Should You Replace Your Halogen Lights with LEDs?

[@softroadingthewest]

*If you are about to suggest aiming the headlights lower,* you are not alone. 😄 A lot of viewers made that suggestion, so I gave it a shot and made a *follow-up video:* kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@VKSgtSLaughter]

Thank you for such a thorough and thoughtful review. It's rare to see someone who is considerate of other drivers and everyone's s safety. You're a good man.

[@marksedwick7468]

I has so much to say. It has consumed me. Thank you for doing the right thing. I get migraines because they are so bright. I've been trying sunglasses over my prescription glasses. So bright yet people forget to turn them on and see just fine in the city.

[@thetinpin]

You nailed this! I work at an auto parts store and try to explain why LED lights in halogen reflectors are a really bad idea because the light scatter pattern isn't safe for other drivers... Unfortunately, it seems that most of the people I talk to _simply don't care what their headlights do to other peoples vision!_ This is disheartening, to say the least.

[@wundo9372]

Yea that “I don’t care” attitude has really increased immensely with this new generation, it’s truly unfortunate

[@BaldKiwi117]

​@@wundo9372blame the ones who raised them

[@robin3]

driving my older model Ford for 2yrs with unsafe lighting. tried buffing the lens, replacing the Halogen bulb with the brightest best i could find with little success. in my city i am constantly being blinded from the front & rear view with full beam LEDs. i recently found LED replacements for my Halogen bulbs and it has made such a difference. now that i can safely drive at night i have zero empathy for those full beamers who blind me.

[@trossk]

And those same people get so made when you flash the high beams at them in return too

[@VPB1970]

I have to congratulate you! This video, your video, is a perfect example of what a test should be! This is a responsible review, made by intelligent people, thought of with good sense and consideration for other people, and the safety of others. Your video (and you) deserve my 5 stars review! Sincere congratulations!

[@amritparmar7347]

for canada, halogen bulbs are good they keep the headlights warm and helps to keep away snow around headlights.

[@zachknee9858]

Osram night breaker laser hid bulbs in a g5r projector on 45watts would get you that warm color and the best output there is.

[@TopiasSalakka]

So are HIDs, i installed some in my car and it defogs and defrosts the glass pretty fast.

[@zachknee9858]

@Blind Squid halogens are your best option unless you go with hid projectors. Also you can upgrade your halogens to brighter bulbs example 9006 to 9012HIR.

[@zachknee9858]

@Holden Burke I misread the OP. Yes. Hids are warm in temperature and will defrost just as well as halogens.

[@MKylander]

​@@zachknee9858 They definitely don't, they have the same issue as with LEDs, just not as bad. At least in my experience in arctic temperatures. LEDs are superb to both in many ways, if only the heat they produced could be conducted to the lens. Because they do produce it, around 75% of their total power. Or the lenses would have auxiliar heating, similar to heated windscreens.

[@Kuasimodem]

When you replace ANY headlight bulb. CHECK THE ALIGNMENT!! Yours are about 2 degrees higher than they should be.

[@softroadingthewest]

I will admit I didn't know this was standard procedure. I suspect most people just put in new bulbs when they burn out. I have gone back, reset the height of my headlights, and retested the LEDs. Results here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@Dave5843-d9m]

LEDs deliver the correct dip beam cut-off pattern but need to be set lower. Mine would not go low enough so had to go back to halogen.

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Seems like everyone always compaes/reviews LED bulbs from driver perspective and not from the viewpoint of oncoming traffic or how it looks from behind you. Glad to see this perspective in video. No one seems to care about the other drivers on the road.👍

[@flare78x31]

People waste money going out and partying, out to eat, buying coffee instead of making it at home, buying lunch for work instead of packing it. Anyone who owns a car can at some point can afford to spend $35-70 to replace theirs but don't. I had a 2016 altima with the stock led and when i passed other led cars we could both see just fine. It's a dirt cheap safety upgrade and if they don't want to do it them F**k'em.

[@Pallidus_Rider]

@@flare78x31 😕

[@yeahnoway111]

@@flare78x31 yeeeeahh well just get good LEDs that are not oversized and dont make a mess of a light pattern

@@flare78x31 Blinding other drivers with LED bulbs is neither safe or a upgrade....

[@tjadventures]

I’ve got led H4 replacements installed on my 04 Forester xt and they are a huge difference. Because of this glaring issue I made sure to get a LED shape and design as close as possible to the filament of the original H4 halogen light and I also went with a lower output than what everyone is advertising. I checked with a lux meter on a stand for both of the lights and the leds actually have less percentage of light outside of the correct light shape than the halogens. I also drove behind some friends just to see what they thought and it doesn’t seem to bother them. Bottom line, some LEDs can be good some not, IMO it’s really important to get a led that physically is as close as possible to the replacement halogen filament and also it’s ok to not go for super bright light output.

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I don't want to seem lame because the content was great but the camera angles and story were really well done. It was really nice to watch while also providing great info. Just wanted to mention it, as you obviously took care in setting them up. Thanks!

[@RazrThinblade]

Just watching this because of my own experiences with Lasfit Leds. I was running them for almost a year in my 2014 sentra. Brilliant light output, love how wide they are. But I couldn't stand the amount of cars that flashed me. Especially a few nights ago I decided to do a highway run after a long time not going on the highway. Now keep in mind, my car has a full led conversion for both the low and high beams. But I found myself struggling at highway speeds to see ahead, I feel as if the leds get washed out with less things to reflect off. I could see a bright spot clearly, but I just wanted a further extension of light. Going back to my halogens has shown me that the they spread the light evenly with the reflector unlike the leds. The leds have a very distinct bright spot, which I think affects your depth perception, as your eyes tend to focus on the area with the most light.

