Best Rated Led Headlight Bulbs
Best LED Headlights for Your Car: Seeing Things
There few frustrations more vexing to a gearhead than one's car being equipped with a set of headlights which cast approximately as much light as two fireflies in a jam jar. Replacing them with an aftermarket set of LED bulbs is a bright idea. LEDs cast a very bright and defined beam of light compared to halogen units, allowing drivers to see farther ahead and spot Bambi before he jumps out onto the macadam.
LEDs also don't produce much heat. One less source of heat in an increasingly crowded engine bay is a Very Good Thing. Additionally, a big advantage of LED bulbs is their energy efficiency, drawing roughly a third of the power compared to traditional halogens. The auto industry has steadily improved the situation by introducing factory LEDs to the front of many cars, but there are plenty of older machines out there deploying old-school tech.
Keep in mind that different jurisdictions have different rules about headlight bulb replacement, especially when those replacements can illuminate the dark side of the moon. A sloppy installation can lead to annoyed (and blinded) oncoming traffic or an impromptu roadside conversation with the constabulary. Check yer local laws.
Table of Contents
- SeaLight LED Bulbs Combo Package
- Promoted Product: XenonPro LED Headlights
- Highly Rated: LasFit LED Headlight Bulbs
- GTP 9006 HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs
- Cougar Motor H13 LED Headlight Bulbs
- NightEye Novsight LED Auto Lighting
- Beamtech LED Headlight Bulbs
- Hikari Thunder LED Headlight Bulbs
1. SeaLight LED Bulbs Combo Package
This product promises a '10 minute' installation, but anyone who's ever worked on a car knows a ten-minute job is just one busted bolt away from being a 3-day ordeal. But that bit of ad copy fluff is about the only complaint we have about this product since it is available in a variety of socket styles to ensure a proper fit – just make sure to order the right one for your car at the checkout.
While only drawing 12 watts of power, the seller insists it throws 14,000 lumens worth of light down the road. It is said these are designed so as not to blind or dazzle oncoming traffic, though the ultimate success of that metric is down to proper installation. The light it emits is rated at 6000K – a unit of measure you'll understand after reading this article. Essentially, it refers to the level of 'yellow' in the illumination cast.
Pros /Very high ratings from 15,000+ real-world customers
Cons /More expensive than some
Bottom Line /An example of getting what you pay for
One of the brightest (pun firmly intended) entries in the automotive lighting aftermarket are the LED headlights kits from XenonPro. Among the best LED options on the market, these XenonPro kits are offered in an array of sizes and colors, produce up to 9,000 lumens of lights, and come backed by a lifetime warranty.
Looking for easy installation? These bulbs are the very definition of plug-and-play. This means a direct fitment with the same plugs and locking tabs as OEM specs, resulting in a quick-and-easy install in under 30 minutes. The bulbs come with an integrated driver and turbo micro-fan built in, which helps with underhood thermal management and durability.
They're also available in four colors — 3000K (yellow), 6000K (bright white), 8000K (blue), and 12000L (purple) — though be sure to check your local laws before installing a colorful light such as blue or purple. Meanwhile, the advanced anti-glare technology prevents you from blinding other drivers—no small consideration if you've ever been on the receiving end of a set of less-thoughtful LED bulbs. You can also expect XenonPro's headlights to last, as they've been rated for 45,000 hours of use.
*This is a sponsored placement.
Pros /Dead-simple install, up to 300% brighter than standard halogen, comes with a lifetime warranty, premium quality
Cons /Premium quality means a premium price point
Bottom Line /One of the best options on the market
3. Highly Rated: LasFit LED Headlight Bulbs
Earning four-and-a-half stars from an aggregate of nearly 500 reviews is no mean feat – just ask the producers on any B-grade Hollywood movie. These LED headlights are available with a wide variety of connectors to fit most North American applications. Plug-n-play isn't just for gaming consoles, y'know.
