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Light Covers Can Save Your Expensive Lenses

Headlight assemblies face a constant barrage of abrasive grit and rocks. We discuss clear, tinted, and custom protective overlays that prevent damage and discoloration.
Light Covers Can Save Your Expensive Lenses

The next time you are hand-washing your vehicular pride and joy (you DO hand-wash your car or truck, don't you?), take a really good look at the front end. We mean a really good look. Even if your ride is new, it only takes a matter of weeks before daily driving starts to take its toll. And the older your car is, the more you will see it: the effects of sand and other fine yet abrasive particles which have been thrown against the front. On painted surfaces, pitting occurs (for this, consider a car bra for protection).

Of greater concern is the damage being done to your headlamps. Not only will the abrasive blast start to dull and pit the lenses, reducing light output - a pebble or small rock flung from a truck tire tread will crack that headlamp assembly and result in a multi-hundred dollar repair bill when all is said and done. Do you live in a winter climate where salt and sand are purposely spread on the road? Figure on twice the damage in half the time.

The not-so-good news continues: today's vehicles, with their plastic headlight assemblies, eventually suffer from UV exposure. So if you reside in the sunny South and are hee-hawing about our winter comment above, the sun will step in and do its number by turning your unprotected lamp assemblies dull and opaque. Think of it as cataracts over your vehicle's headlights.

Because we understand the auto enthusiast's desire to protect their vehicle from this kind of damage and wear, we've created an entire Headlights & Tail Light Covers section with protection for both front and rear lenses. There, you’ll find clear headlight protectors that peel-and-apply as well as pre-shaped covers. We also offer fully tinted headlight and tail light cover pieces, and covers that create a look of projector beams using stylish surround designs. For each product you look at, check the "Product Options" field to see choices of colors and styles once you enter your make, model, and year.

Flexible Headlight Protectors

Soft Urethane Film Clear Headlight Covers

Soft Urethane Film Clear Headlight Protectors

Peel-and-stick headlight protectors provide easy installation, and their flexible construction allows them to coat your headlamp assemblies with form-fitting precision. Because these covers are perfectly clear, they are invisible to the eye. More importantly, they allow 100% of headlamp brightness to pass through undiluted. We've got the WeatherTech LampGard Headlight Covers and the XPEL Light Protection Kit.

Clear / Smoke XPEL Light Protection Kit
The XPEL Light Protection Kit, in clear and smoke tint varieties.

Both of these protectors are made from thin acrylic film designed to adhere permanently once installed. Not only do they form a tough, durable shell to protect your headlamps from being sandblasted opaque, they allow ice to be scraped off firmly during winter months without damage. Built-in UV inhibitors prevent the plastic guard pieces themselves from drying, hardening, or discoloring, so the inhibitors keep UV rays off your headlamp assemblies too.

Applying Soft Urethane Protectors

Applying Soft Urethane Covers

Soft urethane headlight protectors we offer are designed to adhere permanently once easy installation steps are performed. The first step is to clean the headlights as thoroughly as possible - some headlight cover kits may even include a small bottle of solution. After that, use a clay bar to remove any hardened dirt, bugs, and road tar still stuck to the headlight assembly lens.

When you're ready to apply the headlight covers, spray a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water (this may be included with your purchase) onto your fingers and the inner adhesive side of the headlight cover. This prevents the cover from sticking as soon as it hits so it can be slid around until it's in the perfect position. As the alcohol/water solution dries, the adhesive will take over and stick permanently. Squeegees are included with each of the kits we sell to use once the headlight covers have been positioned. Slide the squeegees along the surface to push out any small air bubbles underneath so the cover piece lies perfectly flat and even.

Clear Hard Shell Headlight Cover Pieces

Wade Clear Headlight Covers
Wade Clear Headlight Covers.

We’ve got a number of clear hard shell headlight covers. For example, Wade's Headlight Covers (available in clear or smoke) are made from a high-impact acrylic that offers maximum strength protection because of thick, hard shell construction. These pieces come already shaped to fit over the headlamps of your vehicle, so they'll mount securely with double-sided tape and look right.

Smoked (Tinted) Headlight Covers

Smoked Headlight Covers

If you're looking for smoked (tinted) hard shell headlight covers, we’ve got a great selection. They can also be found within the Product Options section of on products such as the GTS Headlight Covers, AVS Headlight Covers, and Wade Headlight Covers just to name a few.

GTS Headlight Covers
GTS Headlight Covers.

These are not permanent peel-and-stick covers - instead they're hard shell pieces which can be removed and applied more easily should the law and inspection regulations in your area require it. Because the AVS covers are constructed from impact modified acrylic, they offer a higher level of protection from rocks and debris for those who drive on unpaved roads or trails.

Carbon Fiber Look Headlight Covers

GTS Headlight Covers In Simulated Carbon Fiber Tint
GTS Headlight Covers, in simulated carbon fiber tint.

We’ve also got tinted headlight covers with a simulated carbon fiber look for a number of vehicles. As with smoke covers, carbon fiber versions can be found within the Product Options section of standard covers.

GTS Headlight Covers In Carbon Fiber Tint
GTS Headlight Covers, in simulated carbon fiber tint.

Headlight Covers That Accentuate a Projector Beam Look.

If you've decided that you'd like to accentuate the underlying projector beam lights within the headlamp assembly, AVS Projectorz Headlight Covers are stylishly designed and vehicle specific. These covers block out the unnecessary portions of the headlight lens, and have openings for the headlight beams to project their light. It's an easy way to give the front end of your vehicle an appearance boost. The Projectorz come in black, but the material is paintable should you wish to match your vehicle or customize the color.

GTS Pro Beam Headlight
The GTS Pro-Beam Headlight Covers.

The GTS Pro-Beam Headlight Covers also simulate the appearance of projector beam lenses. In the Product Options field, you'll see the Platinum Package which simulates a frosted headlight lens with round headlight cutouts, the Carbon Fiber package which simulates carbon fiber, the Tribal Package which creates a look of war paint, and a package with flame decals.

AVS Projectorz Headlight Covers
AVS Projectorz Headlight Covers.
AVS Projectorz
AVS Projectorz.

Tail Light Covers

GTS Smoke Tailblazers
GTS Smoke TailBlazers

We’ve also got hard shell tail light covers in a variety of styles such as tinted black smoke, carbon fiber look, white outline, and more. For example, GTS Smoke TailBlazers are black plastic cover pieces with diagonal slotted openings for illumination. The striped pattern catches the eye and adds a unique customized look, sure to make your ride stand out at its next function.

GTS Offers A Set Of Pro Beam Tail Light
GTS offers a set of Pro-Beam Tail Light Covers with the same design choices available in their Pro-Beam headlight covers depending on vehicle availability.

GTS offers a set of Pro-Beam Tail Light Covers with the same design selections you'll find in their Pro-Beam headlight covers (depending on vehicle availability). Looking in Product Options, you may find some or all of the following styles available for your make and model: the Platinum Package with simulated frost encircling cutouts, the Carbon Fiber package which simulates carbon fiber, the Tribal Package which creates the look of war paint, and a Flame package with fire decals blazing across the tail lights. Should you prefer tinted/smoked covers for the rear of your vehicle, GTS also offers Blackouts Tail Light Covers and Smoke Turn Signal Covers (also available for the front of the vehicle in Product Options).

As you are reviewing your choices among these products in our Headlights & Tail Light Covers section, note that we also sell similar varieties of covers for fog lights and turn signal lights. Whether it's for protection or for style (or both!), you will certainly set yourself apart from the herd with a classy set of light covers.

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