The Best Headlight Restoration Kits That Easily Make Your Headlights New Again
Cars look terrible with yellow, cloudy headlight lenses. Chances are that’s why you are looking into the best headlight restoration kits. In this article, I will show you everything you need to know about the best headlight restoration kits, plus toss in a few tips to get the most out of yours.
Why do headlight lenses need to be restored anyway?
Over time through wear and tear, headlight lenses become yellow and faded. This is due to the constant bombardment of bugs, dirt, and God knows what else they endure over the lifetime of your car.
This causes headlights to lose the ability to light the road up properly over time. Dim, clouded headlights on your car don’t only make your car look absolutely terrible, it makes it hard to see the road at night.
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The problem? Replacing headlight assemblies can be expensive…
Really expensive… A typical Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche headlight assembly can cost thousands to replace.
That’s why I want to cover the best headlight restoration kits for the money. These simple-to-use, effective headlight restoration kits will save you from dim, ineffective headlights at a fraction of the cost.
In a hurry? Jump right into one of the kits below, any of these will make your headlights look like new without replacing them. Keep reading to look at headlight restoration kit options more in-depth.
3M Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit with Quick Clear Coat = More time to finish, the best overall result
Meguiar’s Two-Step Headlight Restoration Kit= Great deal and results!
Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit= Top rated on Amazon with over 21,000 ratings
What is headlight restoration and how can it save you money?
Before we dive into the best headlight refinishing kits, let’s take a look at the two main ways these kits work.
Headlight restoration kits are designed to improve the clarity and appearance of foggy or yellowed headlights. These kits consist of various tools, products, and coatings that remove haze, oxidation, and discoloration from headlight lenses.
I’ve used many different headlight restoration products over the years and they can really make all the difference for your car without spending a ton of money. There are a few different types of headlight restoration kits available, however, they generally follow a similar process from product to product.
What are the different types of headlight restoration kits?
- Abrasive Restoration Kits:
- These kits often include sandpaper or abrasive pads of different grit levels.
- The first step involves wetting the headlight lens and using the coarsest grit sandpaper or pad to remove the damaged outer layer of the lens.
- The process continues with progressively finer grits to refine the lens surface.
- Finally, a polishing compound or solution is used to restore clarity and shine to the lens.
- Chemical Restoration Kits:
- Chemical restoration kits focus on using specific chemical solutions to remove oxidation and restore the headlight lens.
- The process usually involves cleaning the headlight lens with a provided cleaner or degreaser.
- Next, a specialized chemical solution is applied to the lens, which interacts with the oxidized layer and breaks it down.
- Some kits may include a sealer or UV protectant to apply after the restoration process to help maintain clarity and protect against future damage. These are usually the fastest and easiest option.
- Professional headlight restoration kits:
- These kits often include an electric buffer or drill attachment to aid in the restoration process.
- The headlight lens is typically cleaned and prepped using a provided cleaning solution.
- A specialized restoration compound or polish is applied to the lens.
- The power tool or drill attachment is then used to buff and polish the lens, helping to remove oxidation and restore clarity.
Whatever kit you choose, follow the directions to the “tee” and take your time to get the best results. It’s always a good idea to read and follow the specific instructions provided with the kit you choose. Additionally, some kits may recommend using masking tape to protect the surrounding areas of the headlight during the restoration process.
Headlight restoration can bring back the functionality and appearance of your headlights for MUCH Less money. If you do this easy job yourself with the right products it will pay off.
Why is headlight clarity important?
You don’t need to be a professional mechanic to know it’s hard to see the road at night in a car with crappy headlights. Safety while driving is the top reason here, but damn… Headlights can look terrible too!
There is no reason for your car’s headlights to look faded, yellow, and terrible. If you are handy and have a good drill you can sand down the damaged surface to reveal a fresh clear headlight lens, or you can spend much less time and effort with a chemical (spray coating) option. Either way, your safety comes first and if you are driving at night with dim headlights you are taking a chance.
What are the 3 Best headlight restoration kits available today?
3M Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit with Quick Clear Coat
3M has been in the game for a long time making great products, this product is another great example. This kit is more in-depth and will require some work, and a good drill, but the results are outstanding.
This is a top-rated product on Amazon that can be used to sand down and refinish headlights and taillights, along with any other plastic automotive lens for the most part.
Pros:
Cons:
Meguiar’s Two-Step Headlight Restoration Kit
This a great example of the chemical type headlight restoration products. You simply frost the entire headlight lens with the cleaner and then spray the coating product over the headlight lens to bring it back to like new condition.
I like this style kit because it’s quick and easy, plus the sprayed coating seems to last longer than I expected on my wife’s car.
With this headlight restoration kit, you can get great results in less than 15 minutes! This UV protectant coating will last for about one year, not too bad for a faded headlight solution that costs less than $25 bucks right now.
Pros:
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SYLVANIA – Headlight Restoration Kit
This is the best overall headlight kit, when performed correctly on a set of headlights the finish is guaranteed FOREVER! as long as you own your car. This kit is similar to the Meguiar’s kit shown above, however, Silvania takes it one step further and offers a great guarantee that just can’t be beaten.
This is the perfect balance in a headlight resto kit. You can’t go wrong if you follow the directions and take your time. Another perk? This kit is under $25 dollars, toss in a new set of LED headlight bulbs and you are in the money.
Pros:
Cons:
The best headlight restoration kits are only the start, tips on restoring your headlights properly
Any one of these kits will make your headlights look 100% better if they are used correctly, let’s look at some quick tips for a great outcome.
Wrapping up
I hope this article took some of the guesswork out of headlight restoration kits. With the technology available today there is no reason to put up with weak ugly headlights anymore.
This list was designed for a quick solution that anyone can do on a Saturday. Take a minute this weekend and make your car and the road look better at night.
