Throughout the driving experience, you would notice that your regular headlights might hinder visibility and reflect fog. It does not matter how lovely the lights are; you would still face such problem. It is an important safety concern to use best fog lights while you could not see things such as other cars, lane markers, and traffic signs.
Luckily, you might upgrade or get your auto with the aftermarket fog bulbs. They are much better suitable for the low visibility conditions including fog, drifting snow, dust, and heavy rain. They are a bit different than typical driving lights because of their color, location, and beam shape. Rather than reflecting the light off the fog & affecting the ability to view, they assist to light the way & make this safe for driving.
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How to Choose the Best Fog Lights in 2021
1. Types of Best Fog Lights
There’re some different kinds of fog lights. Several fog lights are for illuminating the front view of your vehicle. So, there’re some things like rear fog lights that assist make your auto visible to other autos.
In addition, the fog lights also differ in the form of lights that they use, following is a brief breakdown:
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HID Fog Lights
These are just like headlights. Also, you could get higher-intensity discharge lights. These are also called HIDs. These lights use xenon gas. The electrical charge always lights this gas. Just like LEDs, there’s not any filament for burning. Thus, they are durable as compared to halogen lights. The HID lights are quite bright. They are very efficient as far as power is concerned.
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LED Fog Lights
The LED fog lights use the light-emitting diodes that uses less power & generate much less heat as compared to other light sources. These are quite efficient. They tend to give a longer lifespan. It means that you will not require any replacement quite often. Lastly, you can easily tweak the LED fog lights for shining in several colors. It assists in cutting through specific situations. These also tend to be a bit expensive as compared to halogens.
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Halogen Fog Lights
Many autos have such lights that typically use the halogen lights. Hence, they are generally commonplace and simple to find. They are much more inexpensive. But, they do not last longer than other types of fog lights. Moreover, they aren’t very bright lights.
2. Advantages of Best LED Fog Lights
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These lights keep you secure
These best fog lights would give you much more visibility while the weather is bad. They would also let other motorists view you better. You need to protect the passengers by ensuring you install good fog lights on your auto.
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They are better than halogen fog lights
These best fog lights are quite energy-efficient as compared to halogen bulbs. These lights last longer.
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These work much better than the headlights
The vehicle’s headlights might reflect fog & reduce visibility, even when these are high quality. Also, the brightest lights would make you able to better view other motorists, lane markers, and traffic signs.
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The lights look cool
Whilst they are for use in bad weather conditions, most drivers install these lights as it does upgrade the look of the vehicles. When you like to modify your auto, this one is the best.
3. How to Purchase the Best Fog Lights
While buying the best fog lights for the auto, you would come across many terms that manufacturers use while briefly describing several offers.
Also, you have to understand such terms when you need to make the correct choice and choose the best fog lights for the vehicle. Following are the crucial terms and some other factors that you might have to consider while purchasing the best fog lights.
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Compatibility
You would first have to think about compatibility problems. The fog lights are always best mounted on the bumpers. A few cars contain bumper spaces for the fog lights. Some vehicles might have different kinds of bumpers that make this tough to install the fog light.
You’ve to carry the visual inspection out to ensure that the fog lights might get installed with no issues. Plus, the socket is a big issue as you have to ensure you are getting the right light for the sockets for your auto bumpers.
Some other compatibility factors are supply voltage & current for bulbs. It’s only a problem, though if you have got other appliances connected to your car.
When you are installing your LED fog light on the latest European vehicles, it might additionally require the load resistor for avoiding any flickering issue.
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Brightness
It’s a measure about how much the bulb produces light. It is generally measured in terms of Lumens that shows the intensity of light. If the Lumen value is high, then the light would be more intense.
You would find the best fog lights from more than thousand Lumens to those along with more than 3,000 Lumens & higher. Also, the average light for the good fog bulb is always from 1,500 to 2,000 Lumens.
And, your choice about the brightness relies on how much you are ready to spend on the bright bulb as brighter light costs more capital.
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Color Temperature
It does refer to the tint of light. It is always measured in Kelvins, along with low values about 3,000 Kelvins having more amber or yellow & are warm. On the other side, higher values about 6,000 Kelvins & above have blue and are cool.
Many fog lights offers that you would find have the average temperature of between 5,000 and 6000 Kelvins. The temperature does produce crisp images; however, gives eye strain right after some time due to the blue color content.