The company claims their headlight bulb creates a smooth light beam which illuminates in breadth and length with a sharp horizontal cutoff to avoid the 'scatter' that can blind other drivers. Reviewers seem to agree. They're also one of the few sellers to note that the units will provide wonky DRL service if the car's daytimes are shared with the stock low-beam bulbs. Your author can attest to this problem, so this warning to n00bs is welcomed. They also note some errors in Amazon's fitment guide, another helpful item that many other sellers skip.
Pros /Well-designed cutoff minimizes beam scatter, leagues of positive reviews
Cons /Fitment guides must be examined like tax forms
Bottom Line /Popular plug-n-play option
4. GTP 9006 HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs
With a 360-degree beam pattern, this brand squarely inhabits the "never heard of 'em" end of the retail spectrum. The 250+ listed reviews are all over the map, bouncing back and forth between one- and five-star ratings like a pendulum on a grandfather clock.
Recent comments seem to focus on damage during shipping but there are also scads of reports about units failing in short order after installation. This product may be a very good example of getting what one pays for – but if a dirt-cheap set of LED is what you're after, these check that box.
Pros /Bottom-feeder price
Cons /Negative comments are starting to outweigh the good
Bottom Line /Shop carefully
5. Cougar Motor H13 LED Headlight Bulbs
Despite having a packaging that bears imagery straight out of computer parts from the 1990s, these lights stand alongside their modern competitors. Advertised as the industry standard of 6000K, these bulbs cast a cool white glow rather than the off-blue shade that some oncoming drivers find annoying, prompting them to hit the brights in retaliation (pro tip: don't give in to the 'payback' temptation as you'll both be blinded).
In terms of cooling, an aluminum component replaces a physical fan. Actual lumens are in the 7000lms range for the set and have a working operating temperature well within the confines of Planet Earth, save for Chicago when it's hit with the polar vortex. Reviewers report that these bulbs aren't picky when it comes to polarity, meaning they can be plugged in and installed without difficulty. A few reports exist of the things winking out prematurely, however.
Pros /Smaller base thanks to lack of fan, no polarity
Cons /Hang on to that receipt
Bottom Line /Affordable with largely positive reviews
6. NightEye Novsight LED Auto Lighting
Yeah, your author is a sucker for bright colors and a unique design. For better or worse, I'll frequently choose the flashy option that stands out like an errant nail waiting to be hammered into place. The units are painted bright red despite the fact they'll reside in a part of your car that will rarely be viewed by human eyes. It matters not; the color's awesome.
A cold-pressed aluminum heat sink (in red!) stays 40% cooler than standard, although what standard they're talking about is unclear. It does rate its cooling fan at a heady 12,000 rpm, several thousand north of most other lights. Their lifespan claim of 100,000 hours seems excessive. As with all the other units in this group, they're easy to install using stock wiring harnesses. They are polarity dependent, so test the suckers before wrangling them into the headlight housings.
These lights have garnered good reviews from customers who have shelled out their hard-earned cash. The company does note that some common brands, such as those from FCA and a few German makes, may require a load resistor decoder to avoid flickering.
Pros /Anodized-style red finish looks baller, cool runnings
Cons /Polarity dependent, unrealistic lifespan estimate
Bottom Line /Get these if you love the color red
7. Beamtech LED Headlight Bulbs
The so-called "aircraft-grade" aluminum shows up again, along with a high thermal conductivity Nano layer and 0.8mm double-sided laminated copper substrate to keep the light bulb at an appropriate working temperature. Estimated operating life is less than others at 30,000 hours. These bulbs are available in all the popular headlight connector sizes.
Note that some reviewers mention that it is indeed possible to plug these suckers in backward, so if they fail to illuminate after installation, be sure to check that connection before raging out on social media. Also, an alignment tool is apparently included for good reason – some vehicles will require tweaking of the "blade" on which the LEDs sit in order for them to cast the proper light. This is rare in replacement bulbs but seems to produce a much better result.
