Headlights Explained – LED vs HID vs Halogen Car Lights
Car headlights have always been an eminent part of cars but were often ignored because of two reasons. Firstly, people didn’t consider them important and secondly, innovations were slow in this field. Many people are still not aware of the latest advancements in headlights.
This article is aimed to throw light on three main types of headlights, i.e. LEDs, HIDs, and Halogens, and clear the air about the best one. The three main kinds of car headlights are:
LED
LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes have evolved a lot and today, they are used to fulfill most of the lighting solutions. In the automotive industry, LED headlights are the latest option carmakers are turning to. LED headlights are considered advantageous because they lit up instantly, are very efficient, and last longer than other available options. The light emitted by LED headlights is quite near in color to daylight.
Today, the mass-production of cars has made LEDs the best option but they have certain drawbacks that can change the perspective of people towards this new technology. They create high temperatures around the adjacent assemblies which can further harm them.
HID
HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlights are also known as Xenon headlights and are considered as the most efficient solution, particularly because of the amount of light generated by them and the color of light. HID headlights use tungsten electrodes, a transparent quartz casing, and a mixture of gases that get activated when an electric current of high-voltage is passed between 2 electrodes.
When it comes to the emission of light, HIDs are most efficient and they easily generate 90 mcd/m2 or 3000 lumens. This is the highest in all three categories. Another advantage of HID car headlights is that they have a quite long lifetime; estimates say that the operational life of HID lights is around 2,000 hours in usual conditions.
Halogen
The most popular kinds of headlights on the road are the Halogen ones. The prime reason behind this is that they are cheaply manufactured and are very easy to replace, simply plug and play type. The inside of halogen headlight has a filament built of tungsten and the remaining part is filled with halogen gas. When the electricity reaches the filament, tungsten starts to heat up and begins glowing.
Although halogen headlights are most popular, they also have a big disadvantage. The color temperature of these lights does not look natural and is nowhere near to an HID headlight.
Final Verdict
The advancement in the department of car headlights is happening at a very rapid pace. Because of this, people are very much confused and often make the wrong decisions in choosing the right headlights for their car. After thoroughly examining all the features along with advantages and disadvantages, experts suggest that HID car lights are the best.
One thing you should remember is to purchase the HID headlights for your car from a reputed seller and when you are on road, think about other road users also. The lenses and headlight reflectors are made for a bulb with specific size, output, and shape. Altering them might result in various beam patterns that might annoy, stun or blind other people on the road.
