Putco Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar VS OPT7 Redline
Ten years ago, a dealer walked into Putco’s booth at the Keystone BIG Show and said, “Make a tailgate light bar that doesn’t fail”. At the time, every low-cost option available on the market functioned out of the box, but came back months later with moisture damage, wiring issues, and dead LEDs. LED Tailgate Light Bars were selling extremely well but were being sold with short-term warranty and not lasting.
That challenge set Putco to work, with our team creating the Putco Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar after analyzing all available solutions on the market and making the decision to create something totally new. The Blade was brought from concept to reality with a focus on OEM-Grade reliability and compatibility, full encapsulation/waterproofing, and long-term performance.
So why compare it to the Opt7 Redline LED Tailgate Light Bar, a much cheaper product popular on Amazon? Because price alone doesn’t tell the full story. Putco is often 3-4 times the cost of competitor products, and we feel our customer deserves the full context as to why the value is worth the cost. Opt7 is the brand we chose to compare to because they are also very popular, occupy a retail price far below Putco, and market their quality.
We have broken our analysis down into four categories: LED Technology, Construction, Compatibility/Installation, and Warranty/Troubleshooting.
Functionality
This section includes the most similarities between the Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar and Opt7 Redline Light Bar, as the most significant differences are in the quality of manufacturing and degree of vehicle compatibility.
The Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar and Opt7 Redline Tailgate Light Bar are competitive products – both enhance visibility and provide a very similar experience to the user. They are five-function LED light bars that connect directly to the vehicle and display animations in tandem with the following vehicle functions: Brake Lights, Turn Signals, Reverse, Hazards, and Running Light functionality.
Both cover the full length of the tailgate and are available in 60” models and 48” models to account for full-size and mid-size pickups. Putco does have a few more size options including 18” Split Blade and 36” Blade for more application diversity, such as installation to headache racks or for the Jeep JL/JK.
There are, however some key differences. Testing is a major benefit to Putco as we have partnered with several OEMs on this product category, such as Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and Stellantis. The product is fully SAE/DOT tested to DOT and SAE standards. Opt7 provides no information on this.
Another major distinction lies in turn signal behavior. Opt7 uses a scanning amber indicator, while the Putco Blade utilizes a solid flash available in either Red or Amber. Putco does offer customizable turn signal animations, such as scanning, in our Freedom Blade series, but this article focuses on the standard Blade.
The Blade’s solid turn signal is intentional as it ensures perfect timing with OEM tail lamps across all supported vehicle models. Scanning patterns introduce additional synchronization variables which can lead to inconsistent timing between vehicles. We were able to overcome this with the Freedom Blade due to added complexity to the products control module.
In short, while Opt7’s scanning turn signal may appeal to those who prefer this look, the Blade delivers OEM-Level synchronization and dependability. Customers seeking the best of both worlds can upgrade to the Freedom Blade.
Housing & LED Technology
Housing Construction
Putco manufactures the Blade’s housing using a two-color polycarbonate extrusion process, producing a single solid-state tube with a transparent lens and black rear surface. Because the lens and housing are one continuous piece, there are no seams, joints, or exposed materials. This is a fully sealed design built to last and protect electronics.
This creates several benefits to the product, including impact resistance, flexibility/durability when being handled and installed, and corrosion resistance.
Once our housing is formed, Chip-on-Board (COB) LED arrays are inserted. This compact LED configuration minimizes the circuit-board footprint while maximizing brightness and thermal stability. We will cover this more in the next section.
After LED placement, the entire housing is potted with a high-grade silica resin, filling every cavity and curing into a strong protective barrier. This creates complete internal encapsulation; not just sealing the housing but the electronics within as well. The Blade carries an IP69K rating, the highest level of protection against dust and water ingress.
Opt7 constructs its bar from an aluminum U-channel with LED boards laid inside and covered by an exposed silicone-based epoxy layer. During internal testing of a brand-new Opt7 Redline 60” Light Bar, we observed that light thump pressure could fracture this epoxy, exposing the circuit boards and LEDs directly to the elements. Because there is no secondary housing or separation between the potting and environment, Opt7 light bar owners run a serious risk of damage to the electronics. The material also attracts dust and debris, degrading light output from the product and requiring additional maintenance.
