The Best grill light To Make Your Night Grilling Experience And Outdoor Cooking Easier

If you’re a barbecue enthusiast, then you know that having the best grill light by your side is key to making your nighttime and outdoor cooking grilling experience easier. That’s right, some of us cook at night too!

In this article, we’ll talk about the best grill lights on the market and which ones work well for grilling at night or when doing outdoor grilling in low visibility.

Grilling or cooking in low light can not only be dangerous, but you will also have a hard time seeing your food. If you are smoking meat, it will be hard to see the color of the bark and how the meat is cooking.

A good grill light will make grilling in the dark easy and safe.

In this article, we will cover a few topics:

• What is considered a “barbecue light”?
• What should you look for in a good grill light?
• Our top 7 grill light choices

What is a grill light?

A grill light is a great tool to have for nighttime grilling or cooking outdoors. A grill light can provide extra illumination, so you can see what you’re doing and where your hands are going.

An LED grill light is designed to attach to surfaces like a grill handle or, if magnetic, most metal surfaces to your hands-free so you can safely see and work on cooking your food. There are many different types of barbecue lights available, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your needs and your grill model.

Barbecue Grill Light Types

There are three different types of grill lights: LED, halogen, and incandescent. Each has its own best uses, but in this article, we will focus on LED lights.

LED lights are best for grill lighting because they give off the most light and don’t get hot or make a lot of glare like other grill lights do.

Halogen lights give off a bright white light that is great for illuminating large areas or a large grill. The downside of halogens is that they put out an incredible amount of heat, which can make it difficult to work near them.

For example, if you let any fat drippings hit the bulb, it will start to smoke, overheat, and possibly fail. Incandescent lights are good for lighting up larger areas, which is why they are common on range hoods and other cooking appliances.

One downside of incandescent lights is that they don’t last long.

What Should You Look for in a Grill Light?

A grill lights feature such as magnetic base or gooseneck can help add to versatility and usability of these lights but there are other features that contribute to quality and plan and simple, make a good light and more than just a lighting device ( or paper weight ).

BBQ Grill Lights should be heat resistant

This might sound obvious, but it needs to be said: anything sitting close enough to your grill will get exposed to hot temperatures. While you might think that your night table light might be good enough to shine some light on your grill, think again, amigo, it might melt.

This is why there are grill-specific lights that are not only easier and safer to attach to your grill but can also withstand some levels of heat. Most grill lights are built and designed to withstand some degree of heat.

Most grill lights are also weather resistant and will handle the punishment associated with your outdoor cooking adventures better.

Grilling Lights should be easy to install, attach and detach

Whenever I think of “easy to install,” for some reason, I think about the Griswolds. The guy always found a way to overcomplicate things. Anyways, yes, make sure that the light mounting option will be compatible with your grill or the type of setup you want to achieve.

Handle-mounted lights attach securely to most grill handles, but if you have a custom handle on your grill, then a handle-mounted light might not be a good choice.

For instance, for a Kamado, certain clamp lights and even magnetic lamps will not work. Sure, you clamp a light on a side shelf, but it might not light the entire grill and cooking surface.

Types of attachment and mounting options

A magnetic base – A magnetic light is the easiest type to use and mount on your grill. Find a metal surface and let it rip. However, if the magnet is not very strong, you will find yourself picking up the light from the floor often.

Clip Clamp – BBQ Grill Lights with clips are also easy to use and attach to your grill. Press open the clip to find a spot and clip-on. Clip lamps are quick to attach and move on and off the grill. You can also find various spots to attach to as long as the clip can hold on.

Pressure Clamp Mount – This type of mount is my favorite. First, most pressure clamp mount lights are aluminum construction because plastic adjustable clamps don’t work that well.

Pressure clamp mount lights are adjustable and you can attach the clamp to a side shelf or handle. The plus here is that once these clamp lights are tightened, that light ain’t going nowhere.

It needs to be weather resistant

A weather resistant light is a plus. Sure, you might not cook while it is raining outside, but that doesn’t mean that the light won’t get wet or that you’ll forget and leave it outside.

Light brightness and brightness settings

Not all grill lights on the market are powerful enough to illuminate the grilling area and are good enough to see what you are cooking. Some lights are sufficient to cast a small amount of light on your grill, while others are powerful enough to allow you to see the color of the meat, the color of the skin, and what is happening with what you are cooking.

This is the most important characteristic of a barbecue light and a crucial consideration when purchasing one. 