In case this shows a bit concern, you need to consider getting a yellow or amber fog light as they do not strain your eyes after even prolonged use.
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Simple Installation
Whilst considering the bulb, you need to make sure you will not get into some unforeseen issues while on the road through seeing that the manufacturer has made this in a way which makes the installation simple across several vehicle kinds.
The auto lighting systems always come with several socket types. They also require that the bulb must have the corresponding plug as well. Hence, it could perfectly fit into the auto headlights.
Therefore, you just need to check what your auto offers, and then find a might with the matching plug. It’s the only way for getting a plug and playing installation.
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Cooling Properties
The best fog lights produce heat. However, it is an issue for HID and halogen bulbs. The LED bulbs are of such materials which are damaged by more heat, hence cooling is necessary.
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Safety Measures
It does refer to how the housing of a bulb is well-built. It also includes features such as ingress protection and anti-shock. The main reason for the safety measures is as LED chips are of fragile materials that make them essential to protect.
Top 8 Best Fog Lights of 2021 Reviews
Product | Best Feature | Rating |
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1. BEAMTECH H11 LED Fog Light | Best Extremely Super Bright | 4.5 |
2. Alla Lighting 3200 Lumens | Best Powerful LED | 4.0 |
3. D-Series Rigid Industries | Best Cast Aluminum Housing | 4.5 |
4. OPT7 FluxBeam LED Fog Lights | Best Clear ARC-Lens Beam Lights | 4.0 |
5. JDM Astar Super Bright Light | Best High Power LED Bulbs | 4.0 |
6. Kensun Car LED | Best Kit with Cree Chips | 3.8 |
7. Xenon HID Fog Bulbs | Best Great for the Price | 4.3 |
8. Cougar Motor 9005 | Best Heat Dissipation | 4.0 |
1. BEAMTECH H11 LED Fog Light – Best Extremely Super Bright
This set does include 2 thirty-watt LED bulbs along with 6 SEOUL Z8Y19 high powered CSP chips. These bulbs are also xenon white containing 320-degree lighting and 800 lumens. They’re 6-6, 12V to 24V, 500k in color temperature, and a lifespan of about ten-thousand working hours. Their aluminum cold-pressed heat sink helps reduce heat and maximize bulb life. These bulbs are also non-polarity featuring plug-and-play installation. The manufacturer offers a 1-year warranty.
The lights are far brighter as compared to OEM options. They are well-built and give an even, good beam pattern. These offer a very neat cut off. Unlike other bulbs, these bulbs run pretty cool. They always fit perfectly in stock housing without heat sink for getting in the way. These also do not bother other drivers.
Their one disadvantage is these bulbs might be a bit tough in installment into the housing. The plastic clips are weak. Plus, the lights might produce one dark spot in the center of light output. These lights might cause some malfunction code error in a few vehicles that include BMWs.
Pros
- Good Color
- Super Brightness
- Beam pattern is amazing
- High quality
Cons
- Low heat of the LED
2. Alla Lighting 3200 Lumens – Best Powerful LED
Though white lights always look nice, amber and yellow fog lights also look perfect for some drivers. With such an offer, you’ll add the yellow fog lights to the car and just see a big difference.
These bulbs offer a color temperature of 3,000-Kelvin. It’s warmer to your eyes and does offer good visibility in adverse weather and fogs. Many people believe that these best fog lights for the cars need to have an amber or yellow temperature about 3,000 Kelvins.
Both of the bulbs produce 1,000 Lumens that bring the pair’s intensity to about 2,000 Lumens. Their installation is super easy. This does come in a wide range of different plug types that make this fit in different autos. Every bulb has sixteen pieces of about 3030 LEDs. They’re of high-intensity. These bulbs have a lifetime of about 50,000 hours.
Pros
- Offers the high-intensity yellow fog lights
- Produces brightness of about 2,000 Lumens
- Simple installation for most autos
- Backed by a one-year warranty
Cons
- Yellow light looks great; however, amber looks much better
- Does not come with a longer warranty
3. D-Series Rigid Industries – Best Cast Aluminum Housing
Rigid industries are famous for high-quality build from the range of their LED light devices and many others. The fog lights follow this great reputation. These lights are designed, made, and manufactured in America
The D-Series fog lights are compliant with the DOT and SAE J583. The housing is of cast aluminum. They come with the mounting hardware and a good lifetime warranty. Their lifespan is about 50,000 hours. These fog lights have large beam pattern along with the minimum height. The waterproof rating is IP 68.
