Due to difficult weather conditions, motorists often have quite serious problems. In particular, during fog, rain or snow, visibility on the roads, especially on highways, is significantly reduced, as a result of which the likelihood of traffic accidents greatly increases. The solution to the problem was found quite a long time ago — fog lights, located in such a way that they illuminate not only the road surface, but also at least a small section of the roadside.
Today, almost all cars, including those belonging to the budget segment, are equipped with similar elements, but this was far from always the case, and a decent number of cars without these parts drive on the roads until now. We decided to tell you in detail about them in our review of the best fog lights of the year. Here a detailed analysis of the most popular devices will be given, as well as a number of tips on their competent choice.
What do you pay attention to when buying fog lights?
It is worth, first of all, to make a reservation that regular foglights are far from always very effective, so even owners of new cars often change them to better optics. If you are a novice car enthusiast, then there is a possibility of directly confusing fog lights and additional high beam lamps. Outwardly, they are practically no different, only the latter are unlikely to be able to help you in conditions of limited visibility.
It is important to pay attention to the tightness of the model you like. The dust and moisture protection class must meet the minimum IP66 standard. The fact is that fog lights are located close enough to the road surface, so they are more susceptible to water and pollution.
Before buying, it will not be superfluous to measure the diameter of the headlight. The spread here is not too large — usually for most manufacturers it is 90 mm. If the headlights are built-in, then you will still need to find out exactly how the replacement of lamps is organized in them — how convenient it will be to do this in the conditions of your particular car. There are external universal headlights: for these devices, it is important to take into account the overall dimensions and weight. Large and heavy devices in a metal case are reliable and have high quality illumination, but the load on the attachment point will be decent. Many people prefer LED headlights — they consume little energy, but create a very dense stream of light.
When we selected products to rank the best fog lights, in addition to these factors, we also took into account price-quality ratio, as well as user reviews. We tried to include not the most expensive products in this review, so that every motorist can choose the most suitable model for his car.
LED fog lights
3. Wesem CDC2
Universal products of Polish production are designed for installation inside the seat in the bumper. The case of this model is made on the basis of a special polymer that can resist even very significant shock loads. The optical block here is quite standard — it is equipped with a glass diffuser and a lens made of thick plastic. The light source here is three three-watt LEDs manufactured by OSRAM. They are cooled by the original high-power aluminum radiator.
If necessary, the user can choose for himself the most convenient modification when connecting, which has wires or a special connector. When working, these headlights allow you to get a light spot of the correct shape and the required width. If it is correctly adjusted during installation, the headlights will not dazzle the drivers of oncoming cars, which also has a positive effect on traffic safety.
Advantages:
- Forms a clear border of light and shadow without highlights;
- The body is completely sealed;
- High power with low energy consumption.
Disadvantages:
- Burnt out LEDs cannot be replaced.
Fog lamp Wesem CDC2
2. Osram LEDriving FOG PL
A key feature of such headlights is that they can be used as fog lights or as ordinary daytime running lights. In the first case, the amount of energy consumed is 24 W, in the second — 14 W. In terms of brightness, such headlights are able to compete on equal terms with xenon. The most common headlight diameter is 90 mm, the optics can be of various colors: silver, dove, pink and even orange, so these headlights can be selected depending on the overall color of the car body. Due to the fact that the body practically does not heat up during operation, the headlights will last a long time. The glass is durable — it will not break if a pebble hits it.
According to the manufacturer, the lamp life is about 5 thousand hours. Even if you use a car every day and drive about a hundred kilometers a day with the headlights on, then their resource will be enough for three to four years of intensive work.
Advantages:
- Pretty powerful luminous flux;
- Can be used as daytime running lights;
- The diameter is suitable for most cars;
- Reliability and durability of products.
Disadvantages:
- High price.
Osram LEDriving FOG PL
1. PIAA 50XT
Sufficiently effective products of the Japanese-made reflex type. The headlight has a rectangular shape, fixed on the body with the help of the original metal bracket in a standing or hanging position. These headlights are equipped with 55 W lamps manufactured by PIAA, they have high performance and H3 base. In terms of light output, these devices are fully consistent with the standard 85W halogen model. With their help, it will be possible to illuminate the roadway at a distance of up to 20 meters.
If you install these fog lights correctly, you will eventually be able to form a clear cut-off line with a symmetrical light spot, the width of which will reach 95 degrees. According to the tests and some other experiments, this is the only headlight that can almost completely get rid of the grid in the illuminated area.
Advantages:
- Widely illuminate not only the roadside section, but also the adjacent lane;
- With proper adjustment, they will not blind drivers of oncoming cars;
- The kit has everything you need;
- Easy to change burnt out light bulbs.
Disadvantages:
- Except for the high price is not found.
PIAA 50XT
Halogen headlights
7 Valeo 088358
This section of our ranking of the best halogen-type fog lamps opens with the products of a well-known French brand specializing in the manufacture of automotive optics. Such headlights are often used as regular foglights on cars of widely used brands — Renault, Ford, Nissan, Opel and so on. The original products are equipped with 55 W lamps — they are produced by OSRAM or Philips. The left and right headlights are absolutely identical to each other. Their case diameter is 90 mm, weight 0.34 kg.
The headlights are designed to accommodate lamps equipped with an H11 base. The light spot with a lack of illumination is symmetrical with a clear boundary. The case is plastic, the glass of the headlight is quite durable — it can even withstand the ingress of stones of fairly large sizes.
Advantages:
- Clearly defined cut-off line;
- Perfectly illuminate the roadside and the edge of the oncoming lane;
- The reflector is made of glass;
- The case from plastic, the increased durability.
Disadvantages:
- The tightness leaves much to be desired.
