Night driving demands clear visibility. Halogen headlights have been the standard for decades, but are they still the best choice? With newer technologies like LEDs and HID headlights, the answer might surprise you.
In this post, we’ll discuss the world of halogen headlight, how they work, and how they stack up against the new challengers: HID headlights Vs. halogen and also LED Vs. halogen light. We’ll explore the advantages of nighttime visibility and which headlight technology is preferred.
What are Halogen Headlights?
Halogen headlights are a classic auto headlight design, maybe you don’t expect to find it on a new car! This type of headline uses a tungsten filament, gas, and glass bowl to produce light when energized. While they generate heat, their enduring functionality makes them a common choice.
halogen bulbs use halogen gas to prevent evaporated tungsten from darkening the glass. This recycling process keeps the bulb brighter for a longer lifespan.
Pros of Halogen Headlights
- Common and affordable: The cost of halogen headlights is lower than headlights with new technology. So, there is a popular choice for headlights.
- Brighter than incandescent: Halogens are a type of incandescent light that works with halogen gas. Due to this, they offer increased brightness over traditional incandescent bulbs.
- More Budgets headlight: if you want to buy a budget car headlight, halogen bulbs are more affordable than LED ones.
Cons of Halogen Headlights
- Bright light: It does not have as soft light as yellow light. So, halogen bright light can easily blind other drivers.
- Less efficient: However, halogen bulbs convert less energy into light compared to LED headlights, leading to higher energy consumption.
- Shorter lifespan: They typically have a shorter lifespan than LED options.
- Heat generation: Halogens generate energy that gets car headlight bulbs heat that cannot touch it. So, it can be a concern in some headlight bulbs.
LED Vs. Halogen Headlights
1. The way of generate light in LED Vs. Halogen Headlights
Unlike traditional incandescent auto headlights that use argon gas, halogens rely on a tungsten filament and a halogen gas to generate a brighter, whiter light than the yellowish glow of incandescent.
The way of generating light in halogen bulbs is when electricity flows through the filament, it reaches a high temperature, emitting a white light.
Also, Halogen bulbs have a longer lifespan than their incandescent counterparts.
The LED headlights use a tiny semiconductor chip (or diode) to convert electricity directly into brighter light without significant heat because of energy efficiency.
LEDs are using up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. But the benefits don’t stop there. Their extended lifespan means they last much longer, minimizing the need for frequent replacements.
2. Headlight size
The size of LED bulbs is compact, while bulkier halogen or xenon bulbs bulker. So, the designer of the headlight is free to create innovative headlights. However, this cutting-edge technology comes at a premium compared to traditional options.
3. Cost of headlight
The LED headlight cost might be slightly higher than halogen headlights because of its cutting-edge technology
HID Headlights Vs. Halogen Headlights
HID headlights or High-Intensity Discharge works like household fluorescent lights. They rely on a capsule filled with gas and don’t use a filament to produce light like halogen lights. HID headlights contain a gas within a sealed glass tube. An electric current surges through the system, interacting with the gas and triggering a spark between closely spaced electrodes within the tube. So, this leads to igniting the gas and emitting the bright light that illuminates the road.
In the following, there are some differences from halogen headlight.
1. Energy Efficiency
HID lights consume less energy than halogen headlights and generate more brightness on the road.
2. Brightness
HID lights can generate up to three times more illumination than halogen bulbs and bright roads on nighttime journeys. They achieve this feat while using the same amount of energy.
3. Price
The price of HID lights is more expensive than halogen bulbs. But their lifespan is more than halogen bulbs. So, make them a worthwhile investment in the long run.
FAQ | Halogen Headlights
LED Vs.. Halogen headlights, which one is better?
LEDs have a white light that helps you see clearly around the corner of the road. But halogen light is yellowish and becomes heat after a while because of energy consumption.
How do halogen headlight work?
Halogen bulbs consist of tungsten filaments surrounded by a glass capsule filled with halogen gas. When electricity passes through the filament, it becomes hot. So, it starts glowing and emits bright light. The filament can resist at a high temperature.
Is it worth to upgrade halogen headlights to LEDs?
LEDs offer more advantages than Halogens, but it is costlier. LEDs have a ten times longer lifespan than halogen ones, have bright light, save energy, and don’t get heat.
