The modern market offers a wide selection of headlights. Three varieties are now common: xenon, halogen and LED. An ignorant person will ask: “Why don’t you talk about headlights with incandescent lamps?”. This is the last century.

What distinguishes h4 halogen and LED lamps, an overview of the best 2018–2019, which model to choose, the pros and cons of each variety, reviews - you will find in the article.

h4 lamps: a review of the best 2018-2019

Consider what distinguishes h4 diode lamps from others. Motorists note their low energy consumption and long service life. Led do not have a filament, so they are shock resistant. Let's choose best models 2018–2019.

• Sho Me g7 Ih;
• led headlight;
• Bosch gigalight;

Philips X-treme Vision differs from the standard beam length. It is more than 45 meters. Such a beam allows you to see the pits in advance. Motorists note the quality and durability of the product. X-treme Vision is the leader in its price segment. Philips h4 sold in pairs. The average cost is 1000 rubles.

• Beam length.
• Wear resistance.
• Glass allows the headlight to work after damage.

• Depending on the car model, the angle of illumination can change.

Acquired X-treme Vision recently. The light output of the beam is increased, as stated by the manufacturer. But the illumination angle is very small. They didn't fit my car. Someone fit.

• 16.01.2018

  An online store of auto lighting and automotive paraphernalia in the city of Moscow is pleased to present to Moscow motorists an expansion of the range of lighting diode lamps for head optics - the new DLED Sparkle-3 and Sparkle-2 series.

• 31.08.2016

  Sale is announced LED lamps for home lighting from Dled - analogues of standard incandescent lamps for 100W E27 12W are now available at retail at a wholesale price of only 99 rubles per piece.

  

• 24.07.2016

  In order to constantly feel comfortable and secure your movement, you need to equip your car with high-quality LED lamps. It is for you that we offer DLed LED lamps of the Braid series with a flexible radiator. These autolamps are used in turns, regular running and brake lights. Such an autolamp is made of LEDs mounted on a small, elastic printed circuit board, which is wrapped in a circle with an aluminum layer. Heat from bright, powerful diodes enters the body of the autolamp and is distributed by a radiator located in the front cavity of the lamp.

  

• 24.06.2016

  Recently appeared in the automotive industry, EL Flexible neon "DLed" is a very economical, high-quality and inexpensive source of lighting, which allows you to create much new light installations using neon. The use of flexible neon has a large number of directions, but the most common is light auto tuning.

  

• 24.05.2016

  Much to our disappointment, not all car manufacturers complete their products with high-quality, high-performance lamps, because of this, drivers need to replace them with better ones in the future. After all, it is important for everyone to have good illumination of the path during poor visibility, as well as in bad weather. We would like to draw your attention to DLed EVolution gas-filled lamps manufactured by DLed.

  

Of the huge number of LED lamps for the H4 base, about 95% are not suitable for use in a car. The main problem that motorists face when installing non-standard lamps in headlights is the incorrect distribution of the luminous flux and, as a result, poor visibility or dazzle oncoming road users. In addition, the "wrong" LEDs create difficulties during installation and overheat in operation, which is why they fail much faster than the manufacturer promises. But after all, everything should be exactly the opposite: LEDs are famous for the fact that they allow self-installation, and in comparison with halogens, they shine better and last longer. How to choose a quality lighting device? To get started, get acquainted with the rating of LED lamps, which experts consider the best, and then contact a specialized store where they are familiar with technical standards and have equipment for testing automotive lamps.

TOP 10 Best H4 LED Bulbs

10 Vizant J1 H4

Improved cooling system. Possibility of fixing at the optimal angle
Country: China
Average price: 3,100 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.0

The Vizant brand has become popular due to affordable prices for good quality automotive electronics. It also offers a wide range of serial car lamps with LEDs from well-known manufacturers. So, the J1 series is the next generation of N1 bulbs, which at one time earned the glory of bright and reliable light sources. The developers improved its light characteristics and worked on the dimensions: the lamp began to shine brighter by 500 lm, decreased in diameter to 42 mm and shortened to 83 mm. The area of ​​the radiator faces was also increased, respectively, the heat removal from the ICE elements became more efficient, and the lamp could theoretically serve 50,000 hours.

What is the performance of the device in practice, it was not possible to determine - there are too few reviews on the network. However, it has another advantage - a scale applied to the base with 360 ° marks. It greatly facilitates the adjustment of the angle of inclination of the lamp in the headlight, which is necessary to obtain an even cut-off line. Also pleased with the declared degree of moisture and dust protection IP68. According to the norms, it indicates complete tightness, and the manufacturer confirms the ability of the lamp to work in conditions of high humidity.