Valeo 088358
6Hella D90
The engineers of the company that created this design approached the issue of installing their headlights in a regular place on the bumper in a very original way. They proposed a rather simple solution: a special plate is screwed to the back of the headlight, which acts as an adapter, and if necessary, it can be easily adjusted to fit the existing bumper without touching the headlight itself. The body is made from lightweight magnesium alloy. The strength of the glass is at a very high level — it can withstand significant shock loads well. The standard diameter of this lighting optics is 90 mm. H7 lamps are used here.
The headlights cool quite well and provide decent illumination, which is most noticeable not only in fog, but also in heavy snow. The products are very bright, characterized by a decent distribution of light flux, the shape of the base is very common.
Advantages:
- The body is made of metal alloy;
- Excellent production quality;
- Excellent distribution performance;
- A clear border of the light and shade flow;
- High level of glass strength.
Disadvantages:
- In most cases, the adapter will have to be adjusted to fit the bumper.
Hella D90
5. DLAA LA-930EX Y
This model is one of the cheapest in our entire review. It is a Chinese product, but the quality is quite acceptable. Fog lights from this manufacturer are distinguished by excellent distribution of the luminous flux, which is important in conditions of limited visibility. The case here is made of plastic, but it is unlikely to be called very reliable, since even when pressed with a finger, it bends a little, nevertheless, it withstands small pebbles. In terms of protecting the headlights from the penetration of dust and moisture under the body, there are no complaints.
Comes with decent H3 bulbs. Chrome-plated plastic acts as a reflective element, and chrome will not crumble or peel off throughout the entire service life of this device, which will also ensure the normal operation of the product.
Advantages:
- Quite acceptable cost;
- Pretty decent quality;
- Chrome plated reflective surface.
Disadvantages:
- The case is made of soft plastic — it is unlikely to endure serious physical exertion.
Fog lamp DLAA LA-930EX Y
4. Wesem HM2 082.31
Here, the case is also made of plastic, but its quality is already an order of magnitude higher compared to the previous model. Glass diffuser — the car owner does not have to regularly check whether the chrome has begun to crumble from the plastic. The level of protection against ingress of dust and moisture complies with the IP66 standard. The distribution of the light flux is very decent. Largely due to the yellowness of the diffusers, the overall quality of the operation of these lighting devices in foggy conditions is less dependent on the color temperature of the selected bulbs. It is worth mentioning that the bulbs themselves are not included in the kit, so they will have to be purchased separately.
Best of all, these headlights are suitable for cars. They weigh little, so they will hold even on a plastic bumper without additional reinforcement equipment. It is very easy to change the bulbs themselves — just unscrew the front of the headlight and remove the burnt one, there is no need to remove the mount.
Advantages:
- The optimum ratio of price and quality;
- A small mass allows you to reduce the load on the bumper;
- For use in normal road conditions — the best option.
Disadvantages:
- For SUVs, it is better to choose a more serious option.
Wesem HM2 082.31
3. Hella Jumbo 320FF
They are quite compact in size and light in weight. Their body is made of high-strength plastic. Even with strong pressure, it does not begin to sag, it can withstand very serious physical exertion. It is not necessary to install directly into the bumper — the manufacturer offers a number of other options, for example, on the roof of a car. The headlights hold up well even during some serious shaking. The reflector is a sheet of metal foil, the diffuser is made of glass. Such a solution helps to significantly extend the life of this device.
The designers did a good job on the shape of the reflector. Thanks to this approach, a correct and very powerful light beam will come out of the headlight, which will fully comply with the international ECE standard. The most common lamps are installed here — with an H7 base, so there should not be any problems with replacing them.
Advantages:
- Ideal quality of luminous flux distribution;
- The metal reflector lasts a long time;
- If necessary, it can be installed on a plastic base.
Disadvantages:
- Quite expensive.
Hella Jumbo 320FF
2. Hella Luminator Metal
This is a whole line of fog lights, which are distinguished by high quality luminous flux and good reliability. The case here is made of metal, it is completely sealed. In general, initially such headlights were made for installation on the body of an SUV, which is not surprising, since their diameter is over 200 mm. When on, these headlights, which use bulbs with an H3 base, turn into full-fledged spotlights, but even such a bright luminous flux does not knock them out of compliance with the ECE standard.
Not a single plastic element in this design can be found. The optical element itself is fixed with a metal ring on four screws. There is a drain in the body that does not allow water to approach the lamps. The heating of the glass is not too strong, so it can easily withstand even severe temperature changes. This headlight is available in two versions — painted and chrome.
Advantages:
- High luminous flux density;
- Excellent mechanical strength;
- Reliable drainage;
- Compliance with all international requirements.
Disadvantages:
- Significant dimensions and weight.
Hella Luminator Metal
1. Hella Micro DE
Another product of the well-known brand Hella turned out to be among the leaders of the best halogen fog lamps. This model is widely distributed both due to its stylish appearance and performance. In particular, the headlights provide excellent light distribution, are distinguished by good brightness, although their diameter is only 40 mm. The case is made of durable magnesium alloy, which withstands shock loads much better than plastic.
When installing the headlight, it is necessary to think over its cooling system, since it will get very hot during operation. The body is quite long, so you will need to measure the installation site in advance — whether this headlight can fit there.
Advantages:
- Rugged housing;
- Carefully sealed model;
- The kit has everything for installation;
- High quality light output.
Disadvantages:
- It gets very hot;
- Great overall length.
Hella Micro DE
In conclusion, a useful video
Our review of the best fog lights is over. I would like to express the hope that now you have become much better versed in these products and will now be able to choose the optimal lighting elements for your car that will help you out in fog, snow or rain. If you want to clarify certain points that seemed incomprehensible or inaccurate to you, then comments on this article are at your disposal.