Headlights help you navigate the road at night and improve visibility in bad weather. That means driving in these conditions can be dangerous if these car lights grow dim, become faulty, or stop working. On top of that, going around a faulty headlight is illegal, and you can get fined for not fixing or replacing it.
If your headlights are failing due to faulty or burnt-out bulbs, you’ll need to replace them. The first step is to identify the type of bulb your headlight has, then determine whether you want to get the same kind or go for an upgrade.
What is a Car Headlight?
Car Headlights are one of the most essential parts of the car when driving down a dark and dingy road. Headlights help you navigate the road at night and improve visibility in bad weather conditions.
Suffice it to say, having properly functioning headlights is vital to your safety on the road. A failing headlight should be fixed as soon as possible to keep your vehicle both legal and safe.
Headlight technology has come a long way from Carbide lamps used in the early days of cars to laser lights of the modern era. If you’re looking for a replacement or an upgrade, in this article we discuss the different types of headlights available on the market today.
Historical overview of headlight types
Back in the early days of the automotive industry, the inception of car headlights started with Carbide lamps in light sockets.
Acetylene lamps were used as headlights as early as the 1880s, and these were used until the 1900s when the form of electric bulbs was first used by Cadillac.
While these were revolutionary at the time, they were replaced by sealed beam headlights in the 1940s. These headlights were used to reflect the light through the lens and focused filament boiling produced a low and precise light beam.
Still, all these innovations didn’t last a long time, and halogen headlights stepped up the game.
They were first used on a production car back in 1962, and it’s the type of headlight that stuck for the longest period. Some car manufacturers even produce vehicles with halogen lights to this day, making their history longer than 60 years in the automotive industry.
In the early 2000s, high-intensity discharge lights were first introduced, and LED lights emerged at approximately the same time. This raised the debate on LED lights vs halogen lights, and drivers wondered about which type is better overall.
Xenon headlights were popular in the 2000s as a form of HID lights. Still, they were so bright that drivers from opposite lanes often argue about their impracticality.
So, different types of LED lights are in production to this day, taking up the largest share of the automotive scene when it comes to headlight types.
Types of Headlight Bulbs
Although there are many different brands and sizes of light bulbs that will all offer you a claim of a certain performance, there are only 4 major types of automobile light bulbs:
- Halogen
- LED
- HID/Xenon
- Laser
#1. Halogen.
Halogen lights were the first widely-used modern headlight type in passenger cars. They are in use for more than 60 years and it speaks for themselves when it comes to the usability and benefits of these lights.
Halogen headlights usually put out between 700 and 800 lumens, while high beams put out around 1200 lumens.
One lumen is a brightness measurement that represents an area enlightened by a light source similar to a single candle. So, they might not be the brightest out of the bunch, but they have some considerable benefits.
Halogen light bulbs usually go out as fast as within 500 driving hours, but the good thing is – you can find a cheap replacement bulb. They are also quite easy to replace, making them even more convenient for everyday use.
Pros of Halogen Lamps
- Halogen headlamps are easy to manufacture and replace and do not require any specialized tooling.
- Halogen bulbs are cost-effective and readily available.
Cons of Halogen Lamps
- The light emitted is not as bright as LED or HID.
- They generate high heat, which may damage the housing, making it less durable.
Typical lifespan: 450 to 1,000 hours
Price Range: $5 to $2,500
#2. LED.
As an advancement from halogen lights and a type of headlight that’s mostly in use in modern vehicles, we have LED lights. The light-emitting diode (LED) lights bring several benefits when compared to halogen lights.
They last at least 10 times longer than halogen light bulbs, and instead of 700 lumens, they come at around 2000 lumens. So, these are perfect for those that value higher visibility at night. Also, they use less electrical energy than halogen lights, so they make a bit of a better option for your car’s battery life.
Of course, there are a few downsides to these lights as well. The replacement cost is quite high, especially when compared to halogen lights since a single bulb comes at a price of around $100. On top of that, if anything goes wrong with the headlight assembly, you’ll be looking at a price of around $500 to $1000.
LED lights are also a bit more difficult to replace than halogen lights, so you might need to wait a bit more for the replacement.
Pros of LED Headlights
- LED headlights consume less power than other types, conserving vehicle battery life.
- They are more durable, lasting for up to 15 times longer than halogen lamps, reducing the need for frequent replacements.
- LEDs provide instant illumination, enhancing safety.
- They are compact, allowing innovative headlight designs to enhance the car’s aesthetics.
Cons of LED Headlights
- LED headlights may experience performance issues in certain weather conditions, such as fog, snow, or heavy rain. The emitted light can reflect off particles in the air, creating glare and reducing visibility.
- They are more expensive than traditional headlamps.
- Because of their intense brightness, without proper alignment or design, LED headlights may produce glare that impacts the visibility of oncoming drivers.
#3. Xenon/HID.
High-intensity discharge(HID) or Xenon headlight is a bit similar to CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs that we used to use in our homes. There is no filament required in Xenon headlights.
Instead, it works by creating a high voltage area between two electrodes. The remaining space is filled with Xenon gas. These types of bulbs take a bit of a time to reach their maximum brightness because they need some time to heat up.
But once they reach their peak brightness, they emit a bluish-white light. Because they take a bit of time to warm up, the Xenon headlights are used in conjunction with some other type of headlight, which is used as a high beam.
HID headlights are a lot powerful and brighter than the conventional halogen headlamps and have a throw of around 200 to 250 metres.
Pros of HID Headlights
- HID headlights are known for their intense brightness.
- They use less power than halogen bulbs, offering better energy efficiency.
- It produces a bluish-white hue, giving vehicles a modern look.
- HID lights offer a broader and more extended range of lighting, providing better peripheral visibility.