The product is also not fully sealed, making their advertised IP67K rating (two steps below IP69K) questionable.
LEDs and Electronics
The Putco Blade is built around two primary electronic components: the light bar assembly and the Lighting Control Module (LCM).
Each Blade light bar consists of two black circuit boards lined with rows of COB (Chip-On-Board) LEDs. Each color function – Red, Amber, or White – is arranged on its own dedicated LED row to create a consistent appearance across the product. Full-size blades have over 2,000 COB LEDs.
Some advantages of COB LEDs are compact circuitry (smaller housing profile), superior thermal management (COB LEDs regulate heat efficiently, eliminating the need for heat sinks) and longer lifespan – fewer solder joints and superior heat dispersion.
COB technology allows thousands of miniaturized LEDs to be placed closely together. The result is the Blade’s signature “laser-like” appearance, forming a continuous band of light with minimal visible LED separation.
When the light bar is off, the diodes and black circuit board provide an extremely low profile look that blends in with the vehicle.
Opt7 uses SMT (Surface-Mount Technology) LEDs in its tailgate light bar — a common, capable design approach that can produce strong brightness. (Putco also uses SMT in other products, such as the Freedom Blade.)
However, the larger SMT diodes chosen by Opt7 make the light bar much more noticeable when turned off, creating a bulky appearance compared to the slim, low-profile look of the Blade. This design also requires a taller housing, which takes up more space on the tailgate and can interfere with fitment on certain vehicles — particularly newer Chevrolet and GMC models where the available mounting area is limited.
Lighting Control Module (LCM)
The LCM, or Driver Box, is the internal logic of the Blade – it is what makes the Blade work. This component is discussed frequently in this article and contributes greatly to the compatibility, functionality, and reliability of the Blade. Opt7 does not have this component – their light bar operates on a much simpler analog-driven logic system which does not include many of the features and safeguards the Blade has.
The LCM is essentially the brain of the Blade – it receives vehicle input then provides an output from the light bar. Where it differs from the Opt7 light bar is in the microseconds between these steps. The inner workings of the LCM are proprietary to Putco, but essentially the component contains redundancies that ensure all functionality is contained inside the driver box and does not weaken the electrical integrity of the vehicle’s electrical structure or send signal that can damage the Blade. Opt7 does not have this technology.
Compatibility & Installation
Plug & Play Wiring Harnesses
Putco offers Plug & Play wiring solutions for virtually all current model Ford, Chevrolet, Ram, Nissan, Toyota, Jeep, and Hyundai pickups. Each harness is 100% engineered and validated by Putco, ensuring perfect fit and function for each supported model. For most models, Opt7 requires splicing directly into the factory tail lamps.
As an OEM partner to Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, and Stellantis (Dodge, Jeep, Ram), our wiring systems have been tested alongside OEM engineers at manufacturer-owned facilities to confirm full compatibility and long-term reliability.
Opt7 has recently introduced its own limited harness lineup. Based on identical wire color patterns and layouts, it appears these designed were copied from Putco’s harness – though without OEM collaboration or validation testing and missing some key features such as the Weather Pack connector on our reverse wire. So, none of their systems are truly Plug & Play as the reverse wire must be spliced.
Opt7’s coverage remains narrow compared to Putco’s full lineup. For fairness, the chart below includes Opt7’s 7-way harness as an option for older vehicle models, even though the company does not actively market it by model, we know where it will work and will apply our data. (Most OEMs revised their towing and electrical systems after 2018, rendering the generic 7-way harness incompatible with modern trucks).
So – for what harnesses Opt7 does offer, the Putco connection method is still superior. For all most vehicle models, Opt7 still requires hardwiring to the factory tail lamps, while Putco has a Plug & Play Solution!
Internal Logic
A common question we receive is: “Why does Putco include the harness with the Blade instead of selling it separately?”
The answer comes down to compatibility and reliability with OEM electrical systems.