[@ARGINVENTOR]

Thank you for being fair and saying the truth. Reflector housings were not designed for LEDs.

[@mpikas]

I haven't quite figured out where I stand with these. I've tested them with a small group of people and found that they only really pose a problem for people that for the most part admit that they shouldn't be on the road at night or at least are severely limited by their night vision. I have a car with factory LED bulbs and a truck that I've swapped them in. I've also installed a set on a Honda Pilot that had awful factory headlights. The car with the factory setup gets flashed all the time (probably 2-3x a week, maybe more), the truck maybe 2-3x in the last year (actually less than it did with regular halogen bulbs), the Pilot doesn't seem to but the driver once expressed concern about it. I've had the headlight alignment checked on both my car and truck, and the car is well-aligned with a very sharp cutoff pattern, much more than most other cars without premium factory HID headlights. Interestingly, the truck now has a MUCH better than factory top and side cutoff for the light beam, much like a decent new car (it's a 2004). The Pilot now has a cutoff pattern like a modern HID headlight, it's actually kind of disconcerting when in a neighborhood and as you pull up to a street sign you can see the cutoff move down the sign, when you're within a few feet of it there is almost no light at all at sign height (can make it tough to find an address). To me it's clear that none of these cars have their high beams on coming at me, they look like factory HID setups (and not like aftermarket conversions that can be blinding), the light is where it's supposed to be. Same from the back, when someone is behind you with high beams on you end up driving in your own shadow even with your headlights on. This is not the experience with the LED's. After talking and testing with friends and family with bad night vision I've come to the conclusion that the problem isn't the light pattern or the brightness overall, but that much light coming from a relatively small point. I suppose that there is some debate about the factory LED setup, but when it comes down to it I can't do anything about it. On the truck with the aftermarket LED's- that appears to be "just a big truck with the lights up higher than other cars" that just annoy some drivers. I've actually come to the conclusion that the more precise beam pattern is the reason why I get fewer people flashing me with the LED's installed, and some people are just going to be annoyed again, no matter what I do. On the Honda, they're a no brainer. They turn worthless headlights into usable headlights. With the bad night vision people, the factory LED's are the only ones that they identified as a problem. My mother being one of these people pointed out that this is why she doesn't drive at night at all anymore, and even old school sealed beams are too bright for her when coming at her, forget modern halogen lights (We tested it with one of my classic cars with '80's vintage sealed beams on it).

[@alocarioca]

I'm here because I'm researching videos about how to convert from halogen to led bulbs. After watching your video I'm not sure if I want to convert anymore. But I have an issue where my halogen bulbs are barely lasting me 90 to 120 days, and I'm getting sick and tired of the same bulb replacing routine. I understand that I drive a lot more miles per month than the average person, but this issue seems to be getting worst and even the best halogen bulbs aren't lasting. I'm a Lyft/Uber Driver here in the South West, and I can assure you the blinding effect has ridiculously increased in the last 3 years and consistently making it harder for me to do my job without having to strain my eyes "Charles Bronson" style so to avoid accidents several times during night driving, and my City is a small City compared to major cities such as Miami or Dallas where I've driven as well and the glare from oncoming traffic is just stupidly out of control on those major cities. I'm shocked that this hasn't become a National issue yet. But anyway, I like to thank you for your dedication on making such a detailed video. It helped me make a decision today.

[@nobody-downunder]

This is hands down one of the best, if not the best, led review! What a legend.

[@crslyrn]

Thanks for giving a honest review on the LASFIT brand LED lights & concerns that may come with the LED light conversion. Stay safe.

[@johnnymorris1736]

Ooooop[090000

[@tomenglish77591]

Thank you for your honest and thoughtful review. I came across your channel when checking out the Forester as a new vehicle for my partner. Your thoughtful videos assured me the Forester is a good choice and as of last Thursday evening she is now driving a 2020 Forester and loving it. The quality of your videos compelled me to subscribe and enjoy many of your videos over the past weeks. Your good work is appreciated.

[@ALNSMOVERLAND]

That's a solid choice ! You have a lucky partner ahaha

[@softroadingthewest]

Thank you! Congrats on the new Forester and thanks for watching!

[@joemoore1382]

Down in southern Georgia these would be fine. People down here permanently leave there brights on anyway so I have grown used to driving around them. It doesn’t matter if they are in the middle of the city or not those suckers are always on.

[@bradmaas6875]

The light output pattern is good, aiming them down and to the right just a touch should do the trick. Keep in mind the more weight in back, the higher the aim point of the headlights.

[@tommy5271]

There is something really relaxing about your content, so easy to watch!

[@billgriner3754]

Thanks for the honest review and being a considerate human being. Most people ( sadly ) realize that LEDs do produce more usable light and could care less about other drivers. LEDs seem to be hit or miss on longevity.

[@eweston101]

Did you try adjusting the angle of your headlights? I had my LEDs at stock halogen settings and got flashed, adjusted the lights with the adjustment screws downward and beam/glare area is much lower and haven’t had any upset oncoming traffic since.

[@softroadingthewest]

Fair question. I did not, as the glare appears to be less of a directional/aiming issue and more because the LED is far more powerful and is scattered/dispersed by the mismatch of light source to reflector design. Aiming them down may reduce the high beam perception for some other drivers, but that still won't eliminate the overall light blast that comes out of the reflectors in a way that the halogen bulbs don't...I found them unbearable to view from any angle. Ultimately it didn't seem worth the struggle to me for a low beam upgrade, as I was already satisfied with my halogen low beams. They work just fine in low beam scenarios, they don't glare, and they are perfectly legal, which I'm not sure is the case for the LED swap. All that said, in the interest of being thorough and fair, I *may* stick the LEDs back in there and tweak the aim, if it's not a huge headache to mess with. I would be curious to know if changing the aim reduces the glare to oncoming drivers, and also if it ends up negating the benefit of the LED swap, as the lights won't be pointing where they were intended to. Thanks for watching!