9 i-ZOOM OPTIMA PREMIUM i-H4

The most budgetary LED car lamp with imitation of a halogen filament
Country: China
Average price: 2,950 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.1

The network has a lot of negative reviews about cheap LED light bulbs, which did not justify even a tenth of the cost of them. Nevertheless, experts say that to find an acceptable quality for 2-3 thousand rubles. quite realistic, and as an example they cite a series of i-ZOOM autolamps from Optima Light. In particular, they tested the model with the H4 base and found it very successful. It is available in two versions - Warm White (color temperature is 4200 K - this is a yellowish-white light that copes with lighting in rainy weather) and White (5100 K, neutral white, optimal for installation in regular xenon).

The manufacturer does not indicate the parameters of the luminous flux, however, when testing in the low beam, an indicator of 924 Lm was obtained, and in the far beam - 1170 Lm, which is normal for LEDs in this category and approximately corresponds to the power of a standard "halogen". According to a subjective assessment, the LED lamp shines 50-60% better due to the expansion of the blue gamut in the spectrum. Among Chinese light bulbs, you can find brighter ones, but they are more likely to give dazzle and complicate the traffic situation. In i-ZOOM, this is excluded, since the diodes (Seoul CSP) are located in place of the incandescent filament of a halogen lamp and, accordingly, are focused like a standard halogen.

8 CARCAM H4 40W

The best type of LEDs. Hull protection. Affordable price per pair
The country: Russia (produced in China)
Average price: 2,500 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.2

Gone are the days when only premium class cars flaunted LEDs. Today, stylish headlights with LEDs can be equipped with even a VAZ, even a Tavria. One of the most economical offers is car lamps from the Karkam trademark, known to consumers for inexpensive and functional video recorders. Looking at the price of the kit, I can’t even believe that they have 6 original, according to the manufacturer, LED chips from the American company Cree. They are renowned for their excellent light output, slow crystal degradation and up to 30,000 hours of trouble-free operation.

The ability of the plinth to withstand difficult conditions is evidenced by the high degree of dust and moisture protection - IP68, and the massive aluminum heatsink and fan demonstrate resistance to overheating. The built-in reflector is designed to provide better light dispersion, and the number of lumens seems to be optimal: out of 4000 Lm, 1500 falls on the low beam and 2500 on the far beam, which is in full compliance with the standards. Unfortunately, this fact is unlikely to seem significant to traffic police officers - in 2018, as before, the operation of vehicles with lighting fixtures, the type of which does not correspond to factory parameters, is prohibited.

7 SHO-ME G7 lite LH-H4 H/L

Plug-and-play installation. Flexible copper heatsinks. Built-in snag
Country: China
Average price: 3,500 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.2

Sho-Mi lamps of the 7th generation of the Lite version (they use Epistar LEDs, not Philips ones) easily fit into the place of standard halogen lamps, so car owners do not need to contact the service or redo the installation place in any way . The difference can be seen with the naked eye immediately after installation: 16 20W LED chips provide pure white light with a color temperature of 5000K (similar to the midday sun). At the same time, the cut-off line remains quite clear, which is confirmed not only by visual assessment, but also by laboratory testing.

Braided copper bars are used as a radiator. During installation, the flexible parts straighten out, and the heating temperature of the LEDs is reduced to an acceptable level by increasing the surface area. Thus, effective natural cooling is ensured, and the lamps are able to operate at temperatures up to +80 °C. So that the on-board computer does not consider a decrease in power consumption as a failure, the manufacturer has provided built-in snags in the design. Just like external ones, they create an additional load in the power line, but neither the purchase of additional equipment nor its installation is required.

6 SVS X3 LED H3

Using Philips LED modules. Built-in reflector
Country: China
Average price: 3,300 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.3

Another interesting model of a Chinese car lamp with original Philips LUXEON Z ES LEDs, similar to those used in the Ultinon series. Due to their miniature size (less than 2 mm) and high power (2 W per 1 chip), they can be structured in the image and likeness of an incandescent spiral, so you don’t have to worry about the correct focus and distribution of the light flux. In order for the dipped beam to be directed downwards, the design of the lamp has a reflector shutter made of polished metal. The assembly is of high quality, the boards are fastened with hex bolts, so the lamp was given high resistance to vibration and shock loads.

