Differences Between LED and Halogen Headlights | OK Carz

SUV driving at night

Halogen vs LED Headlight Comparison

Taking a drive? Whether you are on the road for a short or long drive, you’ve likely noticed that certain cars have different bulbs. Two of the most common headlight bulbs found in vehicles today are halogen lights and LED lights. How are these different? Is one type better than the other?

Close up of a halogen headlight on a grey car

Halogen Bulbs Pros and Cons

Found in old and new vehicles, halogen bulbs are the most common headlights found today. Halogen bulbs are a type of incandescent lights that function with halogen gas. Vehicles that have a yellow color to their headlights are the ones using halogen bulbs.

What are the pros and cons offered with halogen bulbs? If you are on a budget, you’ll find that replacing a halogen bulb is more affordable than replacing an LED. The yellow light is also a softer light that won’t easily blind other drivers either. So, what’s the drawback to halogen bulbs? Ultimately, it comes down to energy usage. When a halogen bulb runs, it becomes hot to the touch. Since these bulbs emit lots of heat, the bulb requires more energy, thus energy becomes wasted.

Close up of an LED headlight on a blue car

LED Bulb Pros and Cons

LED bulbs are the opposite of halogen in many ways. LEDs emit a white light that is brighter than most halogens. This makes seeing things around corners easier and looks much cooler. In addition, LEDs are far more efficient than halogen bulbs. While halogens generate a large amount of heat, the amount of heat created with LEDs is far smaller, helping save energy. Since these bulbs save more energy, you can expect an LED bulb to last longer than a halogen bulb. Thanks to these advantages, LED bulbs are gaining popularity among drivers. Today, LEDs are being offered with most modern vehicles as standard or optional features.

On the flipside, LEDs are more expensive to repair. Not only that, but it is far more complex to replace an LED than it is a halogen bulb, requiring more drivers to have a mechanic do the work for them. Also, since LEDs are brighter, it can be harder on other drivers’ eyes when traveling at night.

[ READ MORE: Differences Between Automatic Transmissions and CVTs ]

Whether you are searching for an affordable vehicle with your desired bulb choice or you don’t have a preference, you can find the car you need here at OKCarz. Don’t believe us? Explore hundreds of high-quality options right on our website. If you need more details about any of our vehicles, contact us and one of our team members will help answer any questions.

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