Smoked vs. Clear vs. Red Tail Lights: Which Style Looks Best on a GMC Sierra?

When you’re modifying your GMC truck, there seems to be one area where a lot of enthusiasts get stuck on: GMC Sierra taillights. This is because most taillights are just red, and you may even forget that they're something you can replace due to how important they are for your rig. While that may all be true, what if we told you that your taillights could change the entire vibe of your truck? Let's say you want to go after that all-black murdered-out look. Wouldn't a set of smoked taillights really round out the appearance of your truck’s rear end? Of course, this isn't the only color change you can make, and there are tons of taillight options available. In this guide, we help you choose the right taillights for your GMC Sierra.

Smoked GMC Sierra Taillights

Alright, we already did a little bit of foreshadowing with these bad boys in the intro, so we have to start with them. First things first, smoked GMC Sierra taillights are some of the best-looking options on the market, especially if you plan on blacking everything out. In fact, smoked taillights, like AlphaRex LUXX-Series LED taillights look great when they contrast with the white paint on some GMC Sierra trucks. As you can see, smoked housings look awesome, and you'll find that they even look great on a stock truck. For this reason, if you just want to help your truck stand out and you don't want to go too crazy with mods, you'll find that smoked taillight housings look the best. Still, there are some situations where you may not want them. If you have a lot of chrome, as an example, you may want to avoid these lights.

Benefits of Smoked GMC Sierra Taillights

You already know that smoked GMC Sierra taillights look great, but sometimes it helps to have a quick rundown of the benefits.

• Smoked taillights come in a wide variety of different styles.
• Most smoked taillights for your GMC truck come with bright LEDs.
• Smoked taillights look great with most color styles and accents.

When push comes to shove, GMC Sierra smoked taillights are great because they offer the most flexibility for enthusiasts.

Drawbacks of Smoked GMC Sierra Taillights

While smoked GMC Sierra taillights are some of our favorites, that doesn't mean they're perfect.

• Smoked taillights may not be compatible with OEM-style bulbs.
• Some states may have restrictions on how dark your taillights can be.
• Smoked taillights tend to cost more than other options.

Despite some of these flaws, you'll find that smoked taillights are usually well worth the cost.

Clear GMC Sierra Taillights

Are you someone who has a ton of chrome on their GMC Sierra? Let's say you have chrome wheels, chrome mirrors, and plenty of chrome on your front and rear bumpers. You want to know what would look terrible with all that chrome? If you thought to yourself, “smoked taillights,” you’re exactly right, and even some OEM housings don't look great. Instead, you should really consider completing your truck’s chromification with a set of LED chrome taillights. Of course, you'll find that chrome taillight housings can also look great with some other builds. This is because some of them have unique LED patterns that show color in ways that your OEM housing just can't.

Benefits of Clear GMC Sierra Taillights

When it comes to clear GMC Sierra taillights, you'll find that there are many benefits, and some of them go beyond style.

• Clear taillights shine brighter than OEM-style lights, and this can make your truck safer for off-roading.
• Clear taillights look awesome with a lot of chrome around them.
• If you love Euro-style lighting, you'll love clear GMC Sierra housings.
• Many clear housings may work with OEM bulbs.

At the end of the day, the benefits of clear GMC Sierra taillights go beyond your truck looking flashy, so they may be worth considering even if the style isn't exactly your thing.

Drawbacks of Chrome GMC Sierra Taillights

If you love chrome, you’re probably able to overlook these disadvantages, but we need to cover them nonetheless.

• They're more expensive than OEM-style taillights.
• The chrome style doesn't match everything.
• Depending on the enthusiast, they might look a little cheesy.

Overall, you may want to avoid these taillights if you have a specific vision in mind for your truck and if that vision doesn't have a lot of chrome.

Red GMC Sierra Taillights

We know that we wrote a lot about smoked and clear taillights already, but let's not put any shame on red taillights. Whether you need an OE-style replacement for your 2014 GMC Sierra or something with a different bulb design, plenty of options are available. Of course, with red taillights you won't be noticing many changes in style. In fact, most red taillights tend to look the same as OEM taillights. The main difference is that some options may have a unique housing or a different design.

Benefits of Red GMC Sierra Taillights

Now that you can see the vision of these taillights, it's important to quickly cover some benefits that they offer over their peers.

• You don't have to worry about any legal issues.
• Easy to use with OEM-style bulbs.
• Red taillights tend to be the most affordable options.

Overall, if you’re just looking for a simple OEM-style replacement, you can't go wrong with red GMC Sierra taillights.

Drawbacks of Red GMC Sierra Taillights

Now, for the drawbacks of red GMC Sierra taillights.

• They don't add a lot of style points to your GMC Sierra.
• The lights may not be as bright as some flashier alternatives.

At the end of the day, the main drawback with red taillights is the fact that they're usually basic.

Red, Smoked, Clear GMC Sierra Taillights: Which Option Looks the Best?

Now that you know a little bit more about each unique taillight style, you can finally determine which option looks the best. While you might hate this answer, a lot of it comes down to your style preference. If you like the OEM-style lights, red taillights will almost always look the best. On the other hand, if you’re going for an all-black look or want to add some style to your truck’s tailgate, smoked headlights are the best. That said, you also shouldn't sleep on clear housings. For some builds, especially if you have a lot of chrome on your rig, clear taillights can be the icing on the cake. Whatever your preferences, our sales techs will help you find the perfect fit for your build when you shop online. Plus, they may be able to help you find some further lighting accent pieces that really tie everything together, like Raxiom LED tailgate step lights.