Why should you choose LED headlights over halogen lights?
LED headlights have been a recent development in headlights and quickly becoming the headlight of choice. Why? Mostly because they are cheaper in the long term, as they last so many years that nobody as yet has had to find a replacement bulb. The contention is that the car LED bulbs could last 20 years: we will have to wait and see if the cars last long enough to need another set of bulbs!
To be fair, the look of the LED headlights system is also said to be the major reason for choosing an LED headlight over halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs are the standard factory fit for cars but mostly because they are a cheap component. These halogen bulbs give out a pool of yellow light, which just does the job but only just. When the LED lights are switched on the comparison of what is illuminated is shocking. Drivers quickly notice how much more they can see and therefore how safer they feel. The front of the car is bathed in a futuristic white glow: a much cleaner, crisper look.
The only reason not to change to the LED would be a fear about the installation of the LED headlights pro kits. However, the concerns that owners might have are ill-founded. The LED headlights are designed to fit into a specific make and model of car. Therefore, when you open the hood and reach into the casement, it is just a matter of retrieving the old bulb, ballast and wires and then slotting the kit into the same place. The manufacturers advise it will take twenty minutes per headlight. Users have reported it will actually only take fifteen minutes.
Therefore, it seems logical to switch to LED lights. The halogen bulbs do work well and your car is designed to work with the higher energy demands of these light bulbs. However, as they are a filament bulb they will more quickly blow, as the wire that heats and cools over and over again will eventually fissure and the light will need repair. The cheapness of the components become a false economy because you will have to buy many more over the time of the life of the car. The halogen bulb does offer legal visibility on the road but it does not help to see road signs and pedestrians as well as LED headlights, therefore LED are safer. Finally, headlights do not make the look of a car. You cannot change a Ford into a Ferrari with a new set of headlights. However, the look of a car can become crisper and cooler with the white light of LED.
It seems there is no comparison between LED and halogen. There will come a time when car manufacturers will realise that it makes more sense to fit LED headlights as a matter of course. Until then, the consumer will need to make the choice to ensure that the car they own is more energy efficient and safer.
