Jeeps are extremely fun vehicles to drive around on all sorts of terrain, but occasionally, you will want to do it at night. That means you will need some serious illumination, especially on a cross-country ride.
Why Are LED Headlights Better?
In recent years, LED headlights, and LED lights in general, have reached a point in their development where they are replacing traditional light bulbs in almost any application. The car industry is especially benefiting from LED lights because they hold several distinct advantages over traditional halogen ones.
The most important benefit of ELD headlights is that they are providing much better illumination during the night. Halogen lights simply can’t compare in performance with the latest generation of LEDs. They give much better lighting quality with a brighter light, reach further, and don’t have that yellowish color like halogen headlights. Human eyes react better to clear white light and yellowish tint of halogen lights actually decreases our ability to see things. LED lights also won’t blind the oncoming drivers, as they are much better focused and don’t dissipate like halogen lights. This leads to increased safety on the road and a more pleasant ride, without straining your eyes to see if that shadow on the side of the road is just a shadow or a pedestrian.
The second advantage LED headlights hold over halogen ones is their long lifespan. Changing halogen bulbs every few months quickly turns into a chore if you are doing it yourself, or an expensive habit if you go to the shop. Changing a light bulb on modern cars is increasingly becoming a complex operation, so in a few years, you will probably need specialized tools to do it. Aftermarket LED lights usually last between five and ten years, while some of the newer factory-installed ones on new cars can last up to 20 years. That difference alone is worth switching to LEDs, even if there weren’t any other benefits, and there are many. The longevity of LED lights comes from their design. They are solid-state lights and don’t rely on the fragile filament to provide illumination, like halogen ones. That is their most critical point of failure and it tends to fail a lot and usually when you need it the most.
LED lights are extremely energy efficient. Halogen lights convert just 20% of the power they draw to light. The rest is transferred to heat. With LEDs, it is the opposite, where 80% of the power goes to illuminate the road ahead. That allows them to use on average just 8 Watts of power, while an average halogen bulb uses 80 Watts. That is more than 12 times more efficient in power consumption and LEDs still provide a much better quality of light. Since all that power has to be created by your engine, this directly translates to fuel savings and improved fuel efficiency. Since Jeeps are usually gas-guzzlers, it is even more significant for their owners.
People who don’t have much experience with car maintenance have a misconception that installing LED lights is complicated. Nothing could be further than the truth. LEDs are very easy to install. Check out carinmydna.com for detailed instructions. The manufacturers abide by the same standards of the car industry as other companies. This means that the process is exactly the same as with traditional bulbs. Remove the back cover of the headlight assembly, unplug and take out the halogen bulb, insert the LED one, plug it in your harness, and replace the cover. That’s it. There are no aftermarket adapters or expensive additional parts you need to buy in order to transition from 19th-century halogen bulbs to the 21st-century technology.
Finally, there is the question of aesthetics. We all like to have a nice-looking car and LEDs are the cheapest modification you can have that will significantly improve the look of your vehicle and provide that modern and stylish appearance.
If you are still having doubts, here are some of the best Jeep LED headlights on the market to help convince you.
1. LX-LIGHT 7” Round Black Cree LED Headlight High Low
Don’t let the price of this model fool you. These headlights may be a budget model, but they provide the same benefits as much more expensive models. LX-LIGHT 7” is a fully plug-and-play model, with an anti-flicker resistor built inside the unit. They provide 4,500 lumens for a high beam and 3,200 for a low beam. That is enough illumination even at the low beam to see clearly. One thing that we would like to see improved is the quality of the materials and the finish, but that low price had to come from some cost-cutting measures.
2. Osram 110W 5×7 Led Headlights
Designed specifically for Jeep Cherokee XJ and Wrangler Y models, these Osram headlights probably have the best cost to quality ratio on the market. With amazing 8,000 lumens for a high beam and 5,600 lumens on a low beam, they provide more than enough light for even the darkest of nights. In fact, the low beam is so powerful that you will rarely feel the need to flick the high beam at all. Osram has excellent customer support, so that is another great plus. Any difficulties you may encounter with the installation or use will be quickly resolved.
3. Sunpie 7 Inch LED Halo Headlights with Turn Signal Amber DRL White+ 4 ” Halo Fog Lights
This Sunpie model offers an all-in-one package for your Jeep. In addition to the 7-inch headlight, you also get fog lights and turn signal, all LED. The headlights provide clear and bright 4,500 lumens on high beam and 3,200 on a low beam. They are also wired to the turn signals and will blink once each time you use your turn indicator, alerting everyone around you about your intentions. Unfortunately, they have a few drawbacks. The most obvious is the price since they cost significantly more than other models we listed. They are also quite bulky, so they may need some convincing to fit in your car.
