10 Best LED Headlights [Buying Guide] – Autowise (2024)

Having strong enough headlights can make night driving a whole lot easier. If your night vision is going or you feel your stock bulbs just aren’t cutting it anymore, you should definitely consider upgrading to LED headlights. In fact, you may have already upgraded your in-home lights to LEDs, so why not do the same with your car? LED headlights are generally more energy-efficient and longer-lasting than traditional halogen headlights. Though they are more expensive than halogen bulbs up front, in the long run, LED headlights will save you some money. Plus, you’ll likely find that your new LED bulbs provide greater coverage and clarity, giving you better illumination in the dark and limiting the risk of night-time incidents on the road.

Picking The Best LED Headlights

There are a few things to think about when picking LED headlights for your car. Energy efficiency and price are two important aspects to take into consideration. Most bulbs come with an expected lifespan listed in hours that you can compare to other similarly priced bulbs.

How bright the headlights are is important as well. For reference, traditional stock headlights are about 700 lumens on low beam and in the range of 1200 lumens on high beam. Most LEDs will have significantly more lumens for added brightness. With this, higher-lumen bulbs will also have a higher wattage. Though most car batteries can easily handle this increase in watts, be aware that higher watt bulbs do generate a bit of heat, which is why some LED headlights come equipped with active cooling fans.

Lastly, be sure to check that the new LED headlights fit your exact year, make, and model of vehicles. Most LED headlights are quick and easy to install, assuming you have made sure they are compatible with your stock headlight housing. Others may require a few additional parts and adjustments to adapt the LED bulb to your headlight housing.

These are a few of the factors that we took into consideration when deciding which LED headlights will make the best addition to your car. Check out this list of the 10 Best LED Headlights for a quick way to upgrade your safety and night driving confidence.

Best Premium Choice

1. PIAA 26-17495 G3 9005 LED Bulb

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This is our premium LED headlight pick. These high-quality headlights come with a five-year warranty and are designed to give you up to 30,000 hours of light. Though they have a higher price tag, these headlights come with some cool features including an adjustable beam that you can fine-tune for the perfect alignment and the best optical output for your vehicle.

They come with built-in pulse width modulation which helps eliminate the chance of the headlights flickering. The headlights have a quiet, high-efficiency fan to keep them cool. One thing to note is that these bulbs are larger than most stock bulbs. With that in mind, be sure to check to make sure they’ll fit with your car before purchasing.

Best Overall Choice

2. Fahren LED Headlights

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These 10,000 lumens LED headlights are three times brighter than regular halogen headlights. The bulb has a focused beam design that provides light for greater distance and a wider range, better illuminating the road at night. The light’s aviation-grade aluminum body and 12,000 RPM cooling fan prevent overheating, helping to ensure a lifespan of over 50,000 hours of use.

Installation is extremely easy on most vehicles as the headlights fit right into the sockets of your old headlights. The bulbs work with 98% of vehicles with no error. Some models may require an additional CAN bus decoder if you experience flickering or a dashboard error on install.

3. SEALIGHT Scoparc S1

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This LED headlight bulb is 1.5 times brighter than most halogen bulbs. Its pure white color gives you better visibility for a safer driving experience. You don’t need any tools to install the bulb, and, if done right, the installation should take about ten minutes.

SEALIGHT claims this bulb will last for up t0 20 years, even if you drive six hours per night with the headlights on. Obviously, the only way to know for sure is to try them for yourself. These headlights do not have an active fan which eliminated the chances of fan failure. Even though the bulb does not have a fan, it has a smart cooling system so you shouldn’t have to worry about them overheating.

4. BEAMTECH LED Headlight

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These LED headlights produce up to 8,000 lumens per set. They have an estimated lifespan of up to, and over, 30,000 hours. Each lamp uses about 50 watts of power. It emits much less heat than a standard halogen lamp. That helps to prolong the service life and quality of the lamp.

These LED bulbs are also safe and easy to install. They don’t have a fan but do have a heat sink specifically designed to help dissipate any heat from the bulb. This energy-efficient bulb has a good light-beam pattern and the even light distribution of light gives you good coverage while not blinding oncoming traffic.

5. Cougar Motor LED Headlights

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These high-power LED headlights are 200% brighter than basic halogen bulbs. The bulbs have an even beam pattern with no dark spots or foggy light. They come with a 7,000RPM TurboCool fan to help keep the headlights cool, ensuring up to, and over, 50,000 hours of light.

Installation is easy, and it should take roughly 20 minutes for you to install them. They are designed to be compatible with most vehicle’s computer systems and should be plug-and-play for most vehicles.

6. SEALIGHT 9005/HB3 High Beam/Low Beam LED Headlight

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If you are looking for a high beam/low beam combo pack, this set from SEALIGHT is a good bet for better visibility. The stronger beam patterns of these headlights allow for easier night driving with little to no glare for oncoming traffic.

The headlights are quiet since there is no fan. One thing to pay note is you may need to use a CAN bus on some sensitive cars. These lights are plug and play for 95% of cars, so be sure to research if they fit your particular make and model before purchasing.

7. AUXITO 9003 LED Headlights

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These headlights provide better visibility than halogen lights with up to 200% better lighting. They are designed with ZES LED chips to ensure a better beam pattern for the best visibility with no dark spots or foggy light. The bulbs are almost the same size as halogen bulbs, so replacing your old bulbs with these should be a seamless transition.

Like many LED headlights, the install is easy for these bulbs. The shell is an aluminum alloy, and the bulb comes with a built-in fan to help keep the lights cool. AUXITO claims they should last for 30,000 hours of light and are compatible with 99% of vehicles.

Best Budget Choice

8. CARROVER LED Headlights

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This LED bulb from CARROVER is a bright and relatively inexpensive LED headlight. It has bright white lights with 10,000 lumens and a low-beam pattern. It comes with a built-in cooling fan, and the bulbs are rated for 30,000 hours of use.

The bulb is easy to install as the lights have a 360-degree adjustable mounting design. This removal adapter makes it easy to remove the old headlights and put the new ones in. The adapter can also easily be rotated to adjust the beam pattern.

9. HIKARI LED Headlights

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These headlights have a maximum light output of up to 10,000 lumens for both bulbs making them up to 220% brighter than standard halogen headlights. These headlights have an internal cooling technology with a 10,000RPM dual turbo cooling fan that helps them work reliably even in extreme heat.

The beam is adjustable, and its fan is compatible with most OEM headlight housings. Note that some vehicles may require an H7 adapter to work with this headlight, so be sure to check if this is compatible with your make and model prior to purchasing.

10. Torchbeam T2 H13/9008 LED Headlights

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At 12,000 lumens, these headlights have an astonishing 400% more light than standard halogen bulbs, significantly improving visibility while driving at night. Installation is simple with a plug-and-play design, and you don’t need any tools for the install.

Even though the headlights are brighter than most other bulbs, they don’t have a glare thanks to the beam pattern. The headlights come with a high-tech fan for cooling that Torchbeam claims is 50% more efficient than headlights with non-fan cooling mechanisms. The headlights are designed to last up to 50,000 hours of use.

LED vs. Halogen Headlights:

LED headlights are a major upgrade over stock halogen headlights. LED headlights are much brighter and last longer. Though they are more expensive up front, when you weigh in the quality and life-span of LED headlights, there is little doubt as to why you should make the investment.

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