Amazon HID & LED Headlights are Getting Out of Hand

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How do HID and LED headlight bulbs commonly sold on Amazon compare to real OEM replacements from brands in Germany like OSRAM? What are LED HID bulbs and are they good? Do they all easily beat halogen? Today we measure the sometimes outrageous claims of of the brands and bulbs and hit them with a dose of reality so you're not flying so blind when you buy a replacement.
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[@TorqueTestChannel]

Pretty much all of these when actually measured did fall around or under the legal standard for brightness on this vehicle. So adjust your headlamps correctly. Use proper LED or projector housings if upgrading an older vehicle. Don't use fog lights when there isn't fog or high beams when there's other vehicles. Don't buy a blue color temperature. And if people still getting blinded out there it isn't because of these bulbs. So I dunno, you could ask truck manufactures to make less land barg-y sized trucks like from the 90's/early 2000's again :)

[@LifeWideOpen780]

Modern factory headlights dazzle worse than aftermarket. New hondas are terrible

[@TristanAD_]

I’ve always argued that LEDs aren’t just magically way brighter than older bulbs to the point where they’re blinding people. Whenever I upgraded my truck to LEDs I noticed that my headlights needed adjusted and I adjusted accordingly. I rarely get flashed and if I do it’s by a low to the ground car. I’m in a 2010 F150 with a leveling kit, so I’m in no way riding as high as the newer F250s and 2500s Chevy/gmcs. Even the 1500s are ridiculously high up imo.

[@h8GW]

But how will I assert my dominance of the road without my child-shredding grille?!?

[@Phos9]

The brightness of a bulb doesn’t correlate that much with how bad glare it makes is. Many OEM cars make what in my view should be unacceptable levels of glare from the factory, Ford is probably the biggest offender but they’re far from the only one.

[@Phos9]

Should probably caveat that only applies to similar lights, obviously an off road light bar is going to make more glare than anything you can reasonably put in a headlight housing

[@--_DJ_--]

I was doing a night shift last week, 4 hours of driving total, almost all at in the dark. The amount of people with poorly aimed headlights drives me nuts. You can tell they are not high beams because you can see them put those on once they pass you. They sure blind like high beams though. The really annoying ones are the ones behind, casting what looks like the sun into one of my tow mirrors. Mostly found on newish pickup trucks from my experience, though maybe being in a truck myself, the cars don't bother me as much as they would someone sitting lower to the ground.

[@Blueshirt38]

I can tell you that stock F-150s in the 2015-ish range shine way higher than necessary. I drove a bunch of different F-150s for work and that year range always had people pissed off because they though I left my high beams on; I even had a few people brake to get behind me and flash me with their high beams to try and prove a point to me.

[@thatjokerperson7062]

biggest problem on trucks is lift kits and leveling kits it messes up where the beam is shining and they get the brightest bulb they can shove in the housing because theyre lighting up the iss not the road

[@ashtoncasedy3237]

probably you're riding a sedan or a coupe and the other people in front of you are in SUVs. and even their Dipped Beams blind oncoming traffic because it's just the way it is.

[@--_DJ_--]

@@ashtoncasedy3237 You might want to read my whole comment... Or read it slower next time.

[@--_DJ_--]

@@thatjokerperson7062 A good load in the back is also a reason why their lights appear poorly aimed, even if they are factory correct. I have aimed a few of the trucks I work on down quite a bit for the guys at work who always have a significant load in their trucks.

[@Cab895]

The moment you showed the light testing machine, you gained a follower!! I love when people take the time to do objective testing.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

That's the whole channel! Welcome!

[@jonathanyoung2588]

I subjectively know that every LED and HID and Xenon bulb put out is absolutely ludicrous in the middle of nowhere, when the other driver refuses to turn off their brights, and burns out your corneas as you are just making your way down one of America's many lonely roads

[@austinkenney2580]

I hope that they put in a "Lumen Law". Like window tint, your car can't have too bright of lights.

[@RedMcCarl]

My brother has a huge light rack on top of his truck and more on his brush guard when he flips the switch he can light up the woods like nothing else Sometimes when driving down the back mountain roads at night people with ridiculously bright high beams will refuse to turn them off for on coming traffic So my brother will turn his light rack on and light up the night like a small sun Those people typically get the message pretty quickly and turn their high beams off and he does the same for them

[@fixmehanicar]

As a truck driver im for "lumen law" but in a same hand against when you end up in a stormy rainy night you need those lumens eapecialy on porly marked roads.

[@Ganiscol]

Hence why you need such lights yourself - just brighter. So you can punish them with their own weapon and make them "see the light" and the error of their ways. 😵

[@coolruehle]

The reflectors made for incandescent bulbs are different than reflectors for HID or LED. When someone replaces an incandescent bulb with HID or LED, the reflectors behind it are not engineered for that type of bulb, that is why we have so many issues with over-bright headlights.

[@MontanaMedic13]

The headlight bulb rabbit hole is very deep. Your videos are the most useful that I've found, always appreciate some solid science behind everything you do.

