Review of the Best HID Conversion Kits
HID headlights improve the quality of your headlights which improves visibility and safety both for yourself and for other drivers on the road. When the right product is installed properly, HID headlight conversion kits can make a big difference in your night driving experience. Let’s take a look at the benefits of HID headlight, whether they’re worth it, and what to consider when shopping for the right kit for your vehicle.
PROS
- Reasonable variety of color temperatures
- Water-resistant IP65+
- High level of compatibility with most cars
- Slim ballast design does not take up much space
CONS
- Some bulbs require pre-assembly before installation
- The power requirement is a bit on the high side
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
These simple to use HID lights typically comprise a bulb, bridge ballast and car harness, and they are the best in general. Their AMP connector is compatible with most ballasts and HID bulbs as created by manufacturers. The final output can come in a variety of colors, specifically Ivory white (5000k), Diamond White (6000k), golden yellow (3000k), Deep blue (10000k), iceberg blue (8000k), and blue-purple (12000k). Some other colors include green and hot pink. Some other cool features of these HID lights are the zinc alloy slim casing, which contributes to the overall water-resistant rating (IP65+A), and it has an excellent cooling system.
The xenon gas chamber of these practical plug-and-play lights produces a proper beam pattern, and the digital ballast ensures consistent output, the lights only need to be inserted and locked. The lights function best at a 55W power output and between 9V-16V of voltage. At these parameters, the system can achieve a maximum output of 3800LM, genuinely worth $43.
PROS
- Doesn’t require too much power output
- It features the optional CanBus harness
- 3-5 years original warranty on components
- High quality genuine HID system
CONS
- It is a more expensive alternative
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Morimoto, this lighting system has sold more than half a million units since inception. That’s quite a feat and more so a testament to the quality of this product. Morimoto admits that the bulbs are made from Philip’s glass capsule, and contain halide salts from German suppliers. At 5500k, these bulbs boast of almost the same luminosity as industry-leading standard bulbs (Osram CBI bulbs) and outperform some of Morimoto’s previous offerings.
The harness has triple sealing, as well as connect and use functionality. This functionality can be easily overlooked but is an essential attribute, as users do not have to connect wires themselves manually; thus, saving them valuable time. There is also the optional CanBus harnesses which consist of capacitors and resistors. These electrical components enable a consistent supply of power to the ballasts and cancel any bulb out warnings that may want to come up. Most manufacturers offer just the regular lighting system or the CanBus option, and rarely provide the both of them as options for users to pick the one that best suits them. This dual offering is a plus. If you are interested in premium HID lights, this is the right choice.
PROS
- Offers many color variants
- Waterproof and shockproof
- It is not expensive
- Excellent warranty program
CONS
- Some modern cars need to get battery harness or cancelled cable
- Might have complaints about the colour charting
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
This kit features a slim digital ASIC Ballast, high-intensity display xenon bulbs, and ready-to-use wiring harness. It also features ballast mounting brackets and a quick installation manual as standard. It’s aluminum alloy casing and waterproof epoxy, helps keep it watertight and reduces vibrations caused by the movement of vehicles on uneven roads. Its quartz glass tube is sufficient for blocking external ultraviolet rays.
It comes in these colors: bright white (5000k), light blue (6000k), medium blue (8000k), and dark blue (10000k). Some others include golden yellow (3000k), purple (12000k), pink (15000k), and deep blue (30000k). Users have always valued having a wide range of options to choose from, in order to be able to pick one that better satisfies their needs. This manufacturer has done well in this light with the number of colour options they have provided. At an optimum condition of 35W and about 12V-16V, the DC HID kit produces about 2700LM of light, and the AC HID kit produces about 3200 LM of light. This kit caps it off with a 2-year warranty program for each purchase.
PROS
- Waterproof and shockproof design of ballasts
- Quick tech support via phone and email
- System comes with a great 2-year warranty
CONS
- Power usage is quite higher than other alternatives
- Installation on some vehicles may require professional skills
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
It is designed for easy installation with the quick plug-and-play quick snap connectors, although some vehicles may require professional installation, which will cost more. The ballast is waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, so it functions well in many weather conditions. The available colours are golden yellow, bright daylight, pure white, diamond white, ice blue, light blue, brilliant blue, deep blue, pink, purple, and green. The system comes with a 55W ballast, xenon bulbs, wiring harness, mounting brackets, and an installation manual. The optimum function should be at 55W of power and 9V-16V, to produce 3900LM in the bulb.
PROS
- Reaches full brightness in about ten seconds
- The glass quartz design protects against ultraviolet
- Plus-ballasts use less power to light bulbs
- Kits have lifetime warranties
CONS
- Not for users with CanBus-system-enabled cars
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
The lighting system utilizes ultra-high intensity display bulbs and premium ballasts. This combination offers more efficiency to the user, especially seeing as the ballasts start faster, run cooler, and last longer. The DDM plus ballasts are a better alternative to the standard DDM ballasts because they require less power to operate the bulbs, making it less critical the need for a harness. In each ballast, an integrated ferrite bead protects against radio frequency feedback to prevent radio static.