For people who would be using the auto off-road or need more durability, these D-Series fog lights are the perfect option. This uses the aluminum housing and impact-resistant polycarbonate lens.
The Rigid Industries fog lights are a bit expensive ones; however, you’re paying for something that is quality-quality. The superior materials are used in their construction. They’re the best fog lights which you can easily install.
Pros
- See the road better
- Worth the price
- great beam pattern
- Excellent Light Upgrade
Cons
- Wrong wiring harness
4. OPT7 FluxBeam LED Fog Lights – Best Clear ARC-Lens Beam Lights
OPT7’s LED conversion kit offers different size options. The bulbs produce a bright white light. The LED bulbs give a light color which looks just similar to the HIDs, with a few differences.
Fog light or LED headlight bulbs offer single LEDs which are on the sides of the housing. Thus, the light’s output might not be intense perfectly at 360 degrees, contrary to HID which accomplish it well.
The main upside to the LED is its service life. Almost 50,000 hours, you would not find anything else which does come closer to lasting as far as they do.
These fog lights also come in at number four on this list. It is an excellent choice for those who are looking for long service life and bright white light.
Pros
- Works for GMC sierra
- Great bright lights
- Even light spread with the pronounced cutoff
- Excellent color with nice light output
- Fairly quick install
- Two-Year warranty
Cons
- May require a low-beam modification
- Large space which the bulbs wouldn’t project to
- Too many additions and wiring to make them work
- No focal point to the beam
5. JDM Astar Super Bright Light – Best High Power LED Bulbs
JDM has the biggest selection of products. Its fog lights selection is also no different. This model does round the budget option up. These lights are fairly affordable; however, offers all you would anticipate of some simple fog lights. Plus, JDM Astar’s wide selection does come from many years of development just focused on the automotive LED technology, consistently releasing more products that are based on the recent developments.
Whilst normally with the fog lights you will purchase separate bulbs for replacing the blown one, as LED lights are typically bought to upgrade the lighting, JDM kit does come as a pair of two. Their packaging is not impressive and rather quite cheap. However, it’s a good budget product. By having a L shape of the H10 light, there are no extra ballasts or wiring. Plus, the physical form does seem no more than the general halogen replacement.
Whilst common LED headlight bulbs need an extra fan and cooling systems, much thanks to the low power draw of this fog light, not much heat is actually generated. Such systems aren’t required. The JDM Astar particularly mentions that the light bulbs might be a good alternative for fog lights, or a replacement DRL or daytime running lights, that’s, they’re not suitable for use as the headlight.
The JDM Astar’s fog lights are great due to their quality, simple fitment, and amazing color matching. You need to keep this in your mind that for a few European cars, the load resistor might have to be mounted to avoid the error code.
Pros
- They are a cheap luxury accessory to an auto
- improve visibility
- Fog lights are yellow
- Easy to install
- No tools required
Cons
- With these bulbs, light frays outward with 0 direct pattern
6. Kensun Car LED – Best Kit with Cree Chips
Whilst advertised as the “New Technology,” the product is on sale for over 1 year. They have consistently given good quality fog lights at the affordable price.
Kensun has progressed from the HID market (that they dominate yet) onto better and newer things. Kensun also likes to keep the things simpler though. It offers one LED light bulb that is appropriate for the best fog lights that are based on the recently launched ETI LED chips.
As far as suitability is concerned, you should keep this in mind that the light bulbs were not specially made as to the fog lights. It’s basically the headlight conversion kit. But, because of their nature of light fittings, the bulbs might be used as the fog lights.
These fog lights are in a Kensun aluminum briefcase. You receive 2 light bulbs that are wired to only plugin. And, provided are 2 sets of the slip-on filters for changing stock colors of these fog light bulbs. These light bulbs are also made to not need any type of external driver that does make the installation simpler. But, their power output is much higher as compared to the conventional fog lights. However, one fan is still essential in order to make their bulb a bit longer as compared to the normal H10.
Whilst this Kensun fog light benefits from the lack of driver (external), the higher price amongst other fog lights does make this a bit expensive product.
