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Driving with a poor or dim headlight significantly reduces visibility in the dark, becomes dangerous, and can cost you a fine for a safety violation.
Headlights are a critical vehicle component that illuminates the roadway and facilitates safe driving in the dark. Today, luxury vehicles and newer models comprise LED or HID lights. However, most people need to learn the difference between them. Continue reading the article below to know more about these lights and which one is better.
Short on Time – Here’s a Quick Summary
LED and HID headlights have increased as both technologies are better than their earlier counterparts. However, LED lights are brighter, typically have a longer lifespan than HID, don’t fade over time, and are more energy efficient than HIDs. But HID is a cheaper option compared to LED lights.
LED vs. HID Headlights Comparison
Here, we will present a comparison between LED and HID headlights, but before we do so, let’s explore what LED and HID headlights are.
What are LED Headlights?
LED headlights use semiconductors for transmitting energy-emitting photos that create light. While LED headlights have several benefits, they have some downsides; getting hot is one of them. As a result, they require additional fans and heat sinks to help them control the temperature.
LED headlights are eco-friendly and emit no heat or UV emissions compared to traditional lighting sources like incandescent bulbs.
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Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
LED has the following advantages over HID headlights.
- LEDs are more durable and have 3x more lifespan than HIDs.
- LEDs are brighter and have the potential to put up to 25% more light compared to HIDs.
- LED’s warm time is less and instantly turns on, whereas HIDs take 3-5 seconds to start.
What are HID Headlights?
HID headlights, also known as high-intensity discharge headlights, use a combination of metals and gas to produce a bright blue-white light. These are premium headlights enabling high brightness and lasting longer. As a result, HID headlights have become a much more affordable and reasonable option for many average car owners.
HID headlights enable better visibility than halogen lights while consuming less energy, significantly enhancing the car’s efficiency and conserving more fuel.
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HIDs have the following advantages over LED headlights.
- HIDs have a better light density and produce more dense and focused light than LEDs.
- While LEDs work only in reflectors, HIDs perform well in both reflectors and projectors.
- HIDs are less expensive compared to LEDs.
LED vs. HID Comparison
LED vs. HID: which one is better? Let’s explore. Here is a comparison between the two popular headlights.
Brightness
While LED and HID headlights have a high brightness rate compared to traditional light sources, LED headlights are brighter than HID headlights and can have a brightness of 9,000 to 10,000 lumens, whereas HIDs may have 8,000 lumens. However, both are much brighter than halogen lights.
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Brighter headlights are essential, especially in darker conditions, as they will give you the advantage of a clear view and time to better react to an unexpected obstacle, for instance, an animal, pothole, etc.
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Lifespan
When comparing the lifespan and durability of LED and HID headlights, we have concluded that LEDs have very high longevity and are more durable than HIDs. Also, LEDs have almost 3x more longevity than HIDs. However, unlike LEDs, HIDs don’t abruptly stop working but rather slowly fade away and get dimmer as the xenon gas runs out.
LED headlights can run more than 30,000 hours and probably will never need to be replaced over the car’s life.
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I had HID headlights in my Toyota Corolla, which proved to be good and lasted longer (almost about 12,000 – 14,000 hours). However, they faded away eventually, and then I shifted to LEDs due to their benefits over HIDs. While they are pricey compared to HIDs, they are worth the money.
Bulb Design
Another significant difference between LEDs and HIDs is their bulb design which is entirely different from one another.
LED bulbs typically have a fan or heat sink at their base, with locking tabs in the center and a narrow top stem. While HIDs have a similar design to that of halogens. LEDs have a simple design but are longer and wider than HIDs and halogens due to the fan or heat sink.
Heat Emission
The next difference between these two, LED and HID, is the heat they produce.
While LEDs get hot early, they run cooler than the HIDs due to the light source based on power and the presence of a fan at the base to cool the bulb. Conversely, HIDs run warmer than LEDs because their light source is based on heat, i.e., xenon gas burning.
Many drivers in snowy or cold regions might prefer HID headlights since they will help melt the snow off the headlights.
Energy Efficiency
The amount of power measures energy efficiency converted into light versus heat in the context of light. The next difference between these two is their energy efficiency. Due to LEDs’ simple and compact design, they are more energy-efficient than HIDs and convert up to ninety percent of their energy into light, whereas HIDs can convert up to 70 to 80%.
Both LEDs and HIDs can produce up to 5x more light than halogens while drawing the same power.
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Cost
While the cost of LED and HID headlights depends on the brand you choose, HIDs are relatively cheaper than LED headlights. However, LED headlights require less maintenance and will cost significantly over time since they operate at cooler temperatures.
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Car vacuum cleaners come in many designs and forms, the most common of which is the handheld car vacuum. Top 15 Best Car Vacuum Cleaners in 2018 cleaner.
While HIDs are relatively less expensive than LEDs at first, they require more maintenance down the road.
LED vs. HID Fog Lights
Fog lights improve visibility and let drivers see through foggy, rainy, or snowy weather. The best light color to get maximum visibility during such weather is amber or yellow, the converse of headlights which require bright white light for maximum visibility.
While LED fog lights are better than HIDs since they produce powerful, visible light and last longer, it may become difficult to find a yellow LED. On the other hand, yellow HIDs are commonly available anywhere and are known as the 3000K temperature.
The table below shows a comparison between different specifications of LED vs. HID headlights. Let’s have a look.
| Specs | LED Headlights | HID Headlights |
|---|
| Brightness | Very high brightness (up to 10,000 lumens) | High brightness (up to 8,000 lumens) |
| Lifespan | Longer than HIDs (more than 30,000 hours) | Less than LEDs (almost 20,000 hours) |
| Technology | Electricity (diodes) | Xenon gas |
| Color | Available in 4 colors | Available in up to 7 colors |
| Fade | Won’t fade over time | HIDs fade over time |
| Warmup | Lights up instantly | Takes 3-5 minutes to warm up |
| Efficiency | High energy efficiency | High energy efficiency but less than LEDs |
| Price | More expensive than HIDs | Less expensive than LEDs |
Final Words
The comparison between LED and HID headlights shows that both are brighter and better than traditional halogen lights. However, LED and HID headlights have significant differences; for instance, LEDs are brighter than HIDs and have a longer lifespan. Moreover, LEDs are more energy efficient compared to HIDs. On the other hand, HIDs are relatively less expensive than LEDs.
If you drive more during the day, consider choosing the cheaper option, i.e., HID headlights. However, if you drive more at night, LEDs can be ideal for you since it is brighter, starts instantly, and has a longer lifespan.
FAQs
LED, HID, and Xenon headlights are some of the brightest ones available and are brighter than traditional halogen lights.
Xenon headlights are probably the brightest among all headlights and are street-legal and sometimes confused with high-beam lights.
HID headlights get dim over time. If you see your headlights are getting dim, that means this is the time for bulb replacement. Like the bulbs in your houses, HID bulbs also need replacement once in a while.
While driving at night, you need headlights that can light the dark and dim roads at night. For such conditions, halogen lights, HIDs, and LEDs are the best option to illuminate your path.
Yes, you can replace HID headlights with LEDs. However, it is recommended once the complete headlight assembly is changed. HID bulbs are mostly in projector-style headlights, for which LEDs may not work well and become dim.
