The Best LED Headlight Kits For 2023

Upgrading to LED headlights is not as simple as screwing in a new light bulb. The market is flooded with tons of LED headlight bulbs from lots of new brands – making it difficult to pick a good one.

Your car’s headlights are essential to road safety. They don’t just let you see at night, they also let other drivers see you.

Pick a headlight bulb that’s underpowered and you’ll have a hard time seeing what’s in front of you. On the other hand, LED headlights that are too bright can blind oncoming traffic, as well as drivers who are directly in front of you. All of these scenarios significantly increase the risk of accidents but can be easily avoided as long as you choose the right LED headlight bulbs.

To help clear the confusion, we review the best LED headlights you can find online and discuss some of the factors that you should consider before upgrading your headlights.

1. Cougar Motor LED H11 Headlight Bulbs

The Cougar Motor LED conversion kit comes with a pair of H11 LED bulbs that are rated for 30 watts each – producing up to 5,000 lumens per LED light or a total of 10,000 lumens for both. These LED lights have a color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin which makes things easier to see at night compared to conventional halogen bulbs that have a yellow tint.

Once installed, you can also rotate the LED holder to adjust the beam pattern and aim the bulbs properly.

Each LED light assembly is cooled by a 10,000 RPM fan to ensure a long lifespan. Cougar Motor states that each LED light can last up to 50,000 hours which is significantly longer than the lifespans of either Halogen or HID bulbs. It’s also designed to comply with IP67 certifications for dust and water-resistance.

Also Read: Best Synthetic Oils

In addition, Cougar Motor designed these LED lights to work flawlessly with modern CAN bus systems so it won’t throw a headlight error. Though some vehicles may still require an anti-flicker device for these LED headlights to work properly with their CAN bus systems.

Key Features:

• Rated at 30 watts per LED bulb
• Produces a bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K
• Very high light output of 5,000 lumens per LED bulb, and up to 10,000 lumens total output
• Uses CREE LED technology
• Adjustable beam pattern via rotating LED fixture
• Excellent cooling provided by a 10,000 RPM fan
• High-quality construction using aircraft aluminum
• IP67 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• 3-year warranty

2. NINEO H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

NINEO’s H11 LED headlight kit offers a lot of value for your hard-earned money. It gets great reviews overall, but the most notable feedback that users are always mentioning is its excellent beam pattern. This makes these LED headlights much more usable and more efficient at illuminating objects at night without having to blind other drivers with excessive glare.

The LEDs are attached to a very thin fixture that measures 3.45mm in order to eliminate dead spots and ensure 360-degree light coverage that’s similar to filament-based halogen and HID bulbs. The LEDs can also be rotated independently so you can fine tune the beam pattern and aim of your headlights.

Each LED bulb is rated for 36 watts and produces up to 6,000 lumens for a total of 12,000 lumens for the pair. NINEO also uses modern CREE LED chips to ensure consistent light intensity and long-term reliability.

The entire LED assembly is made out of high quality 6063 aircraft aluminum and is cooled by a 10,000 dual ball-bearing fan. It also complies with IP65 standards for dust and water-resistance.

Key Features:

• Rated at 36 watts per LED bulb
• 6,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 12,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Uses CREE LED chips attached to a thin fixture for 360-degree illumination
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6500K
• Excellent beam pattern with well-defined horizontal cutoff line and good focus
• Uses a 10,000 RPM dual ball bearing cooling fan to help dissipate heat
• High-quality construction using 6063 aircraft aluminum
• IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• 1-year warranty

3. Auxbeam F-16 Series H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

The Auxbeam F-16 Series is one of the brand’s premium offerings. Each H11 LED headlight bulb is rated for 30 watts and can produce up to 3,000 lumens, or up to 6,000 lumens total output for the pair. It also has a color temperature of 6000 Kelvin, also known as daylight white, which helps you see things better at night.

Each LED assembly is cooled by a 12,000 RPM fan to ensure that the LED chips don’t overheat and burn out too quickly. It also has a microcontroller that automatically adjusts the fan speed. Auxbeam states that these H11 headlights should last up to 50,000 hours which is 50x more than a typical halogen bulb. It’s also IP68 rated which means all the electronics are sealed from dust and are completely waterproof.

