Differences Between Xenon HID and Xenon Gas-Filled Bulbs

One of the hottest trends in autmotive lighting in recent years is the use of Xenon HID bulbs. Drivers tend to love these bulbs because they produce far more light than standard halogen bulbs. They also have a strong, white light, sometimes with a blue tint, that makes your car stand out from the crowd.

If you're looking for Xenon HID bulbs, you might have noticed two confusing terms - Xenon HID and Xenon gas-filled bulbs. Although both contain Xenon gas, they are two very different bulbs. In this article, we'll explain the differences between Xenon HID bulbs and Xenon gas-filled bulbs, and discuss which is better.
 

Xenon HID

Let's talk about Xenon HID (also known as High Intensity Discharge). These bulbs are a recent technology, and they're slowly replacing the old halogen bulbs you can find on most cars.

Xenon HID bulbs work in a different way in comparison to halogen. With halogen, there's a tungsten filament that gets hot and the halogen gas surrounding it helps to keep the filament hot and burning brightly. Xenon HID, on the other hand, don't contain a filament at all. Instead, they're based on what scientists call the gas discharge principal. This essentially means that an arc of light is created between two electrodes in the bulb, which is filled with Xenon gas (amongst other things).

The result of this is that Xenon HID bulbs are up to three times brighter than halogen bulbs. They also have a higher colour temperature, meaning that they produce a bluish or white light that looks more than the sun's natural light. Additionally, Xenon HID bulbs last roughly twice as long as old halogen bulbs.
 

Xenon-gas filled bulbs

Xenon gas-filled bulbs are simply a halogen bulb that's filled with Xenon gas, instead of halogen. This gives the bulb a whiter, slightly stronger light, but will look more like a halogen bulb than a HID on the road.
 

What to look for in a Xenon bulb

If you want a Xenon HID bulb and not just a Xenon gas-filled lamp, you'll first need to know if your car uses factory-fitted Xenon HIDs. Halogen and Xenon HID bulbs cannot simply be switched for each other due to the different ways they connect to the car. If your car uses halogen bulbs, you can buy a HID conversion kit which converts your halogen headlights to Xenon HID. Find out more here.

Shop HID conversion kits here.
 

If you car uses Xenon HID bulbs as standard and you'd like to purchase some new bulbs, there's a few things you should be on the lookout for. Firstly, make sure the bulbs you're buying specify that they're HID and not just Xenon gas-filled. Secondly, genuine Xenon HIDs are almost always more expensive than halogen bulbs filled with xenon gas, due to the different technologies involved in making the bulbs.

Another top tip is to buy from a reputable source to ensure you're getting the real deal. There's a lot of counterfeit Xenon HID bulbs on the market and not all sellers are trustworthy. Here at PowerBulbs, we have a wide selelction of guaranteed authentic Xenon HID bulbs that are supplied directly from the manufacturers. When you shop with us, you can shop with confidence. 

Shop Xenon HID bulbs here.
 

Other options

If you still want the Xenon HID look without spending the time installing a HID conversion kit, you've got a few options. No halogen bulb can match the power of a true Xenon HID, but our range of styling bulbs will produce a high colour temperature to give that Xenon effect.

Shop styling bulbs here.
 

If you're after extra light on the road, take a look at the OSRAM Night Breaker Laser range. These bulbs are filled with Xenon gas but still give out lots of extra light on the road in comparison to a standard halogen.

Shop OSRAM Night Breaker Laser here.