Best DJ Lights 2017 – Buyer’s Guide

Whether you are a professional mobile DJ who looking for the best DJ lighting setup or just wanting some fun lights for a house party, the addition of well-designed lighting effects can take an evening from blah and boring to outstanding and exhilarating.

There is a wide range of DJ lights available to fit any budget, need, and mood you would like to create. Lights can be useful in a multitude of settings including homes, bars, nightclubs, stages, weddings, or even at church. With so many options and relatively new technologies, it can be confusing to find the right products. We’ve done the research to help you find the best DJ lights for your needs.

Let’s Get Lit: The Top 10 Best DJ Lights 2017

1. Chauvet DJ GigBAR 2 – Best Mobile DJ Lights

The GigBAR 2 by Chauvet DJ is the premier option for professional DJ’s looking for a portable set of lights. This light set includes a 4-in-1 set up with two UV LED wash lights, one laser, four UV LED strobes, and two LED derby fixtures. All four components are mounted on one bar that is quickly and easily used with a tripod stand. This option features built-in capabilities allowing for both automated and sound activated programs incorporating all four light effects. You are able to control this light set from the display itself, an IRC-6 remote, a wireless foot switch, or a DMX.

2. Roxant PULSE LED Strobe Light – Best DJ Strobe Light

The Roxant PULSE LED Strobe Light is a wonderful option for anyone looking for an affordable strobe light that will impress everyone. This light is durable and features an all metal casing to prevent damage. This model offers both a manual and a sound activated mode. This light features a 50,000 hour LED lifespan and will not overheat. With 108 bright mini LED lights, this strobe is built to impress.

3. Solmore LED DJ Disco Party Stage Light – Best DJ Lights for House Parties on a Budget

The Solmore LED DJ Disco Party Stage Light is great for anyone in search of an affordable option to light up a room with a fun variety of red, green, and blue effects. This durable option is flame, heat, and wear resistant. It can be controlled by voice, sound, or DMX.

4. Chauvet DJ Swarm Wash FX – Best High End Multiple Effect Light

The Chauvet DJ Swarm Wash FX is the perfect high end option for DJ’s or anyone wanting a high-quality light that features multiple lighting effects. This LED light has 4-in-1 effects including a rotating derby, a wash, a red and green laser, and a ring of white strobes. Each effect can be individually controlled thru DMX, Master/Slave modes, or IRC-6.

5. The DragonX LED DJ Lighting Bar – Best Wash Lights for the Money

The DragonX LED DJ Lighting Bar is a great, moderately priced choice for mobile DJ’s or anyone wanting a complete LED wash light system. This model includes a light bar system with four wash lights, an adjustable tripod, a packing/transport case, and a two-pedal foot switch. This set will delight with saturated color washes of light and has a lifespan of 50,000 hours.

6. The Chauvet DJ Freedom Stick – Most Unique High End Light

The Freedom Stick by Chauvet DJ is a revolutionary way to incorporate a free standing RGB LED that allows users to pixel map them for complete creativity in programming. This unique option is battery powered and features a built-in D-Fi receiver. This allows total freedom in placement. They are controlled by auto and sound DMX programs, wireless Master/Slave modes, or an IRC-6 remote.

7. LaluceNatz DJ Lights – Best Affordable Choice for Multifunctional Lights

The LaluceNatz DJ Lights are a fun and affordable option. These derby effect lights feature a wide range of colors including red, blue, green, yellow, rose, amber, white, orange, and purple. They are easily controlled by an IR remote, DMX, sound activated, Master/Slave mode, or auto-play.

8. Suny Professional LED Laser Z24GB – Best Moderately Priced Laser

The Suny Professional LED Laser is a great choice for a wide variety of occasions such as dances, parties, skating rinks, stage productions, nightclubs, and more. This item utilizes blue and green laser effects and gives you the ability to easily switch between light modes, patterns, and colors. It includes a remote control and can be sound activated.

9. MFL Mini Moving Head Light – Best Moving Head Light for Professionals

The MFL Mini Moving Head Light features a quad color LED and provides fast moving light beams and color changes. This is a great option for profession al light show results in the moderate to expensive price range. It has several built in programmed shows and is controlled by sound active, auto, DMX, or Master/Slave mode.

10. Chauvet DJ MotionSet LED – Most Useful to Hide DJ Equipment

The Chauvet DJ MotionSet LED is a unique way to incorporate lights into a cloth cover. This backdrop can be set up behind the performance area or even over a table to disguise equipment. The lights are easy to use. A single controller is used to setup, operate, and synchronize the MotionSet LED.