[@PDPIE1029]

Check out headlight revolution. They have every bit of information about automotive lighting anyone would need.

[@brandonroeder2461]

Most car parts discussions will lead you down a hole. Don't even get me started on oil. Ugh.

[@Ballistic_Turtle]

@@brandonroeder2461 ProjectFarm showed Mobile 1 full synthetic to be the best of the ones he tested, in the tests he subjected them to. Followed by Amazon Basics, iirc. Every mechanic I've ever spoken to says it basically doesn't matter so long as it's meant for your engine and you change it often. Like 3000mi or less no matter what the recommendations say.

[@jaynikk758]

​​@@brandonroeder2461 Oil is pretty easy, Mobile 1 is very good if you're in a pinch and can be found in many places, Amsoil Signature Series is objectively some of the best on the planet

[@anonimous2451]

@@brandonroeder2461 Ok so what is your opinion of AMSOil ?? Let's start the discussion.

[@TopGoose-bf1mx]

Can we address the never ending battle of LEDs in halogen housings versus them in proper projector housings? There is a TON of back and forth on the interwebs how "I put LEDs in my halogen housings and I can see so much more versus "the light just scatters and is worse than a halogen." There is nothing I love more than the guy driving toward me with his LED bulbs in halogen housings, and being blinded by the second coming of Christ. I would love to see a direct comparison of performance between the two.

[@n.shiina8798]

there are a lot of bad LED designs out there for sure. people just want it cheap, not proper. for halogen housing, you need LED with tiny emitter, as tiny as halogen filament on top of proper emitter placement. i tried cheap LEDs to expensive ones like Philips ultinon pro 9000, this particular Philips emitter is that good on good old reflector type housing but yeah, they're quite expensive. some cheap ones do perform okay but not as good.

[@braschlosan]

​@@n.shiina8798 he should do a video about a "H" sized led and hid retrofit for reflector units and see if any bright units exist with an acceptable pattern

[@isnak907]

Like you said the diode needs to be in the same position and the same size as the halogen filament, but I would add getting an LED replacement that can be clocked to achieve the best beam pattern. Different engineers use different geometry’s for the reflector. I have installed 4x sets of quality led conversions and have been impressed with the increase in brightness and beam quality.

[@adrianlaverick8040]

LEDs in halogen housings on not one, but about 8 of my trucks, they are high quality, very bright, and don't blind on coming traffic. I know because I've driven past my trucks at night with family driving them and me in a different vehicle. Don't buy junk. Auxbeams have treated all of our vehicles very very well

[@duramaxadventures5832]

Actually per motor vehicle lot It is illegal to place a LED or HID inside of a halogen housing.

[@SmokeytheBeer]

The Michael Jackson white glove "heehee" absolutely got me 😂

[@MystElectric]

I would love to see a joint test between you and Project Farm! All the hard data from you guys, then the extended duration testing from Project Farm.

[@keepingdistance4404]

I wish color temperature was included because I would much prefer the better visibility that lower, warmer light gives in rainy and wet conditions. The light doesn't scatter like white light but reflects back. I like a little whiter than yellow, but not daylight blue.

[@Luminous.Dynamics]

90% of plug and play LED bulbs for low/high beams are that warmish white color, they look pure white from far but have a tiny bit of yellowish if you look at them standing in front looking at your headlight housings. Its the LED chips they use. I still use LED bulbs from 2015 in my high beams, because they dont have that tinge of yellowish that youre after. 35 watt 5000k HID kits also have that color that you mentioned, honestly prefer HIDs for low beams, they have a better beam pattern and reflect further on the road

[@warwickdean]

I got some lovely PIAA 95w halogens in my fog units, ION yellow quarts I think about 2800k they're soo lovely when it's foggy

[@kleetus92]

I'm impressed the LED HIDs did so well. I did HID replacements in my 2006 truck years ago with H13-3 bulbs which were actually 2 separate tubes, one for low and one for high beam, and they have become almost impossible to find now. The LED replacements I had tried and the other HIDs with the moveable single tubes just sucked ass all the way around. Might have to break out the spot welder and some nickel strip and fab my own from some OE HIDs.

[@ehsnils]

I have another factor to come in with and it's that the higher color temperatures are quite bad for people you meet since they destroy the night vision more than lower color temperatures. Especially bad is the so called "glare free" headlights that don't dim down if you aren't the closest vehicle on the road. Automatic dimming comes in at second place because it won't dim down unless it's sure that it has caused you at least two seconds of glare first.

[@MadScientist267]

That's what that little lever is for... pull back and hold on tight

[@PsychoticBovine]

You guys and Project Farm are who I trust in testing!

[@RoofysGarage]

I would love to see this test with the H9 and HIR1/9011 halogen bulbs. As their lumen output specifications are actually over what a couple of the lower HID bulbs put out.

