Different Types of Headlights For Your Car

Different Types of Headlights For Your Car

Technology advancements have made it where picking out headlights is no longer a simple matter.  It’s easy to see why people think headlights are just normal lights that come with your car.  In today’s technology filled world, there are a bunch of different options when it comes to headlights and each option has its own advantage.

Headlights serve an important purpose on your car.  Losing your visibility at anytime just isn’t acceptable.  If you live in a place with a harsh climate, now you have the option to get headlights that provide more visibility.  Some headlights are designed to perform better in snow, rain or even hail.

This article will detail a few different types of headlights available for you to use in your car.


Halogen bulbs are bulbs that encase a bubble of halogen gas and tungsten filaments.  Before the use of tungsten filaments, headlights were short lasting and unreliable.  Halogen lights are great for general use and have a reputation for being long lasting.

One negative about halogen bulbs is how much heat they generate.  Halogen headlights draw 55 watts of power from your car.  A lot of this wattage is wasted as the energy is converted to heat instead of a brighter light.  Because of this halogen headlights are being slowly phased out for more efficient options.


Light emitting diodes can also be used as headlights.  Normally led lights are associated with Christmas lights or lighting up computer components, but they are powerful enough to be used in your car.

LED lights are very convenient because of their small size.  They can be designed into unique shapes and locations.  LED lights usually get around 15000 when used as headlights.  Considering the small amount of energy they use, this is quite an amazing feat.  LED lights probably have the most to offer in terms of efficiency.


Laser headlights are very new to the industry and have some exciting applications.  These lights work by focusing a laser through a cloud of yellow phosphorous gas, which produces a powerful white glow.  Laser lights can be guided by a computer and used to anticipate your path, even on winding roads.  BMW has said their laser headlights can light up the road 600 meters ahead of the car.  When compared to the 300 meters LED lights are capable of, this is quite impressive.

High-intensity discharge

High-intensity discharge headlights (also known as HID) are two to three times brighter than halogen headlights and provide a bright white glow.  You’ve probably come across high-intensity discharge headlights while driving.  Sometimes you’ll see a car behind you with abnormally bright lights.

Even though high-intensity discharge headlights are significantly brighter than most headlights, they don’t require that much power to use.  High-intensity discharge lamps use about 35 watts of energy compared to 55 for halogen bulbs.  Generally, high-intensity discharge lights can last around 2000 hours of use.

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