Pros /Well-packaged and thought-out, plugs into many types of cars
Cons /Not totally plug 'n play
Bottom Line /A bit of work might be worth the hassle
8. Hikari Thunder LED Headlight Bulbs
This sub-brand of the Hikari line was introduced to capture a portion of the low-price LED headlight market. Claiming to have superior brightness and beam pattern thanks to its experience developing high-buck solutions, the Hikari Thunder bulbs are priced in line with other entry-level LED headlight kits.
Hikari says they were the first to adopt copper as a material for heat dissipation, a metal now widely used in the LED industry for this purpose. According to their own tests in which the company removed the fan and let the thing run for two weeks in a high-temperature environment, these bulbs have great resistance to overheating.
Compared to the Hikari Ultra Series which toss out 12000 lumens per pair at twice the price, these cheaper units are capable of producing 9600 lumens of white light to toss down the road. Hikari is upfront about a few issues with which their customers might face, primarily the propensity of some popular brands to place bulbs in headlight housings at odd angles. To compensate, Hikari adopts adjustable buckles to enable some of these machines to obtain the optimal light-beam pattern.
Pros /Tested to success in very high temperatures, reasonably priced
Cons /Not as bright as its slightly more expensive brother
Bottom Line /Good budget option
Are there different types of LED headlight bulbs?
A short answer would be, yes, there are. The headlight bulbs, LED or otherwise, are broadly divided into two categories namely Dual Beam and Single Beam. While the Dual Bulb assembly uses one bulb from the H4, H13, 9004, and 9007 subcategories for both high and low (upper and dipper) functions, the Single Bulb assembly comprises two separate bulbs from the H1 and H7 categories for high and low respectively.
When looking for a replacement, it is imperative to check which headlight assembly type, Single Bulb or Dual Bulb, does your car have, and get the compatible bulbs. For instance, you must buy a pair of H1 and H7 Single Beam bulbs if the headlight assembly of your car falls under the category of Single Beam, and buy H4, H13, 9004, or 9007 Dual Beam bulbs if the headlight assembly category is Dual Beam.
Which type of LED headlight bulb should I buy?
Depending on the headlight assembly that your car came with, you can buy a pair of compatible LED headlight bulbs. For instance, if your car uses dual beam bulbs, always get a pair of H4, H13, 9004, or 9007 bulbs as they have both high and low functions integrated into a single bulb. Likewise, if your car came with the single beam headlight assembly, buying a pair of H1 and H7 each for high and low functions respectively is your only option.
Are LED bulbs difficult to install compared to standard bulbs?
Not exactly, as long as you get the compatible ones, right tools, and have a good understanding of the location of the right screws, cables, and their sockets. Because even the dealers believe that you may want to upgrade the bulbs to LEDs, most cars nowadays have standard sockets. Similarly, the compatible LED bulbs are manufactured with the standard installation notches and screw locations as well. To install an LED bulb in your car, all you need to do is:
- Grab the right set of tools like a screwdriver, pliers, etc.
- Open the hood of the car
- Locate the currently installed bulb
- Disconnect the cables
- Unscrew the currently installed bulb
- Place the new LED bulb at the correct location
- Tighten the screw, and ensure that the bulb stay firm
- Reconnect the cables, and you're done
- Repeat these steps to install the second LED bulb too
What are some differences in the construction of LED bulbs?
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are the PN Junction diodes as they are formed by joining P-Type and N-Type semiconductors. When a specific amount of forwarding voltage is passed through an LED, electroluminescence takes place that makes the diode emit light. Different types of LEDs work on different voltages. For example, a white LED can emit white light only when 3.2V is passed through it. If the amount of voltage is lower than 3.2V, the LED won't emit any light whatsoever. Furthermore, LEDs have two points namely Anode and Cathode that must be connected to the +ve and -ve ends of the voltage supply respectively so they can work properly. Both the points can be identified easily by their lengths, where Anode is comparatively longer than Cathode.
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(Editor's note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our '90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don't find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)
[Product images provided by the manufacturer.]
Best Rated Led Headlight Bulbs
Source: https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/best-led-headlight-bulbs/
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