HID vs LED – Which is brighter?

People are curious about what is brighter. Can an LED light bulb outperform an HID? In this test, we are comparing five well-known LED headlight bulbs to the standard of vehicle lighting with an HID kit.

I usually invest a lot of time in testing these kinds of exams in advance so that I am aware of the outcomes. This time that isn't the situation. As startled as you are, I wanted to be too.

My headlights are projectors and reflectors. I also own the original halogen bulb, the OPT7 Flux Beam V2, the Morimoto 2Stroke 2.0, the Diode Dynamics SL1, the SV4 LED headlight bulbs, the GTR Lighting Ultra 2 LED headlight bulbs, the 35-watt HID kit, and the 55-watt HID kit.

They will all be tested. To demonstrate which is brighter, we will use a digital lux meter. Most people think that an HID conversion kit, particularly a 55-watt, will be the brightest choice.

A 55-watt HID is the brightest LED headlight bulb I have ever tested. Whether one of these will be brighter is yet unknown, so let's find out.

Color

We chose a 6,500 K for color. That blue/white color is kind of cool. Generally speaking, everyone produces their LED bulbs in that color, so that's why we chose it. By selecting a warmer color, say 5,000 K, I didn't want to favor the HID unfairly.

Lux Ratings

Since it's difficult to tell who is speaking the truth and who is lying, I refrained from discussing the various products' lumen ratings. It's anyone's guess which will be brighter—some will be 3,000 lumens, while others will be 12,000 lumens. We will begin by discussing the control rather than the manufacturer's rated specifications.

REFLECTOR HOUSING - HALOGEN BULB

The halogen headlight bulb will be our first test bulb. This is the current brightness of your headlights, while lux denotes the brightness in the real world at a specific moment. We will use a digital lux meter for each product, placing it at the same distance from the wall and our headlight. The difference between the brightness of the HID and LED bulbs will be visible to you.

The OEM halogen bulb has a maximum lux of 407 at a distance of 25 feet. Keeping everything the same, let's now try the other bulbs.

The 6,500 K 35-Watt Morimoto HID kit has a maximum lux of 1,254, while the Morimoto 55-Watt HID kit has a maximum lux of 2,000.

Reflector Housing - LED Bulb Test

The SV4 is being tested as the first LED headlight bulb. This highly favored choice has a maximum lux of 1,425.

There is a maximum lux of 1,867 for the GTR Lighting Ultra Two LED bulbs.

The maximum luminosity of OPT7 Flux Beam V2 is 831.

This Morimoto 2Stroke 2.0 LED headlight bulb has a maximum brightness of 940 lux.

At its maximum lux of 1,238 is Diode Dynamics SL1.

Projector Housing

Let's now perform the identical test under a projector headlight. The 2018 Toyota Tacoma's beam is shown below, and it's standard for a projector-style headlamp.

We measured a maximum of 481 lux using the original halogen headlight bulb.

Only 484 lux is the maximum brightness of the Morimoto 35-Watt HID.

What a slight rise. By choosing a warmer hue, you can address it.

We're now discussing the Morimoto 55-Watt HID kit, which has a maximum lux of 825.

Projector Housing - HID BULB

This projector-style headlamp is the first LED bulb we are evaluating. The SV4 is arriving at a maximum luminosity of 1,001.

The GTR Lighting Ultra 2 LED headlight bulb has a maximum brightness of 1,140 lumens.

At a maximum lux of 261 OPT7 Flux Beam V2,

366 lux is the measurement of the Morimoto 2Stroke 2.0.

The Diode Dynamics SL1 has a maximum lux of 633.

The Verdict

I wasn't prepared for that. What an odd test. How did you feel about the distinction between a projector and a reflector? How absurd is it that different headlamp housing designs will provide varied impacts on other lighting technologies?

If you want my advice, it is fairly easy. The results are self-evident: the brightest were the 55-watt HID kit, the SV4, and the GTR Lighting Ultra 2. One-size-fits-all items aren't an option, which is why Ledlightjeep conducts testing.