[@eweston101]

softroadingthewest I agree glare from the housing isn’t fixed from adjustment, since I had committed to the LEDs I tried to reduce the annoyance to anyone in front of me. I don’t know if you want to adjust the setting screws but mine weren’t too difficult. Love the channel, keep up the fair and honest reviews too!

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

I appreciate the honesty Donald! I too received LASfit LED lights for review but you're absolutely right, the housing has to be designed for them. My Honda Passport came with full LED lighting with the exception of the high beams, and as you said in your video, high beam LED's make for a worthy replacement since they're only used in certain situations when no one is in front. I absolutely love my OEM LED low beams and fog lights, there's no scatter, just a straight line of light. With that said, I think it may be worth finding a nice LED headlight housing with a proper reflection pattern

[@softroadingthewest]

That makes perfect sense. I really wish I had known about this issue when LASFIT contacted me, I would've asked them to send me something other than a low beam replacement. Unfortunately my high beams use a different bulb. Too bad I can't make these fit into my Hellas which are woefully inadequate as offroad auxiliaries.

[@stefankocic7593]

The main problem at night is the blinding lights from each angle. Respectful review ! Thanks man, it should help people divert from buying LED to blinde other people when not design to have them in first place...

[@B-RadWoods]

I have found when adding LED headlight bulbs I can lower the beam height adjustment and it solves all issues for my applications. Perhaps if you lower the beam using your factory adjustment bolt it will allow you to enjoy them 🤷‍♂️

[@robertwilliams6964]

You can also turn the led bulb to focus the light.

[@craigcousins9013]

I have had LED’s in for about 3 months and haven’t been flashed once, they passed a UK MOT and I asked the MOT guy to adjust the height up to the legal limit. This was a bit bright due to the angle of the beam pattern but a slight adjustment of the headlight (in the housing) and it’s perfect now.

[@zachknee9858]

The glare is still there regardless and your hotspot would be pointing at the ground not down the road. Thus making your output worse than factory halogens. bUt ThE 6k CoLor LoOkS gOoD

[@softroadingthewest]

I have since tried lowering the beam height adjustment and filmed a new test. Here are the results: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@Dave5843-d9m]

My H4 LEDs still dazzled at maximum down angle. Sad because the LED emitters were no bigger than halogen filament coils.

[@robertsumairsingh1050]

Hats off to you sir! Congratulations on making the first excellent comprehensive video answering almost any and all questions I may have ever had in installing LEDs in my 2021 Honda CRV Special Edition. Guessing by the projector housing for low beams I could use H11 LEDs, and just brighter white bulbs (whiter halogens) for the high beams. Thanks so much!

[@swidahooverlanding2867]

Thanks for being honest! Someone will send you a product because they want a honest opinion. Sometimes it hurts, but once people know you are honest, companies will want your backing if they think they are selling a good product. Think of it this way, you probably just got rid of 90 percent of junk to review! Good for you and good for honest/quality producers/products. George

[@softroadingthewest]

Haha, good point! Thanks George!

[@philm.1045]

Have you checked the headlight aim? They seem high...

[@mountainman38]

I was thinking that a lot of the issues could be ameliorated, by aiming the headlights down somewhat. They would still be bright, but wouldn't be up in oncoming drivers eyes from as far of a distance.

[@philm.1045]

Jay K If you buy a quality product and it’s installed properly there should be no glare…

Phil M. Sorry, that’s just not true. Even OEM LED glare...... Yet some magical factory that throws these bulbs together with. I care over quality is better than OEM? Yea, that’s not how that works. You need some education instead of justification

[@philm.1045]

Jay K no need to crack open the thesaurus... believe what you believe...

[@softroadingthewest]

I've since adjusted the headlights down and re-tested the LEDs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@madcratebuilder]

Great review with real world results. I installed LED's in my 17' Colorado and to adjust them down a bit. I see better and I'm not getting flashed by oncoming drivers.

[@CertifiedAIMusician]

My daily is a 2016 Canyon (which was actually featured in one of his previous videos!) and that's exactly what I did. And did again after installing a leveling kit. The Chevy/ GMC projector housings do a much better job of creating a sharp cutoff versus these reflector housings.

[@softroadingthewest]

I have aimed my headlights down and tried it again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@TheProvinceOfRC]

Thanks for this great and fair review. Here in Germany it is not allowed to retrofit your halogens with aftermarket LED bulbs, because of all the reasons you mentioned. But I replaced all the indoor lights in my Forester SH with LEDs. It is legal and makes a big difference.

[@JoeBplus12]

What about LEDs in a 11 outback with factory projector housings? Would provide a quality output with safety for other drivers?

[@softroadingthewest]

I gotta think it would be better than a reflector housing like mine. I don't really know anything about the projectors and how they interact with various light sources though...i.e. I don't know if a reflector designed for a halogen will still project LEDs in the same way, but I gotta think it would be far less problematic for oncoming drivers than simple reflectors like mine.

[@kevinjfeeney77]

Still gotta get the ones with adjustable beam focus.....so you can position the LED chip in the same spot as the filament of a standard halogen bulb.

[@bahlowwings]

I have beamtech led from amazon in my 18 Forester with Reflector housing. Ive never been flashed or pulled over. Cut off is pretty clean for the most part. Theres a video showing beamtechs having a similiar beam to halogen bulb.

