Car lightings are now standard size on every car and LED light is becoming a trend. Converting your standard halogen lights to modern LED alternatives promises better visibility not only in the night but also in fog/rainy and other poor weather conditions.
There are many factors to consider when choosing LED lights for a car. And the number of alternatives available can make choosing difficult. We, LASFIT as a professional auto lighting seller, have exhaustively researched what’s available so we can provide some suggestions to you to help you make an informed decision.
Firstly, it's better for you to understand the LED chips of bulbs, the difference between COB chips, CREE chips, and other chips, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of LED chips. Secondly, you need to know about the factors affecting the quality of LED bulbs when you choose to buy LED bulbs. Thirdly, you also need to ensure that the new LED bulbs will be compatible with your car and adhere to the law. Finally, you need to consider how to install your new LED bulbs on your cars to get an impressive improvement.
Types of LED Chips
Different LED chips have their own benefits and drawbacks that result from how it is manufactured. The table below lists some of the key advantages and disadvantages of the different chips.
| LED Chips Type |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| COB chips |
Low price
Enough brightness
|
Not good beam pattern for the dual beam
80℃ heat-resisting temperature
Some have a yellow tinted light on the edge due to the impact of the manufacturing process
|
| Cree chips |
Long lifespan
Low heat generation
|
Fake Cree LED's flood the market |
| LUMILEDS LUXEON Z ES Chips |
Longer lifespan
High lumens
Excellent cutoff line performance
120℃~150℃ heat-resisting temperature
|
High price |
The Factors Affecting the Quality of LED Bulbs
1. Brightness and Beam Pattern
Lumens is the measurement that is used to evaluate the brightness of light bulbs in general, normally one LED bulb could reach around 3000lms or higher, but it is important to pay attention to how many lumens the bulb uses for actual light. One solution is to install extra LED projectors in light assembly to make light beam more focused rather than scattered. The other solution is related to the type of LED chips and how you pick the high performance LED bulbs on the market.
Alllights rely to some extent on the reflectors within the housing to focus the beam, but cheap LED lights can be patchy. LED light patterns are different from those for halogen bulbs, so it’s vital to get them the right way around. Adjustability of the bulb itself is a big advantage.
2. Heat Management
LED bulbs are semiconductors, and accordingly, their performance depends on the temperature. The temperature of the LED headlamp must be stable to keep the continuous light output required by lights and to ensure a longer lifespan in case of being shut off instantly. Hence, you should take the heat dissipation of LED bulb into consideration.
3. Reliability
Firstly, the shockproof is dependent on the bulb materials. Besides, in foggy or rainy weather, the IP ratings are the main measurement to test the waterproof level of LED bulbs. The higher waterproof level, the less worry you take.
Other Factors to Consider When Purchasing
· Compatibility
Perhaps the biggest factor for buyers to concern themselves with when purchasing lights is whether the type of light they are interested in is compatible with their vehicle. While in most cases, lights are suited to a wide range of models, it is critical for buyers to check the right bulb size for yourself. The user manual for most vehicles provides this information or the model number marked on previous bulb. In addition, buyers could refer to LASFIT Bulb Finder to find out the bulb matches your vehicle.
It may be caused by the incompatibility between LED bulbs and car computer system. It is commonly found in European vehicles such as Mercedes, Audi, and BMW, also have Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, etc. By simply adding a set of decoders (also called warning cancellers or anti-flickers parts), most issues can be resolved.
· Price
Offering price comparisons is an important part of our buyer’s guides. You may take two competing products that have very similar specifications and one can be $35 and the other $160!
We wouldn’t expect to pay less than $25, and $40 to $80 per pair is the sweet spot where you’ll find the best balance of price and performance.
How to Install Your New Bulbs
Most of vehicle follows the most common and easy installation steps within 30-40 minutes. But some bulbs need a special installation method. You could refer to the Product Manual or YouTube video.
