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A reliable set of headlights at an affordable price. D2s Led Headlights

A bright set of LED bulbs suited for any driver.

A durable set of headlights with great light output.

A compatible set of headlights for night driving.

A quiet set of headlights with positive reviews.

Using LED headlights can improve your visibility while night driving and make the road safer to navigate in tumultuous weather. LED headlights can be installed at home, but the first step is finding the right light for your car and budget.

In this buyers guide, we discuss the best LED headlights based on brightness, longevity, and customer reviews. We also provide an overview of what makes LED headlights stand out from other car headlights and why the investment can be worthwhile.

High-quality LED headlights should help you see the road more clearly when driving at night or in poor weather conditions. When choosing headlights, it is important to consult your owner’s manual to know which bulbs are best suited for your vehicle. You may also want to consider the warranty life of your headlights in case they are defective.

One of the biggest differences between LED and halogen bulbs is brightness. LED headlights are typically much brighter, and also use much less power due to their built-in heat dissipation features. LED headlights cast a wider beam pattern and can come in a variety of colors, with bright white being the most common.

Because they are typically included standard only in luxury vehicles, automotive manufacturers recommend finding aftermarket LED lights or replacement bulbs. Some manufacturers even offer LED headlight conversion kits, as most vehicles require a Canbus converter in order to power their lights.

Halogen lights only burn yellow, while LED bulbs offer a greater number of colors to choose from. White LED headlights are the most popular, but can also be bought in purple, blue, and sometimes yellow. One concern about white LED headlights is the glare they produce, which some worry are too distracting for oncoming drivers.

HID headlights are an alternative to LEDs that use Xenon gas to produce light instead of electricity. Although HIDs use less power and have a stronger light beam than halogen light bulbs, they still produce a lower beam compared to LED and use more energy in the process.

Before purchasing LED fog lights, low-beam headlights, or high-beam headlights, here are a few things to know before checkout: 

If your vehicle’s factory headlights are halogen bulbs, it may not be a good idea to upgrade to LED headlights. While an LED headlight will likely fit into your headlight assembly, the housing around the lightbulb is specifically designed for halogen headlights that emit light in a near-360-degree beam. The beam emitted by LED lights is much narrower, typically less than 180 degrees. So though LED lights are much brighter than halogen lights, you may get a narrower light spread in a housing designed for a halogen bulb.

That said, we read through many reviews from drivers who replaced their halogen bulbs with LED headlights and were pleased with the results. If you decide to try swapping halogen headlights for LED headlights, make sure you save your old bulbs just in case you want to switch back.

Our top recommendation for LED headlights is the Fahren LED headlight bulbs . They produce 14,000.0 lumens (Lm), making them more than 300 percent brighter than most halogen bulbs.

These are relatively inexpensive LED headlight bulbs designed for easy aftermarket installation. The Fahren bulb uses a (nearly) 1:1 design, and Fahren offers this bulb with several adapter kits to fit in many different make and model vehicles.

We chose the Fahren as our editor’s choice because while it is not the brightest or longest-lasting among our recommendations, it is nonetheless durable while also being low-cost and easy to install. According to customer reviews, Fahren customer service is extremely responsive to assist customers with installation issues.

Amazon Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 based on over 51,000 ratings

Most reviewers claim they were able to install the Fahren bulbs without issue. Though be sure to do you own research on your particular vehicle beforehand as not 100 percent of reviewers were able to get these bulbs functioning.

Some felt these bulbs didn’t last long, claiming that theirs burned out after about a year of use.

Drivers looking for the most high-intensity headlight should consider the Hikari VisionPlus LED headlights . Producing over 15,000.0 Lm, these are the brightest LED headlights in our review thanks to Hikari’s Double-Layer Copper Plate Cooling System, which efficiently transfers power to create a high-quality beam. 

The VisionPlus headlights also boast a wider beam than most competitors and a double life expectancy than stock halogen lights.

Amazon Review Score: 4.6 out of 5 based on over 2,400 ratings

As with many aftermarket LED headlight bulbs, not all brands fit perfectly with all vehicles. Based on customer reviews for the Hikari bulbs, they do fit in most cases. Reviewers are very pleased with the brightness in particular. Another frequent comment is that these bulbs are easy to install.

Most complaints come from those lamenting that these lights aren’t bright enough. While some reviewers post pictures of brightly-illuminated streets, others show their Hikari bulbs producing a narrow beam of light. This may have to do with improper installation or the way these bulbs work with certain headlight housings.

