Video summary

Halogen vs LED Bulbs: The TRUTH About Replacing Your Headlights

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product reviewed

Aftermarket LED headlight replacement bulbs (various brands/tiers) were tested against stock Wagner halogen bulbs in an OEM headlight assembly, with additional comparisons against used vs new halogens.

What was tested (method + key findings)

  • Standardized bench testing: A “headlight test machine” measured:

    • Lumens output
    • Wattage draw
    • Lumens per watt
    • Voltage adjustability (changing input voltage affected output in unexpected ways)

  • Thermal / warm-up behavior: Each LED was run for about 5 minutes because LED output drops drastically over time as heat builds.

    • Many bulbs showed output roughly halving after a few minutes if heat sinking/cooling was poor.
    • A thermometer reading around 133°F was mentioned for at least one poorly cooled bulb.

  • On-road / roadway relevance: Lumens alone don’t reflect real usefulness, so the video also used:

    • Lux readings at multiple distances
    • Beam pattern analysis (cutoff sharpness, hotspots, cold spots) to assess glare and usable distance

  • Vehicle used for on-vehicle tests: 2017 Chevy Colorado

    • Projector low beams (more sensitive to filament/LED placement)
    • Reflector high beams

Key features / design aspects discussed (unique points across bulbs)

Across brands, main differentiators were:

  • Heat dissipation / heat sink size
  • Fan vs. no-fan
  • Driver location (external driver box vs built-in driver)
  • Physical size / fitment
  • LED “mimic filament” accuracy (LED placement relative to where a halogen filament would be)
  • Ability to maintain output over time (thermal stability)
  • Beam pattern control (avoiding glare, hot spots, cold spots)

Pros (what LEDs can do well, in this test)

  • Higher efficiency than halogens: LEDs generally achieved more lumens per watt than halogens.
  • Some bulbs performed strongly at distance: Certain Oxbeam models (especially on high beam) produced substantially more usable light.
  • Color temperature advantage: LEDs (often 4500–6000K vs halogens around 3500–3600K) can appear brighter due to whiter light/contrast—though the video argues lux results can show perceptions are misleading.

Cons (main problems found)

  • Lumens marketing can be misleading: Many LEDs produced high output briefly, then dropped sharply after a couple minutes.
  • Beam pattern problems: Some bulbs created uneven hotspots/cold spots and poorer diffusion, resulting in worse real roadway lighting despite strong lumen numbers.
  • Glare risk / blinding: Some high-output bulbs were described as borderline dangerous on low beam.
  • Fitment issues: Some bulbs/external components may not fit or may interfere with dust caps / housing constraints.

Comparisons / results by bulb group (as stated)

Halogens (baseline)

  • Used vs new halogens: “By and large” no real performance difference.
  • H11 vs 9005 brightness: 9005 high beam output was about ~1000 more lumens than H11 low beam.
  • Efficiency note: Halogens draw around ~70W but achieve only about 20–30 lumens per watt.

LEDs — bench output vs real-world usefulness

  • Common pattern: Most LEDs started higher, then dropped significantly after ~2 minutes, leveling off by ~5 minutes.
  • Tech Whiz hubs (filament-mimic design):
    • Higher bench lumen output than stock in some cases
    • But were said to be worse on the road due to bad diffusion / beam pattern
  • OxBeam:
    • F-22
      • Highest lumen output in the test (with notable wattage/output drop after ~2 minutes)
      • Low beam use: explicitly discouraged—too bright / likely blinds and sends more light into the ditch
      • High beam use: recommended
    • F-15
      • Recommended alternative: about ~90% of the F-22 output with a much smaller footprint

Specific brands called out as NOT recommended

The reviewer said they would not recommend (or strongly discouraged) the following:

  • Sealite Zeno Power (lower-end)

    • Poor beam pattern / glare attributed to bulb thickness and chip spacing
    • Lower lumen output than stock

  • Tech Whiz hubs

    • “Worst beam pattern” by a wide margin; poor lux/road performance despite lumen numbers

  • Sylvania

    • Near/at stock in low beams, worse than stock in high beams
    • Key issue emphasized: price (about $100 per bulb, or about $200 for a low+high upgrade)
    • Performance not described as worth it

  • Faharens

    • Low lumen output; heat saturation causes output drop after ~5 minutes
    • Functionally worse than stock on roadway

“Not bad but concerns” group

  • Sealite higher tier (Ceno / Park series)

    • Small footprint; fan; easier fit
    • Concern: small heat sink + high output may mean short lifespan

  • Accari

    • Performed well overall
    • Main drawback: price slightly higher than OxBeam with similar performance

Lux / distance testing (numerical highlights)

Lux readings were taken at:

  • 115 ft
  • 265 ft
  • 765 ft

Key explicit comparisons:

  • At 265 ft (stop-sign distance, low beam):

    • Only stock H11 halogens, OxBeam F-15, and OxBeam F-22 showed meaningful lux
    • OxBeam F-22 low beam was reported as having about ~3x the output of stock halogens at that distance
    • This contributed to the warning against using the F-22 on low beam (glare/blinding)

  • At 765 ft (high beams):

    • Lux was so low that some LED bulbs registered effectively nothing
    • Usable differences were mainly visible among the better-performing high-beam bulbs

Full charts are referenced, but only select numeric highlights and representative values are explicitly stated in the subtitles.

Beam pattern / glare assessment (key qualitative findings)

The reviewer used:

  • garage-door illumination
  • roadway shots (including snowy-yard visuals)

To identify:

  • Hot spots / cold spots
  • Cutoff sharpness
  • Evenness vs stock halogens

Tech Whiz hubs were described as having many hot/cold spots and being notably less even than stock halogens.

Fitment constraint mentioned (important usability con)

  • OxBeam F-22 might not fit due to dust caps on the back of the headlights.
  • Because the F-22 uses a large heat sink/driver size, the dust cap could not be installed—so the reviewer couldn’t use the F-22 low beam in their vehicle.

Overall recommendation / verdict

  • Best choice overall (recommended):

    • OxBeam F-15 for general replacement use (especially for low beams)

  • Best for high beam specifically:

    • OxBeam F-22
      • Excels on high beam
      • Borderline dangerous on low beam due to excessive brightness/glare
      • May also face fitment/dust-cap issues

  • Avoid:

    • Sealite Zeno Power (low-end), Tech Whiz hubs, Sylvania, Faharens
    • Reasons included poor beam patterns, weak heat management/output stability, weak roadway lux performance, or poor value

Unique points mentioned about the product (consolidated list)

  1. LEDs can beat halogens on lumens per watt, but lumens alone don’t determine real performance.
  2. LED output drops sharply after startup due to heat; testing must consider minutes-long performance.
  3. Heat sink size, fan presence, and driver location affect sustained output.
  4. LED bulbs must mimic filament placement to work well in projector headlights.
  5. Some bulbs show high lumens but create bad beam diffusion, worsening real roadway lighting.
  6. Higher color temperature (4500–6000K) makes LEDs feel brighter, though lux can be comparable.
  7. Very bright low beams can blind other drivers, even if beam pattern looks acceptable.
  8. Some bulbs are too large to fit or to allow installation of dust caps.
  9. Used vs new halogens showed little difference, supporting their role as a baseline.
  10. Price/value matters: at least one brand (Sylvania) was priced high despite near stock-like roadway results.

Speaker views (single main reviewer)

No additional speakers are clearly indicated; all points appear to come from one main narrator/reviewer, focusing on methodology, measurements, and recommendations.

Original video