[@AWH-qr3mb]

bahlowwings Beamtech in our Journey too. Cutoff isn’t perfect, but it’s adequate and they’re much less intense than other brands, we have never been flashed either. Of course I adjusted beam angle to compensate for the extra light output to match the halos. That helps too.

[@softroadingthewest]

It's clear that not LEDs are created equal. I did try lowering my headlight aim as many people suggested and retested the Lasfits, if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@davidmorales60535]

I have hikari leds on my crosstrek. Those are adjustable and you can tune it so it doesn't glare. You can give them a try if you want. They were 37 dollars on amazon.

[@kevinjfeeney77]

I too am running adjustable beam focus units... no glare or pissed off drivers.

[@musicanoofficial7233]

David M hikari is the way to go. They’re dim compared to my Philips Racing Vision, but they’re much more white.

[@DonnieDispersed]

I had led headlight bulbs in my old outback sport. I was getting flashed in broad daylight. Decided to switch back. Wasn’t worth the headache. Plus the lighter blue color glared really bad on wet roads and all visibility benefits went out the window.

[@softroadingthewest]

Interesting...it didn't even occur to me that there might be a difference in different weather. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who decided not to keep them.

[@lgetz1]

Very insightful, through, and most importantly unbiased and honest review of your observations. Blinding oncoming traffic is something you don't want to do. Most people don't give a hoot, glad you are considerate to fellow drivers. There are other options in LED headlights such as Diode Dynamics SL1, Morimoto Two Stoke 2.0, that have been tested and have a light output pattern similar to stock headlights.

[@Steveh1066]

I've had aftermarket led bulbs in my projector headlamps for a couple of years now, the problems I find with them is they don't project as far out as halogen but are much brighter close to the car.. Fine for low speeds but fast dark roads they are a problem.. I've never had any on coming vehicle flash me to say they are being blinded as I have the headlights angled down a bit. One definite benefit is anything reflective like road signs or people's hi vis clothing is much much brighter to me.

[@flare78x31]

The projector is way better but if you probably can't see far out because you have them angled down.

[@softroadingthewest]

I think projector housings are a whole other story. They seem better suited to LED swaps.

[@rundllx3228]

In germany its illegal to fit those to your car bacause led headlights need to self adjust instantly, like when youre going over a bump it instantly needs to react. And even then they sometimes blind others. Very thoughtful, honest and informative video, keep it up!

[@thecma3]

This was one of the things I was most worried about when I installed one of the better-reviewed aftermarket LED drop-ins in my 2012 Forester. I installed the lights at night and parked where I could compare where the LED's shine on a fence against the original halogens. I actually found that, when correctly clocked, the LEDs gave a sharper cutoff at the top of the field and didn't shine noticably higher. Based on my short time in stage lighting, I've seen how much of an effect can be had on a projected beam by slightly moving the filament of a lamp, and projector headlights are no different.

[@gta_3714]

I recently put LED in my 2005 Toyota Avalon and it did the same thing. Other drivers thought I had my high beams on but what I did that helped a little to not blind drivers as much is I rotated the LED from facing side to side to up and down and it did lower it a little

[@softroadingthewest]

I did fiddle with the rotation, but up and down was significantly worse with these in my headlights. These particular units are designed with a sort of baffle along the top to prevent too much light going upwards, and I found these definitely work best when installed with the emitters at 3:00 and 9:00 and the baffle at the top. I did recently try aiming my headlights down and retesting the LEDs...the aim adjustment did improve the oncoming driver experience. New video if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@ronman33]

Great video! When I bought my 03 Santa Fe I was thinking LED would be the way to go, and luckily asked a friend for his recommendations. He pretty much told me everything you discovered and demonstrated in this video and talked me out of it. I hate being blinded by LED headlights, so I'm glad I'm not part of that problem myself.

[@shortsprings]

Amazing comparison video. The wise (safety) choice is to stick with halogens. I wonder if LEDs would blindingly reflect lights in fog and snow. Thank you for putting this video together!

[@NamJi]

It’s refreshing to see people review sponsored products “honestly”. I have a 18 Crosstrek with horrible halogens and I upgraded the stocks with diode dynamics leds and even though these are considered high quality and top notch, they also redirect lights scattered everywhere. I think the issue is the reflector housing which is not meant for the led lights.

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, exactly, the halogen reflectors just don't seem to play nicely with the LEDs. Thanks for watching!

softroadingthewest google H9 swap. You’ll be much happier with H9 halogens over LED crap. Especially the garbage LEDs you tried out.

[@jlautomotive6349]

Very thorough analysis… First off even “factory” vehicles with “factory” LEDs are blinding to on coming traffic… LEDs are just brighter and throw more light to the point that even designed by a manufacturer it still produces more light. Technology is coming in the way of the headlights being able to shut off the drivers side as another vehicle passes but we’re years away, plus we’re years behind what Great Britain has vs what we’re allowed here… Great video, just feel personally that I care more about what I can see vs what others see with me coming but I live in a country setting so my daily “light issues” vary greatly… Keep up the great work!

[@StayZero556]

There are good LED options out there but the LasFit aren’t what I’d recommend. I tried them and found they were brighter but they had a horrible beam pattern. The reason I believe is the thickness of the board moves the chipset too far from the center where a halogen filament would be. What I run now are Nineo and in my experience they are far better. They have a thinner board so the chipsets are closer to the center and that makes for a much improved beam pattern with the proper cutoff. And the output is way more than the halogens.

[@NoPainNoGain___]

Just saw them on amazon might have to give those a try

[@MiguelRPD]

LEDs can be installed in reflectors. But the cut off point where you are lighting the road below, and slight light leakage above needs to be BELOW a certain height -- you can research online about this. But generally you want that cut off point below an oncomings car windshield. That way you aren't blinding them. This is the same case for projector and reflector housings.

