The Brightest 3157 LED Bulbs in 2023

This is my buying guide on the best 3157 LED Bulbs in 2023. Below is a quick summary of my top recommendations. Scroll further down to read my in depth hands on reviews, for each 3157 bulbs.

BUDGET BRIGHTEST

Alla Lighting
LED Bulbs

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• 2,800 lumens per set
• IP67 waterproof
• Excellent brightness up to 1.870 lux
• Easy installation
• 6000K xenon white
• 17 watts per pair
• 33 5730 LED chips per unit
• Excellent cooling maximum 141°F
• Great for DRL use
• 30,000-hour lifespan

Overall BRIGHTEST

Lasfit Switchback 3157 LED Bulbs

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• 2,600 lumens each
• 1-year warranty
• Plug-and-play installation
• 3,000K amber white
• 28 watts each
• 40 LED chips
• Built-in resistor
• Excellent heat retention of 89%
• Temperature maximum of 154°F

PREMIUM CHOICE

Sylvania 3157 ZEVO LED White Bulbs

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• Excellent beam pattern
• 1.7 watts each
• Easy installation
• 6,000K bright white
• Excellent heat retention 85%
• Lifetime warranty
• Maximum temperature 141°F

3157 bulbs are versatile, and that’s what makes them great.

Whether you need them for reversing, turn signals, daytime running (DRL), interior, or brake lights, they can get the job done.

But how are you supposed to decide which one is best?

Lucky for you, I’m here with all the knowledge you need to guide you. I’ve always been passionate about cars and worked on them since I was a kid.

I tested ten of the brightest 3157 LED bulbs. The results? I found the top three.

The Lasfit Switchback 3157 LED bulbs were the brightest ones I found. The reason?

They have superb brightness and an intelligent temperature control system that keeps them cool.

Learn more about what makes these 3157 LED bulbs great and more about my other two top picks, one budget and one runner-up for brightest.

IMPORTANT! – Make sure you have the correct bulb sizing and fitment so you don’t waste your money, use this handy tool to double check.

Lasfit Switchback 3157 LED Bulbs

OVERALL BRIGHTEST

Overall Brightest

What makes the Lastfit Switchback 3157 LED bulbs the best? They’re the brightest of the bunch at 2600 lumens.

The Testing Process

My way of testing all headlight bulbs is the same. I position a lux meter 20 feet away from the bulb. I’m not testing for lux vs. lumens; I’m comparing them to stock halogen bulbs.

Halogens gave me an initial rating of 725 lux in the projector test and 910 lux in the reflector test.

In the projector test, the Lasfit Switchback 3157 LEDs came in at 1,053 lux. That’s around 150% brighter than the stock halogens.

What is impressive about the Lasfits is that 27 minutes later (the average commute time in the US), they dipped to 939 lux, which is 89% excellent heat retention.

Of course, if these are used as backup or tail lights, you won’t run them for 27 minutes, it’ll be a few seconds, but as DRLs, this is fantastic news.

In the reflector test, they gave me 2,080 lux initially and only dropped to 1,855, maintaining 89%.

The cut-off point was fairly low, which ensured full illumination of the area for excellent visibility while reversing. As signal lights, they were clear even in the daylight. 

The Lasfit Switchback 3157 LED lights were much brighter than halogen bulbs and provided a broader line of sight. 

These bulbs have an advertised wattage of 28. My tests showed 26.2 watts, so that’s pretty close to published, I like that.

Color Temperature 

These LED reverse lights come in at 3,000 Kelvins, meaning they are amber-white that reflects well in both tail and signal lights. They also work excellently as DRLs due to their coloration.

Personally, I prefer the cool white of the 6,000 Kelvins range, but many other drivers like the amber touch.

Heat Management

The Lastfit 3157 LED headlight bulbs use an intelligent temperature control system to monitor the heat levels in the lights. There’s no internal fan, which concerned me at first.

However, my tests measured 154°F after 27 minutes, which isn’t that bad, so the design of these units appears to work.

Nifty Additions 

They also have a unique design, using mini fuses around the base of the bulb to protect it and improve durability. They look like something out of a science fiction movie, but I love it.

Each bulb also has 40 LED chips which explains the brightness and the wide beam pattern. 

Installation

Lasfit has done an excellent job matching these 1:1 to stock halogens. As a result, installation took around five minutes each. 

Lasfit promotes that these bulbs don’t cause any hyper-flashing, so they don’t need a decoder. However, I got a CAN bus dashboard error when I installed them, so I did need one after all. 

Durability and Longevity

I couldn’t find anywhere what the waterproof rating is or how many hours the 3156 bulbs are likely to last. 

But I checked with the other Lasfit products, and they state IP68 and 30,000 hours. As it provides a 1-year warranty, I’d feel comfortable with these specs.

What Other Drivers Are Saying

The Lastfit 3157 LED bulbs average 4.3/5 stars by reviewers. 

Drivers have praised the lights’ simple installation, extreme brightness, and usefulness as DRLs. 

However, while there are no hyper-flash issues, there have been some reports of radio interference, which a decoder appears to fix.

Summing It Up

Lasfit has provided the brightest 3157 LED bulbs. They might almost be too bright, but you’ll be able to see your surroundings clearly when you reverse. Durable, reliable, and versatile, they tick all the boxes.

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Brightest Budget

The Alla Lighting 3157 LED bulbs are an excellent budget choice. Up to 2,800 lumens per set for exceptional brightness.

The Testing Process

In the projector test, the Alla Lighting 3157s delivered an initial rating of 1,001 lux, only 52 lux behind the Lasfit 3157 LEDs. 

