When you consider the vital role that fog lights play, it's easy to see that brighter is better. Because fog lights are positioned lower to the ground, the light they cast illuminates the surface of the road much closer to you. On uneven or poor road surfaces, this lets you see tire-damaging potholes in time to avoid them.
![LED Fog Light Halogen Bulb Difference](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/led-fog-light-halogen-bulb-difference_0.jpg)
![Driving In Fog](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/driving-in-fog_0.jpg)
Treacherous driving conditions such as fog are made much easier by fog lights because their lower vantage point allows light to travel further through mist that typically sits above the surface of the road. Headlights mounted higher up and pointed straight ahead actually make it harder to see in fog or heavy snow because they reflect glare directly back into your eyes. Fog lights don't. Being angled to the side allows fog lights to sweep both edges of the road where woodland animals lurk in the dark until the last second.
![Driving In Snowy Weather Conditions](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/driving-in-snowy-weather-conditions_0.jpg)
![Driving In Dark Conditions](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/driving-in-dark-conditions_0.jpg)
A good pair of fog lights also makes it easier for other drivers to see you - ensuring your personal safety. So it's easy to see how having more of this kind of light is preferable. LED fog light bulbs make all of these things possible with just a quick and easy bulb swap. We recommend them as an upgrade because they are the brightest fog light bulbs available.
In the scope of this article, we'll discuss replacement LED fog light bulbs, why they're better, and how easy it is to install them in place of your originals.
LED (short for light-emitting diodes) fog light bulbs we sell are designed to mate with your car in the same way as your original bulbs. So installation comes down to removing your old halogen bulb, and popping in a new one. It's important to note that because some of the LED bulbs are physically larger in size than the halogen ones you're replacing, they may not fit into some fog light housings. For this reason, we recommend measuring available space before ordering an LED replacement bulb.
![Standard Automotive Bulb Socket Types Table](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/standard-automotive-bulb-socket-types-table_0.jpg)
Your car or truck is equipped from the factory with a specific bulb size/type, using an industry-agreed standard for identification. These sizes are universal throughout the auto industry, with a specific code number for each bulb type. Because the LED fog light bulbs we sell are vehicle-specific, you'll see only the bulb that's applicable for your make and model once you've entered year, make, and model in our Product Options section. In most cases, our website will indicate the bulb size/number (see the above picture for examples). As a precaution, we recommend verifying the fog light bulb size for your vehicle by checking the owner's manual.
Please note! LED fog light bulbs are suitable only as replacements for halogen bulbs, and are NOT compatible with factory HID/Xenon setups.
Why LED Fog Lights Are Superior
The main difference between LEDs and traditional halogen incandescent bulbs is the way they transform electricity into light. Halogen bulbs require a central filament thread burning at extremely high temperatures in order to radiate energy in the form of light. LEDs don't, because they're essentially transistors that glow when electrical current passes through them. Because energy is not wasted creating unnecessary heat, LEDs draw only about one-fifth of the energy that regular bulbs do - at far lower operating temperatures. This also allows LED light to be whiter and cleaner-looking, resembling what comes out of a xenon/HID bulb at a fraction of the cost - and with none of the complexity.
![Difference Between LEDs And Traditional Incandescent Bulbs](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/difference-between-leds-traditional-halogen-incandescent-bulbs_0.jpg)
![Scheme Of Light Emitting Diode](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/scheme-of-light-emitting-diode_0.jpg)
LEDs are sealed against moisture intrusion - rated as either waterproof or water resistant up to a depth such as one meter. They can also withstand shocks that are punishing to bulbs with filaments. The end effect is much greater longevity. Compared to the lifespan of traditional bulbs (1,000 - 2,000 hours), LEDs will light your way for 10,000 - 50,000 hours. That means once you install LED fog light bulbs, you'll probably never have to replace them again as long as you own your vehicle.
![LED Fog Light Bulbs With Metal Heat Sinks](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/led-fog-light-bulbs-with-metal-heat-sinks_0.jpg)
The diodes inside of LED bulbs do produce some heat because they're brighter than most other vehicle lights. LED fog light bulbs we sell are designed to effectively disburse heat through specially shaped "heat sinks" consisting of braided or finned metal elements at the base of the fog light assembly.
