Most new cars feature halogen bulbs, and these generally are not too bright; they also seem to burn out somewhere close to 500 hours of use.
Lack of brightness and hours of use prompt more and more vehicle owners to go down the road of replacing their factory lights with HID conversion kits.
Alternatively, high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs will survive up to 8000 hours of use. So, of course, it makes perfect sense to want to switch out your factory lights. If you get better visibility on dark roads, making them safer and a lot longer hours of use, then why not.
Even though it makes a lot of sense to switch them, how will you go about getting it done? You could go back to the dealership, but as with anything you do at a dealership, it can cost an arm and a leg. Or, you could opt to do it yourself. It’s not a difficult or time-consuming job, but then that’s not the problem; the genuine concern is choosing the best HID conversion kit.
That’s where we come in because we have written this buying guide for drivers who want to convert to an HID conversion kit but not sure which one is the best.
In our guide, you’ll find several HID conversion kits; all you need to do is select the one you think is the best for your vehicle and how much you want to pay for your HID kits.
The Best HID Conversion Kits
The Xentec H11 offers an HID xenon, which is still the brightest light you can fit your vehicle. There’s a choice of eight colors, and the digital ballast produces a consistent output, with a range of color temperatures from 3000K to 12000K.
The exact situation of the xenon gas chamber matches the OEM bulb to produce the correct beam pattern. Like all HID conversion kits, the Xentec requires 12V input, and its amp connector is compatible with nearly every ballast available. The quality of light from the Xentec compares favorably with most LEDs.
Each purchase contains two bulbs, two ballasts, and necessary accessories for fitting.
Key Features
- Kit includes two bulbs, two ballasts, and all accessories.
- AMP connector fits most HID bulbs.
- Digital slim ballast.
- 35 watts.
- Water Resistant to IP65+A.
- Color temperatures from 3000K to 10000K.
Why We Like Them:
The Xentec H11 has ballasts with a zinc alloy casing, excellent cooling potential, and water-resistant with a rating of IP65+A.
Philips is the popular choice in xenon lighting, and they aim to satisfy as many drivers as they can but still maintain their quality and superior performance. After all, it was Philips who came up with the idea of xenon lighting.
Doing be lured into buying cheap knock-offs when it comes to road safety for you and your family and other road users. When you purchase Philips products, ensure you see the Certificate of Authentication (COA) on the box; if you can’t see it, the product will not be a genuine Philips HID conversion kit.
When you are using a conversion kit or changing one of your existing HID bulbs, it’s best to change in pairs to ensure a symmetric light beam.
Key Features
- Top-quality products.
- Leaders in xenon technology.
- Auto-dealers choose Philips.
- Certificate of Authentication on every box.
- Reliable xenon bulbs.
Why We Like Them:
Philips is the leader in xenon technology and produces top-quality HID conversion kits.
The Sylvania D4S zXe has a color temperature of 5000K and offers a long-lasting lighting system, so you will not be replacing these bulbs regularly.
Sylvania is another renowned name in the automotive industry, so it’s no surprise they offer quality High-Intensity-Discharge headlight bulbs.
There are three main advantages of choosing Sylvania bulbs 1. the produce a crisp whiter light. If you’re also looking at your vehicle’s aesthetics, you’ll be delighted to select these bulbs. 2. zXe headlights use proprietary xenon halogen gas technology that’s DOT compliant and 100% street legal. 3. Fit the Sylvania zXe headlight bulbs without requiring a conversion kit.
Sylvania bulbs are ‘Plug and play’ with the OEM lamp and do not require any filling or drilling installation work.
Key Features
- The color temperature is 5000K.
- 3200 Lumens.
- Three times the light output of halogens.
- The bulbs are vehicle specific; check for your car.
- ‘Plug and Play’ bulbs.
- Halogen gas technology.
Why We Like Them:
The Sylvania zXe bulbs produce an intense white beam that’s 100% street legal.
The XtremeVision conversion kit is dead simple to fit; you’re not going to need any additional tools or equipment. So if you want to fit an HID kit into your car for the first time, then the XtremeVision is probably one of the best choices you could make. However, if matters take a turn for the worst during the fitting and you get lost, don’t worry, you can contact XtremeVision’s tech support, and they’ll give you a friendly hand.
For an easy install, you’ll need all the bits and pieces that come with the bundle when you make your purchase. You get the light bulbs, a mounting bracket for the ballast, the ballast itself, and some handy zip ties. Remember to use the mounting bracket because, without it, you might find the ballast will come into contact with some of the car’s other components and possibly cause some damage.