[@marcus_w0]

HID Burners have a break in time of approx. 10-15h - only after that time they reach their full brightness. The missing 15% on the Osrams is pretty much perfect on par with the manufacturer statement of 15% increase after 10h of use.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

I guess we'll find out in 8-12hrs *UPDATE* Okay, so last update. 11 running hours in. 2860 lumens. If you then turn it off, wait 5 mins, then turn on again it spikes up as usual and settles in at around 2740 lumens for at least 5+ mins. Gunna call this one BUSTED.

[@Great.Username]

Is that cumulative, adding up time between on and off cycles?

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@Great.Username I should hope you don't need to drive over 10hrs in one trip to see their rated brightness. In Europe you'd be in the Ocean or Russia. Which sounds scary... the ocean wouldn't be great either

[@MasterG753]

@@TorqueTestChannel Nice one.. :D

[@KHALABEEB]

@@TorqueTestChannel it'd be cool to see some of those old car modernization kits tested. I've got an old shortbed squarebody and have been thinkin about Holley's Retrobright but its highway robbery

[@boeingav8tr525]

I had replaced the D3S bulbs in my Tesla with the DMEX. While ok, they blew in less than a year (where it appeared the OEMs were at least 4 - 5 years old. I subsequently ordered one of the many 'no-name' LED replacements from Amazon (no longer available). Very happy, brighter and have given no issues in almost 2 years

[@burnetthopkins9583]

Torque Test Channel is awesome! I really appreciate how much effort you guys go to, to provide test results that are based upon carefully planned test methods, without silly fluff or bias. IMHO, you hit the mark in your goal, of trying to provide information that will really help your viewers make better informed purchases. Keep up the great work. P.S. Love your new light tester/airport security panic device.

[@ryanpenrod1859]

What's really getting out of hand is the normal headlights on new cars. They're so bright they blind anyone in oncoming lanes. It's fucking bullshit.

[@proscriptus]

Ford trucks have entered the chat

[@androiduberalles]

I swear Buick is King of searing my retinas.

[@logitech4873]

Only if they're not adjusted. Do you not have vehicle inspections where you live?

[@evergreenrider]

​@@logitech4873 pretty sure inspections are an east coast thing

[@logitech4873]

@@evergreenrider Which east coast?

[@pkmkb007]

Appropriate projector for the bulb HID or LED also makes a big difference. And with HID's you can get better quality more lumen bulbs (OSRAM preffered) and fit a higher watt ballast ~35W is stock, 38W is safe without reducing bulb life and 45W and above will just be a laser but reduce bulb life significantly.

[@dash456789]

I’d like to see him try a CBI and CBB. Loved my CBI’s but hated my CBB’s.

[@dlcarburetor]

@5:35... lol 🤣 the MJ reference, the little things like this are what make these videos special.

[@MrSmithvideo]

The one glove "Hee Hee" moment made me spit out my coffee. Class

[@nobodynoone2500]

Can you measure cri/spectrum and color temp? I don't care if it's a million lumens if it's a narrow blue spike that doesn't let me make out the road. Additionally, the BIGGGEST issue is alignment with led bulbs. They all look like perma-highbeams in most cars.

[@WhiteVaille]

1000% agree, I'd love to see some CRI spectra graphs for the LEDs. I feel like that's an especially important metric for something attached to a two-ton chunk of metal flying down the road, let alone flashlights or home or photography lighting.

[@mediocreman2]

Thanks for mentioning this. High output can actually be a detriment if it's not done correctly. I'd rather have 100w halogens than very bright LED's with horrible CRI, and high color temp.

[@Eastahtata]

I bought a pair of Suparee H7s after watching this and was really impressed. Color temp is really similar to my OEM LED Ram headlights. They don't seem overly blue, I did have to try all the positions the bulb fit to get the best beam pattern

[@twrcrew8852]

HGAHAAHAHAHAHA. the thing is, most Neanderthals with LEDs and lightbars don't give 2 FKs about things a flashlight snob does. And I'll tell you why they won't ever; because high CRI and snobby color temps are usually in the lower spectrum and shine orange/yellow tints. They love omega bright headlights don't want an output that resembles halogen bulbs in the least. They just want the "gdamn bruh yeeeee dey BRIGHT BRIGHT MFs FUK YO EYEZ BOIIIIIIIIII!!!".

[@johnsterfer5906]

Would love to see those expensive Morimotos tested. They're called the 2Stroke 3.0 and they say that they are using an osram automotive LED bulb. They're supposed to have a very good beam and the price reflects that. They're about 200usd which is a lot for a retrofit. Would be interesting to see if they're any good as I have a B6 A4 which is then previous generation A4 as the headlight housing used here. Love the content guys!

[@MightyCalves]

Awesome video, thanks! Only thing missing is a one of the high-end HID. (Osram night breaker Laser or Cool blue boost)

[@busslayer4790]

Nicely done. I appreciate the very objective testing.