The LED light fits perfectly under the headlight cover of most cars, since the most bulky part of such devices, the fan, is missing. However, due to the passive cooling system, power is limited, so we can assume that the declared 50 watts (25 watts per lamp) is somewhat exaggerated. This is generally characteristic of Chinese products, and the impressive luminous flux of 6000 Lm can also be divided by about one and a half times. However, against the background of pseudo-LEDs, which generally cannot be put in headlights, this light bulb looks quite convincing, and in the reviews we found confirmation of its worthy consumer characteristics.

5 Narva Range Power LED H4

The best novelty of 2018. Optimal light performance
The country: Germany (made in China)
Average price: 3,500 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.4

The Narva brand has been engaged in automotive lighting for over 60 years and has earned a lot of accolades during this time. When he joined the Philips group, the degree of confidence grew even more, and the appearance of Range Power LEDs in Russia was met with extreme interest. The novelty provides increased visual comfort for the eyes during prolonged driving at night. The color of its luminous flux is characterized by a temperature of 6000 K, which is stable throughout the entire period of operation, and the correct arrangement of 6 diodes (3 on each side) gives a clear boundary of the illuminated area at a regulated distance of 50‒60 m.

The heat sink function in the design is performed by a flexible copper radiator. The stabilizer is placed outside, but the compact size and convenient connection of the input and output on one side allows you to embed the LED lamp into the headlight without changing the standard cover to a special one. In general, compactness is one of its most important advantages, due to which this ICE is compatible with most car models. But the declared service life is only 1500 hours, and one can only hope that the manufacturer was simply modest.

4 Clearlight Flex Ultimate H4 5500

Cree LEDs. 15-year service life and a year and a half warranty
Country: China
Average price: 5 900 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.4

Two original Cree LEDs serve as sources of low and high beams in these lamps. Their brightness is 4 times higher than the brightness of regular lamps, so the motorist after replacing them can count on a significant improvement in driving conditions. LED-elements are located correctly, and the lamp will shine on the road, and not in the eyes of others. Judging by the reviews, the light turns out to be quite strong, but its value in reality is lower than the declared 5500 Lm.

To remove heat, a belt cooling system is provided, which prevents overheating of the LED elements and increases the planned service life up to 30 thousand hours. At the same time, the manufacturer is ready to confirm his words with actions and provides customers with an 18-month warranty (12 months upon purchase and 6 months upon registration on the official website). If you have any questions or complaints, please contact technical support in any way indicated on the site - the company responds to complaints promptly.

3 STARLED H4 7Gs LED Headlight

Filters included. Built-in driver
Country: China
Average price: 3,000 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.5

The developers approached the selection of the color temperature in a very original way. They decided to leave the choice to the buyer, including a set of yellow and blue filters in the kit. After sticking them on the flask, 5500 K miraculously turn into 3800 or 7000, and the reverse transformation is possible at any time. It is very convenient that the current stabilizer is located inside the lamp - there are no external blocks, and installation becomes even easier. According to a user in one of the reviews, even if this lamp lasts a year, it is worth the money. Meanwhile, its service life is 5 years.

2 Moonlight H4-18W

Brightness comparable to a xenon lamp. High-quality active cooling
Country: South Korea
Average price: 6 800 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.8

A feature of the patented H4-18W autolamps from the Korean company Moonlight is the use of ultra-bright Powerlightec COB chips. The box says “modest” by Chinese standards 2000 Lm, and yet the LED lamps are so powerful that they can be confused with xenon lighting unknowingly. However, high power leads to the release of a large amount of heat, and the more conscientiously the developer approaches the organization of heat transfer, the better the illumination will be and the longer the service life.

Moonlight did a great job with this task. The copper board provides high thermal conductivity, its connection to the heatsink by soldering increases the contact area, which also has a positive effect on heat transfer, finally, there is a heat-conducting pipe through which heat is transferred at the speed of sound, and an ADDA fan with a durable and quiet rolling bearing. It is not surprising that this lamp is used in the optics of the popular Hyundai Solaris.

1 Philips X-treme Ultinon H4

The best service life (100 thousand hours). Correct STG
The country: Netherlands (made in China)
Average price: 8,500 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.9

The cost of a pair of original Philips LEDs is high, but keep in mind that the cost of upgrading the standard lighting system is somehow justified due to greater durability. The manufacturer indicates that his offspring will serve at least 100 thousand hours (about 12 years), in practice, autolamps last longer. Do not discount the increase in driving safety - the main reason why they try to increase the brightness of the head light. Philips Z ES chips create a controlled beam of light for superior visibility.

