Are LED headlights really better than HID? – Jalopnik

Car headlights have come a long way since the charming but potentially dangerous acetylene headlights debuted in vintage cars. The later halogen headlamps still exist, but the world has since moved to high-intensity (HID or xenon) and light-emitting diode (LED) headlamps, both of which have advantages over the old-fashioned halogen lamp.

Modern LED lighting technology is better than HID in almost every aspect, but there are variables to consider. LEDs use less energy to produce brighter light output and in most cases last tens of thousands of hours and may never need to be replaced during the life of the car. Additionally, LEDs are bright as soon as you turn them on, while HIDs require a few seconds of warm-up to reach their full potential.

But are LEDs really better than HIDs? Considering that 75% of 2023 car models have standard LED headlights, why on earth did only 51% of new cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 2025 receive the highest score of “Good” in headlight tests? IIHS didn’t take into account whether the cars had halogen, HID, or LED lights in its testing, but it should have, if only to find a definitive answer to whether LEDs are indeed better.

In our book, LEDs are better than HIDs, but we refer to original equipment or standard LED headlights with special housings and electrical parts, as aftermarket LED upgrades are shoddy at best when mounted in reflective headlight housings not designed for new LED bulbs.

Second, there is some science to support an aftermarket LED ban, as reflector headlights are designed to focus the light from a 360-degree light source, such as halogen bulbs or HID bulbs. Aftermarket LED lights only have chips at specific points of the mounting, and this causes glare or dark spots when illuminated in a reflective housing. Unless manufacturers come up with LED lamp designs that resemble the omnidirectional capabilities of HID and halogen lamps, retrofitting them into a reflector housing simply won’t work.

The storyline changes if your car has projector headlights, as LEDs are more suitable in a projector housing to distribute the light evenly without unsightly glare. However, the conversion can be tricky because aftermarket LED lights have large heat sinks on the bottom, which can interfere with the installation. Those light-emitting chips in an LED bulb may emit less heat than halogens or HIDs, but their electronics produce a lot of heat, requiring heat sinks or fans.

Nevertheless, HIDS are more energy efficient than halogens, and they are not as hot as incandescent halogen bulbs. They also last longer than halogens, with some lasting up to 5,000 hours before burning out. HIDs don’t last as long as LEDs, but they have a longer lifespan than halogens.

The other question here is cost. Halogen bulbs are the cheapest, typically costing $10 each. LED headlights on most new cars are the most expensive, and costs can reach thousands of dollars if there is damage and replacement of the entire headlight is necessary. However, aftermarket LED bulbs are not that expensive and typically cost around $27 to $50 per pair. HID headlight bulbs are the middle ground, typically costing $50 to $200 per pair, not including labor costs, but not requiring a major price increase if repairs are needed.