[@softroadingthewest]

I did give it a try lowering the aim, and filmed a new test: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@DengMam]

Glad you didn’t recommend them. Not only are they illegal in the EU (any replacement of halogen by led in the headlights) for a reason, you could drop all the testing by driving (saving gas money) by parking your car in front of a non reflective flat surface like a concrete wall. With your oem halogen lights, you‘ll notice that the headlight beam has a specific shape. The moment you put a lightbulb in the headlight that somehow changes that shape, you can be certain that you either don’t get the best possible light or you‘re blinding someone (with a luxmeter, you can measure by how much). The ADAC (german driver’s club) has partnered with an university and a testing lab (can’t remember the name of those) to recommend to car manufacturers to build headlights that are a combination of reflectors for one type of light (dimmed headlights/high beam) and projector for the other to have a maximum of light for both situations. Of course, the refractors have to be conceived to work with the led „bulbs“ instead of halogen lights.

[@j1mbobtech]

The Question is do you have "Reflectors" or "Projectors" for a reference... I have Projectors and as of yet I have not found an LED that is better than a Halogen bulb in them...

[@keithosborne6585]

I thought this was a very thoughtful and fair review. If a manufacturer thinks twice about sending you a product to review, the consumer should automatically think twice about buying it.

[@kevkno]

Yeah, just adjust the LED’s down a bit. After having factory HID lights in my cars and then going to my current 2010 Nissan Titan with halogens......it was almost like I had NO headlights, they were so dim. I switched the bulbs to LED’s and I’m very happy. I was sure to adjust them down more than I would with halogens and HID’s and everything has been good. I did get flashed once though........in almost 4yrs since they’ve been installed.

[@softroadingthewest]

I've adjusted the LEDs down and tried it again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@superdutyzack]

Gotta go with a better led bulb like the perfect fit or supernova which mimic the halogen filament. I never get flashed with my led headlights.

[@kaveee971]

It's just so amazing to see a review where the reviewer isn't pretending. Thanks for your honesty. You might not get more LED lights sent your way but you will definitely sleep better at night ;)

[@softroadingthewest]

It's funny, I actually had three or four other companies ask to send me LED headlamps after I made this video, but no way was I going down that road again, haha.

[@kaveee971]

@@softroadingthewest thumbs up! :D

[@trishharrington783]

I think you are trying to say the focal point of the reflector style housing, for which the halogen bulb is designed, does not work properly with a COB style LED conversion, the likes of the one you tested. The newer LED conversions with multiple Nichia or Luxeon LEDS come closer to mimicking the halogen filament shape, but are still not perfect. All this doesn’t alter the fact, that in the vast majority of world markets, for on road use, these conversions are illegal. One of the main issues, regardless of how sharp the ‘ Cutoff ‘ may be, is the amount of stray light/glare above this ‘ Cutoff ‘. This is what can cause problems for oncoming drivers. What is appalling, is the number of drivers out there, who don’t have any regard for other road users, as evidenced by the number of these ‘ Toys ‘ on the road. Thanks for an honest opinion.

[@CarazyDiamond]

Very good & interesting video here. I must say that you've really done long & arduous work here. Coincidently I also replaced the old and aging halogen in 2007 Ford Explorer with brand new LEDs. Yeah, 2 things that I noticed: 1 - I can see anything to everything. 2 - I do have the same fear just as you're saying that people might think that I've got the brights on but so far I haven't seen anyone flashing back at me. However just make things clearer my 2007 Ford Explorer also has the same umbrella in the light housing and likewise the light emission is actually reflected out on the road from the rear reflector wall, so this makes the bandwidth of light beam on the road quite even. Also, I have installed or replaced actually the halogen bulbs from the fog to the LEDs. So if any given time I have a fear that I'm a nuisance o the road with headlights on I switches on the Fogs only and have a comfortable field of vision. My second last point in this argument here is more important for me. My eyesight isn't good at all. after going with aftermarket LEDs I feel I am a more relaxed driver and can see much much better than before so the chances of me becoming a contributing factor of an accident on the road now considerably reduced. In my area almost every other car is brand new so either they're on HID or LED as OEM. So my last thought related to the last part: Almost all the new cars esp luxury cars they are now fitted with extremely high-end tech lighting system rather quite fancy in Audi so to speaks as they can project a movie on the road as well and any letter or word you can put in the program. These adaptive lightning systems are awfully expensive. That 2014 BMW i8 fancy Laser light system 1 - headlight cost incase of full replacement cost over $10000. Even though that example is one end of the extreme, however, newer the with the newest tech costing a lot more then some could easily catch up to them.

[@tommatheson5855]

Is it possible to re-aim the driver side light? How are they out on the trail? Thank you for being considerate of other drivers! I'm an older driver and my eyes don't adjust as fast as they used to ..... I agree the LED lamps are danderous.

[@tommatheson5855]

And so is my spelling!

[@tomz1220]

I have a 2017 Sonata with projector headlights. I decided to try LEDs everywhere on the car. I love the back up lights, plate lights, trunk, interior etc.. but the headlights are going back. Halogen lights just work better in halogen style housings. My leds were super bright, but had a strange focus, and no more hotspot which took away from how far they went out. I chose based off performance since the leds were definitely nicer looking.

[@eugene188]

yup. been blinded by lots of people, trucks, SUV, sedans that have lights that are too bright. it sucks when they pull up behind you. thanks for taking that into consideration!

[@davidck1]

1:29 before you start installing you should clean the engine bay of that dust so nothing gets inside the light fixture.

[@RHBengal]

Great test and video. Thank you! Sounds like the best option is to just replace the whole headlight housing with one that is designed to run LEDs.