Unlike Chinese companies, this manufacturer conscientiously indicates the real brightness of low and high beam LEDs: 1000 and 1250 Lm, which is about one and a half times higher than that of halogens. However, achieving bright light is half the battle, it is vital that it does not blind drivers of oncoming cars. Proper beam distribution is ensured by SafeBeam technology and high-precision production control. As a result, after installation in the headlights, the lamps retain the focus and geometry of halogen ones, draw a clear cut-off line (STG) at the right distance, perfectly illuminate the roadside and do not create problems on the road. That is why they are said to be completely suitable for replacing headlight bulbs in the optics of most cars.

In one of the online communities, I came across a note by a young driver from Tambov, who painted the headlight bulbs of his old BMW green. And no one condemned. On the contrary, his enthusiasm was shared by two dozen people. Moreover, the topic was supported by other motorists. It turned out that a lot of cars with multi-colored "eyes" drive around the city.

Light tuning is booming. The reasons are different: one thinks that the headlights of his car do not shine brightly enough, another wants to look cooler, the third thinks that it is beautiful. Most often, the results of such alterations can be seen on budget models, and the ways their owners choose appropriate.

One of the simplest is replacing the standard light sources in the headlights with something like that. There are more than enough offers: from lamps of increased power to LEDs. And no alterations - pulled out one light bulb and put another one in its place. Before the inspection, it is not difficult to return to the legal option again. That's what pulls people to experiment.

We wrote about the shortcomings of the “miracle” lamps more than once - the last time Mikhail Kolodochkin spoke about them in the first issue of “Behind the Wheel” for this year. Therefore, I will not insist that such lamps do not shine well and can even cause a fire. Reading morality to mature individuals, especially creative ones, is a useless exercise. I’ll just show with examples how poorly this “light music” performs its direct duties.

BULBS OR RIGHTS

By putting non-standard lamps in the headlights, we change the design of the head light of the car, which means we risk losing driving license. Traffic police inspectors have the right to stop a car with suspicious headlights and send it to a car impound, and the headlight itself to a laboratory for examination, which will issue a conclusion on whether the lighting technology meets technical standards. If not, then the driver (yes, who was driving at that moment, because he had to check the technical condition of the car before starting the movement), the court deprives him of his rights under Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation for a period of six months to a year. Is it worth the risk?

darkness of light

Even in a small roadside store, you are sure to find an alternative to regular lamps. If I set a goal to collect all the sources of automotive light that are offered by market dealers, Internet sites and chain parts stores, this material would stretch to half the magazine. Therefore, I will limit myself to the six most interesting specimens that have fundamental design differences.

All the lamps I bought without any modifications can be installed in headlights designed for the most inexpensive and popular H4 lamps (P43t base). The seventh was a set of standard lamps manufactured by Philips - we need them as reference ones.

The experiment consisted of two parts. First, all the lamps were tested for compliance with the current requirements of UNECE Rules No. 112-00 at the stand in the laboratory of the Research and Experimental Institute of Automotive Electronics and Electrical Equipment (FSUE "NIIAE"). Then - field tests to confirm or refute (it happens) the theory in practice: we inserted different lamps into the headlights of Largus in turn to find out how they illuminate the road.

Laboratory work

We are on the threshold of NIIAE. The head of the laboratory, Nikolai Bazin, took us to the room where lighting equipment is being tested - this is a long dark corridor with measuring equipment. To start testing, everything is ready - a headlight with a standard lamp is installed on the stand.

Turn on the light. A luminous flux is projected onto a screen located at a distance of 25 meters - the light distribution is assessed visually (how clear the boundary between light and shadow is), and the light meter photocell measures the illumination at several control points. First, using a goniometer (a device for high-precision measurement of angles), the expert set the exact horizontal position of the headlight. This is a control point in the so-called zone III - the "dark territory" located above the light border. The first data appears in the dimension table. Nikolai turns the headlight to the angle specified in the methodology and takes measurements at three other points: B50L (the face of the oncoming driver at a distance of 50 m), 75R and 50R (objects on the side of the road at 75 and 50 meters, respectively).

Stock lamps have been tested. Using the same method, we drive the remaining six sets. We fix the light distribution in the photo, and summarize the measurement results in a table. The data obtained confirmed our fears: of the six "miracle" lamps purchased, only one passed the test.

ClearLight X-Treme Vision H4 halogen lamps (pictured on the left) cost 1000 rubles per pair and supposedly give 120% more light power (as it is written on the box) with a resource increased by as much as five times! On the front side of the box there is a large inscription Germany, and without any explanation. On the back, "Made in China".

