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Halo headlights offer a distinctive ring of light around a car’s headlights. They were first introduced by BMW. But nowadays, many carmakers offer them as an option—and aftermarket vendors provide options to retrofit your existing lights with halo rings.
The high-tech automotive style would look out-of-place on a pre-war car. But adding illuminated rings to a late-model vehicle, especially a performance model, adds curb appeal and brightens the road ahead.
The Best Lighting Tech for Halo Headlights
Many users prefer a continuous glow from halo headlights.
The cost of adding a halo ring effect varies based on the design and technology. It ranges from about $20 to $100 per light. We don’t recommend halo rings using incandescent bulbs. They tend to have uneven, relatively dim displays, which undermine the high-tech effect.
Halos are available for trucks and motorcycles as well as cars.
Rings come in various diameters based on the clearance available in your vehicle’s headlight housing.
A smart first step is to measure the housing on your existing headlights. Determine the diameter that would allow the halo rings to fit snugly in the housing without being too close to the exterior lens.
Shop now for halo headlightsTypes of Halo Headlights
LED – $20 to $25
Halo rings using LED bulbs use a notched acrylic ring of lights on both ends. The notches allow the acrylic to bend, forming a circular shape that emits a glow around the entire effect. The effect with LED halos is a continuous glow, unlike other technologies that display individual lights.
Surface Mounted Diodes (SMD) – $25 to $75
This halo ring shows the separate point of blue light.
With a SMD ring, the perimeter has separate LEDs affixed to the housing. This generates separate points of light. If you don’t like the look of an SMD’s individual points of light, you can add a diffusing cover that creates a uniform light pattern.
If the unit uses red-green-blue (RGB) diodes, you can choose between changing colors, usually using a phone app. We suggest showing restraint. It’s easy to get too tricky because some systems allow you to sync changing colors to music playing in the car.
Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light (CCFL) – $40 to $100
You can install halo rings around your low and high beams.
Similar to a neon tube light, this halo ring emits a continuous, even stream of light around the ring. CCFL halos use AC power to run longer and more efficiently. Most units come with an inverter to switch a car’s DC power to the more efficient AC energy.
If a kit doesn’t come with an inverter, you can purchase one separately. The light is continuous and has an even glow throughout the ring.
When to Display Your Halo
Even when turned off, the halo light has a distinctive look.
When considering halo headlights, check your state laws. Most allow them to be used in any manner when parked on private property. Some states prohibit color-changing halos (especially red and blue colors) when on the road.
- Wire the unit to act as daytime running lights.
Halos operating as daytime running lights offer added visibility and sport a distinctive look. - Connect to turn signals as an extra lighting indicator.
Approaching vehicles won’t be able to miss your turn signals. - Only show the halos at night or when parked.
Halos are very prominent at night, especially the color-changing lights. Turn them on at a nighttime car show to draw a crowd.
Halo Headlight Installation
Do you have an older vehicle with sealed headlamps? Buy direct plug-in replacement units that already have the halo ring installed. Rectangular halo lights are available as well.
Vendors offer new headlight assemblies with halo rings already installed.
If you have a rectangular headlight, halo “rings” are still an option.
With a plug-and-play unit, remove the existing headlight assembly and install the new housing and reconnect the wires. The biggest hurdle is removing parts of the grill or bodywork to obtain access to the headlight assembly. Keep the original assembly in case you change your mind, or sell it as a used unit on eBay.
Retrofitting Halo Rings on Your Headlights
Adding a halo ring to an existing headlight assembly requires extensive mods. The process takes time. If you are not up to the challenge, we recommend buying a new headlight assembly that already has the halo ring installed. This will enable you to use the existing wiring harness.
For adventurous DIY folks, get ready to remove the entire headlight unit and pull it apart. You will also need to remove the glued plastic lens. Use a heat gun to soften the glue. If necessary, place the entire assembly in an oven. After the unit is opened, drill holes for the wiring, using picture-hanging wire to hold the ring securely in place. Wrap the wire around the ring in at least the top and bottom positions and drill a small hole in the housing to pull the wire through. Then twist the two wires tight–like when closing a loaf of bread—to hold the halo in place and secure the wire to the headlight assembly.
After everything is in place, reseal the housing with weather-tight silicone. At that point, the new halo ring needs to be wired into the existing electronics. There are plenty of YouTube videos that show the process.
Shop now for halo headlightsPlan on two to four hours to install a set of halos into a pair of headlights.