Key Features:

• Rated at 30 watts per LED bulb
• 3,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 6,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K
• Uses CREE LED technology
• Computer-controlled 12,000 RPM fan automatically adjusts fan speed for optimum noise and cooling
• IP68 rating for dust and water-resistance
• High-quality construction using aircraft aluminum
• Rated lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• 1-year warranty

4. BEAMTECH H4 LED Headlight Bulbs

The BEAMTECH H4 uses Korean-designed CSP LED technology and produces up to 4,000 lumens per bulb for a total output of 8,000 lumens for the entire kit. Each H4 LED bulb is rated at 25 watts, which is roughly half the power a conventional halogen bulb draws.

BEAMTECH designed these LED headlights to mimic the light pattern produced by filament-based halogen and HID bulbs. The LEDs are lined up lengthwise and are staggered for a more even spread and to replicate the design of conventional dual-beam bulbs.

BEAMTECH’s H4 LED conversion kit has a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin while most of the other kits we’ve looked at are rated at 6000 Kelvin. In reality, the 500 Kelvin difference shouldn’t be noticeable at all, and many LED and HID headlight kits also use the 6500K light spectrum.

Each LED assembly uses a highly efficient aluminum heatsink that eliminates the need for additional cooling fans that are prone to failure. The entire LED unit also uses 6063 aircraft aluminum to ensure durability and better heat dissipation. It’s also IP65 rated – making it very dust and water-resistant.

BEAMTECH also rates the service life of each bulb at more than 30,000 hours which is significantly longer than any halogen or HID bulb. They also offer a 1-year warranty for all of their products.

Key Features:

• Rated at 25 watts per LED bulb
• 4,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 8,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with 6500K color temperature
• Uses Korean-designed CSP LED technology
• Fanless LED fixture with aluminum heatsink fins
• High-quality construction using 6063 aircraft aluminum
• IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Compatible with H4, HB2 and 9003 connectors
• Dual-beam headlight bulbs
• 1-year warranty

5. AUXITO 9006/HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs

The AUXITO 9006/HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs feature a very unique miniaturized lamp body to better replicate the beam pattern of halogen and HID bulbs. Its LED chips are attached near the tip of a thin copper circuit board so that the light they project forward can’t be obstructed by any part of the LED fixture – eliminating dark spots which are a common problem for other LED headlights.

The LED board can also be easily rotated without having to move the entire base of the LED fixture if further beam pattern adjustments are required.

Each LED bulb can put out 4,000 lumens at 40 watts, or up to 8,000 lumens for the pair. The LEDs have a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin that allows it to produce a bright white light that makes seeing at night much easier.

These LED headlights are fully compatible with 9006 and HB4 connectors. It’s also designed to work with most CAN bus systems and won’t result in error codes when used with modern vehicles.

The entire LED fixture is made using high-quality aluminum and has an IP67 dust and water-resistance rating. Each LED bulb has a computer-controlled 12,000 RPM fan to cool down the LEDs when it gets too hot and keep the noise levels to a minimum. This headlight kit from AUXITO is also designed to last up to 50,000 hours.

Key Features:

• Rated at 40 watts per LED bulb
• 4,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 8,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with 6500K color temperature
• LEDs are attached near the tip of an ultra-thin copper circuit board; Reduces dark spots; Increases light production
• Excellent beam pattern; Adjustable via rotating LED fixture
• Computer-controlled 12,000 RPM fan automatically adjusts fan speed for optimum noise and cooling
• High-quality construction using aircraft aluminum
• IP67 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with 9006 and HB4 headlight connectors

6. JDM ASTAR T1 H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

JDM ASTAR T1 H11 LED headlight bulbs are rated for 30 watts each and produce up to 5,000 lumens per bulb. Combined with a color temperature of 6000 Kelvin, it is able to output a very bright white light.

This LED headlight kit gets lots of good reviews for its excellent beam pattern which looks very similar to the beam pattern of halogen headlight bulbs. When used as low beams, its beam pattern has a distinct horizontal cutoff line and doesn’t project any excessive glare that can blind oncoming traffic.

The main body of the headlight bulb is constructed using aircraft aluminum. It also features an IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance.

JDM ASTAR rates the service life of these LED headlights at more than 10,000 hours. It also uses a high RPM cooling fan to reduce the heat produced by the LEDs and prolong their lifespan. JDM ASTAR also offers a slightly more expensive fanless NX series LED headlight kit that uses aluminum heatsink fins to dissipate heat.

Key Features:

• Rated at 30 watts per LED bulb
• 5,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 10,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with 6000K color temperature
• Excellent beam pattern with well-defined horizontal cutoff line
• Uses a high RPM cooling fan to help dissipate heat
• High-quality construction using 6063 aircraft aluminum
• IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• 1-year warranty

7. HIKARI Ultra H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

HIKARI’s Ultra LED headlight bulbs boast an extremely high 12,000 lumens of total output for both bulbs. One of the most highlighted features of this LED conversion kit is its accurate single-focus beam pattern that mimics the beam patterns produced by halogen and HID lights.

