The 8 Best Cordless Under Hood Work Lights

This wiki has been updated 19 times since it was first published in January of 2019. When you're shoulders deep in the engine bay of a car, surrounded by tools and half covered in grease, the last thing you want to have to think about is the light that illuminates your work. Flashlights are too dim and occupy a hand or roll away. Hanging bulbs light up only part of your space. That's when you reach for a light that is designed specifically to brighten everything under the hood. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.

1. OEMTools 24604

Because of its high-capacity lithium-ion battery, the OEMTools 24604 (around $87) provides a whopping 9 hours of light -- which is nice and bright at 1,000 lumens -- even on full power. It attaches to any metal surface with two strong magnets.

Lightweight and durable
Just under 25 inches long
Five operating modes

2. Nightstick SLR-2120

The Nightstick SLR-2120 (around $123) has foam-covered hooks on the ends that extend to 77 inches, which is long enough to fit on practically any hood. Once it's mounted, you can rotate the wand 360 degrees to direct the light exactly where you need it.

Lasts more than 4 hours on a charge
Recharges fully in 6 hours
Full- and half-power modes

3. ATD Tools 80357

The 2,000-lumen ATD Tools 80357 (around $136) does a great job of illuminating your workspace, but because it's so bright, the battery life is pretty short: around 1.6 hours on high and 3 hours on low. To compensate, it comes with a 25-foot mains cord as an alternative power supply.

Even low-power setting is bright
A generous 40 inches wide
Led battery level indicator

4. Nextool NextLED

The Nextool NextLED (appx. $85) is a versatile option for those who want to illuminate more than an engine bay. You can mount it on a hood, of course, but its two lights also detach from the base to become handheld wands with their own hooks that you can hang anywhere.

Bracket folds for compact storage
Foam on hooks protects paint
Requires 2 separate chargers

5. Neiko 40447A

Light up the entire engine compartment with the Neiko 40447A (about $90), which features an impact-resistant polycarbonate housing to protect it if you drop it. It puts out 1,200 lumens at high power and features magnetic attachments that hold it in awkward and cramped spaces.

6-hour run time on low setting
Handle telescopes to 76 inches
Battery life fades over time

6. Aain LT002

The Aain LT002 (appx. $65) has spring-loaded clamps that can accommodate hoods up to 66 inches wide. Its 40 surface-mount diodes light up the entire engine bay, and when you're finished with your work, you can juice it up to full charge in about six hours.

12-volt car charger included
Comparable to more expensive brands
Charging port inconveniently placed

7. Performance Tool W2404

A good choice for the budget-conscious shopper, the Performance Tool W2404 (around $25) takes up less than 18 inches in your toolbox, but its hooks can extend to 78 inches. Each of its LEDs is cradled in a reflector that directs light downward into your workspace.

Runs on battery or mains power
Not as bright as some others
Charger not included

8. TruePower 30-3000

With its inventive folding design, the TruePower 30-3000 (appx. $49) is easy to store and transport, and its 120 LEDs provide plenty of illumination for a lot of different uses apart from car repair. On low power, you'll get about four hours of light from a single charge.

Ac and dc charging adapters included
Light does not swivel once mounted
Cannot use while charging

Last updated by Joseph Perry

An avid reader and outdoors enthusiast, Joe earned his doctorate in literary studies before making the lateral leap from academia to technical writing. He now lives and works in the inter-mountain West where he creates technical and marketing content, including white papers, solution briefs, and courseware for some of the world’s largest information technology companies. With more than 14 years of experience in the field, he has learned more than he ever thought he would know about such enterprise IT topics as cloud computing, storage, databases, business software, and networking. When he’s not writing about business computing, he can be found outdoors, probably hiking with his family and dog.

Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships, free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking. For more information on our rankings, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price, which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website. If you believe that your product should be included in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers.