What is the appropriate lumen level for car LED headlights?
3 Answers
An appropriate lumen level for car LED headlights is 3200. Car headlights, also known as car front lights or LED daytime running lights, can be maintained by: 1. Regularly checking the sealing of the headlights and replacing the damaged sealing ring between the lens and reflector promptly; 2. Cleaning the reflector regularly and replacing it if it turns black or the brightness decreases; 3. Regularly removing dust and stains from the bulbs. The adjustment standards for headlights are: 1. Drive the car onto a flat and open road; 2. Turn on the headlights and adjust the low beam projection point to about 30m in front of the car, ensuring the two projection points overlap; 3. Adjust the high beam projection point to be parallel to the ground.
Back when I was into car modifications, I always heard people bragging about how higher LED lumens are better. It wasn’t until I tested them myself that I realized it’s not the case at all. Factory LED headlights typically range between 2,000 to 4,000 lumens, which is more than enough for daily use. Those knock-off products boasting 8,000 lumens? As soon as I installed them, oncoming cars started flashing their high beams in protest—actual testing revealed not only were the specs exaggerated, but the light scattering was terrible. What really affects nighttime safety is light uniformity. Later, I switched to a dedicated 3,200-lumen kit with lenses, and the reflection of road signs on rainy highways became much clearer.
I'm a long-haul truck driver, and the most dreaded thing when driving at night is the glare from headlights. Nowadays, new cars come standard with LEDs around 3500 lumens, but penetration in rain and fog is far more important than high lumens. Last month, while helping my apprentice inspect his car, his online-purchased 6000-lumen bulbs actually measured only 2800 lumens, with beams as concentrated and blinding as a flashlight. Genuinely qualified aftermarket parts come with E-mark certification on the packaging. For regular family cars, I recommend choosing bulbs within the 2800 to 4000 lumen range, with a color temperature not exceeding 6000K—otherwise, the excessive whiteness can actually be hazardous.
