Differences between Halogen, HID, and LED lights (2024)

The headlight with which you have the most experience is most likely the standard halogen headlight and incandescent fog light bulbs. If you want to know what all the fuss is about when wanting to upgrade your car lights, read on for a comparison of performance between halogen, HID, and LED car lamps.

Halogen lamps are the old standard

Most cars come with halogen lamps which tend to run at approximately 55 watts and emit between 900-1,000 lumens of light. Halogen lamps give off a yellow tinged light. For improved visibility at night, the only way to stick with a halogen lamp is to use a higher wattage bulb. The downside to this option is the higher wattage, the more fuel is required to power it.

HID lamps are brighter and vary more in color

High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting is available in “plug and play” style kits using a 35 watt ballast. This type of light runs at approximately 20 watts less than the halogen lamp and is still much brighter. The light output of an HID headlight averages to 3,500 lumens which is approximately three times that of a halogen lamp.

There are more color variations in the HID variety of light ranging from the familiar golden glow to a more blue tone. Color matters when considering your night vision and what helps you navigate roads best in the dark. You will also stand out more to oncoming traffic with brighter lights in clearer colors.

If you wanted to choose a higher wattage light in the HID variety, 55 watts are available and put off five times the light of a halogen lamp at a whopping 5,000 lumens. A light at this brightness might be best for your fog lights; however, the heat of a light burning at this magnitude creates a great deal of heat and could melt various parts of the lamp and its housing.

LED lights are your best upgrade option

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are easier to install on your car than HID headlights and come with all the same (and even improved) benefits of less fuel consumption and brightness. These bulbs generally produce light at 3,600 - 4,500 lumens depending on your selection while using even less wattage than the HIDs. LEDs are also much more durable for outside use than HID lights which are more fragile. LED lights do not waste energy as heat the way HID or halogen lights do which means you spend fewer resources to light the road.

The light source on your car requires a ballast to convert power into a form the lamp can use to produce light. The energy lost through this conversion can vary depending on the types of lights you’re using. LEDs are more advantageous in this regard as losses in HID lights from trapped light, protective covers, inefficient ballasts, and varying operating temperatures result in a system efficiency of 30 watts or less. LEDs exhibit no losses from trapped light due to their focused output. The protective coverings of LEDs generally reduce output by 25% or less. LED ballasts generally reduce efficiency only by 10-15%; LED efficiency remains above 50 watts.

Add the fact of the long lifespan of LED lights to the list of pros and cons and the obvious choice for fuel efficiency and brightness is the LED headlights. You still have a variety of color options in LEDs to match or exceed the HID lights while completely surpassing halogen yellows altogether. You have more room for customization of your lighting with LEDs than with HIDs or halogen lamps.

Halogen lamps were once the standard way to light the road, but, the tide is very likely to turn the way of LED headlights. The advanced lighting technology they contribute continues to undergo further developments and improvements meaning your options will continue to improve in quality and grow in versatility. While HID lamps out-perform halogen lamps, too, LEDs will take you further for less money.