[@darjanator]

I was hoping you'd also pit the OEM D1S against the "best" Philips or Osram Night Breaker replacements that claim up to 200% the brightness and see how those marketing claims compare.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

also 35W, 3200lm. I guess it didn't stand out to us compared to the OEM offering from them

[@ckm-mkc]

@@TorqueTestChannel Yes, but should still test them since they make claims to be better.... I have shitty HID housings, so I'm interested in any improvements.

[@marcus_w0]

@@ckm-mkc And let them settle in for at least 10 hours. Only after that time Xenon burners reach peak brightness. You could even see it in the data of the cheap ones - they already performed better after some runtime.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@ckm-mkc Oh, for sure. I'm just mentioning - looking back - i think that was our thoughts when choosing the 10 or so to buy. Now seeing how no other HID passed the OEM, which maybe we didn't expect, it would be an obvious choice to include.

[@billythygoat]

@@TorqueTestChannel Sylvania or Phillip bulbs would be a fun test in addition to more LED Projector bulbs?

[@Kitteh.B]

If there's another round on bulbs, can you add Diode Dynamics to the list? Pretty big name from what I've seen when it comes to lights. They're my go-to aftermarket light provider and have fantastic customer service (though my vanity lights had flickering issues and my reverse light continues to burn out after only a few months each time, they keep replacing them for me at least) I've yet to have any complaints about the D4S HID headlamps though.

[@EG-O]

This was so helpful. Been so stuck trying to figure out what light is better for me than the oem for my Audi

[@johnmercier8503]

Great work as always - would love to see the Sylvania ZXE series D1S and the Flosser D1S added to the mix

[@willcollins3045]

I have to wear polarized yellow glasses at night, due to the new - extra safe - extra bright head lights. To help other drivers see me better, I drive with my hi beams on all the time now.

[@petegotubeat1]

The problem is we need super smart projector dot matrix led headlights, surely more technology= better

[@Kingsoupturbo]

I refuse to drive at night without my yellow polarized glasses, if you have an astigmatism the halo's are outrageous, every crappy Nissan rogue has murder beams now, have to take the edge off with glasses

[@RT-qd8yl]

Honestly I think vision requirements for driving need to be much more strict, especially in regards to night vision.

[@kevin9c1]

The cheap HIDs are pretty much guaranteed to not last as long as OEM though. So the savings is diluted if you keep the car long term - and many cars have a laborious HID bulb replacement process, too.

[@danz107]

I suppose you have to consider that different cars/bulbs will all perform differently. I replaced my 2017 Civic's non-HID standard bulbs with LED style bulbs from Amazon and ended up with a much whiter, and brighter, set of lights than OEM. They work well so far, and I'm satisfied with what I purchased.

[@PoorSharkie]

Please try to do some testing on piaa bulbs, for the motorcycle community they are a go-to replacement to get more visibility over stock, and ive always wondered how well built their hid's and other bulbs are and so forth.

[@backseatbroadcasting2356]

If you buy new headlights, don't be a D-bag and fail to adjust your headlight after installing. It's super simple and we will all clap for you.

[@majbach1968]

Ok, I will leave them be

[@nobodynoone2500]

If you can. Most cheap LED bulbs still have WAY too much spillover.

[@Aliyah_666]

​@@majbach1968Then expect brights shined at you back...🤷

[@majbach1968]

​@@Aliyah_666 That's not what he originally wrote.

[@KeterMalkuth]

​@@nobodynoone2500if you can't adjust them right, don't use them. It's that simple. Not directing this towards you, mind, just the people who feel the need to get cheap headlight components and then fail to apply due diligence.

[@Epro95]

Those sealight bulbs are great. Major upgrade over the silverstars I had in my Accord before and most importantly, doesn't blind oncoming traffic!

[@randomidiot8142]

I've been liking my GTR lights lately. I have a lightbar on my car but now with new housings and bulbs I don't really need it. Being able to see is nice, when I realized how much I wasn't seeing at night that I wished I could see, night driving wasn't fun anymore.

[@ATomRileyA]

Used to run some HID's that were driven by a pair of 100w ballasts was like a UFO' abduction when turning on the high beam lol. Bulbs did not last that long but was pretty hilarious and great for driving the dark roads where i was at the time, normally just ran on a pair of 35w hid's on low beam but had the 100w in the high beams as they were separate light housings. You can still get those ballasts might be worth trying them for the fun of it.

[@davidfarmer]

The other thing to take into account is light scattering, which is actually the main thing people complain about. the shape of hid's/halogens light source is generally smaller and more uniform than an led.

[@brettspencer-curran8269]

Correct

[@frankmuschetto3385]

Interesting comparison and information. If you happen to do a follow up, would it be possible to test leds from Diode Dynamics? They sell USA made leds that seem to be high quality. I say seem since my experience with them was generally good however not sure light output meets whats advertised. Nonetheless, would be interesting to see if on-shore quality is there.

[@CaramelColored]

I drive a lifted 06 F150 with projectors and LEDs, except I'm not a knobend and I have my lights properly adjusted. I literally went to my state patrol and had them do an inspection and headlight calibration on my pickup being I didn't want to be "that guy" on the road. I even turn my headlights off when at a stop at night, in drive-thrus, and change lanes to reduce any possible road-elevation-difference blinding effects.