[@RadekPogoda]

I love your attitude towards other road users and thinking about the safety of all traffic around you. I wish more people would consider others as much as you did in this case. I plan to install those in my wife's Lexus CT. It is also running H11 bulbs, but unlike your Subie, it does not have an open reflector. It is equipped with a reflector lens and I think it should be far less disturbing for oncomming traffic. We will see. Thanks for this film!

[@kenm4678]

Even the Halogens look aimed too high! Well designed LED's with chips sized and placed to the bulb specifications , aimed correctly, work very well without blinding others.

[@spirov92]

That's exactly what I thought: even in the before shots, they seem way too high for low beams! Look at the parked cars you're passing by, you're lighting them up to about the middle of the windshield in some cases. Other than that, the pattern looks similar to the halogens, so if they're properly adjusted they might be ok.

[@busterrabbit]

Unfortunately most LED "bulbs" do not replicate the single filament light source and as a result the beam pattern is pretty awful with too much scatter which affects oncoming traffic. Philips Ultinon LEDS are correctly designed but they are around £100/$130 a pair

[@softroadingthewest]

@@spirov92 At the time I was unaware there was anything wrong with my headlight alignment. I have since adjusted them down and retested the LEDs. You can see the results here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@kenm4678]

@@busterrabbit Fully understand the cost of quality tested LED bulbs and have invested $300 in high and low beams. The better designed chips mimic the size and placement specified for use in headlight systems. This review use in my opinion inexpensive over large and poorly placed LED ships in the bulb, and I have seen them in displays. Very little mention of clocking the LED position in the housing, no indication of aiming the lights correctly. 6:22 in the video show a comparison against a 10 foot high shipping container (standard and common size). The top of the Halogen is over 5 feet above the ground. The LED shows the effect of an overlarge source of the chips used. Well designed bulbs aimed correctly do not do this. Compare the size of the Cree XP-G2 chip to the chip in the Philips Ultinon chip.

[@thomassmoots142]

Did you try adjusting the lights to make sure they are aimed properly. There are videos by A1 Auto, Headlight Revolution, Morimoto, etc. showing how to do that.

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, many many many commenters made that suggestion, so I did it and actually made a new video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@jarredfedor4150]

I know you weren't looking for lights, but if you are interested in others.. Diode Dynamics has done a lot of research and have plug and play headlights that work with housings properly. They actually have quite a few options available for the forester including reverse lights. I ran into similar issues with other "cheaper" LED lights with the beams just being too wide and not very focused. I didn't have that issue on my crosstrek with the SL1 lights from diode. Anyway, give them a shot if you're in the market. Appreciate the honest review and tests you setup to confirm things.

[@garretttroester5943]

I installed leds in my f150 as the stock halogens were pretty sad at night. I found checking the adjustment and aim of my headlights before and after the leds were about 2 feet higher from 25 feet away at a wall. They should be at 3 feet up from 25 feet away and once adjusted no one has ever flashed me in the 6 months since installation.

[@softroadingthewest]

I did run the test again after adjusting the headlights down. It seemed to improve the oncoming driver experience. New video if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@bulldogstrut1]

Thank you. This is very well thought out, useful information. LASFIT should be grateful for your feedback. I hope they accept it in the spirit you meant it to be and incorporate the information you provided them in their next design.

[@aksoni2206]

Thank you so much for taking your time and educating us. I hope this video creates a difference and urges people to think about other drivers when installing certain equipment in their vehicle. Thanks again for spending the time on this video.

[@stevefredericks2304]

Great review and you bring up the important point they reflector housings tend to throw LED lighting all over the place as opposed to projectors. I did install KED’s as high beams on my Outback, as you said they aren’t used with incoming cars and it does a great job illuminating back roads frequented by deer at night. I use slightly upgraded halogens for low beams

[@therealtashiro]

You can always adjust your headlight housings to help pinpoint the beams away from oncoming traffic.

[@kevinnorwood7355]

As always you have shot another great video! I have mixed feelings because of where we live. When my Forester passed away I bought a used VW Golf to drive back and forth to work. Someone took the original housing for the car out and replaced them with ones from a 337 GTI. With STOCK bulbs I have no need to upgrade my bulbs or even use my high beams. I do need some fog lights though. We live IN the mountains and I work second shift so I don’t leave work until after 10pm. It’s DARK here there are no street lights near us, lots of deer, dogs, and other critters. My wife works on the other side of the pass, and it’s even darker for her to drive at night. When I find the Subaru I want I plan to check into some aftermarket headlight housing “ if there is such a thing.” If not then going to definitely find a brighter bulb than my old Subaru had. I agree with you about the interior lights though they are terrible.

[@softroadingthewest]

Replacing the entire housing is a whole other ball game and addresses the problem of the LED/Halogen reflector mismatch. Though even without going to that expense, for me simply stepping up from the cheapest halogen to an upgraded halogen made a visible difference while causing no glare issues. Thanks for watching!

[@matthewjohnson1211]

My opinion: L.E.D. looks better in urban/suburban environments, while halogen will be nicer in the woods or places with little ambient light.

[@Billy28376]

Matthew Johnson I agree. They’re bad in the snow.

[@softroadingthewest]

Interesting...I did not even consider different weather conditions.

[@nazrizainudin3189]

Finally my doubts explained very well by you. No wonder after changing to LED on the reflector headlights, the lighting field and pattern totally unacceptable. I'm switching back to halogen. Tq.

[@miowacity]

When you put in LEDs you need to readjust the hight of the low beam. I had to lower mine 2" over 24 feet because the LED beam showed higher. Lowering the beam height prevents some of the issues about glare for other drivers.