The ultra HID bulbs are modelled after the Osram CBI line, which is arguably the best. Many other parts of the bulb have been sourced from first-class manufacturers and assembled to ensure that the capsule produces twenty percent more light than even Apexcone standard bulbs. The quartz glass has an ultraviolet coating that protects the lights from ultraviolet damage, altogether allowing the lights to reach full brightness in ten to fifteen seconds. This H11 kit boasts up to 3400LM with a 6500k bulb at a power output of 35W. This kit also comes with a lifetime warranty. With the kind of offering this manufacturer gives, it should come as no surprise that this kit had a good buyer rating.
PROS
- This system eliminates light out error codes
- Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and one year warranty
- Offers variety of lighting colors
- Universal plug-and-play solution, no modification required
CONS
- Service lifetime of just over 3500 hours is small compared to other alternatives
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
This HYB Canbus Slim HID Ballast offers vehicle owners a remarkable combination of rapid illumination and extensive compatibility. Boasting an 80% brightness in just 2 seconds and full illumination within 3, this ballast ensures drivers are never left in the dark. With its Alternating Current Pattern, drivers can expect up to a 58% brighter light, enabled by state-of-the-art digitized electronic chips. The ballast’s universal fit ensures compatibility with a wide array of halogen lamps, from H1 to H13, the entire 9th series and all 800 series, easing the transition to HID xenon. Its robust construction promises a 3,500-hour lifespan and is designed to withstand various weather conditions, thanks to its waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof features.
Additionally, the HYB Ballast stands out with its Decoder Ballast Functionality, catering to modern vehicles equipped with advanced computers and protocols. This ensures that the ballast operates seamlessly without interfering with the car’s integral systems. Not only is installation straightforward with its plug-and-play design, but the company also emphasizes its commitment to customer support, both pre and post-purchase. Feedback from real users further solidifies its reputation for quality and broad compatibility.
PROS
- Offers about nine color variants
- Two-year warranty
- Moderate power consumption
- This lighting system is waterproof and shockproof
CONS
- Latest car models may require battery harness
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
This kit is a good one for upgrading your halogen lights to HID, and it is a ready-to-use, connect and play system. Halogen lights are known to have only 200 hours of service lifetime, hence the need for something more efficient and reliable like this HID kit. The HID lighting system comes in these colour variants: bright yellow (3000k), bright daylight (4300k), bright white (5000k), light blue (6000k), medium blue (8000k), and dark blue (10000k) and more (up to 30000k). It also has variants of deep purple, deep pink, and deep blue. Buyers especially like the multiple colour choices because it allows them to spice up their vehicles while acquiring a good kit for proper vision when driving at night. The lighting system comprises DC 35W premium digital ASIC ballast, DC 35W xenon bulbs, wiring harness, ballast mounting brackets, and an installation guide. It is shockproof and waterproof, and it comes with a two-year warranty. There is also live tech support for users concerning installation related issues so that users can reach the production company by phone or email.
PROS
- It is DOT compliant
- The system consumes less power than others
- Quality-made product
CONS
- It is quite expensive
- It's only xenon bulbs (ballasts does non included)
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
This set of lights focuses on two main things; serving users with better lighting while achieving less power consumption. The brightness of these lights allows you to see obstacles much earlier, even at highway speeds. That can go a great deal in avoiding accidents in cases of sudden pedestrian movement. These lights are said to give the user a whole second more than usual to respond to road hazards quickly. The timing of a second may not stand out to you at first, but if you think of it in driving terms, high speeds, and how a lot can happen in a split second, it begins to add up. By using less power consumption to perform these, electrical power is saved for other vehicle functions. Despite all these, the lights are not intrusive so as to blind oncoming pedestrians or drivers.
As an established brand, this manufacturer is more prone to counterfeit related issues, with people releasing substandard lookalikes into the markets that can’t deliver on what the manufacturer is offering.
Benefits of HID Headlight Conversion Kits
HID headlights are for more than just making your car, truck, or SUV look cooler at night. HID headlights are superior to the stock halogen headlights that come in most cars for a variety of reasons. The biggest benefit is a brighter light. HID headlights are brighter than halogen and even most LED headlights. 35-watt HID headlights are about three times brighter than your average stock halogen headlights. The brighter the headlights, the better the visibility.
Another big benefit of HID headlights compared to halogen is power consumption. When HID headlights first turn on, they draw roughly the same amount of power as halogen bulbs. However, after HID lights are “warmed up,” they typically consume about 3 amps which is about five times less power than what a halogen bulb uses.
HID conversion kits have an upfront cost, but HID headlights are actually more cost-effective than halogen headlights because of how rarely they need replacement. If you do an HID headlight conversion on your vehicle, you may very well never need to touch the headlights again for as long as you own the car. This saves you money in the long run compared to halogen headlight bulbs that need to be replaced. Halogen headlights last anywhere from 450-1,000 hours while HID lights can last between 2,000-3,000 hours.
The color of your headlights can make a big difference in your visibility. HID headlights can offer a wide range of color temperatures, unlike halogen bulbs which only have one. Different color temperatures can be beneficial in different situations. For example, lower color temperature is better for conditions with poor visibility like fog and snow while a higher color temperature gives you a nice, crisp light on a clear night. HID headlights give you the option of adjusting the color to perfectly suit your needs.