Sealight specializes in a variety of headlights for different vehicles, and its X1 Series headlights are no exception. The CSP LED chips produce 14,000.0 Lm, giving drivers a super bright beam that’s four times brighter than most standard halogen headlights.

One thing we especially like about these headlights is their longevity: Sealight claims its X1 Series bulbs have a 20-year lifespan. This is due to the X1’s anodized aluminum heat sink, which improves its cooling performance. 

Amazon Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 based on over 9,700 reviews

Positive reviews commend the X1’s low-light capabilities and competitive pricing. These lights are bright and effective, those switching from halogen bulbs are typically satisfied with the choice.

There are a couple of complaints about the warranty, with customers claiming Sealight is unresponsive on returns.

The Marsauto 9006 LED headlights offer exceptional nighttime visibility. At 8,000 Lm, its light output is more powerful than most halogen headlights, plus its compatibility with almost any vehicle brand makes it appealing to us.

These headlamps have a 6,000.0K Daylight White brightness, which reduces eye strain for oncoming traffic while maintaining a perfect beam, and a seven-year lifespan. The headlights also boast a five-minute plug-and-play installation time. They even offer a longer advertised lifespan than the Sealight bulbs (though with a lesser brightness).

Amazon Review Score: 4.6 out of 5 based on over 12,800 ratings

One common praise from customers is that Marsauto headlights fit well in the headlight housing and maintain their brightness after a couple of years of use. However, some customers complain that the headlights are ill-fitting.

For the best noiseless headlights on the market, we recommend the Beamtech S1 Series . A fanless design makes the S1 Series quieter than other brands, and with its aluminum heat sink, these headlights are more energy-efficient than some competitors.

We like the 6,500.0K Xenon White focused beams, as well. Our only reservation is with the lifespan: roughly three and a half years, which is shorter than other LED headlight options. 

Amazon Review Score: 4.6 out of 5 based on over 17,600 ratings

Beamtech customers note the crispness of the white light is better than their old halogen bulbs. Some reviews mention dark spots in their headlights, but the overall consensus is that these headlights are reliable.

To select the LED headlights featured in this buyers guide, our team first combed through dozens of resources such as DIY mechanic and auto enthusiast forums, manufacturer and headlight-specific websites, and reviews from online retailers. We pay particularly close attention to quality reviews and recommendations that highlight the quality of warranties, customer service support, build quality, materials, and overall reliability.

We also factored in the quantity and quality of online retailer reviews from websites such as Amazon, RealTruck, Advance Auto Parts, and more. We looked at factors such as standout customer reviews, prices, meaningful superlatives, and discount shipping eligibility.

Since 2020, we have published over 200 auto product reviews in an effort to make shopping for auto products easier. Our team of writers, editors, researchers, and product experts collaborates to thoroughly vet top products. We try to perform in-house testing on real vehicles whenever possible before making our recommendations.

When testing is not feasible, however, our aim is to make your life easier by doing all the online research for you and presenting that research in the form of easy-to-read product comparisons and buyers guides, rather than outright recommendations. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here .

Replacing your halogen bulbs with LED headlights can be a good idea if you want to increase the brightness of your headlamps. However, be aware that LED headlights may not be compatible with older vehicles, so it’s important to do research about your particular car.

Those thinking about making the switch might consider the Fahren LED headlight bulbs. These are designed with easy installation in mind and Fahren has a good track record for responsive customer service.

If you need an inexpensive LED headlight, we recommend the Marsauto LED bulbs. These have a excellent lifespan and only cost around $30. Sealight also produces a long-lasting bulb that is a little more expensive, but exceptionally bright.

Based on our research, Fahren bulbs are the best LED headlights for your value. They can produce up to 10,000.0 Lm for 50,000 hours and won’t break the bank in the process.

No. LED headlights sit above fog light bulbs on the front of your vehicle and produce a direct high beam. Fog lights sit lower and produce a wider, dimmer beam of light.

Many LED headlights have a one-year warranty in case the product is damaged or unusable right out of the box. Some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their bulbs.

You should not replace halogen headlights with LED headlights. The reason is that the housing unit for the light is designed with the specific qualities of halogen lights, particularly the wide arc of light.

There are LED retrofitting kits that you can buy and some people find satisfactory results with these kits.

LED headlight bulbs are legal, and are included as the factory default with some makes and models. However, there are federal and state regulations about the brightness, height, and color of headlights. You’ll need to check with your local DMV to learn the specifics of these regulations in your state.

Headlights that output more than 3,000.0 lumens are typically illegal.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

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