[@softroadingthewest]

A lot of people made that comment, so I made an entire second video where I tried that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@jhstylewon1172]

Putting correct headlight angles aside, what are your thoughts on having warm white leds instead of the cool white that you had? I noticed that the yellowish warm white lights are easier on the eyes than bluish cool white lights.

[@softroadingthewest]

Certainly seems better than the cold blue light of most budget LED headlight replacements which from all accounts reduces visibility, especially in wet conditions. That said, I don't think color temperature alone would be enough to mitigate the LED light emission pattern not interacting with the reflector in the same way a halogen filament it's designed for does. After my testing for this video - and the follow-up video - the only way I would run LED headlamps is if my vehicle came equipped with LED from the factory.

[@bogdandanailescu]

My car has LEDs from factory and I still get flashes because people think I drive with my high beam on. But I did appreciated your honest review. Keep it up!

[@slowcargofast]

You could probably adjust your headlights downwards a bit.

[@KuyaArbee]

right! even with the halogen lights this idiot has his lights running up so high on public roads! yea for off-road its fine, but this dude has his lights aimed wayyyyyy to high!

[@tfiresmith01]

Jay K Not true. I used them for years on my 2010 WRX. You have to have the aimed Properly by a certified body shop person. Mine lasted for over six years never had to replace them once. Sold the car with them in it. I have tried four other very expensive pairs that did not impress me as much as these.

[@softroadingthewest]

@@KuyaArbee Kuya Arbee is correct. This idiot did not realize his lights were aimed on the high side. No one had ever flashed their lights at me or commented on them being too high in 2½ years of ownership so it simply never occurred to me. But good news, this idiot has now aimed his headlights down and out of fairness, retested the LEDs! You can see the results here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8 I'm hoping this upgrades me from "idiot" to just "somewhat dumb." :-)

[@WonderAnt10]

I've had LED's in my past two cars as both came with projector housings with basic halogens. Only reason I did the upgrade was because of how the housing was designed to focus the beam of light as opposed with reflector housing like yours that just casts it everywhere and floods the road up ahead. If you could get your hands on a set of projector headlight housings for your Forester(which I bet they make) You'd be able to get more light and not blind oncoming traffic. Just my thought on that.

[@softroadingthewest]

I agree completely, LEDs make much more sense in a projector, and a projector retrofit would be necessary for me to run LEDs. Ultimately, given that I was happy enough with my halogen low-beams, it doesn't seem worth the trouble for me. More light on the trail when I can run high beams is probably where I would focus my next efforts. Thanks for watching!

[@chrisd1828]

Thanks for the Honest review ; Blue light from the led headlights is also blinding the other drivers. For the same reason that phones now have blue light filters. It simply kills your night vision, which is why most overhead street lights especially in urban areas are not bluish / white in color.

[@olivervigilia6351]

Great comparison video and review.... when I converted my car's halogen to LEDs, I made sure to adjust the headlight height (there are screws on the back of the headlight housing... one for up and down adjustment and another one for left and right adjustment) .... just lower the height accordingly so as not to blind oncoming traffic... there are a lot of YT videos that give a tutorial on this.

[@softroadingthewest]

I tried that. Here's the results: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@venomrogue1]

I run Auxbeam LEDs in both my cars. I lowered the angle a little and haven’t had an issue. Also, make sure the leds are going horizontally, not vertically. My cars: 2002 Saturn SC2, 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid.

[@jodybrake8343]

It was nice to see oncoming traffic using only 2 headlights! Here in Canada new vehicles have 4,6,8 or more now. I used LED replacements too but found they don’t last due to heat trapping. They actually generate heat on the back & when enclosed like yours & mine are they fail.

[@softroadingthewest]

Actually I was not even able to reinstall the rear covers on my headlight housings with these LEDs installed. A whole other can of worms that I opted not to open, heh. :-)

[@dgbrosmusical]

Hi, Today I replaced a light bulb (5w halogen) located near the pedals, and before I changed it, it used to work few seconds after I open/close doors. Today I replaced it with a beautiful Led T10. It works but now is still on even if I am driving. I like it but.. Is there any problem? Do you recommend me going back to halogen in order to avoid other issues? Thank you in advance!

[@jeremynoel4123]

Watched the side by side and if you pay attention the LED's are shining on the roof of houses... So my question is why wasn't the LED's adjusted correctly before testing?

[@softroadingthewest]

I've adjusted the headlights and tried it again: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@ArcticHawk2003]

Thank you for the honest review. Living in a big city, they are a few cars who have converted to LED's & they are indeed quite blinding when they are on coming or in the rear mirrors. It is worse when one or both lights are pointing higher...

[@softroadingthewest]

I didn't realize it at the time, but my headlights were aimed on the high side (and one was completely whacked out). I have since adjusted my headlights and retested the LEDs. It seemed to improve the oncoming driver experience, although it didn't necessarily make everything better. New test here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@ArcticHawk2003]

@@softroadingthewest Nice!!!

[@whatfreedom7]

I’m having trouble seeing at night in my Tacoma myself. It looks like I’m driving by candle light. The housings could use some buffing again or replaced and my bulbs are original 13 year old bulbs. I’m thinking of going with PIAA bulbs and polish my lenses till I can replace them. Hopefully that will give me better lighting if not then I’ll try LEDs.

[@Tom55data]

thank you for be concerned about the blinding of other drivers, this is real problem with car head lights - just not set correctly. They look too high, they required a 1.3 (depends on car etc) degree drop on the level. I now drive with my rear view mirror set so lights are just not quite visible and I need to lift my head a fraction to see fully out the rear view mirror (it is auto-adjust which is translation to - crap)

[@softroadingthewest]

I have since adjusted my headlights down and retested the LEDs if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@Kaimas7]

Great video. Thank you for being considerate about other drivers. I wonder why the manufacturers are making their led headlights so bright and luminous. They should have almost the same amount of lumens as halogen. Changing to led would still make sense. A nice white light + longetivity.

