Which is better: Halogen or LED headlights?

There's not a part of your car that's more important than its headlights. And in this battle of the bulbs, the best headlight boils down to your needs. Do you drive often in low-light conditions? How often do you drive at night? These are the questions to ask before deciding whether you want LED or halogen headlights.

Halogen lamps and LED lamps have their pros and cons. Let's take a closer look at their benefits and drawbacks.

Headlights are crucial to safety on the road. A car, truck, or any other vehicle without headlights is risky for drivers around it. Headlights ensure that you can see the road ahead, even during dark hours or low-light situations. They also ensure that your vehicle is seen by others.

When choosing headlights, today's driver has two popular options — halogen and LED. Halogen, which has been popular for decades, is an "old school" headlight. Meanwhile, LED lights are starting to become the new mainstream option.

Cars have come a long way since the 19th century. What's the latest in headlight technology? Back then, every car on the road had bulky, primitive acetylene lamps that were susceptible to wind and rain. These lamps were a big improvement over carriage lamps, which were fueled by candles.

The Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford introduced the first electric headlamps, but they were limited in mainstream use. The company's limited lifespan for filaments made it difficult to use them as headlights.

Today's headlights are a far cry from the original. The 1912 Cadillac was the first vehicle to have electrical lighting and ignition. A half a century later, we have the halogen lamp, which was first used in Europe but became street-legal in the US in 1978.

Halogen lights are still the most common on today's roads. Nonetheless, the appeal of LED headlights is dimming the popularity of halogen. More and more drivers are seeking out vehicles equipped with LED headlamps.

Are LEDs better than halogen headlights?

LED light is much brighter than halogen light. Daylight may be closer to LED, but it's not as white. Does that matter? Yes, from a lighting perspective. LED makes it possible to see the road better in low-lit areas, be able to identify lane markings and signs, and make the roadway clearer with other drivers.

LED lights are the best choice for drivers at night. With LED lights, you can see much better than with halogen headlights and you may even say the difference is impeccable. If you have trouble seeing at night, these lights may be just what you need to regain your nighttime driving abilities.

If you're trying to decide on whether or not you want LED or halogen lights, you should know about their features. The coverage and brightness of LED lights are superior to halogen lights. If you see an animal in front of your car, there's a better chance of your headlights reflecting off of it when you have LED instead of halogen. This gives you more time to react and steer away from the animal.

In the headlights of most cars, there are halogen bulbs, a type of incandescent bulb. These work by sending an electric charge through a piece of tungsten called a filament that is inside an envelope made of heat-resistant material surrounded by nitrogen and argon gases. Halogen gas bulbs have been popular for a long time, and it is easy to see why. They are affordable, easy to replace, and can be found everywhere. You can buy or order a new one at nearly any auto parts store. Actually, the process is ridiculously simple. All you need to do is remove the old headlight bulbs and just replace them with the new ones. These lightbulbs are rated for only 800 hours of use and they're not as durable as other options. They also consume more energy than other light bulb types, which is why they're not the most eco-friendly or energy-efficient option.

What are the Experts Saying?

If you are still on the fence about halogen versus LED headlights, the experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have a few points to consider. Their test results show that LEDs usually outperform halogens.