If you’re considering a new vehicle, I recommend that you go with projector headlights instead of reflector headlights. Retrofitting an older vehicle can be dangerous if improperly done.The headlight assemblies tend to be deeper and take up more space.More expensive than reflector headlights.They produce an even light beam, with few dark spots compared to reflector headlights.More even light patterns and fewer dark spots than reflector headlights.Less likely to cause night blindness in other drivers.When it comes to projector headlights, the benefits are numerous, and I can only list a few drawbacks. You can also retrofit an older vehicle with a projector housing, but is it safe and reliable? Each year, more and more vehicles are shipped with projector headlights. Since the vast majority of vehicles are factory fitted with reflector or projector headlights, one often wonders which one is better. More and more vehicles come equipped with projector headlights each year, and you can also retrofit an older vehicle with projector housings, but should you? Since most headlights use either a reflector or projector design, it’s only natural to wonder which one is better. Keep in mind that the ultimate decider would be whether or not your vehicle was designed for use with projector headlights. Your vehicle type and your needs will greatly influence which of them will be best for you, choosing either the LED or HID will drastically improve your visibility over a traditional halogen light. LED lights can last up to 45,000 hours, whereas HID lights can last up to 15,000 hours.īoth HID and LEDs are available in a wide variety of colors and color temperatures and are considered excellent sources of light for night driving. When it comes to lifespan, LEDs outlive HIDs by a significant margin. When turned on, LEDs start up instantly, while HIDs have a short delay before powering on. For energy usage, LEDs require lesser energy than HIDs. LEDs and HIDs are capable of projecting light beams up to 30 meters away. LED light technology is amongst the fastest-growing technologies today, with new and innovative styles and functions readily available on the market.

However, HIDs contains a lens that serves as a magnifying glass to increase the brightness of the light. HIDs are often projector headlights with several similarities to reflector headlights. Specialized Mirrors within the bowl reflect the light in an outward manner to create a projection. LEDs are considered reflector headlights because they are enclosed in a steel bowl. LEDs produce light with electricity and diodes, while HID lights rely on xenon gas to function. Both LEDs and HID lights rely on different technologies to produce light. While both are considered bright and excellent sources of light, LEDs are slightly brighter, in the sense that they do not emit glare like HID lights might. Both HID and LEDs are bright enough to produce excellent light at night. They share similarities in certain areas while also having several differences.

HID and LED headlights are unique in their designs. The design of the rings incorporates many different technologies such as LEDs, cold cathode fluorescent lighting (CCFL) tubes, and even incandescent bulbs. The manufacturers of these lights also refer to them as halo or angel eye projector headlights. Halo or Angel Eye projector headlights : This refers to the distinctive halo or ring of light visible in some projector headlights.Without damage, LEDs are capable of outliving the manufacturer’s stipulated operational lifespan of the vehicle they’re installed in. They easily outperform the likes of halogen or HID headlights. LED projector headlights : LEDs are the rave of the moment, they are the by far the most efficient and reliable bulbs on the market.

Installing HID bulbs into projector fixtures designed for halogen isn’t such a great idea, this is because they are so much brighter. HID bulbs are a lot brighter compared to traditional halogen bulbs and can last longer. HID projector headlights : These were the second to arrive, they used HID bulbs, and are still in use to this very day.The light emitted from these headlights is more even than reflectors, characterized by a sharper cutoff between light and dark, even though they were fitted with older halogen bulb technology. Halogen projector headlights : These projector headlights were considered the first, and they were designed to work with halogen bulbs, just like reflector headlights.I have made a list of the main types of projector headlights fitted on most vehicles, including a brief explanation of what sets each one apart from the rest: Types of Projector Headlights: Halogen, HID, LED, HaloĪll projector headlights operate based on the same design principles, however, they can make use of a wide variety of bulbs, including LED bulbs.

Hid headlights vs halogen power usage