This excellent beam pattern makes your headlights more effective for night-time driving and doesn’t blind other drivers on the road. According to the manufacturer, the LED bulb’s super thin 0.8mm profile gives it the same light output characteristics of filament-based halogen and HID bulbs.

These units are also fan-cooled to ensure a higher service life of up to 60,000 hours. They also use high quality LED chips like the Philips Luxeon Z ES, which is one of the most advanced LEDs available in the market today. These LED headlight bulbs also come with a 2-year warranty.

Key Features:

• Single-focus beam pattern for efficient light output and better visibility
• 6,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 12,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Super thin profile mimics the size of filament-based halogen and HID bulbs
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K 
• Uses Lumileds Luxeon Z ES LED chips
• Adjustable beam pattern via rotating LED fixture
• Fan cooled for longer service life
• Lasts up to 60,000 hours
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• 2-year warranty

8. ENGNIEK H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

This  H11 LED headlight kit from ENGNIEK is one of the most affordable kits we’ve reviewed, but it has features that rival more expensive models. Each LED headlight bulb is rated for 40 watts and has a light output of 4,900 lumens, or up to 9,800 lumens for the pair. Like the other LED headlights we’ve looked at, this set also has a color temperature of 6,000k and produces a very bright white light.

As far as performance goes, it has very good reviews with only a handful of complaints about early failures.

ENGNIEK didn’t skimp on anything when it comes to build quality. The LED fixture is made entirely out of aircraft-grade aluminum and has an IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance. Cooling is managed by a high RPM fan and its rated lifespan goes up to 50,000 hours.

Based on customer samples, it looks to have a good horizontal cutoff line when used as low beam headlights as long as it’s used with the right headlight housing. Other pictures also show that it can cast a much wider beam than stock halogen headlights.

Key Features:

• Rated at 40 watts per LED bulb
• 4,900 lumen LED headlight bulb; 9,800 total lumen output for the pair
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K
• Wide beam pattern with well-defined horizontal cutoff line
• Uses a high RPM cooling fan to help dissipate heat
• High-quality construction using 6063 aircraft aluminum
• IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors

9. Cougar Motor Wireless H11 LED Headlights

This wireless version of Cougar Motor’s H11 LED headlights features a newer and more compact design. It has no additional wiring or external LED drivers which require additional cable management and can be difficult to stow away in cramped engine bays.

The LED drivers of these wireless LED headlights are built into the housing and cooled at the same time as the LEDs.

Each LED bulb is rated for 50 watts and can produce 6,000 lumens, or 12,000 lumens for the pair. Cougar Motor also uses Philips Lumileds ZES chips that have a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin.

The LED housing is made out of aircraft-grade aluminum and is IP 67 rated for dust and water resistance. Cougar Motor rates the service life of these LED headlights at 30,000 hours, which is equivalent to 3.5 years if you run them 24/7.

Key Features:

• 3^rd generation compact design with integrated LED driver and no external wiring
• Rated at 50 watts per LED bulb
• 6,000 lumen LED headlight bulb; 12,000 total lumen output for the pair
• Uses Philips Lumileds ZES chips
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K
• Excellent beam pattern with well-defined horizontal cutoff line
• Uses a low-noise high RPM cooling fan
• High-quality construction using aircraft aluminum
• IP67 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• 3-year warranty

10. SEALIGHT SCOPARC S2 Series H11/9005 LED Headlight Bulbs

The SEALIGHT H11/9005 LED headlights from the company’s SCOPARC S2 series come in packs of 4 bulbs which will allow you to upgrade both your low and high beams all at once.

Two of the bulbs will fit most low beam headlight housings that require H11, H8, H9, and H16 bulbs. The other two LED bulbs fit in high beam housings that take 9005a and HB3 bulbs. This combination of low and high beam bulb types applies to many vehicles. But it’s important to check your vehicle’s manual first to see if both your headlight connectors are compatible if you’re thinking about buying this LED headlight kit.

SEALIGHT also sells H11 and 9005 headlight kits in pairs if you’d rather buy them individually. Each bulb is rated for roughly 20 watts and can output up to 3,800 lumens, or up to 7,600 lumens per pair.

SEALIGHT S2 bulbs use modern CSP LED technology which makes the LED array much smaller and more closely resembles the beam pattern of traditional bulbs.

