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LED headlights are very easy to install and upgrade to. Since most cars have halogen headlights, it's easy to be confused about the differences between LED headlights and other types of lights.
When you upgrade to new headlights, you'll want to make sure they are DOT approved. Whether you're taking a Jeep Wrangler off road, or you are just interested in daytime running lights, DOT does all of the approval for legal running lights.
All trucks, cars, and SUV headlights have high and low beams. A dual-beam bulb is a single bulb that performs both functions. With dual-beam headlights, there is only one bulb per headlight housing. For example, the best h13 LED headlight bulbs can be used on vehicles with dual beams.
A single-beam headlight bulb has one single function. One bulb creates one beam, either the high or low beam. If you want to replace both the high beam and low beam with LED bulbs, you will need two bulbs for single-beam headlights. The best h11 LED headlight bulbs are commonly used for the low beams. Due to wiring differences, single-beam and dual-beam headlights can’t be interchanged.
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LED headlights last longer and are more energy efficient than standard halogen headlights.
A light's intensity and strength is measured in lumens. Lights with 6,000-6,400 lumens (small intensity) illuminate the road over 500 meters in a straight line and are adequate for most drivers. Lights with 8,000 lumens (medium intensity) illuminate the road 600-700 meters in a straight line. If used with bright and super bright colors, they create an intense light beam. Lights with 10,000 lumens (high intensity) brighten the road almost as much as daylight.
Most LED headlights last between 30,000 and 50,000 hours compared to halogen lights, which typically last 6,000 hours. Top-rated LED headlights that last 30,000 hours work for about three years, due to a cooling fan or chip in the assembly. Lights that promise 50,000 working hours typically last at least six years, but they may be harder to find.
LEDs appeal to automakers and consumers for several reasons: They’re brighter than halogen headlights and often cast a wider pattern, plus they use less energy, last longer and have a much whiter color than halogens, which typically are yellowish. What’s more, a lot of people think they look cool.
Halogen headlights were the standard for the auto industry for years because they were cheap to manufacture and simple to replace, but now LEDs are outshining them.
Here’s how they’re different: Halogens are incandescent lights that have a tungsten filament inside a bulb. When electric current passes through the filament, it heats up and generates light. They differ from regular incandescent bulbs in that they have a dose of halogen gas instead of argon gas. Halogen bulbs are brighter than regular incandescent bulbs and tend to last longer.
With LEDs, an electric current passes through a semiconductor (or diode) to produce light that is brighter and generates less heat. LEDs operate about 90% more efficiently than incandescent bulbs, and because they generate less heat, that helps them last much longer than other types of lights. LEDs also typically don’t burn out like incandescent bulbs, though they do dim over time.
Because LEDs are smaller than bulb-type lights, they allow more design freedom with headlights and other vehicle lights. The downside is that they are more expensive than halogens or high-intensity-discharge headlights, which typically use xenon gas.
LED headlights offer an improvement over their halogen counterparts. The most important of these is greater visibility. LED headlights are much brighter, revealing more of the road and your surroundings. This benefit also goes two ways, as oncoming traffic will have an easier time seeing your vehicle.
You may also be wondering about the cost. It’s true that LED headlights tend to cost more than standard replacements. However, you should come out ahead in the long term as LEDs are more energy efficient and may last longer than halogens. That means less strain on your vehicle’s battery and less money spent on replacement bulbs.
Looks are subjective, but LED headlights can also help freshen up an older vehicle. LEDs replace the warm, yellow glow of halogens with brighter, cooler light found in modern cars. For maximum effect, be sure to clean and polish your headlights. All you need is toothpaste and a soft cloth for a quick DIY.
If you can change a lightbulb at home, you shouldn’t have much trouble changing the headlights in your car. There are a few extra steps and it may take a few minutes, but the process is simple as LED bulbs can be directly swapped. You’ll need your new bulbs and a soft cloth or glove.
The bulbs are accessible from your vehicle’s engine bay, so start by popping open your hood. Remove the cover protecting the headlight assembly. Then, undo the clip holding the bulb. Carefully remove the old halogen bulb using a soft cloth or glove. Follow the steps in reverse, then repeat for the other headlight.
After installing both headlights, test them before going for a drive. If your turn signals blink too quickly after installation, your car may not properly detect the bulb, since LEDs draw very little power. You may need to install an LED bulb resistor, which requires a little wiring know-how. Don’t be afraid to call a professional.
Cars come in all shapes and sizes, and so do headlights. That means you’ll need to make sure that the LED headlights you want are available and compatible with your vehicle application.
