Xenon vs. LED Headlights
Stuck trying to choose between LED and xenon headlights? Click here to see how they compare.
Written by Andrew Biro
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
While both xenon and LED headlights outperform incandescent halogen headlights, LED bulbs produce less heat, are more durable, last longer, and are more energy-efficient than their xenon counterparts. In terms of sheer brightness, however, xenon headlights take the prize over LEDs.
Being able to see at night or in inclement weather is key to helping prevent accidents on the road, and drivers have several choices when it comes to types of headlights, the two most common being xenon HID and LED headlight bulbs.
But if you’re stuck trying to decide between the two, you’ve come to the right place. Here, the
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has put together the following guide breaking down the core differences between LED and xenon headlights.Are you getting ripped off on your car insurance? Find out in less than two minutes.
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Find insurance savingsWhat are LED Headlights?
Light-emitting-diode (LED) headlights use small semiconductors (or diodes) to convert electric power into light. As solid-state bulbs, LED headlights do not contain a gas (such as halogen or xenon) and do not require a filament to produce light, making them much more durable and long-lasting than other headlight types.
LED headlights also use less power than both xenon and halogen bulbs, making them the most efficient car headlight on the market.
What are xenon HID headlights?
Xenon high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights are similar to halogen bulbs in that they use a gas—in this case, xenon—and metal salts to produce light, but they do not require a filament.
Instead, xenon HID headlights utilize electrodes and a quartz chamber to pass an electric current through the gas, creating light as it burns.
MORE: How to clean foggy headlights
What is the difference between xenon HID and LED headlights?
When you’re driving at night, it can be difficult to parse out which oncoming headlights are xenon HID and which are LED, as they look quite similar in terms of brightness and illumination—but the similarities pretty much end there.
Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that LED and xenon headlights differ considerably when it comes to actual light production, lifespan, design, heat emission, and energy efficiency. Keep reading to learn how they compare.
Light production
First up is the differences in LED and xenon light production, or their ability to illuminate the road and other obstacles while driving at night or in inclement weather.
LED headlights
One of the reasons LED headlights have become so popular over the last few years is the sheer amount of bright light they are able to produce.
In fact, most LED headlights can throw light up to 300 meters, making it that much easier for other drivers to see you and you to see everything ahead of you.
Note that for LED headlights to be as bright as possible, they must be installed in vehicles with reflector lenses.
Xenon HID headlights
Xenon HID headlights have the potential to be even brighter than LEDs and can light up even larger swaths of the road, allowing you to see more of what’s ahead—and beside—you.
At full brightness, most xenon HID kits produce around 3,000 to 5,000 lumens, whereas the average LED headlight produces between 2,000 and 4,000 lumens.
Of course, the type of lens in your headlight also matters when it comes to the amount of light a xenon bulb can produce, as they are better suited to those with projector lenses.
Lifespan
One of the most important things to consider when choosing between headlight types is how often they will need to be replaced, or the actual lifespan of the headlight.
Traditional halogen light bulbs typically only last between 500-1,000 hours before the filament that completes the circuit burns out, something LED and xenon headlight users don’t have to worry about.
LED headlights
When it comes to longevity, however, nothing beats LEDs. On average, LED headlights can last as long as 45,000 hours (or 15+ years) before needing to be replaced, beating out their incandescent and xenon counterparts by a large margin.
The secret to an LED headlight’s longevity lies in the fact that they contain no working parts susceptible to burnout or breakage.
Xenon headlights
Despite their brightness, xenon headlights do not last as long as LED headlights, though they do outlive incandescent halogen bulbs due to their lack of a tungsten filament.
Of course, this isn’t to say that xenon headlights don’t last a long time. They have a 5,000-15,000+ hour lifespan, which means you likely won’t need to replace them for 5 or more years—but they simply do not last as long as LEDs.
Bulb design
As you may have already guessed—and as we’ve already hinted—LED and xenon headlights also differ in bulb design and overall structure.
LED headlights
LED headlights are more or less composed of three main parts: a heatsink or fan, locking tabs, and the diodes themselves, which are embedded in a long, narrow stem at the top of the unit.
Despite having a simpler design than halogen or xenon bulbs, LED headlights are usually both wider and longer (they have to accommodate a fan in their base).
Xenon HID headlights
Xenon headlights share a very similar design to halogen bulbs and consist of four main parts: locking tabs, electrodes, an inner quartz chamber (where the xenon and metal salts are housed), and an outer bulb.
It should be noted that HID headlights require two additional components—a ballast and an ignitor—whereas their LED counterparts do not.
Heat emission
Another thing to think about when it comes to comparing xenon and LED headlights is the amount of heat they produce.
LED headlights
Typically, LED headlights are going to run cooler than xenon bulbs—not only because they produce light via electricity rather than heat, but also because they use a fan to keep the bulb cool.
Xenon HID headlights
Due to the fact that they use heat—produced via the burning of xenon gas—to create light, HID headlights emit more heat than LEDs, making them the headlight of choice for those who live in areas that receive heavy snowfall.
Energy efficiency
Finally—and maybe most importantly—LED and xenon headlights differ in terms of energy efficiency, or the amount of power they can turn into light rather than heat.
LED headlights
On average, LED headlights use less energy and run 5 times more efficiently than halogen bulbs and about 2 times more efficiently than xenon HID headlights, making them the most energy-efficient option available.
Xenon HID headlights
Xenon HID headlights also run more efficiently than incandescent halogen lights (about 3 to 4 times more efficient), but they lose out to LEDs every time—not by much, mind you, but enough for it to matter.
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Are xenon HID or LED headlights better?
If your main requirement for headlights is sheer brightness, xenon HID lights are probably going to be the better option, but in every other category—be it energy consumption, heat emission, durability, or lifespan—LED headlights reign supreme. They’re ultimately more cost-effective, too.
At the end of the day, the best type of bulb for your vehicle depends on the type of lenses in your headlights. LEDs are better suited to reflector lenses, while xenon HID bulbs work better with projector lenses.
How to find cheap car insurance
Having bright, functioning headlights is one of the easiest ways to keep you and others while driving at night or in inclement weather—but you can’t control the other drivers (and animals!) that may be on the road.
That said, you’ll want to be protected by the right
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FAQs
Is xenon stronger than LED?
In terms of actual brightness, xenon headlights have the potential to be stronger than LEDs, but they also use more energy, are not as durable, and do not last as long as LED headlights.
Which has more color—xenon or LED?
Generally speaking, xenon headlights produce a very bright, bluish-white light, whereas LEDs naturally produce an extremely bright, whiter light.
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