These LED bulbs also do away with external wires and drivers. The LED driver is built into the unit itself making it more compact and easier to install.

The entire LED housing is made out of 6063 aluminum and is cooled by a 10,000 RPM fan. It also has an IP67 rating for dust and water-resistance. Each LED bulb has an expected lifespan is rated at 30,000 hours.

Key Features:

• Comes with 2 H11 LED bulbs and 2 9005 LED bulbs
• Perfect upgrading both low and high beams
• Rated at 20 watts per LED bulb
• Produces 3,800 lumens per LED bulb; 7,600 lumens for the pair
• Uses CSP LED technology
• 6000K color temperature
• Integrated LED driver makes installation easier
• LED housing made out of 6063 aircraft-aluminum
• Cooled by a 10,000 RPM fan
• IP67 rating for dust and water resistance
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• H11 set is compatible with H8, H9 and H16 connectors; 9005 set is compatible with HB3 and H10 connectors
• 2-year warranty

11. Alla Lighting S-HCR H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

Alla Lighting’s S-HCR H11 headlight bulbs are rated for 30 watts per bulb and can output up to 4,700 lumens, or a total of 9,400 lumens for both bulbs. It uses high-quality CREE LED chips that are attached to a thin fixture to ensure even light distribution with minimal dead spots.

Based on customer reviews, this kit has a very good beam pattern that closely replicates the beam pattern of halogen lights. The LEDs also have a color temperature of 6000 Kelvin – allowing it to produce a white-colored light just like a Xenon HID bulb.

It also has top-notch build quality and uses 6063 aircraft-grade aluminum. The LED housing is IP65 rated for dust and water-resistance.

Cooling is handled by a 10,000 RPM fan that is computer-controlled to ensure optimal temperature and noise levels. The fans can also be easily replaced by disassembling the housing in case they break down earlier than expected.

Alla Lighting rates the service life of these LEDs at 30,000 hours, which should be long enough to last for the entire usable life of the vehicle even if they’re used as daytime running lights. This kit also comes with a 1-year warranty.

Key Features:

• Rated at 30 watts per LED bulb
• 4,700 lumen LED headlight bulb; 9,400 total lumen output for the pair
• Uses CREE LED chips
• Produces an ultra-bright white light with a color temperature of 6000K
• Excellent beam pattern with well-defined horizontal cutoff line
• LEDs are attached to a thin copper circuit board to reduce dead spots and improve light distribution
• Uses 10,000 RPM fan for efficient cooling; Computer-controlled and user-serviceable
• High-quality construction using 6063 aircraft aluminum
• IP65 rating for dust and water-resistance
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• Compatible with H11, H8, H9 and H16 connectors
• 1-year warranty

12. SYOSIN Wireless H11 LED Headlight Bulbs

SYOSIN’s wireless H11 LED headlight bulbs are an affordable option that has lots of modern features. Its LED driver is built into the LED housing making it smaller and easier to install in tight engine bays. It also doesn’t have any excess wiring sticking out. All you have to do is plug in your car’s headlight connector and you’re good to go.

SYOSIN uses high-quality Lumileds ZES LEDs that have a 6500K color temperature. Each LED bulb is rated for 50 watts of power and can produce 5,000 lumens of luminous flux, or a total of 10,000 lumens for the pair.

The LED housing is built using aluminum and is cooled by a 12,000 RPM fan. With regular use, it can last up to 30,000 hours which is more than enough to last the usable lifespan of the vehicle even if they’re used as daytime running lights. They’re also designed to be dust and water-resistant which adds to its durability rating.

Key Features:

• Rated at 50 watts per LED bulb
• Produces up to 5,000 lumens per bulb; 10,000 lumens for the pair
• Modern design with integrated LED driver; No more extra wires or LED driver boxes to keep secure
• Uses high-quality Lumileds ZES LED chips
• 6500k color temperature produces a bright white light with a very slight tint of blue
• The entire housing is made out of aluminum for better heat dissipation
• Additional cooling provided by 12,000 RPM fan
• Dust and water-resistant
• Rated lifespan of 30,000 hours
• Single-beam headlight bulbs
• H11 set is compatible with H8, H9 and H16 connectors; 9005 set is compatible with HB3 and H10 connectors

How to Pick the Best LED Headlight Kit

Before you upgrade to LED headlight bulbs, you should first check if your car uses reflector or projector headlights. If it’s an older vehicle (10 years and older) that’s still using a traditional reflector headlight housing, LED bulbs will just blast light all over the place and might not work as well as regular halogen bulbs.