Pros
- HID bulb kit works great without any type of problems for more than two years
- The fog light bulbs perform very well
- They are noticeably brighter
Cons
- Disappointing Performance from the LED bulbs
7. Xenon HID Fog Bulbs – Best Great for the Price
It’s another famous HID light which suits the consumers of every type. The price tag of HID light bulbs is quite attractive. These fog lights are very reliable as well as. For the starters, it is an excellent way to get the HID setup for their vehicles even without making a hole in their purse.
The entire filament of the Xenon HID fog lights is the non-issue because you could select those which fit your vehicle headlights housing and a suitable bulb size for the vehicle. The installation of these fog light bulbs is simply plugging and then use. Also, there is no need to cut the electric wires off in order to get the things in order. Every component of these lights is 100 percent waterproof and shockproof, and these come in the super-white color.
The manufacturers also took enough time to make this Xenon fog light for making sure that the shortcomings of these LED bulbs are less in number. And the awesome result is the Xenon HID lights that are far above the others. With the 880 884 885 890 893 899 37.5W, you’ll not experience scattered or undefined and foggy light because they give you an appropriate beam pattern. Along with these bulbs, you would not experience any short beams, scattered beams, or dark sports. Better light and vision capability mean enjoyable and safer driving.
One more benefit of these fog lights is that these are cooler as compared to other LED lights available on the market. These are made by using the latest heat protection technology that gives them longevity. Moreover, these lights would work underwater because of the rainproof fan and housing. Hence, you could use light bulbs in extreme foggy and wet weather, too.
Pros
- This product is amazing
- Excellent bulbs so far
Cons
- They are not as white as they might be
8. Cougar Motor 9005 – Best Heat Dissipation
The Cougar Motor light bulbs provide you two things which every best fog light should have. The very first one is a bright light & the other one is an attractive price.
Every bulb does produce about 1,200 Lumens light intensity that makes almost about 2,400 Lumens in total. It makes these bulbs the best fog lights even for the trucks. Their light has about 5,000-Kelvin color. It does come from the Cree XB-D chips.
The chips are also very interesting as they use the most recent ASIC technology for getting lifespans of above 60,000 hours whilst keeping the consumption of energy in check.
The Cougar Motor also offers a one-year warranty, but they have a downside as well that’s the IP-65 ingress protection rating. It means that they could not survive temporary submersion or high water pressures.
Pros
- Delivers 2,400 Lumens
- Uses Cree XB-D along with the lifespan of 60,000 hours
- Plug & play design
- Made by using the aircraft-grade aluminum
Cons
- The waterproof rating is just IP-65
- Many fog lights have 6,000-K temperatures that are whiter than this 5,000-K color
Fog Lights FAQs
- How do the fog light bulbs work?
The fog light has individual bulbs and switches. They could be easily placed on the auto’s roof, lower grille, or bumper. These are typically angled downwards; therefore, the light does not reflect off fog, rain, or snow.
- What’s a good color for the fog lights?
Some people believe that a good yellow fog light offers high performance in the heavy fog, snow, and rain as they’ve got a long wavelength as compared to white light. There is a theory that is yellow light does cause less eye strain. But, it is anyone’s personal preference. Several drivers like slightly blue or white light rather than yellow.
- Do the fog light blinds other motorists?
Yes, they could. The fog lights are bright and might be distracting to the drivers, especially when they aren’t properly installed and aren’t pointing in some proper direction.
- Could I use the fog lights on the motorcycle?
Fog lights might be mounted on a wide range of vehicles that includes motorcycles, lawnmowers, boats, golf carts, and ATVs. You need to check recommendations of the manufacturer before buying them.
- Are the fog lights not legal?
You have to check the local ordinances. Relying on where you’re living, your city or town might have a law which pertains to the fog lights color. There might also be some regulations on the location of fog lights & other properties. Like, in case fog lights are too high and too bright, they might not be legal.
Conclusion
Investing in high-quality fog light bulbs to improve appearance or increase visibility is recommended. There are so many different bulbs and aftermarket kinds available on the market to suit a variety of budgets. But, we strongly suggest checking their warranty which the manufacturer offers. This would give a good idea to their build quality & not leaving you disappointed when they break before.
All these best fog lights are appropriate for trucks, cars, and other autos that need extra lighting. We also advise that you might use a white or amber light output hence you don’t face any trouble.
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