The power of a light bulb or how bright it is is measured in lumens. We will include the lumen rating of each light included in this article. Since the brightness of any light is important when deciding how good, strong, or effective it is, and a bright light is a good light, we included below a lumen to watts conversion chart to help you get a clear idea of what these lights translate into watts. We are all more familiar with watts.

Lumens to Watts equivalence table

The Best Grill Lights We Reviewed and Tried

1. LED Concepts 12 super bright led Grill Light – Best Overall

When it comes to grill lights, LED Concepts’ BBQ Grill Light with 12 super bright LEDs is definitely a top choice. Its heavy metal aluminum construction and 360-degree adjustable gooseneck make it durable, heat-resistant, but most importantly, versatile. Its 12 super-bright LEDs provide enough light to illuminate a decent-sized area.

What’s really cool about this grill light is that it can be clamped to metal surfaces with the pressure screw, and an adjustable clamp gives you a few inches of play. This is also a magnetic grill light, giving you the option to just place it on a metal surface.

The best part about this grill LED light is that it can withstand various types of weather thanks to its heavy-duty construction, but what makes it easiest to use and most effective is its base and gooseneck which is helpful to point the light to the right spot.

Lumen Rating: 210

Mounting Type: Adjustable Clamp or Magnetic Base

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (12 LEDs)

Power Source: 3 AAA batteries

Pros

• LED provides good illumination without heat or glare.
• Durable metal, heat resistant, and versatile option.
• 12 LEDs provide ample illumination for grilling in any condition.
• The magnetic base offers multiple mounting options. You can clamp it to your grill or use the magnets at its base.
• An adjustable screw clamp can be used on other areas, like a woodworking table.
• The 22 inches long gooseneck allows for reaching almost any area on large grills.

Cons

• Metal can get hot, but it is built strong.

2. The NextLED Ultimate BBQ Grill Light – Runner Up

The NextLED Ultimate BBQ Grill Light is a great option because it has a long gooseneck, making it easy to position the light exactly where you need it. It also has a warm 3,200k of natural light with a wide light beam, making your food look as good on the grill as it does on your plate.

And if that’s not enough, the heavy-duty steel frame ensures maximum durability, light longevity, and heat resistance up to 230 Fahrenheit.

Plus, you can switch between 210 lumens (highest in its category) and 60 lumens depending on your needs. Finally, the magnetic base measuring 2 1/4 inches gives you 2 times the strength of other grill lights.

Lumen Rating: 210 Lumens

Mounting Type: Magnetic Base

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (12 LEDs )

Powered By: 2 AA batteries ( 6 to 12 hours )

Pros

• The longest gooseneck light on this list at 24 inches, making it easy to reach the middle of the grill.
• A heavy-duty steel frame ensures maximum durability and heat resistance up to 230 Fahrenheit. The frame feels sturdy and strong.
• Bright Light – You can switch between 210 lumens (highest in its category) and 60 lumens.
• The light attaches firmly. The strong magnetic base measures over 2 inches and is stronger than other magnetic lights I have tested.

Cons:

• Because it is powerful, it consumes batteries faster, but you do get a bright light. 
• It is hard to use this light with grills like Kamados, as the magnet, of course, won’t work on ceramic surfaces.

3. Chef Buddy Adjustable LED Grill Light – Great for Gas grills

The Buddy Adjustable LED Barbecue grill light is a good LED for most barbecue backyard warriors with gas grills. Gas grills have long handles and side tables to “clamp” these lights on.

This light features six LED lights in two bulbs that can be adjusted to best fit your grill. The neck of this light rotates up to 180 degrees, meaning you can easily get more lighting where is needed.

The batteries add weight to the base and is fine to just place the light on a flat table or surface but it will work best clamped down to a handle or mounted on side table.

Lumen Rating: Not Listed

Mounting Type: Clip Clamp and Magnetic Base

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (6 LEDs )

Powered By: 3 AA batteries

Pros

• Six LED lights in two bulbs for better illumination.
• The light head mount is rotatable for adjustment convenience.
• Flexible 15-inch neck for increased reach
• Easily adjust the light and clamp around the grill.
• A magnetic clip makes it easy to mount on any metal surface.
• Very easy to change the batteries

Cons

• The clamp is a bit small and during testing, I had a hard time “clamping” the light on large side tables.

