Last Updated on: 3rd July 2022, 05:32 pm
HID bulbs are High-intensity discharge bulbs and can be used in many applications legally. There are top-grade features and formulas available from the HID bulbs to discharge high brightness levels widely based on the quality, condition, temperature, and automotive functions.
We discuss the 35W VS 55W here!
The top manufacturers or almost every HID manufacturer use some color ingredients inside the HID tunnel, determining the color option in lumens and fluxing up the specific amount of light. A person loves the more relaxed or bluer color from HIDs. However, some areas or provinces allow white HID color as the legal headlight color so far.
Are 35w and 55w hid bulbs the same?
Now, why are you here to know what’s the best between 35W VS 55W? Is it really 55W? Well, you don’t get 55W of output power from any HID kits on the market. Most of them offer 55W of input power. If I give an example, the best HID kit, ‘Philips 42302C1 D3S Xenon HID Headlight Bulb,’ comes with 35 wattage power.
Local sellers in your town will charge you more for 55W, that’s about 35W. Indeed, the HID kits of 35W can also run on 55W slim digital ballast. You achieve more arc of light with an Automotive HID bulb.
Mostly, the manufacturer doesn’t come with 55W HID lighting as it creates risks of more brightness, electricity, and heat. It’s a dilemma to manage your bulbs with high power. Please don’t do it. It makes the bulbs less efficient. Let me be clear, 55W means some additional lumens. You don’t get more brightness than 35W from 55W HID’s. Our professionals call it a diminishing return.
If you check world-leading HID bulbs, they all are designed for 35W. Also, the factory HID has the same watt power. Then, what does 55W mean? It’s just saying to convince people about the power level of the HID color emission. We have seen lots of cases of damages happening due to 55W heat.
We have a report on a 55W HID kit that creates excessive heat and becomes highly hazardous. One of our clients, I don’t remember his name, showed me his headlight lens melted by sockets and housings. He had to replace the modern headlamp, not cheap.
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Is 55W HID too bright?
Yes, as I have previously said that 1 watt more to the 35W HID produces more lumens than it. Following the terms, 55W kits will produce 4X brighter lumens than the 35W. However, it is not the standard rate. You will experience more heat on the downside and inside the headlight housing. It affects the headlight lens dangerously. There is a high chance; you receive a ticket from the local police. Using 55W is not legal to some central states as it causes excessive glare to the oncoming traffic and drivers.
A proper 55W ballast outflows 65 watts of power, whereas all factory headlamp wiring has 16-55 watts capacity. It depends on the bulb’s size and wiring factor. If you aren’t concerned about the factory wiring to put HIDs to the housing, you will indulge your car’s motherboard to damage. We recommend using an ‘HID Battery Wiring Relay Harness‘ for the situation.
You may think 35W produces less brightness, but it makes almost double brightness than a factory bulb. I’ve got a Philips 35W HID kit producing 3200 lumens. It is an actual rate for HID bulbs. If you modify that bulb to the 55W kit, you get a 25% increase, not even huge. Still, 55W HID ballast strategy will make oncoming drivers upset returns to additional power. Even though modern HID bulbs come with heat dissipation technology, they mostly come with a 35W system to maintain street legality. I repeat, there are no HID bulbs that are made of 55W truly. It’s just an upsell from the seller; stay away.
35w vs 55w HID Kit: The Key Similarities & Differences
If you upgrade your stock headlights to HID headlights, you get brighter light and safety at night. Why don’t you intend to see well? An aftermarket HID bulb will make extra illumination and consume less power from the vehicle’s battery. HID conversion kits are famous worldwide for being designed with versatile colors, correct ranges, and designs.
The similarities:
- The first thing of 35W and 55W is being HID
- Mostly made of anti-UV Quartz
- The headlight kit has lamp protection and a warranty
- Latest HID’s are water and dust protected
- Installed with an extra relay harness
The differences:
- Thirty-five watts are the standard unit for manufacturers, drivers, and states, whereas 55W kits are used for higher power output.
- You’ll get 35W kits ranging between 2300 and 3500 lumens approximately. On the other hand, the 55W has a higher light intensity of 3000-4800 lumens.
- I have seen 35W bulbs are mostly reserved for luxurious cars, and 55W is a choice for maximum brightness and excessive glare.
- Scientifically, the 35 watts are brighter than halogen bulbs and legal for streets. We found the 55 watts rarely legal but illegal in most states.
- Why is the 35W best? It runs cooler and eats less power than the 55W. You may need an extra modification for both types of bulbs. Compared to the 35W HID or standard bulb, the 55W has shorter bulb life.
Conclusion
I confirmed the difference between 35W VS 55W HID. You better know what’s best suited for your charm. Mostly, the well-graded manufacturers come with a 35W HID strategy to spark downside to the road correctly. You can upgrade to a 55W kit for your needs even though it’s risky. We recommend 35W top-grade bulbs for high-end cars. You can use 55W ballast available on the market and create a higher demand in the HID technology.