What are the pros and cons of different LED headlight bulbs in cars?

Pros of LED Lights for Cars

There are three main types of car headlights. These are the Halogens, HID or high-intensity discharge lights and the LED lights. But how do they compare? Halogen headlights are less efficient compared to LEDs in that the majority of the charge in lost in form of heat instead of being converted to light. They are also not very durable and need to be replaced often.

LEDS have a much longer lifespan. Approximately 15,000 hours compared to the 1,000hours of the halogen bulbs. While they may be more expensive, their durability more than makes up for the cost.

HIDs are the brightest of the three types of car headlights. However, these come with their own set of challenges. They can blind oncoming motorists and their brightness also creates a shadow effect which makes it hard to see other objects when driving.

With LEDs, you do not have to worry about too much brightness causing temporary blindness to other motorists. They offer a decent illumination that is far better than the halogens.

Compared to HIDs, or halogens that take some time to light up and achieve full brightness, LEDs will light up immediately they are turned on. This means that drivers behind you will have enough time to react when you step on the brakes for instance.

Cons of LED Lights for Cars

The most obvious disadvantage of LED lights is the cost. In fact, initially, only high-end vehicles came with LED headlights, Tail lights or turn signal lights.

A second issue is the heat. While the LED light source itself doesn’t get hot, there is a lot of heat that is dispersed to the emitter. You will likely need other components to control this heat which obviously means more expense.

However, the good thing is that over the years, LED light for cars costs have gone down. They are still more expensive than halogen bulbs but with all the benefits that LEDs come with, they are well worth the price.