There are many options in the world of headlight upgrades, and it can be a difficult path to navigate to find out which brand is the best. Who has the brightest headlight? Who has the highest quality? Which is the best option for my budget? There are countless questions that can come up when shopping for a new headlight unit. Today we are here to break down the top brands in the automotive lighting industry, so you have full confidence in your next upgrade purchase.
When shopping for aftermarket LED headlight housings, or assembly replacements, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with all the different choices. As a driver, each person has different needs when upgrading headlight units. Some might be searching for better and brighter lighting, while others might simply be searching for a stylistic upgrade. At the end of the day, you must ask yourself what does the “best” mean for you?
To be upfront, there are a lot of cheap headlight options on the market. Are they the best quality? Probably not. However, these are cheap and can easily fit into any budget range. One of the first places to look is Amazon – Amazon provides both aftermarket and OEM replacement units. The aftermarket units are lackluster, to say the least. Brands like Spec-D, DNA Motoring, and Spyder plague the Amazon listings when you utilize the search function for your vehicle. All these aftermarket units are common brands you hear in the industry, but are they any good?
In this video, our friends at Headlight Revolution did the ultimate headlight shoot-out. They included brands from the lowest-rated headlights to the highest-rated headlights on the market. This video shows us clear answers – the Amazon units are NOT worth your time and money. Believe it or not, top brands like Morimoto also provide budget-friendly headlight upgrades. If you want to achieve your goal of upgrading lighting while maintaining a realistic budget, investigate products such as GTR Carbides, Alpharex Pros, or the Morimoto XB Hybrid headlight units. While these are a more affordable upgrade, they still provide a massive increase in light output while maintaining a crisp and clean beam pattern. As you’ve heard before – buy once, cry once.
Starting at $299
This is an easy answer – the Morimoto XB LED headlight units are the top performer in the industry. Morimoto has continuously proven that they create quality, high-performance headlight units for the most popular vehicles. The term “you get what you pay for” couldn’t be truer when it comes to the XB LED headlights. Morimoto spares no expense to create the world’s best aftermarket headlights. Its entire goal as a brand is to bring consumers the best quality, the best performing, and the best-looking headlights all around. While the XB LED headlights are the top-of-line option offered by Morimoto, they also include budget-friendly options as well. As mentioned before, the XB LED Hybrid headlights are a great alternative for a smaller budget.
It is important to keep quality in mind when shopping for new headlights. You might end up paying more for the high-end units, but they will be worth it at the end of the day. Cheap headlight units are notoriously guilty of yellowing and fading quickly, not to mention that lack of light performance. That last thing you want is to end up with a cheap headlight that has failing internal components with little to no customer support or warranty to help you. Morimoto sets itself apart from the rest with the best customer service team and unmatched 5-year warranty.
Morimoto XB LED Headlight Housings
Starting at $750
When it comes to high-quality and high-performance headlights, you have very few options. The top 3 we recommend are
In this video, Lightwerkz Global compared all 3 headlights together. In this testing, he uses a 5th Gen 4Runner headlight as an example. To no surprise, the Morimoto XB LED headlights were the best across the board. Morimoto also offers these units in white or amber, meaning you get the choice to pick which DRL color you have. The GTR Lighting units are a close 2nd and provide a much different styling than the other two units. Alpharex Nova was the 3rd best in testing, but don’t discredit this unit yet. The Alpharex headlights are still quality options with a 2-year warranty. Depending on your budget and which style you prefer, this could drastically sway which option you decide to go with. No matter which one you pick, you can’t go wrong with these 3 products.
For the best options on the market, we think the price tag is worth it. Again, this will be mainly justifiable if you want the best and brightest headlights. Comparing all 3 headlights together allows us to see the advantages of each unit. What we see most often with the Alpharex headlight units is excess foreground lighting. Too much foreground lighting can hinder your eyesight further into the distance. This foreground is likely caused by the smaller projectors featured in the Alpahrex headlight units. The Morimoto XB Headlight units have a more evenly distributed beam pattern while still throwing tons of light further down the road. This means the Morimoto XB works smarter, not harder, and gives you an overall improved driving experience.
Best and Brightest Headlight Housings
Starting at $575
Choosing the best and brightest headlight can easily turn into a headache with all the different options available. Our team here at The Retrofit Source is dedicated to helping you find the best automotive lighting upgrades for your vehicle. Now you know to avoid the cheap options and consider the quality-budget-friendly options. If you have extra cash laying around, we highly recommend looking at the top 3 products that made our list.
If you are more of a visual learner, check out our YouTube channel where we test and review new headlight upgrades. While you are there, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest lighting upgrades for your vehicle.
Have any questions about any products we mentioned? Contact us today, and our customer support team will be happy to help.