When to Use halogen vs led headlights？

Are you still hesitating between original halogen headlights and upgraded LED headlights? Then please read this article to understand the difference between halogen and LED, which will help you make a better choice!

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Most vehicles are equipped with halogen headlight and fog light bulbs from the factory. They’re relatively inexpensive to manufacture and they get the job done. However, in the past few years, with the development of technology, auto manufacturers have begun to equip their vehicles with LED headlights, and the aftermarket is exploding with plug-and-play LED headlight conversion kits.

Next, we will distinguish their advantages and disadvantages from the aspects of lighting principle, color temperature, power and service life.

What are Halogen and LED Headlights?

Halogen is the most common and popular headlight among drivers around the world. They are a form of incandescent light bulb making use of a tungsten filament with a small amount of halogen gas. When a current is passed through the filament, it heats up. Heating the filament to this high temperature starts the incandescence process, thus creating light.

LED Headlights work in a completely different fashion to halogen bulbs. Unlike halogens that have a filament, LEDs operate by transferring current through a semi-conductor. This movement of electronics through a semiconductor emits photons, resulting in light.

Color Temperature

You can see the light output comparison of a typical halogen and upgrades LED headlight from the picture above. The Halogen emits K yellow light. And, the LED headlight(Our latest dual-color LED headlight bulb F2D Plus) can emit K white light and K yellow light (most are K white light).

Yellow light improves visibility in wet or foggy conditions, but it's harder to see with yellow lights in clear conditions. If there is such a dual-color temperature headlight bulb that can be switched at any time to deal with multiple weather scenarios, why not upgrade the headlights with it? 

Power and Heat

As we can see, the halogen bulb needs 41 wattages to heat the filament then light up. And the heat on the surface is very hot. So when you want to replace the headlights, make sure that it is completely cooled, otherwise you will get burned.

But Colight F2D LED headlight only needs 22 wattages to light. That's the greatest advantage of LED headlights, they need very little power to operate and high lumen light output. 

Brightness

From the picture above, the halogen bulb uses a 55w halogen headlight bulb and creates 670 Lumen of light with a yellow light. The LED produces 2,000 – 2,600 Lumen per light bulb which is 3 times brighter than halogen.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a headlight bulb depends on the balance of power and heat dispassion. Normally, the service life of halogen bulbs is about hours, but LEDs can reach up to hours.

Conclusion

To conclude, LEDs are brighter and better. With the development of technology, more and better LED headlights will appear.  If you’re willing to face the cost you’re in for an improved lighting experience, and with time the cost may actually pay off.

Tech Advantages Disadvantages Halogen 1. Good Illumination
2. Low Cost
3. Mature Product 1. Short Life
2. Fragile
3. Rapid Light Output Reduction LED 1. Best Illumination
2. Low Voltage Used
3. Multi-Color Output
4. Glare Control
5. Long Life 1. Higher Cost
2. Extra Current Adapter

It should be noted that many jurisdictions do not allow the replacement of halogen light bulbs with LED lamps for safety reasons. It’s possible to get away with it if you’re careful, but make sure you’re up to date on local laws. 

Headlights have been around since the dawn of the automobile, evolving from the early acetylene lamps already in use on horse-drawn carriages, to the adaptive laser units you would find on the latest high-end model.

For more halogen vs led headlightsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

The most common types of headlights in use today are halogen and LED. Manufacturers are slowly phasing out halogen headlights in favour of LEDs, but both have their benefits and in this article, we will delve into the pros and cons of both types to give you a better idea of which one is best for you.

What is a halogen headlight?

Halogen headlights have been around since the s, they are a modified version of an incandescent light bulb (the ones we all used to have in our homes) and comprise of a tungsten filament enclosed in a glass bulb filled with halogen and a mix of other noble gases. Halogen lights emit a yellowish glow.

What are the pros and cons of a halogen headlight?

Pros:

• Cheap to replace
• Less glaring yellowish light quality

Cons:

• Not that bright
• High power usage

Halogen light bulbs are commonplace in the majority of entry-level cars around the world thanks to their low manufacturing and replacement costs.

Replacing a halogen light bulb is also a lot simpler than swapping out a faulty LED unit, however, you may be doing it more often as halogen bulbs have a shorter lifespan than LEDs. That said, the average cost of a halogen bulb is between £5 to £20, so having to replace them every few years is hardly going to break the bank.

Halogen bulbs aren’t very efficient, though, consuming around 80% more energy than an LED headlight. This can put an extra load on the car’s electrical system and can impact overall efficiency over time.
They also don’t shine as brightly as LEDs, as some of that energy usage gets converted into heat instead of illumination. The dimmer light quality and yellowish glow is less disturbing for other road users, though.

What is an LED headlight?

LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode, LED headlights produce light by passing electricity through tiny little semiconductors which emit photons. This electrical process is what illuminates the road ahead. LED headlights emit a very bright white light.

What are the pros and cons of an LED headlight?

Pros:

• Lower power usage
• Very bright beam
• Offers advanced headlight control
• Long lifespan

Cons:

• Can dazzle oncoming traffic
• Expensive to replace

The big benefit of LED headlights is their low power usage relative to the light they emit. They are approximately 80% more efficient than traditional halogen bulbs, this lowers the strain on the car’s electrical system which in turn can improve fuel economy. This is especially important in EVs, where every watt of power saved means more miles between charges.

LEDs are far more versatile than halogens, too, they can be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes, and their hi-tech nature allows for more nuanced adaptive headlight control. Some designs – often referred to as matrix technology – can even switch off individual LEDs to avoid blinding oncoming vehicles.

LED headlights have a far longer projected lifespan than halogens (up to 10 times as long), but when they do give out, they cost far more to replace. A recent study showed that a replacement LED headlight for a Suzuki Swift cost almost £700. A VW Polo’s LED unit was closer to £900.

These costs are partly down to the fact that most manufacturers use sealed headlight units, so you have to replace the entire headlight assembly instead of just the LED unit.

On a budget car that is 15-years old, a blown set of LED headlights may write-off the entire vehicle. However, prices always come down as new technology becomes more commonplace. And with most manufacturers already shifting over to LED headlights – over 60% of all new cars globally have LED lights as standard – this should be the case here as well.

Can you replace halogen bulbs with LED bulbs?

Not legally in the UK. There are many aftermarket suppliers offering LED headlight replacement kits for cars with halogen lights (a kit is required as power and cooling differences between the bulb types mean you can’t just swap bulbs), but unfortunately it is not legal to make this upgrade due to legislation that does not provide a certification process for aftermarket LED headlights. Some consider this unfair and have campaigned for the legislation to be updated, but all we can do is advise you of what the rules are.

The MoT testing manual was also updated in , telling testers: “Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp [the car will fail its MoT as a result].”

Which is the better headlight – halogen or LED?

With auto manufacturers already well on the way to adopting LED headlights as standard fitment, the days of the halogen bulb are numbered.

If you are buying new, the choice is often already made for you, although upgrading to adaptive LED headlights or even laser lights is sometimes an option on luxury models. The stronger light quality, long lifespan and lower energy use of LED lights make them a great choice in general, and replacement costs should come down as market adoption rates increase.

Halogen lights still have their place in budget cars, as well as in the used car market. The low replacement costs are the biggest drawcard, ensuring that a blown bulb or damaged headlight unit don’t equate to an exorbitant replacement cost.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Philips LED Street Light. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

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