[@Matias_sebastian]

Would honestly love to see you do a flood light comparison vs street lights vs work tri-pod lights.

[@Apex180]

For me, Osram's are the go to, being that they are the OEM for most brand of cars these days. also had good luck with Philips and Sylvania. Currently rocking a pair of WattStar DS3's to replace my 10yr old oem HID's and so far i've been happy with the output from them.

[@mediocreman2]

Osram is Sylvania

[@Apex180]

@@mediocreman2 Thats interesting, still sold separately here

[@Alex-hf7ns]

Did you notice a buzz/high pitched noise with all the lights? I was always curious if any light with a ballast emitted a noise when pushing higher voltages.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

They all buzz on start up, then are quite hard to hear when warmed up. The LED's on the other hand have various levels of fan noise

[@lawrencefearon6830]

Seen a lot of headlight tests on KZbin but this was unique and pretty well done. Only mounting the headlight modules on a tripod instead of holding them would make it better.

[@bigthing75]

Love my LasFit LED bulbs I put in my 2012 F-150. I get a high beam flash occasionally but, I think that's because I have my fog lights on sometimes. These bulbs also saved me from hitting a deer. So the occasional high beam flash is wort it, no I don't flash back. Granted with normal lights and fog lights (all LED) on I can see more than with high beams.

[@DaftKermitThePunk]

are these the people with the insane blue / white piercing light bulbs, that turned the brights off, is still blinding?

[@PhildoBaggins]

Yes, LED cancer is full power at all times

[@Crypto82738]

Don't be looking straight into the headlights then dum dum, and they are perfectly fine when aimed properly

[@vffa]

It's not the specific type of light. I have a 2012 S60 Volvo with the Osram Xenarc Laser something HIDs in them. Pretty bright but not blinding anyone. Same bulbs in an RAM is blinding the living shit out of you *because the light fixtures are too damn high* If the light doesn't shine into your eyes, it won't matter, but with SUVs and trucks, the headlight are usually positioned so high that it makes it impossible not to be blinded.

[@mikhailgregovszki7478]

Awesome scientific review, thanks! Would be nice to have pro color temp readings as well but this is still awesome. Annoying that everyone has to lie so much. Regarding HIDs though I believe they get a little brighter after couple hundred hours of cumulative usage, there LED's and halogens get dimmer over time. Anyway I REALLY hope people stop installing this crap in their reflector headlamps in the USA. It is a HUGE problem, I pass 10-15 jerks in a 20 minute drive to work who are blinding everyone. I get to work and I have a headache every damn time because of it. And even projectors are an issue, some come from the factory aimed too high and once the light from their low beam is hitting your eyes it is about the same as high beams, absolutely horrible. Jeep drivers are bad too, most of their fancy projector headlamps while they look nice are also aimed too high. Police aren't doing crap about it (lack of time, probably don't even know how to measure and ticket for this) but we really need annual inspections and heavy enforcement of headlamp laws in the US. Like I said a lot of OE headlamps from the factory are aimed too high and thus technically are illegal for use on the road until corrected. I have no doubt in my mind it has contributed to collisions, often after the offender vehicle passes. It takes a few seconds for eyes to readjust. And don't spout that crap about looking down at the white line on the side of the road, that only helps a tiny bit. This crap needs to stop.

[@SpecialCheeseWaffle]

Great videos and honest testing. Also relaying info in a good way! Subscribed 👍

[@69MustangFreak]

Great job, you are doing awesome at learning from each test and input from constructive criticism.

[@quertize]

Question is how such highly driven LED replacements will age during use. Those may have good lumen per Watt when new but the phosphors may degrade in non predictable way. Would be nice to see how those would measure after some time of use, long term test?

[@MadScientist267]

IKR they simply don't need it! That drop in efficiency is due to heat generated... lower it down from the gitgo and not only will they run way more efficient, they will last all but forever. Oh, right... 🤦‍♂️ Goes across the board. And stop driving everything else PWM... it ain't that much more to make that a converter and drive them smoothly... which they'll be happier for and last longer too... Oh, right... 🤷‍♂️

[@Bordberti]

ich kann dazu was sagen, seit 3Jahren habe ich LED an der Hochspannung. Die erste Serie ist nach einer Woche kaputt gegangen, aber nur die LED intern, nicht das externe Steuergerät. Es gab außerdem Probleme mit Radiostörung, dann habe ich den Hersteller Stella gefunden, diese LED läuft seit 3 Jahren ohne ein Problem. Sogar 40Grad im Schatten und 14Stunden Fahrt in der Nacht waren kein Problem. Licht ist immer noch so gut wie am ersten Tag. Beide haben noch externe Steuergeräte für die Hochspannung.

