What's the best and brightest LED headlight color? Understanding the LED color chart.
- LED Headlight Color Chart
- Brightest LED Headlight Color
- Best LED Color Automotive Headlamps
- Breaking Down LED Colors
- Blue & Purple LEDs
- Best LED Fog Light Color
- FAQ
Automotive LED headlights, fog light bulbs, and conversion kits can come in a variety of colors.
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) generate light through a semiconductor, a material that emits particles of light when charged. LED light is naturally bright white but it can be changed using colored lenses that slide over the bulb, like a sleeve.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the different LED headlight colors, and go over which is the brightest, and which is best for your needs.
LED Headlight Color Visualization Chart
Although most LED headlight and fog light conversion kits currently on the market come exclusively in white, we offer four different LED color options (yellow, white, blue, and purple).
The best way to decide which color you should choose for your LED bulbs is by taking a look at our LED headlight and fog light color visualization chart below.
What is the Brightest LED Headlight Color?
The brightest LED color for your car's headlights is white, approximately equivalent to a 5000K bulb color temperature in HID bulbs.
Although the light output is the same for each color, the human eye responds better to white light similar to natural sunlight.
As mentioned above, LEDs generate light through a material that emits photons of light when charged. The light output (brightness) of LEDs is proportional to the amount of power supplied (wattage).
Therefore, the higher the charge the brighter the light emitted from the bulbs. The charge, measured in watts (W), is provided by the LED drivers also known as the LED electrical circuit, which is the power supply.
At XenonPro, our LED headlight conversion kits come in three LED wattage options: 25W, 35W, and 45W.
For maximum brightness and the ultimate nighttime driving experience, we recommend going with our 45W LED kit in white, which produces exceptionally powerful, dense, and wide bright white light.
Watts (W) to Lumens (Lm) Conversion Table
| Power | LED | Halogen |
| 25W | 5000lm | 800lm |
| 35W | 7000lm | 1100lm |
| 45W (brightest) | 9000lm | 1400lm |
Total light output from both headlights and fog lights
As you can see from the table above, 45W LED bulbs produce nearly 700% more light than your average halogen bulbs.
What is the Best LED Color for Automotive Headlamps?
If your objective is to see better at night and get brighter bulbs like most drivers the best LED color is white.
However, the 'best' color is subjective and entirely depends on your needs and the outcome of upgrading your lights. The following summarizes the best LED color for different purposes:
- Brightness: White
- Style: Blue or purple
- Like factory: Yellow
| LED Color | HID Equivalent | Best for |
| White* (100%) | 5000K | Visibility |
| Yellow (90%) White (10%) | 3000K | Fog Lights |
| Blue (60%) White (40%) | 8000K | Style & Visibility |
| Purple* (90%) White (10%) | 12000K | Style |
Recommended; ** May be illegal in certain jurisdictions
Breaking Down LED Colors
White
White is the natural light color emitted from LEDs and closely resembles natural sunlight.
White LEDs are the brightest and are an excellent way to significantly improve visibility on the road at night. The light output and color will be identical to that of luxury vehicles equipped with LEDs such as Mercedes, BMW, and Audi.
Yellow
LEDs with a yellow lens will produce a color similar to halogen bulbs and fog lights but with significantly more light output.
This color is recommended for those looking to increase the light emission from their headlamps/fog lights while maintaining the same color as their stock halogen bulbs. We recommend yellow LEDs for fog lights.
Blue
Blue LEDs produce an ocean blue color that can be suitable for both a stylish look and improved nighttime driving.
This color is ideal for those looking for a perfect balance between improved brightness and a stylish look.
Purple
Being a dark color, purple LEDs are unquestionably the least bright and are to be used solely for a stylish, street racer look.
Blue & Purple LED Headlights
Blue and purple LED headlights are becoming increasingly popular despite being the least bright. Below, we take a closer look at the main advantages and disadvantages of blue and purple LED headlights and fog lights.
Pros
- Stylish and expensive look
- Unique headlamp colors
Cons
- Least bright LED colors
- Not recommended for fog lamps
- May be illegal in certain jurisdictions
- Ineffective during fog, snow, or rain
Best LED Color for Fog Lights
If you are looking to upgrade your fog lights to LEDs we recommend going with white or yellow.
We strongly advise against blue or purple bulbs for your fog lamps for your safety in times of poor visibility (fog, haze, rain, snow, etc.).
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are Lumens (Lm)?
Lumens (lm) are a measure of light output and brightness. The higher the lumens, the brighter a bulb is.
What is Watts (W)?
Watts (W) is a measure of electrical power output. In the context of LED bulbs, a higher wattage will result in a brighter bulb.
Do LED and HID colors work the same?
HID colors are created through various additives, coatings, and gas mixtures inside the bulb. For more information on HID colors, visit our Ultimate Guide to HID Colors for more information.
Sources:
- XenonPro.com Research
- Lighting Research Center
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Philips Automotive Lighting (USA)
- Osram (Sylvania) Automotive Lighting
- Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
- National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
Disclaimer: The information contained on this page is provided free of charge to our visitors. It was prepared to the best of our abilities and with all the information available to us at the time of writing. We reserve the right to change, remove, or update any information contained on this page at any time and without notice to improve its accuracy. The most reliable method to determine the bulb size is by pulling your actual bulb(s) and reading the part number indicated directly on the bulb. The information compiled on this page comes with no guarantees or warranties.