Xenon, also referred to as high-intensity discharge (HID), headlights are some of the latest in advanced headlight technology. Sometimes, you have the option of replacing the existing factory headlights of your car with these superior xenon headlights.
You don’t need to purchase a high end vehicle to take advantage of this technology. There are xenon headlight kits for sale which let you upgrade your car’s existing halogen headlights with these xenon headlights.
This is perfect for people who have older cars and need to upgrade their classic halogen headlights. Then, you will see more of the road like you never could before. Keep in mind that the headlight housing also plays a large role so factory xenon headlights will almost always be better than retrofitted ones.
You might be wondering what exactly “xenon” is. Well, it is actually a type of gas which has no color or odor to it. However, it will light up very brightly when just a little bit of electricity is used to heat it.
In fact, the lighting will be so much brighter than the typical halogen headlights vehicles have come with for may decades and the brightness can even surpass many LEDs. During their inception, no other headlights on the market can compare with the power of xenon headlights.
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Advantages of Xenon Headlights
There are mostly good things to say about xenon headlights. Below are 4 good reasons for why you should upgrade your vehicle with xenon headlights.
1) Whiter Lighting
Xenon headlights produce a very white light. You will be able to clearly see just about any dim or dark area when you have xenon lighting shining on it.
Not only that, the whiteness will stretch a lot farther in the distance than a regular halogen headlight.
2) Brighter Lighting
Perhaps the best thing about Xenon headlights is their superior brightness. They are brighter than both halogen lights and LED lights.
When you’re driving at nighttime, you can make your environment seem like daytime when xenon headlights are on.
3) Longevity
The xenon light bulbs that are used in xenon headlights contain xenon gas. This gas will not die or become insufficient anytime soon. While halogen headlights last anywhere from 400 hours to 1,000 hours, xenon headlights will last for as long as 2,000 hours of usage.
4) Energy Efficiency
Xenon headlights are very good when it comes to energy efficiency. Don’t forget that xenon is a gas and that is what makes it last for a long time. You only need a small amount of electricity to head up this gas and make it bright.
Because of this, you will be consuming a lot less battery power with xenon headlights than you would with halogen headlights.
Disadvantages of Xenon Headlights
Whenever there is too much good in something, you can always find a few bad qualities as well. Xenon headlights do have some setbacks worth mentioning. Below are 2 negative aspects of xenon headlights that you should consider.
1) Glare
While the brightness of xenon headlights may make your driving easier, it won’t make driving easy for other drivers on the road. The brightness can cause glare to reflect in their mirrors, which will make it more difficult for them to see the road.
This could cause an accident or create a road rage situation where they get upset with you over the brightness of your headlights.
You want to make sure your headlights are properly aligned so they are shining on the road instead of blinding oncoming traffic.
Read Also: Are Fog Lights Ever Illegal to Use?
2) Not Cheap
It is true that you get what you pay for. Xenon headlights are one of the best and brightest, which means they are also one of the most expensive headlights too.
Since xenon headlights are not usually made for any specific make or model vehicle, you are forced to purchase a xenon headlight kit which allows you to upgrade the headlights of virtually any make or model. This kit is primarily the reason that they are so expensive.
On top of that, you will likely need to pay the labor costs for a mechanic to install the headlights for you. But if you feel confident that you can do this work yourself, then you can save a few hundred dollars.
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