In the center is a set of Narva lamps with “xenon effect” (Xenon white). Place of production - Poland. And here is the inscription: Not for use in Europe (“Not for use in Europe”). It's strange, because European rules apply in Russia. On the back of the box there are English inscriptions not translated into Russian, indicating that the kit is “not for public roads” and “only for sports tracks”. Here is the Rostest badge, but there are no European certification designations. The cost of the kit is 600 rubles. Sold in an online parts store, the sellers of which did not say a word about the specifics of the lamps.

Lamps brand MTF Light (right) packed smartly and cost 1100 rubles. They are called Aurum ("Gold"; apparently because of the yellow color of the flasks). Sold as "all-weather". The seller explained that it is better to ride with them in rain and fog. On the box is a large inscription Made in Quality (literally: "Made in quality"). And smaller: "Made in Korea." Seoul office address.

LED MAS (left) of unknown origin (presumably from China). Set - 1500 rubles. True, exactly the same light sources, but without blister packaging - half the price. The sellers reported that these lamps cannot shine, and began to persuade them to purchase expensive LEDs (from 5,500 to 13,000 rubles per set). But we refused, not only because of the crazy price, but also because of the specific design - their bulky external radiators will not allow you to install headlight covers.

Another "LED car lamp" H4 brand DLED - pictured in the center. The manufacturer indicates Russia, instead of the address - the number mobile phone. The nondescript box shows the dimensions of the product, the number and type of LEDs - 18 5050 SMD, as well as the luminous flux - 270 lm (lumen). No certification badges. But there is a tricky inscription: “The address of the plant and compliance with GOST, see the certificate of conformity. Ask the seller for a certificate. And the seller just shrugged it off. The price of the kit is 800 rubles.

In the photo on the right - the same box, the same manufacturer. Only the sticker is different - it says that the light source has six Epl HP LEDs, and the luminous flux is 900 lm (like a 55-watt H4 halogen). Judging by the appearance, the elongated flask of this product acts as a radiator, which is already causing concern. For a set - 2664 rubles. But!

Nikolai Bazin, head of the testing laboratory for light and sound signaling devices and light sources for vehicles and trailers

The parameters of light sources that are installed on cars, motorcycles and other equipment are specified in the relevant UNECE rules and Russian GOSTs. The technical regulation of vehicles 018 is in force in the Russian Federation, according to which lamps in cars on public roads must comply with UNECE Regulation No. 37. The head light can only be neutral white, with a clear cut-off line, with sufficient intensity at control points and not causing blinding oncoming drivers .

LEDs adapted to the base of a halogen lamp, depending on the power, give a dim light or, conversely, dazzle oncoming people, since they are not structurally able to form a directional beam of light. In addition, weak LEDs do not heat the headlight enough, as a result of which it will fog up and freeze.

You should not chase after halogen lamps of allegedly increased brightness (with inscriptions on the boxes "+ 100%" or "+ 120%"). They only mean that in the reference headlamp, this lamp illuminates one of the control points better than the lamp of the same brand of the previous generation. And in other conditions, the light may be worse. Colored flasks can increase the contrast of the picture, but only under certain conditions. So, yellow slightly improves visibility in rain or fog, but in clear weather it can be seen worse. But with blue light, the opposite is true. In any case, what and how you will see does not depend on the color of the light beam, but on its source and settings. In order for headlights to shine well, they must be kept clean and properly adjusted.

Roads and results

Looking at the results of laboratory tests, you understand what awaits us on the road. But we decided not to deviate from the original program and see what drivers will see from their cars, in the headlights of which “beautiful” lamps are installed. The results are in the photo gallery below.

By the way, we arranged additional tests for the ClearLight X-Treme Vision lamps that met the standards, leaving them in the headlights of the editorial Largus: let's check if they live as long as the standard ones.

Experts believe that light sources with increased luminous flux suffer from a resource. Let's go - we'll see.

How do other lights work? Badly. Look at the photos - even comments are not needed. A driver with a sober head will not put such headlights in his car. Conclusion: for headlights designed for H4, buy only the corresponding lamps - ordinary double-filament H4 halogens with a power of 60/55 W. Without any improvements and tricks. And even more so, no LEDs and pseudo-xenons! The Rostest and European certification badges (the letters EAC in a square or E in a circle) on the packaging will serve as confirmation that the products are certified.

And let the professionals in the laboratories and at closed ranges do experiments with lighting technology.

We thank the specialists of the Research and Experimental Institute of Automotive Electronics and Electrical Equipment for their help in preparing the material.