![Typical LED Cooling Fan Assembly](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/typical-led-cooling-fan-assembly_0.jpg)
Going a step further, LED fog light bulbs that produce extremely high amounts of light are equipped with small cooling fans inside their base. These fans exhaust excess heat through vents, and have been improved to the point where they'll easily exceed the lifetime of the bulb itself.
True Brightness Is Measured In Lumens, Not Watts
When considering the brightness of LED fog light bulbs, you'll want to look at their lumen output, not wattage. Traditional bulbs use watt ratings to measure brightness - however, wattage measures energy consumed instead of actual brightness. Since LEDs use approximately 20% of the electricity halogen bulbs do, wattage consumption isn't an accurate measure of light output. LED bulbs are rated in lumens, with one lumen equaling the light of a single standardized candlepower (cd) unit. Lumen output is specified in the product descriptions for each of the LED fog light bulbs we offer.
![Lumen G7 Without Cooling Fan And G8 With Cooling Fan](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/lumen-g7-without-cooling-fan-g8-with-cooling-fan_0.jpg)
When it comes to great value and strong luminosity, the Lumen LED Foglight Conversion Kit is one of our best sellers because of its proven track record of reliability. In our Product Options popup box, you'll find G7 and G8 versions. Should you prefer a more compact size, G7 versions produce 4,000 lumens (as a pair) without cooling fans. The G7s also feature a reversible heat sink, which can save you a few precious millimeters should you need it for the installation. Slightly larger in size with integrated cooling fans, G8 versions produce 6,000 lumens as a pair. Unlike many LED fog light bulbs, both Lumen versions allow you to adjust the angle of the bulb.
We also have the Putco Fog Light Bulbs and the Oracle Lighting Plasma Fog Light LED Bulbs - both with 600 lumens as a pair.
![Plasmaglow LED Igniters Fog Light Kit](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/plasmaglow-led-igniters-fog-light-kit_0.jpg)
Moving up the brightness scale, we've got the Plasmaglow LED Igniters Fog Light Conversion Kit with 2,400 lumens (pair). In Product Options, you'll be able to choose from the standard "LED Igniters" without fans, or the "Pro Series LED Igniters" with cooling fans. The Nova-Lux LED Foglight Conversion Kit comes with standard cooling fans, and produces 3,200 lumens (pair).
We also offer the PIAA LED Fog Light Performance Bulbs with standard cooling fans that produce 3,700 lumens (pair) as well as the shorter-length Oracle Lighting 18 LEDs Fog Light Bulbs without cooling fans and 4,000 lumens (pair). Evo Lighting's Fog Light Conversion Kit puts out a brighter 6,000 lumens and includes cooling fans standard.
![PIAA LED Fog Light Performance Bulbs](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/piaa-led-fog-light-performance-bulbs_0.jpg)
![XKGlow LED Fog Light Conversion Kit](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/xkglow-led-fog-light-conversion-kit_0.jpg)
For those that travel on the darkest of roads, we've got the XKGlow LED Fog Light Conversion Kit equipped with standard cooling fans. In Product Options, you'll see a "CREE" version with red anodized finish that puts out an amazing 10,000 lumens of light as a pair. A blue anodized version is available with 5,500 lumens (as a pair).
![LED Lights Section](https://ic.carid.com/articles/led-fog-light-bulbs-brighten-your-view-on-foggy-drives/led-lights-section_0.jpg)
If you make any use of your ride's fog lights, you owe it to yourself to up the light output with a set of LED fog light bulbs. You may also find it enlightening to check out our LED headlight bulb section. We also have bulbs for just about any exterior and interior vehicle light you can think of in our LED lights section. There, you'll find replacement LED bulbs for turn signals, side marker lights, brake lights, and interior bulbs. Plus, you can spice up the look of your car or truck with LED light bars, headlight halo rings, daytime running light assemblies, underbody light kits, and more!