[@Dmbyers2002]

The lack of heat from some of these bulbs is actually a problem in bad winter weather. Back in the halogen days I rarely if never had frozen over headlights, now with elf’s it’s not a regular occurrence but slowly in heavy snow you se less, and less, and less, and eventually your chipping an inch of frozen snow and ice off your headlights on the side of a frozen highway in northern bc or alberta…

[@peterquidam8553]

Cool channel, professional, spending a lot of time and money to make objective comparisons 👍. Keep up the good work.

[@peterforrestel2558]

I have the Sealight bulbs in my Tacoma. It had halogen protector beams and these are way better at night. I do have them aimed properly so they don't blind incoming traffic.

[@Highstranger951]

Tiny monster led’s are legit. I feel like they should be tested. Thanks for the awesome content guys!

[@ryankistler2960]

Been looking forward to these videos keep making them they are great

[@Pyrlixx]

Would be also interesting to see the other Osram "High-Power" solutions. In Germany the Osram H7s (or H1/H4) are existing in a legal LED Variant aswell as the other ones, namely the Nightbreaker LED, Nightbreaker 200 and Nightbreaker Laser, with my favourite being the discontinued very yellow Osram All-Seasons :)

[@blainet3160]

Would love to see a H15 bulb comparison. Seems like there's basically OEM-type and then a small handfull of alternatives. I dislike the bulb and have 2 cars that use it. Looking at replacing whole headlights to get away from it! Thanks! Appreciate the quality reviews!

[@godowarus]

Awesome work! Perhaps down the line, you could test different brands. Some advertise ridiculously high numbers and some more realistic but still significantly higher than OEM. I personally went with Hikari Acme-X LED thanks to channels like Headlight Revolution and others that did similar testing with projector headlight assemblies.

[@upon1772]

I dont know what it is completely, but I've tried traditional halogen and LED bulbs and while the LEDs are great when its dry, they are absolutely terrible when its raining at night. Borderline dangerous to drive. The halogens are waaayyy better during the rain for some reason. Not sure if its color temp, or just a better distribution across the color spectrum or something else, but I prefer the halogens when its raining.

[@KristianHornbill]

You’re on the right track. It does have to do with color and the wavelength of the light. the shorter wavelength of the “bluer” light of LEDs reflect off the rain/dust back to your eyes, whereas the longer wavelength of the more “yellow” lighting makes it farther through the drops/particles and down the road where you want it.

[@upon1772]

I've also seen graphs looking at LED's and halogens across the entire spectrum, and at the same color temp (say 4500K) that the LED's have a huge spike in blues as you've mentioned, as well as yellow, likely from the coating they put on the lens of the LED to make it the correct color temp they want, but this leaves out everything in between, whereas the halogens produce a better "even" color across the entire spectrum. Couldn't find anything for any HID's but that would be cool to see!@@KristianHornbill

[@logitech4873]

LEDs with good CRI will work exactly the same in the rain.

[@Zigg317]

Thanks for posting, especially the Sealight, which I have in all my cars. I love them to death. While the measured lumens are so much less than advertised, I couldn’t be happier with the overall visibility.

[@jamesculver1068]

I saw the new Hercules 3/4 is out in stores! Can't wait for you to release a video on it!

[@WartimeFriction]

Friendly reminder that if your headlights are bright enough that I can't see the center line anymore, I'm not responsible if we get into a head-on collision. See ya at the morgue, lol

[@BoraHorzaGobuchul]

It's not so much the brightness as the beam shape. And that will be f*d up when I've sucks a led into a housing designed for halogen.

[@stevenl513]

I literally started shopping for HID alternatives last night. Great timing for this video! You guys always provide awesome info!

[@Turboexplorer]

Would like some pod light testing. Similar to what you are doing but with an off road pod light. Love your stuff :)

[@BigDish101]

I've been running 4300K "XenTec" brand 9006 HID's in my low beams for over a year now. Never been flashed by anyone, they have excellent focus (unlike any LED) and seem to be plenty durable and are cheap enough if they need replacing yearly.

[@huzudra]

The issue with the LED bulbs is that they flood out the foreground which causes perceived brightness to be very high because they are very bright but because the brightness is nearer your vehicle 2 things happen, your eyes want to wander and do wander toward the bright lit area near your car so you don't look far down the road at night and because you're looking at a very bright area nearer your car your pupils contract and worsen your dim vision when you do need to look further down the road. You can experience the same effect using a very bright tight beam flashlight in a very dark place. On full brightness you have an amazingly lit spot but hold the spot still and glance away, now you're in a void of blackness until your pupils expand to take in more light again which when you're moving at 90 feet every second can take 100 feet or more and that's sub-optimal.

[@PhaseSkater]

on empty roads yes. if youre somewhere with traffic, your eyes are always contracted due to the nonstop headlights coming at you

[@huzudra]

@@PhaseSkater Yes, and glaring lights only make this worse. That's why often urban and suburban areas have street lighting to assist drivers vision.

[@gadgestlab]

Would love to see a higher end LED comparison, specifically to include Nihon LEDs from Japan. They have been rated some of the best LED headlight bulbs by many youtube channels.