Reflector vs. Projector Headlights

If your car is already fitted with a modern reflector, also known as a complex reflector, you can just swap out the old halogen bulbs with LED headlight bulbs. These reflectors can properly focus an LED light source and will always have a clearly defined beam pattern.

You can easily tell if your headlights are using a modern complex reflector by looking at the lens. Modern reflector headlights use a clear lens that lets you clearly see the vertical ridges of the reflectors in the back of the housing.

Old-style reflector headlights with lenses that have vertical ridges on them, which are called Fresnel lenses, are not always capable of focusing the intense light output of LED bulbs. This causes the typical problem associated with LED headlights where drivers aren’t able to see farther down the road because of the lack of focus. The lack of a well-defined beam pattern will also make it look like you’re using high beams all the time, which is not only annoying to other drivers but is also quite dangerous.

If your car is still using an older reflector housing, you can easily upgrade it with a projector retrofit kit which will improve the focus and beam pattern, and allow you to fit either LED or HID bulbs.

Cars that are already fitted with projector headlights from the factory can easily be upgraded to LED headlight bulbs with no modifications. Just swap out the old bulbs for new LED headlight bulbs and plug in the headlight connectors.

LED Headlight Watts

LED headlight bulbs are much more efficient at producing light, so you don’t have to match the wattage of your old halogen bulbs when choosing LED headlight bulbs. What’s more important is the advertised lumen output of the LED headlight. Lumens is a measure of light intensity and is a better way of judging the brightness of the LED headlight if you’re just looking at the specifications.

However, you should also take the advertised lumens with a grain of salt. Most brands tend to exaggerate the lumen output of their LED headlights.

A halogen bulb can produce between 500 to 1,500 lumens. Most LED headlight kits advertise at least twice the lumen output of a halogen bulb. As long as you pick a well-reviewed LED headlight conversion kit that has a good warranty, it should be much brighter than your stock halogen bulbs.

How the Pick the Right Headlight Bulb

If you’ve already decided to upgrade to LED headlights, you should make sure your LED bulbs are going to be compatible with your car’s headlight connectors.

Most low beams use H11 bulbs while high beams use 9005 bulbs. But it’s important to actually check your manual, or ask your mechanic or dealership which bulbs your car needs. You can also use this online database to find out which bulbs are compatible with your car.

Some headlight connectors can also work with different bulb sizes or bulb types. Here’s a useful chart that will show which connectors and bulb types are interchangeable.

Low Beam and High Beam LED Bulbs

Most vehicles use a pair of bulbs for low beams, and a second pair for high beams. If you want to upgrade both with LED bulbs, you’ll need to buy a total of 4 new bulbs.

Some vehicles use dual-beam bulbs that have two filaments in each bulb. One filament fires up when you turn on your low beams, and a second filament inside the same bulb lights up when you flash your high beams. In order to upgrade these headlights to LED bulbs, you’ll need to find dual-beam LED headlight bulbs.

If you’re having a hard time finding out from the product description if the LED conversion kit is a dual-beam bulb, you can easily tell a single-beam from a dual-beam by looking at the LED chips. Dual-beam LED headlight bulbs have two sets of LED chips on each side that are usually staggered. If it’s just a single-beam LED bulb, you’ll only see one array of LED chips on each side of the bulb.

Why Choose LED Headlights

Aside from being much brighter than halogen bulbs, LED headlights also last much longer than either halogen of HID headlights. Most LED headlights also have a color temperature of 6000 to 6500 Kelvin, which results in a bright white light that many people prefer over the yellowish glow of halogens.

Xenon HID lights also use the same color temperature, but they also have significantly lower lifespans compared to LEDs. HID headlights also need to warm up for a couple of seconds before they can reach full brightness. It’s not much of an issue since the warm-up period is still relatively quick, and it can be easily resolved by getting a high-quality ballast, but it’s still one thing to consider. In most cases, LED headlight bulbs are a plug-and-play replacement.

Final Words

LED headlight bulbs have come a long way in the last few years. The technology has matured enough, so you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars just to get a decent set.

LED chips have also gotten smaller, which makes them better replicate the light output of filament-based bulbs. Instead of having just one large LED chip on each side, we now have 3 or 4 LED chips that are all lined up to produce more even lighting and better beam patterns.

For the cost of 2 pairs of halogen bulbs, you can get yourself a pair of LED bulbs that will last you several years and allow you to see things better at night. LED headlights are also a great way to make your vehicle look more modern, especially at night.