Expert Review: TACTIK 9-Inch Gen 2 LED Headlights

by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor

MOAB, Utah — Five miles outside of Moab, Utah feels more like 5,000 when the sun tucks down behind the western mesa and the landscape turns into darkness.

It’s eerie. Quiet. Somewhat desolate.

If you haven’t been to this area in southeastern Utah, let’s set up the scene. One moment you are in town, and the next you are on an isolated unpaved road with no cell service. It doesn’t go city, then suburbs, then smaller towns in this part of the state. Instead, it is town, then vast desert.

In this case, on a cloudless Monday night during the recent Easter Jeep Safari event, we drove up Sand Flats road northeast of town to Sand Flats Recreation Area, looking to do a night run on the second half of Fins and Things Trail.

And, more importantly, we wanted to give a good workout to the Tactik 9-Inch Generation 2 LED Headlights on our 2024 JLU 4xe because the Moab desert night can be dark and full of terrors if you don’t have adequate lighting to hold it off.

These days, depending on the trim level, Jeep does offer an upgraded LED headlight/foglight combination straight from the factory, but the entry-level Sport and Sport S models still arrive with halogen headlights.

The lighting difference is certainly striking, and anyone who has upgraded to LED headlights knows all about that additional illumination power. If you haven’t already upgraded from those mediocre halogens, then the Tactik 9-Inch Generation 2 LED Headlights are the perfect product.

When comparing lights, the factory halogens, at their highest brightness, push about 1,500 lumens. The Tactik version throws out 6,500 lumens at peak power, all while drawing less than 100 amps (3,000 lumens and 30 amp draw at low beam). In fact, because the power draw is so low, these lights feature a 50,000-hour lifespan. Definitely impressive, and we certainly loved the exceptional brilliance as we inched our way through the Fins and Things trail around 11 p.m. on that Monday night.

But it’s not all about power—it’s how that light is used. The beam pattern on these Tactik 9-inch Headlights is focused and even, lighting up what’s ahead without wasting brightness. No hotspots, no dead zones. Just clean, usable light.

Plus, these lights include a white halo ring that serves as a daytime running light, and an amber ring for parking and turn signal lights.

Their build quality is just as special, and the Tactik Generation 2 LED Headlights feature impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses housed in a rugged, sealed design rated IP67 waterproof. That means they are well protected from dust, dirt, mud and whatever other debris may appear during road or trail driving.

And believe us, there was plenty of dust and dirt in the southeastern Utah desert. So if all that stuff affected the lights, we’d know.

Regarding installation, once the grille is off and the factory lights unplugged, the Tactik 9-inch LED Headlights easily swap into place with the included plug-and-play wiring harness. No additional splicing or wiring is required.

For Jeep enthusiasts who demand performance, durability, and a clean install, the Tactik 9-inch Gen 2 LED Headlights are an innovative, worthwhile upgrade. They offer high-end lighting without the high-end price tag, and do it with a style that complements the aggressive front end of any Wrangler JL or Gladiator JT.