[@maxjosephwheeler]

*WOW, the amount of stuff I learn from this channel never ends!*

[@Alex-xg5kr]

I upgraded my car 2006 Areo and I found the light to be with standard halogen bulbs, but at a fraction of power used... what is great I do not have to worry about leaving the lights on by accident, because the battery will still crank after 4 to 5 h of being on without the engine running! If you still use halogen lights it is well worth replacing!

[@farmersgrip]

As a carpenter it would be helpful to see a stress test done on hammers from different companies and handle/head materials see what's really worth our money

[@Vteccer666]

i have an ols Estwing given to me by an old joiner he had it 60 years ive had it 30 and it still does perfectly

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Test head hardness, too (since they have the means). That'll help determine if it's going to eventually deform after lots of hammer blows. (although I'd think/hope that carpentry wouldn't lead to much deformation?)

[@JT-lq4yd]

TTC, could you also test for EMI (electrical noise) coming from the LED driver? I had installed an LED light kit on my car and it caused my radio to not pickup AM radio stations. I was kind of worried about the interference causing other issues with other modules in the car.

[@riba2233]

it's only am no worries

[@JT-lq4yd]

@@riba2233Although there is an AM that is worth listening to, in my opinion, it is only, news, weather, traffic, etc. The radio station also transmits in FM but it cuts out and there is interference from other radio stations. No issues on AM, it is solid.

[@wesley8599]

Yeah honestly howd you find that out o have 1 half decent am station. Dunno how your bulbs in your lights block that.

[@JT-lq4yd]

@@wesley8599 My wife found that AM station. The way I found the light bulbs caused the interference was because my on my car, both low beam and daytime running lights are the same bulb. If you shift the car out of park the headlights come on, put into park and the headlights turn off. My stereo in AM radio would only pick up stations while in Park and it only did this after I replaced the light bulbs with LED.

[@gameswong]

Thank you so much for all your hard work to complete the whole test.

[@shadowgolem9158]

Small fans like those often die pretty quickly too. Especially in at all dirty environments (like out on a road).

[@JazzbLu]

This was really an awesome comparison! It seems like Amazon puts an extra zero in the lumen ratings. I would like to see an LED from halogen comparison of headlight bulbs.

[@ashfordj81]

As much as I don't like Amazon, it's not Amazon, it's the CN manufacturers that inflate their lumen ratings on LED devices as they've done with stuff like flashlights for years. They do the same with mAh battery ratings. CN know the majority of buyers are making buying choices weighed almost completely on price.

[@lv7603]

It’s common for Chinese sellers to exaggerate.

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@ashfordj81 Though Amazon does have requirements and restrictions on other categories that require 3rd party testing to upload a new item for sale. They are usually just for reasons that save them money or liability insurance though. If they make money off it, they can't be bothered

[@EricGonzalezM]

All the LED replacements have a dark spot right under the hot spot and other concerning darker areas elsewhere. That'd be dangerous when actually using them on the road. You can clearly see the problem at 10:49. The xenon arc produces light 360 degrees. The LEDs can't replicate that.

[@alexmeier3538]

Thank you for that interesting and objective test. Here in Germany though, most bulbs are illegal to use

[@master6435]

With modern headlights being made of plastic led are the best choice to extend the lifespan of headlights assembly from cracking and deformation from the heat created by traditional halogen or HID bulds only downside is in location where snow is present the snow/ice can build up on the lens and not melt off

[@scotttrudeau4248]

If only for the picture on the box, this needs to be tested - HIKARI Ultra LED headlight - "THE EYES OF MEGATRON"

[@Adam-nv9zo]

I've got a set of Hikari in my Accord. Surprisingly, they are the best headlights out of all my cars. Wasn't sure about my purchase at first but i definitely don't regret it now.

[@oldnbald]

I have tested over 50 brands of HIDS/LEDs on myself and customer vehicles over the years. Morimoto XB's I have found to be the absolute brightest HID kit (also most expensive) & OSRAM night breakers take the win for LEDS. It's important to note proper projector housings are needed

[@BozoseCompany]

Curious how would I determine if my current projector housings are the right fit for a replacement LED bulb. Looking to switch bulbs, dont want to blind anyone

[@oldnbald]

@@BozoseCompany What car do you have?

[@BozoseCompany]

@@oldnbald its a 1999 ford crown vic, so of course made for older style halogens

[@consaka1]

And where can one find projector housings for 2016 Nissan Rogue SL? Preferably made for LEDs.

[@oldnbald]

@@BozoseCompany A good quality set of HIDs should do the trick

[@Darkcruzer23]

love the testing and results. hope to see high end brands that sell for $100+ (gtr lighting, sv4, morimoto, xenondepot) what are they offering if the legal lumen cap is set?

[@mattlarson9897]

I use the D1S bulbs. I tried the cheap replacements and they were brighter for about 6 months then started getting noticeably dimmer and slightly changing color. I gambled on the LED replacement from some unknown brand. Definitely brighter than the stock HID, after a year or so i can happily say they are still really bright. I would not go back to HID anymore. I wish i would have tried them sooner, i was afraid they were a dim gimmick over the factory HID bulb but i was wrong, they are legit as your test shows.