Unlike Opt7, which sells its light bar separately and repurposes the same bar across multiple vehicles with modified instructions, Putco designs each Blade system as a vehicle-specific solution.
While every Blade looks identical once installed, each model’s Lighting Control Module (LCM) is programmed differently to interpret the unique electrical signals from its specific vehicle. This ensures perfect timing with factory tail lamps, prevents fuse failures, and maintains full OEM electrical-system compatibility.
Opt7’s design lacks an external LCM. While this simplifies packaging, it also means their product cannot fully account for individual vehicle’s signal differences, leading to potential timing inconsistencies or electrical conflicts that cause the loss of some function. One example of this is eliminating either the brake or turn signal function because of vehicles sending this signal to the tail lamps using different electrical methods.
Mounting the Light Bar
Opt7 ships their light bar with generic double-sided tape pre-applied along the entire length of the unit. The tape type is unspecified and not branded.
Putco takes a different approach. Every Blade uses genuine 3M Automotive-Grade VHB tape and patented injection-molded mounting clips. These clips can be installed using either the included 3M tape or self-tapping hardware through each clips center slot. We typically recommend the tape method, but some customers are more comfortable drilling.
This design provides a key advantage: the Blade can be unclipped at any time to access the spare-tire release point without damaging the paint or product and retaining the position of the light bar when reinstalled. The Blade will clip right back into position, allowing removal and reinstallation in seconds.
Opt7’s tape-only mounting method, with roughly 60 square inches of adhesive contact, makes removal difficult and increases the risk of damage to both the vehicle and light bar during service. In a practical situation when the spare tire needs accessed, the equipment to properly remove automotive tape is generally not handy.
Opt7 does offer an optional magnet accessory that attaches to the tape. Although its holding strength is uncertain, it is incompatible with aluminum-body trucks such as the newer Ford models.
Customer Support
Troubleshooting and Service
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Putco operates directly from our US Manufacturing facility with a dedicated, on-site customer service and tech support team available Monday to Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00 PM (CST).
Customers can reach us in three ways:
- Phone: Calls are always answered by real Putco staff inside our building – no call centers, outsourced agents, or robots between you and our people.
- Live Chat: Available on Putco.com for quick, in-browser support.
- Email: Send us a message anytime for detailed responses and documentation.
Every member of our team is factory-trained and equipped to help with installation guidance, troubleshooting, or general product questions. In more complex cases, technicians can initiate live video-chat support to walk your through real-time diagnostics and setup. Additionally, the Putco support team communicates directly with the Putco engineering team and can expedite any uncommon or highly technical issues.
Opt7 by contrast lists only a single contact method – an online submission form that notes “Please allow three business days for a response”. No phone number, live chat, or alternative contact options are provided.
When you choose Putco, you are backed by responsive support from the same team that builds your product.
Warranty
As outlined above, Putco manufactures a premium product, and we stand behind it. All Blades are covered by a Three-Year Warranty through a customer-friendly warranty process making it easy to redeem. We will ship a replacement free of charge (Putco pays shipping too!) directly to you. Warranties are usually processed within 24 hours of submission and, if the part is in stock, shipped same day. Often warranties are submitted in the morning and replacements shipped by the afternoon.
Opt7 website details their warranty – it is only a One-Year warranty and limited to defect. Processing time takes 1-2 weeks, and the customer is charged shipping at an average cost of $30-$50.
Opt7 also sells a “Prime Warranty” as a $15 upgrade, which brings process down to 3-4 days (still longer than Putco) and Opt7 covers shipping.
Putco will never upcharge for basic customer service.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Putco Blade LED Tailgate Light Bar stands as the superior product by every metric. For those willing to invest in a premium solution, the Blade is the clear choice—offering unmatched construction quality, advanced internal logic, seamless vehicle compatibility, and proven reliability with effortless installation.
This level of performance is the result of over a decade of product innovation and continuous improvement, developed in close collaboration with our OEM partners. Beyond the product itself, Putco is committed to providing unmatched customer support—from the moment of purchase to the final installation on your vehicle.