Once you have the xenon headlights in your car, you’ll find them five times brighter than halogen bulbs; they’ll last considerably longer with up to 35% less power consumption. The only question you’ll want to answer is, “why didn’t I fit them sooner?”
Fitting AC ballasts against DC ones, you will immediately notice a difference in the lights’ stability. This stability is due to superior AC control and added bonus of better durability and lasts much longer.
Key Features
- Xenon Gas Pill.
- Quartz Glass Tube.
- Water and heat resistance.
- Quick and straightforward installation.
- 35W AC HID 30% more light output than 35W DC HID.
- 3200 lumens.
- Installation manual.
- 2-year warranty.
Why We Like Them:
The XtremeVision HID bundle is entirely ‘plug and play’ with no modifications necessary.
The Torchbeam German Xenon HID replacement bulbs will provide drivers with up to 180% better night-time vision than the average competition.
With up to 6000K color temperature, the bulbs produce a pure white beam, and they offer a simple ‘plug and play’ fit that doesn’t require additional modifications, wiring, or extra tools; they can be a direct replacement for OEM HID bulbs.
Torchbeam bulbs are excellent value for money, promising over 3000 hours of use; their UV-resistant quartz glass design will allow for more pressure inside the bulb, effectively avoiding ultraviolet damage in the tube.
A higher purity Xenon produces a more stable performance and minor color differences. Each Torchbeam bulb is full of 13Pa Xenon; with more helium in the volume, the bulb will stabilize more quickly.
A word of caution when you’re fitting HID bulbs is not to use bare hands because doing so can reduce the bulbs’ lifespan and brightness; always wear a clean pair of cotton gloves when handling HID bulbs.
Key Features
- Up to 6000K color temperature.
- Provides over 3000 hours of use.
- A direct replacement of OEM HID bulbs.
- The bulbs have 13Pa Xenon.
- UV-resistant quartz glass.
- A 40% power reduction.
- Instant start.
Why We Like Them:
The Torchbeam D3S is a high-quality HID bulb that uses 13Pa Xenon.
The Innovited premium is a top-of-the-range HID bundle that you’re purchasing for a very affordable price. Installation usually takes no more than twenty minutes. You will not require any extra tools, wiring, or components to fit these bulbs, and they are available in every standard OEM bulb size.
Some vehicles might require a professional installation; double-check before purchasing.
This premium bundle from Innovited is well-built, shockproof, and dustproof, and with an IP68 water seal, it is waterproof. Helping the lights’ stability is AC ballasts, not DC; you’ll definitely notice the difference, plus they are more durable and will last you longer.
The light bulbs produce a crystal white color at 6000K color temperature and last five times longer than OEM halogen lights with a 35% less power consumption.
Key Features
- 35% Less power consumption.
- AC ballasts.
- IP68 water seals.
- 6000K color temperature for crystal white.
- Available in several colors.
- Universal fit.
- A lifespan of 5500 hours or 229 days.
- Two-year warranty.
Why We Like Them:
The Innovited bundle gives you premium quality HID bulbs for a very affordable price.
The Lumenon HID conversion kit comes with everything you require, including ballasts, mounting brackets, and bulbs.
By replacing your OEM lights, you’ll see a massive instant improvement from your old halogens. Your new Lumenon will last you far longer as well, with a predicted 5500 hours of service.
Switching out your old lights for this HID kit couldn’t be more straightforward; you won’t need any extra tools or wiring, etc. If you do happen to come across a snag, you can contact Lumenon tech support, and they’ll talk you through the problem.
Having powerful bright white lights at night will make all the difference to your safety and ability to see things happening from a much greater distance, giving you plenty of time to react.
Key Features
- Power Wattage/Voltage 55w/12V.
- Average/Max Current 4.2A/8.2A.
- Operating Temperature -40 to 105.
- Service Life 5,500 Hours.
- Easy to install.
- 2-year warranty.
Why We Like Them:
The Lumenon HID conversion kit will give you a predicted 5500 hours of service.
You will find H11 Morimoto Elite HID Kit System is of premium quality and provides way more light than the stock halogens or even LED bulbs. Your vision at night will see at least a three times improvement from before you fitted them.
The Kelvin rating for these lights is 5500K and will take 10-15 seconds to reach their total brightness capacity.
Installation is genuinely ‘plug and play’ straightforward to install, even for someone that’s never done this before. The kit uses a double-relay harness, so the equipment is compatible with any car wiring system.