Cons of HID Headlights
- Their intense brightness can cause glare for oncoming drivers, impeding their vision and resulting in safety concerns.
- While brighter than halogen lamps, they are more expensive and complex to set up.
- Unlike LEDs, HID lights take a while to reach maximum brightness.
Typical lifespan: 2,000 to 10,000 hours
Price Range: $50 to $3,000
#4. Laser.
Laser lights are the most advanced type of headlight technology that is available in the market. This is the reason they are the best in class, but they are also the most expensive one.
Laser lights energize a gas with the help of lasers. Because of this, the gas glows extremely bright. The most significant advantage of laser lights is that their throw of the headlight is significantly better than any other type of headlight.
These are mostly used on high-end premium cars, or they are available as an option, but they also cost significantly more. Laser lights can illuminate about 600 meters of the road ahead.
Pros
- Can produce 1,000x the amount of light for half the amount of energy that LEDs consume
- 10 times smaller than LEDS
- Allows manufacturers to create shallower assembly designs
- Low energy input lets lasers work for a long time
Cons
- Produces more heat than LEDs
- Requires built-in cooling systems
- Only available in high beams, so they must be paired with other headlights
- More expensive compared to other automotive light bulbs
Typical lifespan: 50,000 hours
Average cost: $8,000 to 12,000.
Types of Headlights
#1. Filament Bulb Headlights.
The oldest cars on the road used a simple filament bulb that’s no different from the ones you may still have in your home.
The heavy-duty bulbs were common in sealed beam-style reflective headlights and consisted of a filament suspended in a vacuum. As electricity passes through, it heats the filament, giving off light.
They give off a yellowish light, use more energy to function, and are much hotter than other bulb types. As a result, this type of bulb is slowly being phased out worldwide in both the automotive and home markets.
#2. H4 Conversions.
These are a modified form of reflective headlight that allows bulbs to be replaced without having to discard the housing, much like modern reflectors. However, the housing design is compatible with LED and HID bulbs.
Much like reflective headlights, the H4 produces a duller, more uneven beam than projector headlights. This makes them a cost-effective way to update the reflective headlights of older car models but a poor choice for the default lights in modern cars.
#3. Matrix Headlights (aka: Adaptive LED Headlights).
There’s no denying that cars are getting smarter and now make good use of cameras and onboard computers. One excellent example of this is in the matrix headlight. These fascinating inventions won’t slow time or protect you from Agent Smith, but they can still do some pretty spectacular things.
A matrix headlight consists of multiple LEDs per housing and a front-mounted camera. The onboard computer registers other vehicles using the camera and sends a signal to the light housing.
This causes any bulbs that would affect the oncoming or leading vehicles to turn off while the rest remain on. As a car approaches, the gap in the beam actively follows them, darkening ahead and lighting up behind.
The advantages of this kind of beam are obvious. There’s no need to switch between high and low beams. The risk of causing accidents is greatly reduced. It produces a really cool visual effect as well.
Unfortunately, the big drawback is that there are more components that have to function properly for the lights to do their job, namely the camera and computer. If one of these becomes faulty, the lights will fail.
While these “smart” headlights are currently in use in many European countries, they have been banned from use in the United States… until recently.
#4. Non-Quad Headlights.
Smaller cars usually have non-quad headlights. This simply means the vehicle has only two bulbs in front, one on each side. While not as bright as the quad design, non-quads are a little cheaper to maintain.
#5. Projector Headlights.
First used in luxury cars in the 1980s, the projector headlight is an evolution of the reflective headlight. It consists of a mirrored steel housing, a curved lens that magnifies the beam, and a cutoff shield that prevents light from bleeding outside of the intended beam radius.
The improved lens design is what has made projector headlights overtake their reflective counterparts. The beams are directed towards the ground, making them less distracting to oncoming traffic.
They’re brighter and evenly distributed, as well as compatible with HID bulbs. The only real downside is that they can be difficult to get used to for older drivers who are used to the different kind of light beam that a reflective headlight gives off.
#6. Quad Headlights.
Popular in many modern cars, the quad headlight design has wider housing and additional wiring to accommodate two bulbs on each side. This provides stronger light output than non-quad headlights but may result in higher maintenance costs.
As a result, most larger vehicles use the quad design, while most small cars have non-quad.
#7. Reflector Headlights.
This was the standard form of headlight housing from the beginning all the way up until 1985. While not as common now, it’s still one of the most effective types of headlight housings.
The design is simple: a bowl-shaped housing is made of a reflective metal in which the bulb is mounted. When the bulb is on, any light that’s cast towards the bowl is reflected back out, making the headlight beam brighter than it otherwise would be.
Originally, reflective housings were known as sealed beam headlights. The design used a lens as part of the housing, and the bulb was sealed inside this shell, meaning the entire housing had to be replaced when a bulb burned out.
The lens design has been replaced with a mirrored surface in more recent years. This advancement meant the lens no longer needed to be sealed onto the housing, allowing mechanics or car owners to simply replace the bulb as needed.
Best Headlight Type for Night Driving
All headlight bulbs can light the road ahead, but how well and how long they do it varies depending on the type. In short, the recommended headlight bulb type for night driving can be subjective, depending on the driver’s preferences.
For example, if you prefer navigating the roads with a warm, yellowish light, halogen bulbs for cars are for you. They’re just as reliable as other headlight bulb types but more affordable. Just don’t expect them to last as long as LEDs and HIDs.
For bright, far-reaching light on the cooler side of the color temperature scale, LED headlight bulbs are a great choice. They’re more expensive than halogen bulbs, but their energy efficiency and long service life more than make up for that.
If you don’t want to take any chances when driving at night, you can count on xenon headlights to light up your surroundings. Arguably the brightest headlight type on the market, they can illuminate broader areas compared to both halogen and LED headlights.