DJ Lights Buying Guide

The first step to choosing the best DJ lighting products is to think about what your goals are. You’ll need to examine the space or spaces you’ll be lighting, the mood you want to create, the power you’ll have access to, and how it will be set up. The answers to the questions will be very different for someone picking out fun lights for a kid’s party as opposed to someone who is starting out in a professional mobile DJ business. Once you have an idea of what you want to achieve with your lighting, it will make finding the best DJ lights easier.

LED Lighting

Light-emitting diodes (LED) have revolutionized many types of lighting from Christmas lights to stage lighting. The best DJ LED lights use less power, generate less heat, offer a wide variety of color options, can be dimmed using DMX controllers, have a much longer lifespan than traditional lighting, and are more visible in daylight which makes them a great choice for outdoor use.

Types of Lighting Effects

There are many different types of DJ lighting effects. Effect lighting refers to lights that use multiple beams and various motions to create the wanted effect. This type of lighting is intended as a show enhancing method, so it adds a visually interesting component to the auditory state of music. Beam effects, derby lights, flower effects, mirror balls and centerpiece effects are all commonly used types of lighting effects

Derby Lights

Derby lights are a fun and popular way to light up any home or venue. These lights can spread multicolored, chasing beams thru an area. Many derby lights available can multitask and perform other effects like black light, strobe light, automated programs, and sound activated programs. If you want an impressive light that does several types of effects, derby lights are a great choice.

Strobe and Laser Effects

Strobe lights and lasers have become more common and affordable in recent years. Stone lights utilize a white pulsing light beam. They create a fast flash effect that can be used in many ways. They are usually popular at Halloween time in haunted houses. Additionally, some species of pests including rodents cannot stand strobe lights. For that reason, they can also help you humanely rid your home of a rat or mouse infestation.

Laser effect lights create an intense color beam. These lights often have built-in display programs and some are even sound activated so your lights will move along with the music. Highly advanced laser lights can even produce 3D effects and a wide range of other interesting effects. Lasers are more likely to stand out when coupled with fog machines.

Wash Lighting

Wash lighting is usually used to add ambiance to a lighting scheme. These lights can add soft washes of color on walls and floors. They can also add bright intense pops of color and be used in conjunction with many other types of lights and effects.

Lighting Controls

Once you have your lights, you’ll need a way to control them. The lights available on today’s market are very sophisticated. Many will come with a variety of ways to run the lights like remotes, DMX, Master/slave modes, and more.

Intelligent lighting is becoming more and more common with recent technological advances that have made it easier to use than ever before. Using a controller, you can send signals to hundreds of light devices at once and sequence them with a pre-determined light show that you have programmed. You can also operate them on the fly with no pre-programming. This is the method used by the incredible houses you’ll see at Christmas or Halloween that mix outdoor lighting with music.

DMX

Just like mixers are used for music, Multiplexing Data Transmission, DMX, controls are used for lights. This option allows you to have complete control over the light’s colors or shades, movements, patterns, and more. You can choreograph a visual symphony to accompany any music that’s completely catered to your personal needs.

DMX is a digital signal. It can operate hundreds of light fixtures. After your light devices are daisy chained together in one cable, a single DMX master is used to control while the other devices are referred to as slaves. Each device (light) is assigned a number and this information is stored in the DMX. The DMX sends out information about what the device should be doing. For instance, it could tell the light to flash red and then dim. Then the signal is relayed to the slaves. This results in the lights following the DMX commands. You can purchase a DMX software program or download free ones to help you program your light shows. It’s a terrific high-tech option that allows you to design complex lighting schemes and then have them carried out by pushing a single button (Bruce, 2012).

Lighting Hardware

After you’ve spent a great deal of time and money on purchasing your lights and designing the perfect lights show, you need to protect your investment with different types of hardware. Hardware will allow you to safely and securely position your lights and keep them in place. Placing your lights up at a higher level increases their ability to provide ample light coverage of an area and also can keep them safer from accidentally bumps or slips. Hardware includes clamps, mounting brackets, safety cables, and other tools to keep your lights working safely and properly.

If you are a mobile DJ, it can be helpful to have a T-bar set up. The is a T-shaped bar that is attached to a tripod. Using special clamps and brackets, you can safely attach your lights allowing them better coverage of the floor and crowd while ensuring they are safe from accidental falls or spills. A T-bar is easy to set up and break down, and you can easily carry it with the rest of your equipment.

In closing, DJ lights can take your performance to another level. Whether you are purchasing lights for a party, a nightclub, or your mobile DJ business there is a multitude of exciting and affordable options. Thanks to recent technologies long, complex light shows can be easily pre-programmed with computer software and run easily using a DMX controller enabling you to create show-stopping effects. By understanding your needs and the different options available to you picking the perfect set of DJ lights is easier than ever.