Which is better for circular, LED or halogen bulbs?
Seeing well on the road is key to our safety. An aspect in which the arrival of LED bulbs is the latest development. However, there are still many doubts about whether this technology or the previously existing ones is more convenient.
If you are a fan of car magazines or have been to an auto center lately, you may have read or seen some of the new LED bulbs that are already offered for some vehicles. A novel product that, in the way of what happens with domestic light bulbs, seems that it could end up replacing the halogen or xenon light bulbs that, until now, we have been using in our vehicles.
However, many drivers are wondering which option is better, LED bulbs or halogen bulbs? Since there are several aspects that we can look at when making a decision, we are going to shed light on the matter.
What are we talking about
As a preliminary step, we will briefly analyze each of these technologies. Starting with the halogen, these are the lamps that our vehicle generally mounts, if it did not have LED headlights as standard. This system is based on the conventional incandescent light bulb, with a tungsten filament, which is surrounded by an inert gas and to which some halogen, such as iodine and bromine, is added. The balance that occurs between the elements present in the filament bubble improves resistance and provides greater lighting capacity than conventional headlights. In xenon headlights, the light is generated by heating the gas to a high temperature, which generates the corresponding light and the particular hue that this type of headlight usually has.
Regarding the LED lights, surely you already know the system as it is very popular, both inside and outside the car. In the case of car lights, we have a series of lights or LED diodes, strategically placed depending on the type of light we need. They have the advantage of consuming less energy, offering a different light that is less tiring for the eyes, as well as offering a much higher durability than conventional bulbs.
lighting parameters
Going deeper into the lighting parameters of each technology, halogen light tends to be yellow or warmer in color, while the light from LED bulbs tends to be cooler, with shades closer to blue. Something that has the advantage of not changing the colors when shooting, giving extra security at night, since the yellow light can slightly alter the perception of the objects we come across. However, with xenon headlights it is also possible to achieve a slightly cooler light, although not as much as that offered by LED.
Another parameter in which these two types of bulbs differ has to do with brightness. Under normal conditions, the LED is capable of generating a much more intense brightness than a conventional halogen bulb. On a technical level, we could say that LED bulbs are capable of generating a higher number of lumens, the measure of light intensity, than a conventional halogen bulb. Something that we already know about domestic LED bulbs, in which we need a lower voltage and we have a lower consumption when it comes to getting a certain amount of light. Again, xenon makes a bit of a difference, since the intensity of the light it offers is greater than conventional halogen.
So when it comes to technical parameters and lighting capacity, LED bulbs would be one step ahead of halogen bulbs and also xenon bulbs.
Assembly and legality
However, the advantage of LED bulbs is diluted when talking about the transformation of a vehicle that does not mount LEDS to carry them. A section that not even the best LED car bulbs can overcome without problems or inconvenience. We talk about the assembly process of the same and everything that has to do with legality. And it is that at present, mounting a set of LED bulbs in our vehicle is not something as easy as opening the hood, removing the halogen bulbs and putting the LED ones. The issue is much more complex.
On the one hand, it is necessary to verify that the space is adequate, since if the hole for the bulb is small, it may not fit properly the set of LED bulb and fan that you need. Without this fan, as well as without good cooling, the days of the light bulb are numbered. So space is important. The same goes for the connectors, which in many cases are not compatible with the standards for a halogen bulb, requiring their replacement with others compatible with modern LED bulbs.
As if that were not enough, once we have mounted our new LED bulbs, a much more complicated process begins, which is their approval. In this process you have to visit the ITV, ask for documents, resort to experts who certify the installation and something else to legalize the installation of the light bulbs, considered a major reform. This is the step that most repels users when switching to LED, as it is complex and quite expensive.
Conclusions
Summarizing what has been said, if we limit ourselves to the technical aspects, it is true that LED lights tend to give better lighting results, both due to the intensity of light and the color temperature they handle. So in this aspect there is not much to discuss. But if we analyze the entire legal issue and what the installation of these LED bulbs in a vehicle that is not prepared for it implies, the truth is that they make you want to think about it a couple of times, both because of the legal process and because of the cost associated with the installation. legalization of that montage.