[@dlr5953]

Tried a pair of LEDs and it didn't work for me, it didn’t give out the same beam of light as the original halogens. No light was emitting to the left side, it was very difficult to make left turns in the dark.

[@regharrington6465]

I find that the stock led lights on Toyota carolla's are blinding and these are right from the factory!

[@AWH-qr3mb]

Reg Harrington agreed. The new Toyota’s are unusually bright in appearance. I’ve discovered that the new Toyota’s have really high aim for factory placement angle compared to US mfrs.

[@sonydominates]

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed! The newer Toyotas with the LEDs are the most blinding

[@sbhvelazquez]

I installed the same bulbs in my Sonata’s projector headlights. They work great but I did have to adjust the driver’s side down a little. They have a great beam pattern.

[@softroadingthewest]

Yeah, I would imagine a far greater chance of success with projector housings. Thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated!

[@johanlabuschagne377]

Doesn't the very bright white/ blue light reflect more in fog and rain than the yellowish colour of normal globes?

[@softroadingthewest]

Yes, I believe it does. I didn't get an opportunity to try these in wet or foggy weather, but numerous commenters reported they actually make it harder to see in those conditions.

[@ajwoodworking6408]

I've been thinking about switching to LEDs and have reviewed several channels comparing halogens and LEDs. The ones that stand out are the ones that talk about the brightness or lumens of the LEDs. There are LEDs that have lower lumens than others, but still has a higher lumen than halogens. These lower lumen LEDs could be used in halogen lamps is what I'm concluding.

[@carlhoppe9035]

When I bought my 5.9 limited it had some cheep led bulbs in it they didn't even have heat sinks and the left headlight would constantly flicker and vary in brightness. I replaced them with some higher end halgons and couldn't be happier the flickering problem is fixed and they seems just as bright as the leds and have a better pattern .

[@softroadingthewest]

Ultimately I feel LED low beam replacements are a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. I actually felt like I could see fine with the base level halogens, but upgraded halogens made a nice improvement without creating any glare and were not significantly more expensive than the base halogens. I've actually since re-tested the LEDs with my headlights aimed lower as many commenters suggested, but still came to the conclusion that the halogen bulbs work better in my car. (link if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8 )

[@davidwebster7624]

Thanks for your honest review. I was considering these bulbs for my 2017 Tucson but was concerned about blinding oncoming traffic. After all I hate other people that put these darn bulbs in their POS cars and blind me. I don’t want to be one of ‘those’ people. I think I’ll look into other options. Thank you.

[@matthewsponseller]

Nice thoughtful through review, Lasfit should have been pleased you did such a good review of their product, and provided your honest thoughts and concerns. I appreciate the review and your impressions of their functionality; great observations!

[@selw0nk]

Did you have to adjust the led lights or left them alone?

[@softroadingthewest]

I didn't think of that at the time, but numerous commenters suggested I should lower the beams a bit. So I did that and re-tested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@ChaotiX1]

I already have my headlamps tilted as low as they will go since my bulbs are so weak and I cant see the road surface if theyre tilted higher, so putting LED's in might be the play for me.

[@monkeypig8379]

Thanks! Great review. I can't tell you how tiring to one's eye when the person behind you are blaring their LED in your rear view mirror for miles and miles down a one-lane road. It's like constantly on high beam. Yes… Better for the driver. But not necessary for everyone else. Especially in the urban and even suburban environment. It's great for your off-roading. You need all the lights.

[@danhohman]

Thank you for your honest review of this product and your explanation in general of why LED bulbs aren’t right in halogen housings. I really wanted this to be a positive review because my wife’s Chevy Traverse low beams are awful. I was hopeful that this would be the fix!

[@softroadingthewest]

If the headlamps don't have projectors, I think simple upgraded halogen bulbs are worth a shot. Not very expensive, maintain the beam pattern, and they did make a noticeable difference for me.

[@maryannoutarsingh948]

Hello I got my low beams replaced with LEd but it's draining my battery. It's a brand new battery. Do you have any suggestions?

[@softroadingthewest]

I'm really not a an auto electrical expert at all, sorry. I don't understand how they could drain your battery though. When they're off, there should be no power at all going to them, and when they're on, usually LEDs draw less power than halogen bulbs. Are you sure it's because of the LED lamps?

[@warsamewarsame6835]

Thank you for the honest review. I wish many people could be respectful like you. Many thanks.

[@markkropf8295]

I feel like you should have adjusted your lights down and at least tried that.

[@eugene188]

They might still be really bright. especially if the guy is in a truck, the lights are higher compared to sedans. He's still gonna blind you when he pulls up behind you. Also the bright white is very hard on the eyes as opposed to the warm light.

[@softroadingthewest]

I have adjusted my lights down and retested the LEDs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ep6uo5pplr-rnK8

[@JohnAntikainen]

Looking at getting some LED replacements for my '01 Subaru OB SUS.. along with the fogs. Need things a little brighter at night, for sure!

[@StoopidSubaru]

Great video! I wonder if this would benefit from those vinal strips at the top of the light to act as a shutter to cut off the top of the beam.

[@softroadingthewest]

That's an interesting idea. I suppose that wouldn't be too difficult to experiment with. I don't know where exactly one starts crossing the legal line in terms of modifying factory headlights. Personally I didn't really have an issue with how my halogen bulbs were performing as low beams so just going back to them is the easiest solution for me. :-) Thanks for watching!