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About Headlights

If it were not for car headlights, nobody would be able to use their cars when it is dark. That would have rendered them useless for the better half of a day. Besides, headlights are one of the striking features of a car’s exterior.

When cars started to replace horses, people could not drive when at night. Headlamps were not a thing back then because horses could see even in pitch dark, and there was no risk of horses ramming into each other at night. But this was not the case with cars. Also, cars could run much faster than horses, multiplying the risk of collision. Some smarty-pants came up with the idea of fixing acetylene lamps with reflectors in front of the cars. This had its own problems but was a great help at the time. Headlight technology took a leap in the early 1900s with the invention of electric bulbs. This article will tell you about the different types of headlights and the tips to follow when you are shopping for one.

Different types of car headlights

Car headlights have come a long way since the first acetylene lamps. Today there are different types of headlamps that are unique form each other in their features and design. There are newer technologies that are still in their nascent stages. Having a basic understanding of different types of headlights and their differences will help you make better choices when you are out shopping for one. Here is a list of the most common types of headlamps, including one that is not as common but might have a game-changing effect on the headlamp industry in the next decade.

Halogen headlights

Halogen bulbs have been an inevitable part of cars for over a century. Even to this day, this is the most common type of bulb in car headlights. The reasons for their popularity are quite a few. Because they have been around for such a long time, the technology is very mature. Halogen bulbs basically use a similar technology as that of a household incandescent bulb, but with halogen gas instead of air. These bulbs are quite cheap. But the downsides are that they generate a lot of heat, are not energy efficient, and have a shorter lifespan as compared to other types of headlamps.

LED headlights

These are becoming more and more common in newer car models and are very popular in the aftermarket car headlights segment. People are retrofitting their older cars with LED headlights these days. There are a number of benefits to justify the extra cost of installing LED lights. Firstly, they emit an unadulterated white light which is very bright. They are a hundred times more efficient than halogen lamps and can last for over 50000 hours. They have a colour temperature of 6000K, which is similar to daylight. So, if you don’t mind the initial cost, LED lights are a good investment.

Halo headlights

The Halo headlight is not a unique type of lighting technology. Rather, halo headlights feature an LED ring around the default projector headlights. This ring adds a unique design element to the overall aesthetic of the car and makes the car headlights appear like open eyes. Even though the LEDs in the ring do very less to increase the overall light output, they make the vehicle stand out and make it more visible to the oncoming drivers. These are not a common feature in cars, though. In fact, only very few luxury cars have halo headlights.

LASER headlights

Now this one has a sci-fi touch to it. If you are thinking about cars that emit powerful laser lights that burn everything in their way, you can dial down that fantasy a bit. But nonetheless, LASER headlights are expected to be the next big thing in headlight technology. Instead of directly emitting LASER beams onto the road, the light will be coming from a phosphorous lens that illuminates using the powerful laser beams. There are several advantages to this technology. Not only is it much more energy-efficient than LEDs, but they also enable the aesthetically pleasing and complex design of the car headlights.

Tips on how to buy Car Headlights

There is no doubt that headlights are essential. They can make or break your night driving experience. And sometimes other drivers’ experience as well. There are a bunch of things to look for when you are buying new headlights for your car. Here we have listed a few that are really important.

Brightness level – There are more headlamps that are not street legal in the market than you would imagine. These can be either counterfeit lights or can be made by some shady manufacturer. When you are buying headlights, make sure that the brightness level of the bulb is within the legal limit. It should not be too dim or too bright.

Single and dual beam headlights – You know that there are two modes of operation for vehicle headlights — low beam and high beam. The low beam should not light up more than a hundred meters in front of the car. On the other hand, there is no such limit for high beams. A single beam bulb is either a low beam or high beam, while dual-beam bulbs will have both these modes at the same time.

Durability – The durability of the bulbs depends on the built quality. For example, if the heat sinks of LED headlights are not well designed, this will cause overheating and affect the durability of the bulb. Buy reputable manufacturers will specify the average lifespan of their bulbs on the packaging.

Type of bulb – You can choose the type of bulb depending on your budget and preference. Some of them have functional benefits, while others are purely for aesthetics. LED lamps, even though they cost more than a standard halogen lamp, will be a good investment in the long run. But the justification for the added cost of the Halo headlight is the improved looks.

After installing the headlights, you should make sure that they are working before venturing out on the road. To check this, turn on the engine and switch on the control stick on the steering wheel. If the new pair of headlights is not working, check if there is a problem with the wiring or the fuse. Finally, don’t forget to check out other products from the car supplies category.

Question & Answer

Can headlights be too bright?

Yes, and easily so. There are strict traffic laws that mandate the maximum brightness headlights can have. But even then, the high beam light in vehicles is, in fact, too bright for normal usage. That’s why it is illegal to use high beams in urban areas and busy roads. All the headlights that are factory installed will be tested to ensure that they are road legal. But the problem comes when you buy aftermarket headlights from independent manufacturers. The solution is to make sure that you have to look for the lumen rating of the bulb and make sure that it is within the legal limits.

What headlights do I need?

If you are planning or installing a new pair of headlights for your car or want to replace the ones that have already gone off, you have a few options. The easiest of them is to replace the bulb with one exactly the same as before. For this, you can simply buy an OEM headlight that is compatible with your car model. But if you want to go for something better than that, you can upgrade it to LED or HID lights. But when you do so, you will have to see if the new set of bulbs will be compatible with the old sockets. If they are not, you will have to replace the sockets as well.

How long do headlight bulbs last?

This depends on the type of bulb that you are using. The typical halogen bulb that is the default in most cars has an average life of 500- 1000 hours. Therefore, if you drive your vehicle with headlights on for one hour every day, you wouldn’t need to replace the bulb for 3-4 years. LED bulbs, on the other hand, have a really long lifespan. An average LED bulb can last for around 30,000 hours. LED bulbs will be thus more useful for trucks that run mostly at night. On Shops.ae, you will be able to find car headlights on sale. You can use our product comparison site to compare the prices and features of different products. Here on Shops.ae you can access a wide selection of car lights in the UAE. Find the best brands here like Spyder Auto, Hella, Philips, and Anzo.