The Lighting Basics: “Incandescent or LED?” Part 1: Benefits

Today, we answer one of the most common questions that we get: “Incandescent or LED?” The shortest possible answer I can give you is: “It depends.” To you decide which suits your needs better, here are three practical benefits to each of the solutions.

Incandescent Lights

•Good in the cold. Incandescent lights draw more power, produce more heat, and melt more snow and ice. This prevents you from having to get out of the truck and brush the snow off the lights so you can see.

•Easy to replace. Most of the time, all that needs replaced is the light bulb itself. Bulbs for incandescent lights can be found practically anywhere and on the cheap.

•Great in the fog. Feedback that I have received from truckers has told me the yellow tint of incandescent bulbs can penetrate the fog better than an LED solution. More light isn’t always better in this situation.

LED Lights

•Power efficiency. A very attractive benefit is that LEDs require next to no power to illuminate. By reducing the power needed for the lights, the trucker can use that power for other things… or more lights.

•Multiple diodes. Having more than one diode on a light will not only be brighter, but they also act as a failsafe. One diode can die and the others will produce adequate light, saving you from a ticket. Multiple diodes can also allow for some creative lighting patterns.

•Very, very bright. All else being equal, LEDs produce more light than their incandescent counterparts. More light leads to a safer driving experience for everybody on the road.

Keep in mind that you can mix and match incandescent and LED lights on a truck. That way, you can change out a couple to see how they look and perform to decide if it is worth it for you.

No matter if you choose incandescent or LED for your truck, we carry both options. Visit our website www.slclighting.com or you can give us a call at 800-938-0120. Online, use the code MOVINOUT2016 or call in and mention that you saw our ad in Movin’ Out for a 10% discount.

Next month, we will discuss the issues with each solution.