7 Top HID Kits to Light Up Your Drive In 2024

THE WINNERS

NOTE

Trust me, it will not be fun to clean up if it breaks. Not to mention, the oils from your hands can damage the bulb, deteriorating them and limiting their performance.

The second core part of your HID Kit is what’s called the ballast. This little piece of tech limits the amount of current in an electrical circuit. This is very important, particularly in cars where the voltage source comes directly from AC wiring. Without it, the current will increase until the bulb destroys itself. Obviously, this is not what we want.

There are two main types of ballast, namely an AC and a DC ballast. The difference is related to the flow of current in an electrical circuit. AC or alternating current is generated by a device called an alternator. If you’re a car enthusiast, you may be quite familiar with an alternator, and what happens if it acts up (hint, say goodbye electronic systems).

In short, an AC is a flow of charge that changes direction periodically, and as such the voltage level reverses along with its current. In most applications, AC is used as less energy is lost over higher voltages. Higher voltages mean lower currents, which mean less heat generated in the circuit.

DC, or direct current, is more straightforward as it doesn’t reverse or change direction periodically. Rather, it provides a constant voltage or current.

Back to AC or DC ballasts, a DC ballast does have potential benefits, as it is slightly more reliable in terms of energy output. The downside is it will generate more heat, and use more power – draining your battery. The heat can affect your bulb, giving it a shorter lifespan, and even permanently damaging your headlight housing.

AC ballasts, on the other hand, produce a more consistent current and lower the possibility of flickering. The lower heat used to power your HID kit will also keep your bulbs lasting longer. Luckily, most HID kits use AC ballasts.

Another item that may be included in your HID Kit, is the HID relay harness. This handy little piece of wiring makes installing the HID kit super easy. It simplifies the process by allowing you to bypass the potentially complicated wiring and electronic control systems in more modern cars. This will fix a number of potential problems, including lower currents, delayed start, light flickering, or uneven brightness.

Capacitor kits are included in some of our selected HID kits and are another component that fixes many common issues with some HID Kit installations. They are also one of the easiest pieces of an HID kit to install and generally look like a set of wires with a tube in the middle.

Our friends at HIDExtra tell us that capacitors will fix issues such as flickering or inconsistent beams and error codes in your dashboard. They work by ‘pulsing’ voltage to the HID Kits. This is particularly common in modern cars with daytime running lights or autosensing headlights.

How to Choose the Best HID Kit

Now that you know what to expect inside your HID Kit, let’s have a look at what to look out for when selecting the best HID kit to suit your needs.

Fitting Size

Not all lights are made the same. It’s quite important to make sure you actually choose the right fitting to avoid having to send something back or having to muck around to make your new HID Kit fit.

There are a few ways to check, and, luckily, they don’t all mean getting your hands dirty. The first way is to check your vehicle handbook. It’s highly likely that the fitting details are listed in your handbook somewhere. There is a range of different formats and usually have either an H, W, P, or D with a single or series of numbers following.

NOTE

If that doesn’t work, you can take out your existing bulb, and the base will generally state the fitting type.

Luckily, the easiest way is thanks to our friends at Amazon. Sign into your account and go to to ‘Your Garage’. You can use this handy feature to search Amazon’s database for all the different fittings for your car.

Colors

The color choices in your HID kits aren’t just for looks. There’s a range of colors, and some suit certain driving conditions better than others. Ultra-bright is not good in fog, whereas odd and intense colors can be distracting for other drivers.

While we are talking colors, the color of your bulb is generally determined by the temperature of the light it emits. This is measured in Kelvin degrees. A temperature, such as 3,000k, will give you a yellowish light, and as you go higher, the light will be more ‘white’. You can go up to 35,000k, but these aren’t normally used in vehicles.

[wpsm_box type=”info” float=”none” text_align=”left”]It would also be useful to check the laws in your local area and compare it to the temperature of the HID kit you’re considering using. Some colors will attract attention, but not the type you hope for.[/wpsm_box]

Your Car

While some kits are designed to be plug and play, check the compatibility of your car with the HID kits you have in mind. Some cars, with their fancy, modern tech, can be incompatible with your car–and we aren’t just talking about the fitting. The ballasts and voltage may not be compatible, and an adaptive kit may also be required to make it work.

Beam

You may have heard the term dual beam or bi-xenon. Most cars these days have a ‘high beam’ and a ‘low beam’. It’s highly likely you know what a low beam is, as you would use it every night when you drive. Alternatively, a simple flick of the switch will turn on the high beams.

Now, HIDs’ don’t affect your ability to use high-beams, but you might find them to be largely ineffective with some HID kits.

Bi-Xenon or dual beam HIDs will allow the new Xenon bulbs to be used as the high-beams. If your HID kit does not have bi-xenon or dual beam technology, your car will likely resort to the existing halogens for it. Chances are though, with the bulbs in an HID kit, you might not need high beams at all.

Power

Most stock HID lights–Xenons or Halogen–are 35 watts. Of course, it’s very easy to assume 55 watts HID lights are brighter, thus better.

But is it really?

