the fog isn't a pretty sight.

If someone applies the brakes in any vehicle aren't they actually slowing down, decelerating? Words for anyone don't hit home often without context and or experience.

I'm done here.

 

[mtbikernate]

To my eyes it's glare. And all of the Law Enforcement training I've had in 34 years it's been called that so I will stick with what my eyes tell me. It's semantics so a personal definition for anyone is coupled with how they or their eyes perceive things. I didn't come to argue over a post I merely gave my personal experience from an Advanced Emergency Vehicle instructors perspective. Running with all those lights on made my eyes relish as much depth perception as I could get. Hitting a deer in the fog isn't a pretty sight.

If someone applies the brakes in any vehicle aren't they actually slowing down, decelerating? Words for anyone don't hit home often without context and or experience.

I'm done here.

If you want to make stuff up to explain things you see, then that's on you. But for people who care what's ACTUALLY happening, there's science. If you have a problem with what I quoted, you can take it up with these guys, who made the statements.

Dr. John Bullough, the Program director for the Department of Population Health Science and Policy and a staff member in the Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Dr. John D Joannopoulos, the Francis Wright Davis Professor of Physics and Director of the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT.

If by semantics, you're referring to what words mean, then okay, loosely, I guess that's true. We can't successfully communicate unless we agree on what words mean. But that really has nothing to do with what's going on here. What's going on here is that you want to stick with old, incorrect reasoning because it's what you're used to. I get it. Hell, according to one of the professors quoted in the article, France even had a law on the books regarding yellow headlights based on that faulty reasoning. But, you know, we can do better when we have the scientific explanation for stuff. And we should do better. I didn't know any of that stuff before reading the article. I thought it was "glare" just as you said. But now I know better. And now you do, too, unless you want to put your fingers in your ears and yell "lalalalala".

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