The definitive answer on driving lights… so which is best for you?
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Driving lights… you need them, but how much do you know about them? For many years we had a choice of any light we wanted as long as it was a halogen. Then, HID burst onto the scene and we now had access to a light with great long-distance performance, while running cooler than halogen equivalents. But as always, there was a catch – annoying ballast warm-up time, and the purchase price being out of reach for many punters. There was room for improvement, basically.
While LEDs have been around for longer than unleaded petrol, their use in automotive driving lights has only become mainstream in the last few years. Traditionally, the view was that LEDs are only good for close-distance performance and lacked long-distance punch. But with years of technological advancements under the belt of LED development, has the gap been reduced? Well we decided it was about time to find out… once and for all!
DRIVING LIGHT LENS COVERS
Now this is an interesting topic, but we found the supplied lens covers many driving light manufacturers offer either with the lights or as optional extras actually rob you of performance. From our testing with LED, HID and Halogen driving lights, the figure (while not massive) was notable. And it is easy to see why: Instead of pushing the light produced out, the cover traps some and reflects it back to the source. Essentially, this is a Catch-22… as you want to protect your lights, but considering fitting the covers will knock back (on average) 100 lumens at 1m, you have to question the value of fitting them when the lights are in use.
HALOGEN FACTS
REAL WORLD TESTING
It must be said, after testing multiple LED driving lights and light bars over the past year, it was a real shock to the system to fire up a pair of halogens. As expected, the light produced was yellow in appearance and, if I’m honest, was somewhat underwhelming. We see a purpose for halogen driving lights for those on a budget, or for those who travel regularly in dusty or foggy conditions (as a yellow beam reportedly works better in those conditions).
FIELD TEST RESULTS Xray Vision 220 Halogen |
|
Current draw | 7.0A |
Temperature | 67.0°C |
Performance | |
Close-range | 10,900 Lux |
Mid-range | 5,800 Lux |
Long-range | 75.2 Lux |
LAB RESULTS
We took two sets of halogen driving lights to LED Lab in Castle Hill (which has done all of our scientific testing). We also took a pair of LightForce Genesis 210mm and two Xray Vision 220 Halogen driving lights. This is not a comparison; more a case study to draw data from.
Xray Vision 220 Halogen | ||||
Covers | Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
With | 12.5V | 6.3A | 1176lm | 3160 K |
Without | 12.4V | 6.4A | 1272.2lm | 3186 K |
Lightforce Genesis 210mm 100w Xenophot | ||||
Covers | Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
With | 11.9V | 8.2A | 1324.4lm | 3103 K |
Without | 11.8V | 8.2A | 1443.7lm | 3098 K |
HID FACTS
REAL WORLD TESTING
The long-range performance offered by HID driving lights has always been legendary, and our testing absolutely confirms this. HIDs are king if you are chasing pure distance from your driving lights. When looking at the Lux figures from the real world test, HID nearly doubled the long-range performance of halogen driving lights. We always knew HIDs had the advantage for long-distance touring, but now we have proven it!
FIELD TEST RESULTS Xray Vision 220 HID |
|
Current draw | 6.6A |
Temperature | 54.0°C |
Performance | |
Close-range | 15,700 Lux |
Mid-range | 7,000 Lux |
Long-range | 164.5 Lux |
Spread | 8.11 Lux |
LAB RESULTS
Again, we took two sets of HID driving lights to LED Lab for a case study. These lights were a set of LightForce Genesis 50W HID driving lights, and a set of Xray Vision 220 HIDs. This allowed us to compare the stats, and judge the effectiveness of HID lights in a controlled environment.
Xray Vision 220 HID | ||||
Covers | Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
With | 12.1V | 6.9A | 4333lm | 4060 K |
Without | 12.3V | 6.8A | 4740lm | 4102 K |
Lightforce Genesis 50W HID | ||||
Covers | Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
With | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Without | 13.3V | 4.2 A | 3708lm | 5974K |
LED LIGHT BAR FACTS
REAL WORLD TESTING
One thing that surprised us during the real world testing of LED light bars was the amount of spread or coverage they offered. LED light bars seem to fill every available nook and cranny possible. 20in light bars as tested are easy to fit to the majority of vehicles – meaning (in terms of bang-for-buck) money and time wise they make sense for the majority of motorists logistically. However, as we discovered, round LED driving lights certainly have advantages too.
FIELD TEST RESULTS Lightforce 20 Inch Light Bar |
|
Current draw | NA |
Temperature | 23.2°C |
Performance | |
Close-range | 70,400 Lux |
Mid-range | 1,500 Lux |
Long-range | 20.84 Lux |
Spread | 18.01 Lux |
LAB RESULTS
Lightforce 20 Inch Light Bar | |||
Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
12.4V | 9.87A | 5762lm | 5340 K |
ROUND LED DRIVING LIGHT FACTS
REAL WORLD TESTING
We decided to use figures from the light we crowned the winner of our round LED driving light comparison, which was the LightForce 215 LED. Basically, these lights were unbearable to look at when in close proximity. They did drop off in terms of long-distance performance when compared to HID driving lights, but we must conclude that round LED driving lights offer more punch than light bars (however, light bars fill the gaps beautifully).
FIELD TEST RESULTS Lightforce 215 LED |
|
Current draw | 6.6A |
Temperature | 37.0°C |
Performance | |
Close-range | 98,700 Lux |
Mid-range | 3,000 Lux |
Long-range | 29.06 Lux |
Spread | 20.22 Lux |
LAB RESULTS
The lab results for the light we declared the overall winner in our round LED driving light comparison also set a benchmark. If you are interested in purchasing a set of round LED driving lights, check out the whole article in Issue #22 of Unsealed 4X4.
Lightforce 20 Inch Light Bar | |||
Supply Volts | Current Draw | Lumens | Colour Temp |
14.2V | 7.88 A | 6025lm | 5316K |
PICK AND CHOOSE
For a laugh (yes, we have a sick sense of humour) we decided while we were out in the field it would be a good idea to experiment with a few driving light variants. Hey, what else would you rather be doing at 3am! It is safe to say that what we have come up with is the ultimate four-wheel drive lighting solution – as you can see in this image. The test mule was Tim Stanners and his 150 Series Prado, which we fitted with a set of Xray Vision 220 HID driving lights and a 1200mm Xray Vision Quad Optic Linear Driving Light which was mounted on the vehicle’s roof rack. In this case, the HIDs smash the distance and the roof-mounted LED provided an insane amount of spread. As far as I am concerned, this is as good a combo as off-road lighting gets.