If your vehicle is equipped with high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights from the factory, changing to LED is more complicated. HID systems have some proprietary parts, so you’ll need to convert your lighting system to be LED compatible before swapping in LED bulbs. For this reason, we don’t recommend upgrading HID headlights to LEDs.
The brightest LED color for your car's headlights and fog lights is white, approximately equivalent to a 5500K bulb color temperature in HIDs. Although the light output is the same for each color, the human eye responds better to a white light similar to natural sunlight.
As mentioned above, LEDs generate light through a material that emits photons of light when charged. The light output (brightness) of LEDs is proportional to the amount of charge that's applied, therefore, the higher the charge the brighter the light emitted from the bulbs.
The charge, measured in watts (W), is provided by the LED drivers also known as the LED electrical circuits, which is the power supply. Our LED headlight and fog light conversion kits come with three LED wattage options 25W, 35W, and 45W.
For maximum brightness and the ultimate nighttime driving experience, we recommend going with our 45W LED kit in white, which produces an exceptionally powerful, dense and wide bright white light.
The majority of people looking to upgrade and convert their headlights from halogens to LEDs are looking to improve nighttime visibility on the road, in which case, the best LED color is white. However, the 'best' color is subjective and entirely depends on your needs and ultimate outcome from upgrading your lights. The following summarizes the best LED color for different purposes:
Blue and purple LED headlights are becoming increasingly popular despite being the least bright. Below, we take a closer look at the main advantages and disadvantages of blue and purple LED headlights and fog lights.
If you are looking to upgrade your fog lights to LEDs we recommend going with white or yellow. We strongly recommend against using blue or purple bulbs for your fog lamps for your personal safety in times of poor visibility (fog, haze, rain, snow, etc.).
The vast majority of vehicles leave dealership lots these days with one of three headlight bulbs: halogen, HID, or LED. Halogen bulbs are the oldest of the three and are still very common. They’re extremely affordable and typically have a life of around 800 hours on average. When compared to HID or LED bulbs however, halogen bulbs are the worst performing of the three. They also require more energy than LED bulbs and are more prone to heat. At the end of the day however, halogen bulbs offer enough lighting for safe driving, but upgrading to LEDs will make a noticeable difference to your driving experience.
LED headlight bulbs are becoming more commonly used by luxury automakers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. You’ve also likely heard of LED bulbs for home use, which deliver equal or better lighting with lower power consumption and longer life. LED headlight bulbs are similar, offering better performance and longevity at a greater cost. Fortunately they’ve become so popular and common these days that they don’t cost significantly more than halogen bulbs.
Some will argue that LED headlight bulbs aren’t as bright as HIDs, but they are definitely brighter than halogen bulbs. They also don’t produce as much glare as HID headlights, and they don’t need a small period of time to charge up. Just as important, LED bulbs don’t use a filament that burns out or breaks, which allows them to last much longer than halogen bulbs.
The short answer to this question is yes. The aftermarket and the products in this list are designed to be retrofit kits for vehicles with halogen headlights. What’s important to know however is that some LED headlight kits may not be legal in your state. So make sure to check local state laws before upgrading to LED headlights.
There is actually no definitive answer to this question, but we recommend replacing both your headlight bulbs at the same time, even if only one goes out. That’s because swapping out just one headlight bulb could result in a difference in brightness between the two. Also, depending on your vehicle, changing out your headlight bulbs could be a cumbersome task—you’re better off doing it once and saving yourself time down the road.
If you’re trying to be frugal or more practical—if it’s not broken, why fix it—then make sure you keep a spare bulb handy for when the other one does eventually burn out.
Sealed beam headlights are different than LED headlights, and there are adapters, halo rings, and many other types of lights to also consider. 7 inch round LED headlights will provide different light than other types and sizes.
For your particular vehicle, it may be better to get a lo beam headlight, or even choose custom tail lights. You may need a reflector, or even something chrome, and you should also consider the beam pattern of the headlights you are buying.
If you're driving a classic car, you may need 2pcs for lighting, or LED headlights may not work at all for you. Sometimes an H13 adapter can be helpful, and brands like Cree also make Halo headlights.
There will also be different headlights unique to each vehicle. For example, if you're driving a Harley Davidson, the lights will be different than the lights on a Jeep Wrangler JK. A Hummer will have different lights, and an LED headlamp for a motorcycle headlight will look different than one on a car.
It's also important to note the differences between headlights. For example, a projector headlight will be different than a high low beam. A round sealed beam will be different than that, and some headlight kits will even be plug and play.
If you have a Rubicon, you'll also need different headlights, compared to the lights needed for a Sahara. You'll also want to look at different factors, like DRL, RGB, angel-eye, and other choices.