4. Aloveco Re-Chargeable Grill Handle Light – Good for Attaching to handles

If you’re looking for a robust grill light with a good warranty, the Aloveco Chargeable Barbecue Grill Light is a good choice. This light is made of high-quality reinforced nylon glass fiber and features 10 LED bulbs that output 120 lumens.

This grill light is waterproof and comes with a 3-year waterproof and no melt guarantee. This is a grill handle light, meaning there are no magnets and it needs to be mounted on a handle.

Lumen Rating: 120 Lumens

Mounting Type: Adjustable Screw Clamp

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (10 LEDs )

Powered By: Rechargeable battery

Pros

• Robust glass-reinforced nylon body
• 10 LED bulbs with a total output of 120 lumens.
• 3 years waterproof and no melt guarantee
• Enjoy the convenience of a rechargeable battery.
• I was able to install the clamp on my kamado and pellet grill.

Cons

• This is a great light, but it works best on grill handles. I tried clamping the light on my grill’s side tables and it didn’t work too well.

6. The KOSIN Barbecue Grill Light – Strong Magnetic

The nine bright LEDs on the KOSIN Barbecue Grill Light are enough to light a smaller grill. The magnetic bottom attaches easily to any grill metal surface, and the four-and-a-half-foot flexible gooseneck lets you position the light exactly where you need it.

The Kosin barbecue grill light is water-resistant and works for up to 20 hours on three AAA batteries (each lamp).

These grill lights are not as good as the top two lights on this list, but they are affordable and you get two separate lights pretty much for the cost of one good one. You also get a carrying case and one set of six AAA batteries.

Lumen Rating: N/A

Mounting Type: Magnetic Base

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (9 LEDs )Powered By: 3 AAA batteries ( 20 hours )

Pros

• lightweight and small
• Nine bright LEDs make up the bulb.
• A magnetic base with a four and a half-inch flexible gooseneck
• water-resistant
• You get two lights for the price of one.
• Soft-touch on and off switches are great for those with weak little fingers 🙂
• With two lights, is easy to set up around the grill and cover the entire cooking surface.

Cons

• These lights are not extremely powerful but you do get two.

7. RVZHI LED barbecue grill light – Great for smaller grills

Because this grill light is waterproof, you can use it in most weather conditions. It also has 10 bright LEDs that are mounted on a rotating head, which allows you to adjust the angle of the light however you want.

The best part about this grill light is that it comes with an adjustable c clamp, which you can use to attach it to grill lid handles. It’s lightweight and easy to install

Lumen Rating: N/A

Mounting Type: C Clamp

Bulb Type: LED Bulb (10 high density led lights )

Powered By: 3 AAA batteries ( 20 hours )

Pros

• Weatherproof
• Swiveling head and adjustable clamp
• Batteries and even a screwdriver is included, so you can start using this light right away.

Cons

• The C clamp only works on handles. It will not work on side tables.

8. BBQ Grill Light LED for Big Green Egg – Great for Kamado Grills

Do you need a grill light for your kamado? This light works and is a great fit for kamado grills. It has 24 bright LEDs that will really light up your grill and make it easier to see what you’re cooking. It also has a hook that attaches to the side of your Big Green Egg and makes it easy to hang from the inside or outside of your smoker.

The best thing about this BBQ Grill Light is how well made it is as the material is high-quality ABS plastic, which won’t melt if it contacts hot items such as spatulas, tongs, knives, etc.

In addition, it has a motion sensor that will automatically turn on the light when it is nighttime and turn it off during the day, which saves batteries.

Pro

• Ample light for your grill with 24 LEDs.
• It works as a flashlight.

Cons

• It pretty much only works with kamados.

Conclusion

We’ve talked about some of the best grill lights on the market, and we hope that this information has helped you make a decision about which one is best for you.

A good grill light should be easy to set up, weatherproof (but not too weatherproof), light, and let you change how bright it is.

The LED Concepts BBQ Grill Light 12 Super Bright Led is our top choice because of its high-quality construction and long-lasting bulbs. This grill light is built with a heavy-duty metal frame that can withstand heat up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, making it great for most grills.

And unlike other grill lights that have to be replaced frequently, the LED Concepts BBQ Grill Light 12 super bright led has a long lifespan and, again, its metal frame should last a lifetime of nighttime grilling.

The NextLED is our second best grill light because of its long neck and strong magnetic base. Nevertheless, when it comes to grill lights, it’s important to look for a barbecue grill light that will fit your grill.