Types of HID Kits
There are a few different types of HID conversion kits and which one is right for you depends on your vehicle. The most basic type of HID kit is a single beam kit which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a kit that replaces one headlight bulb making a single beam of light. These are intended for cars that use separate bulbs for low-beams and high-beams. If that’s the setup that your car has, you’ll need a total of four single beam HID kits to replace both the low-beams and high-beams.
High/low beam HID kits are intended to replace headlights that use the same bulb for both high-beams and low-beams. With kits like this, only the low-beam bulbs are replaced with HID lights while the high-beams remain halogen. This is a cost-effective route if you don’t use your high-beams often and don’t care whether they’re halogen or HID.
A telescope HID kit is a little more complicated. It’s able to switch between high-beams and low-beams using just one HID. Since the bulb sizes in these kits vary so much, you really need to make sure they’ll fit inside of your headlight housing before your order a kit like this.
Finally, a bi-xenon kit is a similar principle as a telescope HID kit in the sense that it has both high-beams and low-beams in a single bulb. Xenon is a type of HID that uses xenon gas. One of the main differences between xenon and other types of HID is that xenon does not need to warm up.
Most Important HID Headlights Features and Specs
There are several important features and specs you need to pay attention to when shopping for an HID conversion kit for your car, truck, or SUV. By and large, HID kits are available in two different wattages; 35 watts and 55 watts. 35 watts is more than enough power to create light that is significantly brighter than a standard halogen bulb. 55 watts is generally at the high end of what a car’s stock electrical system can handle and doesn’t really create a significantly brighter light. In general, a 35 watt HID kit is a more sensible buy than 55 watts.
By the way, we recommend to clean up your engine before starting with headlights replacement.
Lumens is another important spec when shopping for HID headlight conversion kits. Lumens is the unit that measures how bright a light is by measuring its output of photons. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. While the average halogen headlight only produces around 1,000 lumens, HID headlights pump out between 3,000-5,500 lumens. That means even the dimmest HID headlights are around three times brighter than a typical stock halogen headlight.
Finally, there’s color. All HID headlights produce some form of white light, but there’s more variety in different shades of white than you might think. Color temperature tells us the color of the light and a higher color temperature creates more of a blue tint while a lower color temperature gives you more of an amber or orange color. A color temperature somewhere between 4,000K and 6,000K gives you a nice white color while a lower temperature like 3,000K is more amber and great for fog lamps.
Main Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best HID Lights
The most important thing to consider when choosing the best HID conversion kit is that the one you buy is compatible with your car, truck, or SUV. Do you need single beam HID headlights, or will a high/low beam kit work? Would a telescope HID kit work in your headlight housing? The way the lights were designed in your car will dictate which kits work in your vehicle and which ones don’t.
Another thing to consider is price. You can get a high-quality HID conversion kit around the $50 mark that will last a long time and produce a bright, high-quality light that will greatly improve your visibility. Kits much cheaper than that work, but you won’t get as good of a warranty and it probably won’t last as long. You can spend over $100 on high-end HID headlight conversion kits which could be a good investment if you do a lot of driving at night and want a product you can really count on.
How easy a kit is to install should factor into which one you decide to buy. Generally, high-quality kits will be easy to install, but if a kit looks complicated to install, it could be a sign of a low-quality product. Easy installation will ensure you’re getting HID headlights without a lot of headaches along the way.
FAQs
Is HID better than LED?
HID and LED are both much better than halogen, but whether HID is better than LED or vice versa is pretty subjective. LED has the advantages of not needing to warm up at all and consuming even less power than HID. However, HID headlights can cover a wider range of the color temperature spectrum and they are generally more affordable than LED headlights.
Which is better: 35w or 55w HID?
We prefer 35w HID because 55w HID is sometimes just a marketing gimmick. 55w HID headlights can be hard on your car’s electrical system and it creates more heat which can shorten the life of your bulbs. A 35w system gives you a good balance of producing a bright, high-quality light while lasting a long time and not making too much heat. For a high-quality 55w HID headlight conversion kit that will last a long time, you usually need to spend quite a bit more money than you would on a good 35w kit.
What is the best HID color?
The whiter the light, the better. When your headlights go too far in one direction or the other of the color spectrum, the lighting becomes less effective and it’s illegal in the US for any color other than white to come from your headlights. You may be able to get away with a slight tint of blue in your headlights, but you want to avoid any blue both for legal reasons and safety reasons.
Are xenon headlights illegal?
No, xenon HID headlights are legal in all 50 states. However, xenon headlights that are too high on the color temperature spectrum creating a blue or purple light are illegal for road use. If you’re using xenon headlights that are properly installed and emitting a white light, they’re perfectly legal.
Can I put HID bulbs in my stock headlight?
You can if you use a proper HID conversion kit. It’s not quite as simple as just swapping out one bulb with another. When you buy an HID headlight conversion kit, make sure it’s compatible with your vehicle before purchasing it and follow the directions closely when installing it.
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