Not always:

There are a number of pros and cons when it comes down to the wattage. It’s a decision you have to make based on your expectations and goals for your car’s new headlights.

The first thing to take into account is that a 55-watt bulb is longer than a 35-watt bulb. And likely longer than the stock bulb in your car. It’s worth noting because if the longer bulb doesn’t fit, the rest of the benefits aren’t worth considering.

We’ll revisit the length of the bulb in a moment, but first, let’s look at the comparisons between the two types.

As you can see, there are a number of things to weigh up before you choose between the 35-watt and 55-watt system. Effectively, 35-watt HID lights are more efficient and last longer. But they also have a lower brightness and lower temperature (which, as you’ll recall, affects the color).

On the flip side, 55-watt bulbs are less efficient, have a lower lifespan. They are, however, brighter and have a higher temperature (which, again, affects the color).

Now before we jump to conclusions here, while a different color and higher brightness may sound appealing, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. The lower efficiency and lifespan means there’s a chance you’ll have to replace the bulb more often with a 55-watt system. This can be particularly tricky if your kit’s bulb is hardwired into the wiring.

Replacing the whole HID kit may be painful and rather annoying to install. That is unless you like tinkering with your car.

NOTE

Another thing worth considering is the temperature and the length of the bulb. It is important to measure the space of the cavity in your headlight compartment. This is due to the fact that the 55-watt bulbs have a higher temperature. While this is generally associated with the color, the 55-watt bulb is hotter.

Some users of HID kits find the heat can often melt the fitting, or burn items within the headlight compartment. And, at its worst, can burn the plastic shroud over the headlights. Yikes! Keep this in mind if the space is particularly small.

While the brightness of the 55-watt bulbs is definitely brighter, it isn’t as clear-cut as it seems. No electrical device is perfect. Some of the extra 20 watts are lost in heat, and, yes, while it is brighter, it’s only marginal. There’s a range of other factors that can affect this, such as the bulb and the color temperature – so definitely check all these when choosing your HID kit of preference.

Lumens

While it sounds like a magical spell from your favorite wizard book series, lumens is the universal measuring stick for brightness. Looking at watts is quite often everyone’s favorite way of determining the strength and brightness of your light, but there is a better way.

The wattage in a light does loosely translate to the number of lumens a light can produce, however, there can be some exceptions to the rule.

Let’s look at an example:

We’ve got one halogen light, with a wattage of 55. Now, next to it, is an HID light, with a wattage of 35.
Naturally, you might think the halogen light will be brighter?

In fact, when standing next to the two lights, looking toward them (but not at them – never look directly at any light source), the 55W Halogen will likely be a more intense and a seemingly ‘brighter’ light than the 35W HID light.

Let’s now focus the two lights toward a wall in the distance. The halogen light will appear weaker, compared to the HID light. This is solely due to the number of lumens each light generates.

The nature of an HID light means it creates more light. While a halogen bulb uses a metal filament (like a normal light bulb) to create light, the HID ignites the gas and metal salts. This chemical reaction creates a much more vast, and powerful light source.

Some halogen bulbs in standard vehicles create 600-800 lumens, whereas an HID bulb will create anywhere from 2,800 to 4,000 lumens – dependent on the wattage and temperature of the bulb.

The other consideration with lumens is the higher the lumens, the further the light will throw itself. A light with a high number of lumens will give you more distance with your light.

Now, let’s get to the fun part…Looking into the best HID kits we tested.

A Closer Look At The 11 Best HID Kits

An Expert’s Look Inside an HID Bulb

As you can see, a light that generates 300% more light than standard halogen bulb is always going to be more complex! The casing that looks like the glass is actually a quartz capsule, that contains gases (like xenon), some tungsten electrodes and some metal salt.

A little electronic spark sets off the gas and reacts with the metal salts to create a plasma. A bit like your plasma TV – the science is similar!

Don’t forget, the temperature rating isn’t just for heat, it governs the color of your HID light. 3,000 Kelvin may appear slightly yellow, but 5,000 to 6,000 Kelvin will appear white, even slightly blue! Make sure to keep an eye on the temperature you are purchasing, and some places have regulations around it.

Customize Your Ride With The Best HID Kit Lights On The Market

Don’t forget, with HID kits, they aren’t always one size fits all. Check your car, the purpose, brightness required, and get ready for some trial and error!

Read the manuals of both your car and HID kit carefully before installation, and install with care.

These are very fragile pieces of tech!

Now, let’s cut to the chase. Here are our two top picks–either of which will brighten up your way in style.

OPT7 Boltzen AC 35w CanBUS HID Kit

Does your car need new shiny lights? Get the best HID kit to get the best results. Here’s a guide on how to get the best ones for your type of car.

Show Me

OPT7 Bolt AC 55w Hi-Power HID Kit

Does your car need new shiny lights? Get the best HID kit to get the best results. Here’s a guide on how to get the best ones for your type of car.

Show Me

H11 Morimoto Elite HID Kit System

Does your car need new shiny lights? Get the best HID kit to get the best results. Here’s a guide on how to get the best ones for your type of car.

Show Me