nxautomotive
Have you ever wondered why while driving in poor visibility conditions, the headlight of your car makes driving miserable? Headlights in poor visibility conditions due to fog, snow, dust, storm, or rain reduce the driver’s visibility as the light from the headlight gets reflected from the dense fog, rain, or snow particles. And this is the reason cars have fog lights in front and rear of the vehicle to assist the driver with good visibility while driving.
The fog lights are just below the car’s headlights in the bumper in the front and rear, and they direct downwards. Fog lights in the front of the cars are designed to stay downward and spread wide to illuminate the road surface while driving. On the other end, fog lights on the rear side of the car are to notify the vehicle approaching from behind and serve the purpose of car safety.
How do fog lights work?
Fog lights are different from the vehicle’s headlights in terms of their placement and use. Headlights are big, have a more extended reach (up to 200 m), and are available in many sizes and styles, whereas the fog lights are designed and placed in a vehicle, with such a cutoff angle so that the light can be broadcasted only on the road. The fog hovers close to the ground, and the lower placement of the fog lights shines down to make the road visible beneath the fog.
Various Types of Fog Lights:
LED Fog Lights: LED fog lights are in high demand nowadays because they consume less power and generate less heat than other fog lights, and their life span is also more than any other fog light. LED fog lights have light-emitting diodes, and they are available in multiple colors like yellow, and white light, and they illuminate better in low visibility conditions.
Halogen Fog Lights: In most cars, the integrated fog lights are Halogen fog lights. Halogen fog lights have less life compared to LED lights, have low intensity, and have low luminosity.
HID Fog Lights: HID or High-Intensity Discharge fog lights use xenon gas to illuminate and have the same power as LED fog lights. These lights are more durable than Halogen lights and very bright compared to halogen and LED lights.
Top 3 Fog lights in the market:
Till now, we have read about fog lights, its importance, and their types; now we will see some of the best fog lights available in the market. This section will help you compare the different brands of fog lights, their features, and their technical specifications.
Philips X-tremeUltinon LED, Fog Lights Bulb: https://www.philips.co.in/c-p/12834UNIX2/x-tremeultinon-led-fog-light-bulb
Philips is a trusted name in automotive accessories, and its fog lights have got amazing reviews and responses from buyers. These fog lights use Philip’s patented safe beam technology, allowing lamps to project 200% brighter light at a specific location. This fog light uses Luxeon LED with 6000 kelvin and provides great visibility with more precise light control.
BEAMTECH H11 Led Fog Light Bulb: https://www.beamtechs.com/products/beamtech-h11-h8-h9-led-headlight-bulb-50w-6500k-8000lumens-extremely-brigh-csp-chips-conversion-kit
BEAMTECH H11 Led Fog Light Bulb is also one of the most preferred fog light lamps. These bulbs are extremely bright, with 6500 k and 8000 lumens. These bulbs have a great lifespan of approx. 30,000 hrs., generates less heat, very easy to install and use.
Auxbeam H1 P145S LED Fog Lights: https://www.amazon.in/Auxbeam-F-16-Head-Lights-Conversion/dp/B06WD699MS
Auxbeam is a USA-based LED lighting manufacturer. Fog lights from Auxbeam are high-intensity luminance lights that are 300% brighter than halogen bulbs. The fog lights are compact, easy to install (plug and play), and ensure superior performance.
Factors to consider while purchasing Fog Lights:
Longevity: The life of LED fog lights is calculated in the number of hours of lighting. The more the number of hours of lighting, the more the life of the fog light. Fog lights with 50,000 hours of lighting are considered to be good in terms of their life.
Wattage: Wattage in terms of fog lights can be related to the efficiency of the light. More wattage means more intensity of the light and vice versa. On the other hand, LED fog lights consume less wattage and yet very bright.
Lumens / Voltage: Lumens means the amount of light projected by any source of light or the brightness of the light. In Fog lights, the average brightness lies between 4000- 6000 lumens (2000-3000 lumens per light), depending on the product and manufacturer. This is the most important factor to consider while purchasing a fog light.
Why are LED fog Lights more popular?
Two key features of fog lights which makes them much more popular are:
High Luminosity: LED fog lights have high lumens and consume very little electricity compared to halogen lights. So, lumens are the key factor to consider in LED fog lights. LED fog lights are more efficient and brighter than regular fog lights. LED lights with 4000 to 6000 lumens are majorly used for automotive applications.
Color Temperature: Color temperature is how a color will appear when measured at a certain temperature using the Kelvin scale. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin; the more the Kelvin, the cooler is light, the lower the Kelvin number means a warmer, more yellow light. LED lights for cars have approximately 6000 Kelvins of color temperature, and they emit white light (The temperature of LED fog lights is much less, i.e., cooler). Cooler fog lights with more luminosity are more preferred in foggy weather, and this is what a LED fog light can provide.
Conclusion
New model cars may or may not have fog lights, but they are always an integral part of a vehicle and a useful asset for drivers who are driving their vehicles in bad weather conditions, or in unfamiliar areas.