Morimoto has probably the best deal in warranties available. If you purchase the 35W bulbs, they offer a 5-year warranty, and on the 55W, they provide a three-year deal. The warranties cover both ballasts and bulbs. During the warranty period, they will replace the bulbs free if they are faulty.
Key Features
- Long-term warranties on offer with Morimoto.
- 5500K color temperature.
- Easy install.
- Heavy-duty harness.
- Projector or reflector headlights.
- High-quality output.
- High-quality bulbs.
Why We Like Them:
The Morimoto Elite HID is of premium quality and will fit almost every car system; even novices can fit the kit easily.
HID-Warehouse HID Xenon Replacement Bulbs are three times brighter than stock halogen bulbs, last five times longer with 35% less power consumption. Why wouldn’t you fit them?
If you’re looking for HID replacement bulbs, then HID-Warehouse could be the ones for you. They provide all that extra bright white light, and they are quick and straightforward to fit. They are plug-and-play, and the kit includes a wiring harness for you.
All HID bulbs require HID ballast to work, and these replacement bulbs do not include the ballasts, so you will need to purchase those separately. However, the replacement bulbs are compatible with both DC and AC HID ballasts.
In this set, the Xenon bulbs are a Xenon glass pill producing a bright, clear white light; the tube is quartz glass that helps block external UV rays.
One thing to look out for if your bulbs don’t turn on; you may have a reverse polarity situation. To fix this, rotate the oval connector on your ballast by 180 degrees, which will reverse the plug’s orientation.
Key Features
- Lifespan five times longer than halogen bulbs.
- Three times brighter.
- Quartz glass bulbs.
- Produce clear, bright light.
- Bulbs are compatible with both AC and DC ballasts.
- 35% less power consumption.
- 2-year warranty.
Why We Like Them:
The HID-Warehouse Xenon replacement bulbs provide a wide selection of bulb types with various color temperature options.
The Cougar D4S HID bulbs are laser aligned to ensure the pair will produce a tight beam pattern. They are a direct replacement for cars with the original D4 series headlight bulbs fitted in the vehicle.
Running HID 35W headlights reduces the power consumption by approximately forty percent from traditional halogens. The glass pill has a blend of Xenon with the correct color temperature ensuring they will not fade over time.
Because these replacement bulbs are to replace factory OEM bulbs, they are literally plug-and-play directly into your vehicle without any modifications, rewiring, or requiring additional tools.
Every bulb has a predicted lifespan of at least 3000 hours, and the waterproof seals are rated to IP67.
Key Features
- 6000K color temperature.
- Plug-and-play replacement bulbs.
- The predicted lifespan is 3000 hours.
- 40% reduction in power consumption.
- Installation within twenty minutes.
- Consistent output.
Why We Like Them:
The Cougar D4S replacement HID bulbs are tremendous value for money and include two bulbs per pack.
The Best HID Conversion Kits-What To Look For
Wattage
Kits are available with 35W and 55W. There’s nothing wrong with the quality of either, but there are advantages and disadvantages with both.
You’ll read that 35W is about three times brighter than the factory halogens on most cars, whereas 55W are brighter still. But having such high wattage puts a strain on your car’s wiring and battery. 35W creates a lot less heat and is kinder to the car’s wiring.
You also have to consider the legal limit of the headlight’s brightness.
Current
Try to choose the conversion kits that have AC power. DC supply will test your wiring, but they will probably be a little bit cheaper to buy. AC supply tends to keep the light more stable as well.
Benefits of the Best HID Conversion Kits
Brighter light
HID bulbs produce a brighter light than both halogens and LEDs. Bright white lights are best if you drive at night over a longer distance because the light tends to be closer to daylight. But if you’re driving in rain or fog frequently, you might be better choosing a more yellow tone of light from your HID kit.
Lower power consumption
The typical set of halogen headlights use in the region of 15 amps continually, whereas HID lights use up to 20 amps on first putting them on; this drops down to about three amps in continual use.
Longer life
Traditional halogen bulbs use a tungsten filament and halogen gas. As the gas gets hotter, it illuminates the bulb. However, in HID bulbs, electrodes charge the Xenon gas to light up the bulb.
An average halogen bulb will last between 500 and 1000 hours because the filament will no longer work. Using Xenon gas allows an HID bulb 2000 to 3000 hours of use.
Color Options
HID conversion kits typically offer seven different color options, whereas halogen bulbs come in one color and LEDs a choice of four.