[@sixteenornumber]

Beam cutoff is important but what about the 2% bleeding that is needed to illuminate stop signs? I really like LED bulbs but my experience with them shows they usually fall short over OEM halogen.

[@BERZERKERSV4]

Unless your headlight housing is designed and engineered for LEDs bulbs , you’re wasting your money… you’re just throwing light into on coming traffic and pissing people off, until you get sued for being the primary cause of a crash….. bet me ?

[@logitech4873]

You can just adjust your headlights, or have your local vehicle inspection center do it.

[@BERZERKERSV4]

​@@logitech4873 Negative.. the limited headlight adjustment, if any, is insufficient..

[@ridhuan99]

Get projector led

[@gregoryfairchild2460]

I bought a set of LED high output replacement bulbs for a 2005 Sequoia and they are way brighter than original and brighter than my 2012 Audi Q7 HID s by a lot. Side by side facing the garage they drown out the Audi HIDs by a lot. They have a large heat sink on the bulb as well.

[@TheMinecraft2748]

You should test the rest of the osram lineup like the night breaker laser, and philips offerings, being the most oem quality bulbs

[@brandonroeder2461]

I've been using 12V led lights for both low and high beams ( low being lensed, and high a normal reflector) and I love them. You definitely need to adjust them downwards a little for other drivers though, and if you're in a truck WAY down.

[@Low760]

And in a truck fleet, I change globes far less often.

[@jonathanowens2337]

Wait, isn't it illegal in the US to put LED bulbs in halogen projector fixtures?

[@DistinctGamer_]

Would be cool to see you test a company called “the retrofit source” and their product of lights. Thanks! Great vid!

[@preparedlife3114]

Thanks for this video. Unfortunately jeep computer system is super picky with aftermarket lights. Ive tried a few with no luck .

[@_Webpersona]

Please buy OEM bulbs everyone, The color temperature and brightness of those aftermarket LEDs and HIDs can be atrociously blinding when coming at you at night.

[@luisillo1987]

You absolutely get extra points for blinding people. Now, all I need is a truck.

[@auzzierocks]

My car still has its factory xenon HID bulbs in it, and I prefer them to LEDs on modern cars, it's something about that warmth and colour temperature of my HID bulb in a projector housing that makes it easier to see for me

[@07wrxtr1]

Because you get better color rendition…. Go night hiking with a 2700k then try any modern headlamp = you’ll want to toss it in the trash!

[@dirty_beggar6277]

totally agree with the title, far too many vehicles driving about blinding everyone else because they 'can't see' without these lamps

[@artcamp7]

They are too bright. Even the low beams blind other drivers making night driving more dangerous

[@Lictanon]

bonus points for dicks with lifted trucks that never see a spec of dirt

[@estebanod]

No? That's not dangerous at all... not the brightness, what's dangerous is if they're not properly aimed at the ground and if they're in halogen housings Bad alignment is dangerous

[@mondavou9408]

For all the folks complaining today's bulbs are too bright, that argument and point of view has been expressed since the days they put lanterns on horse carriages. So remember, your bulb of today which you swear is completely and totally okay, was someone else's "Bulb too bright". .....and don't worry about crashing, soon you won't be allowed to drive anyway ha ha ha

[@lxfguits]

The thing with LED's and some HID's even is that I find that while there is plenty of light output I feel like I can't see with them. With regular old H4 bulbs if the lights are in good condition this has never been a problem.

[@diegomurillo2194]

Fcken finally!!! I asked for this video i think over a year ago when you tested the first sets of flashlights. Especially in a projector housing. And to make matters better, i have been doing the LED conversions on my D1s, and D3s vehicles and saw a night and day difference. I will try to send you some bulbs I've bought, i.e. 80w boslla bulbs which are arguably better than their 60w bulbs.

[@MustangAficionado]

The 1st headlights episode was in April of this year :P

[@diegomurillo2194]

@@MustangAficionado yes but I have been asking them to do projector housings and to test headlight bulbs since they introduced their light sphere.

[@ranacherian]

1st?

[@FrancoCastro]

Had a working landscape truck with a very bright led bar in the front and in the back so we could finish work at night and load everything in the trailer o bed. When people were driving towards me with their high beams on I would flash my high beams and if that didn’t work the led bar would do the trick every single time. Same with guys driving behind me. A quick flash of my read lead bar if that didn’t make them catch a clue the full power. I miss that truck just for that.

[@nickdagreat33]

I brought the Terminator brand because it listed having 2 cooling pipes, they work great. I also brought 2 sets of the Auxito brand H1 & H11, they are trash. One set for my car, one set for my truck; both burn out 1 light in a month. Which is why i tried the Terminator brand which is going strong in my car and truck now

[@blautens]

Thanks! You answered a lot of questions in one video.