Before you Buy: Headlight Options for 2018-2020 F150s!

The stock headlights on the 2018-2020 F150s actually have a pretty cool design, and are arguably some of the most stylish-looking OEM headlights around. That being said, their low-beam output really isn't that impressive and their chrome housings can cramp your F150 build's styling theme. The good news is that there's plenty of headlight upgrade options available for the 2018-2020 F150s that can get your truck a great look and/or improved lighting output in pretty short order. The bad news is that because there's so many options, it gets pretty tough to navigate what's best for you, your truck, and your budget. We're to help, and we've personally tested out may headlight options for the F150s over the years and we have a ton of hands-on experience.

2018-2020 F150 Headlight LED Conversion Kits

If you're solely looking for an output bump or if your budget means a complete headlight replacement just isn't in the cards, then a headlight LED Conversion Kit for 2018-2020 F150s is probably the way to go. LED conversion kits replace your F150's factory halogen bulbs with new bulb assemblies with LEDs that generate much more lighting output than the stock halogen bulbs and usually have a crisper, pure white color temperature that adds a more modern and classy look to your truck. These kits are budget-friendly ways to add some output and new styling to your truck. The F150s use an H11 halogen bulb for the low beams and a 9005 halogen bulb for the high beams, and you'll need an LED conversion kit that's specific to H11s, 9005s, or both in order to upgrade your F150's stock headlights. We used the Diode Dynamics SL1s on our 2018 F150 Budget Build's Low Beams, and we had excellent results.

Like anything, there's pros and cons to running an LED conversion kit versus adding a completely new headlight to your truck. The biggest benefit of LED conversion kits is their pricing. For anyone on a budget who's looking for a lighting output increase, LED conversion kits for the stock headlights are the way to go. They're also fairly easy to install, though getting to the headlights in the 2018-2020 F150s in the first place is kind of a pain. LED conversion kits can be installed without removing the headlights from the truck, though, which makes them fairly hassle-free, as muck as we may long for the easy headlight access of the 2009-2014 F150s. There are a couple of downsides to LED conversion kits, though. One of the biggest is that they can often be too bright. The factory halogen headlights are designed specifically for halogen bulbs, and since halogens only have so good of an output to begin with, they have to scatter light just about everywhere to get effective coverage. Since LED conversion kits can have much more output, that scattering effect can easily blind other drivers. The problems can be somewhat mitigated with proper headlight aiming, but sometimes that's not even enough. We generally recommend sticking with LED conversion kits in the 2000ish raw lumen range to help avoid issue. The Diode Dynamics SL1s, CrystaLux G9 Series, or CrystaLux G11 Series all have power levels and beam patterns that tend to be tame while still giving you a nice boost on overall lighting output.

2018-2020 F150 Headlights with Halogen Bulbs

The next step up from LED conversion kits are replacement aftermarket headlights with halogen headlights. These headlights are a great styling upgrade, and while they won't necessarily increase output on their own (more on that in a minute), most come with low-beam projectors that generally handle LED conversion kits more effectively than stock reflector headlights. Aftermarket headlights come in a huge variety of designs and styling so that you can find the perfect look to your truck. Many come with LED styling strips and even switchback turn signal strips that give your truck a great look. We installed a set of ANZO Plank Style Switchback Projector Headlights on a later stage of our 2018 F150 Budget Build when it came time to finally ditch the factory headlights. The ANZO's were awesome and gave our truck an awesome, new look.

The big benefit of these halogen projector headlights is that they can really change up the looks of your truck in a big way. Halogen projectors may be a little pricier than LED conversion kits, but they're still less expensive than other options and give your truck a head-turning look that will make your F150 one of the most unique things on your block. While halogen projector headlights look great, their outputs out of the box are either similar to stock or only slightly improved. While these headlights use projector lenses, they're still powered by halogen bulbs, and a halogen can only be so powerful. The projector lenses do tend to have better range than the stock reflectors, but they lack some amount of intensity which can result in a dim look, despite halogen bulbs having similar light outputs across similar types. This problem can be rectified by dropping in an LED conversion kit (and most halogen projector headlights use an H7 halogen) which can give you excellent results since the projectors usually have a clean cutoff. However, that additional LED conversion kit adds onto the cost, which may be a no-go for folks on a tight budget.

LED Projector Headlights for 2018-2020 F150s

If price is no object and you want both the awesome look of projector headlights with the output of an LED conversion kit, then LED Projector Headlights are your winning ticket. These headlights use LED boards built into their housings instead of traditional halogen bulbs, which generate far more light output to give your F150 excellent visibility at both close and long ranges. Some LED projector headlights even take it to the next level with quad projector lenses, and headlights like the AlphaRex Nova Series we installed on our 2019 F150 King of the Desert Project truck or the new Morimoto XB Gen 2 LED Headlights give you big-time output gains without the need to mess with conversion kits. These headlights provide many of the same styling features as halogen headlights so that you can change up the looks of your F150 build in a big way while also getting excellent improvements in lighting output.

With the combination of a great look and improved lighting output, LED projector headlights give plenty to like. Their only real downside is their price. LED projector headlights are up their in the price range, though you can make a pretty good argument that you get what you pay for. If the AlphaRex Nova Series or the Morimoto XBs make your wallet (understandably) cringe, then you can take a look at the Morimoto XB Hybrids which are less expensive than quad projector headlights, but still have most of the benefits. Granted, "less expensive" is a relative term, and even the Hybrid XBs aren't excellent light on the ol' bank account.

F150 Headlight Upgrades:

• 2015-2020 F150 Diode Dynamics SL1 Low Beam LED Conversion Kit
• 2015-2020 F150 CrystaLux G9 Series H11 LUMILEDs Low Beam LED Conversion Kit
• 2015-2020 F150 CrystaLux G9 Series 9005 LUMILEDs High Beam LED Conversion Kit
• 2015-2020 F150 CrystaLux G11 Series H11 Low Beam LED Conversion Kit
• 2015-2020 F150 CrystaLux G11 Series 9005 High Beam LED Conversion Kit
• CrystaLux G11 Series H7 LED Conversion Kit
• 2018-2020 F150 ANZO Plank Style Switchback Projector Headlights (Black Housings)
• 2018-2020 F150 AlphaRex Nova Series Black LED Projector Headlights (For Halogen Only)
• 2018-2020 F150 Morimoto XB Gen 2 LED Headlights
• 2018-2020 F150 Morimoto XB Hybrid LED Headlights (Gunmetal)