If you frequently drive at night, you probably appreciate the importance of visibility and illumination. While your vehicle may have headlights that work just fine, when you switch to LED headlights, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. Not only do LED lights offer brighter lights and project beams farther, they’re also energy-efficient.
Believe it or not, it’s easy for the average driver to install LED headlights with a conversion kit. In fact, many kits pride themselves in their plug-and-play designs, which take 20 minutes or less for installation.
This buying guide covers everything you need to know before you buy, and we’re sharing a few recommendations. Our top choice, Cougar Motor’s LED Headlight Conversion Kit, comes with waterproof construction and is backed by a lifetime manufacturer guarantee.
Considerations when choosing LED headlight conversion kits
Vehicle compatibility
Begin your search for an LED headlight conversion kit by looking up compatible kits for the make and model of your vehicle. Most manufacturers and some online retailers (like Amazon) provide detailed, user-friendly compatibility guides for your convenience. If you can’t find your vehicle in the chart, explore kits by a different manufacturer.
Power output
Power output refers to the brightness and evenness of a headlight’s beam. This information is expressed in lumens (lm). To put power output in perspective when comparing regular headlights and LED headlights, a 100-watt light bulb puts out 1,600 lumens, while a 100-watt LED bulb puts out 8,000.
Features
Materials
LED headlights are made with high-quality materials to last under a variety of conditions. The shell casing and heat sink are usually made of aluminum alloys, while the cooling fans are typically made of stainless steel. As heat is an ongoing concern with LED headlights, it’s recommended to steer clear of kits with non-metal components.
Cooling fans
LED headlights are equipped with cooling fans to keep heat under control. Their operation can be noisy to the point you can hear them in the car. Certain cooling fans may also cause interference with a vehicle’s instrument panel. These issues are more prevalent in inexpensive kits, which is why some drivers decide to spend more on kits that advertise “quiet, no-interference” cooling fans.
Heat sinks
Heat sinks in LED headlights create a pathway for heat to pass from the light source to the outside elements. Some kits have advanced heat sinks that don’t require cooling fans. While this sounds like a minor design feature, remember that cooling fans create noise and interference, and if you eliminate the cooling fan, you won’t experience these issues.
COB LED headlights
COB, or Chip-On-Board, means an LED chip is installed onto the circuit board. This is an energy-efficient design feature, as it reduces overall heat output by as much as 25%. By operating more efficiently, these LEDs offer longer lifespans.
Price
If you’re on a budget, you can pick up a decent LED headlight conversion kit for less than $30, but there may be some light flickering. More reliable kits with fewer performance quirks fall in the $30 to $70 range, and if you prefer LED headlights with brighter lights and advanced cooling systems, you can spend closer to $100.
FAQ
Q. What is the average lifespan of LED headlights?
A. Most LED headlight conversion kits include LEDs that last anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 hours. Keep in mind that price doesn’t necessarily reflect the lifespan, as there are many budget-friendly kits with long-lasting LEDs.
Q. How expensive is an adapter set if I need to purchase it separately?
A. Most adapter sets cost a fraction of the price of their corresponding LED headlight conversion kits. On average, you can expect to pay between $6 and $20 per adapter set.
LED headlight conversion kits we recommend
Best of the best: Cougar Motor’s LED Headlight Conversion Kit
Our take: High-powered top CREE LED chips with 60 watts per set.
What we like: Lights last up to 50,000 hours. Installation is user-friendly, taking 20 minutes or less.
What we dislike: Not compatible with certain vehicles, so check make and model before you buy.
Best bang for your buck: WinPower’s Turbo LED Headlight Conversion Kit
Our take: Affordable set with 70-watt output with an even beam pattern.
What we like: Weatherproof with an IP67 waterproof rating. Responsive customer service.
What we dislike: Could perform better on high-beam settings.
Choice 3: Glowteck’s Extreme 360-Degree LED Headlight Conversion Kit
Our take: Smart headlight design is compatible with most vehicle computers.
What we like: Adjustable beam patterns. Equipped with a reliable cooling fan for heat dissipation.
What we dislike: Certain vehicles require an adapter kit.
Sian Babish is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money. BestReviews never accepts free products from manufacturers and purchases every product it reviews with its own funds.
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