The heat retention wasn’t quite as good as the Lasfits, though. These dipped to 83%, 8232 lux after 27 minutes. 

In the reflector test, they initially came in 210 lux less than the Lasfits at 1,870 lux, then dipped to 83%, 1,554 lux.

The beam pattern wasn’t quite as accurate, either. The common weak spot in the lower middle was more obvious. These bulbs have a low cut-off point, and that’s why there’s hardly any fuzziness or scattering, and the beam is well-balanced on each side. 

At first, I thought it was a misprint as it seemed so low, but the Alla Lighting 3156 bulbs tested at 8.3 watts of power only. They’re advertised at 8.5 watts.

Color Temperature 

I like the Alla Lighting 3157 LED bulbs over the Lasfits because they come in cool white at 6000 Kelvins.

I think white is a better color for the clarity of objects in front of and behind the car. It’s even better when used inside the vehicle as it makes everything sharper.

Heat Management

These bulbs have an aluminum heatsink for advanced cooling to prevent overheating. I was very impressed with the heat management. After 27 minutes, they’re only 141°F. That’s an advantage of only being 8.5 watts. 

Nifty Additions 

Their versatility is excellent, allowing you to use them as reverse lights, brake lights, signal lights, or DRLs. 

Each unit has 33 5730 LED chips to ensure intense brightness and that very even beam pattern.

Installation

Like the Lasfit 3157 LEDs, the installation process is easy as they use a 1:1 halogen plug-and-play design. The process was straightforward for me.

However, I experienced hyper-flashing in my Toyota, so I had to install a decoder. This is a common challenge with replacement LEDs. See more about why in the information at the end of the reviews.

Durability and Longevity

These 3157 LED bulbs are IP67 rated for water dustproof. I got caught out in a storm, and they performed exceptionally well.

Alla Lighting claims these will last 30,000 hours, not the standard 50,000 that others promote. The 1-year warranty would suggest that’s a fair estimate. 

What Other Drivers Are Saying

The Alla Lighting 3157 LED bulbs have over 2,800 customer reviews, averaging 4.5/5 stars. 

Customers have praised these bulbs for their exceptional brightness and efficient cooling system. Additionally, their longevity has been noted. 

Hyper-flash is a common issue, resolved by installing load resistors.

Summing It Up

For a budget price, the Alla Lighting 3157 bulbs are excellent. They’re almost as bright as the Lasfit’s but don’t quite have the same heat retention despite keeping cooler.

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Worthy Consideration

The Sylvania 3157 ZEVO LED lights deserve mention. Despite the company not giving any specific lumens per bulb, my tests brought them in very close to the Lasfit and Alla Lighting ones.

The Testing Process

My projector test showed the bulbs come in at around 1029 lux, so it’s halfway between the other two. 150% brighter than stock halogens seems to be about right for backup/reverse lights.

The heat retention was slightly better than Alla Lighting at 85% after 27 minutes, 875 lux.

The initial rating in the reflector test was 1,949 lux, again, halfway between the other two, and dipping to 1,657 lux, 85% after 27 minutes.

The beam pattern revealed some dark spots top and bottom left, most likely due to the low cutoff. The common weak spot middle center was more visible than the Lasfits but not as pronounced as the Alla Lighting ones. 

What I did observe was a much better view of the area and a clearer line of sight behind me than both the other two.

Color Temperature 

The Sylvania ZEVO 3157 LED bulbs are 6,000 Kelvins, providing a cool white color. This makes them ideal for DRLs, interior, or backup lights. 

White is also better for trunk, and dome lights, providing extra clarity on all objects.

Heat Management

Sylvania promotes its ZEVO 3157 bulbs as having over-engineered thermal management, and I’d have to agree. After 27 minutes, I tested 139°F, just under the Alla Lighting ones. 

And I think I know why; these bulbs only draw less than 2 watts of power.

Nifty Additions 

These bulbs can also be used as interior lights, helping to make things clearer on the inside when you are searching for dropped items. It makes a pleasant change from squinting under yellow. 

Installation

Installation was quick and easy again, thanks to the plug-and-play design. However, like the other two, I had CAN bus errors, so I needed to install a load equalizer. 

The difference is that Sylvania clearly states in its specs of the ZEVO 3157 LEDs that one will likely need to be installed.

Durability and Longevity

Sylvania isn’t upfront about the IP rating of the bulbs, but the industry standard is somewhere between IP65–68, so I’d expect them to be in that range.

Also, there’s no mention of how long they’ll last, but Sylvanis offers a lifetime warranty, something quite unheard of with headlight bulbs.

What Other Drivers Are Saying

The Sylvania 3157 LED bulbs currently average 4.5/5 stars. 

Drivers have praised the overall brightness of the reverse lights and the visibility they provide as a result. 

The most common negative is that you might need a load resistor to eliminate CAN bus errors, and they don’t fit all vehicles. 

Summing It Up

These bulbs provide an excellent middle-ground, offering great quality at a reasonable price. They’re bright, reliable, and have outstanding heat management.

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Things to Consider When Buying the Brightest 3157 LED Bulbs

Uses

3157 LED bulbs are double filaments, which means they fit many different sockets. Primarily used as backup/reverse and indicators, they can also be used as brakes, DLRs, and interior lights.

They can also be interchanged with 3156 LED bulbs which are single filament but require a bit of extra fiddling around in the installation.

My tip is always to use the proper light in its correct socket. Check the vehicle’s user manual before buying replacement 3157 LEDs to ensure they’re suitable.

Color Choice

Many 3157 LED bulbs come in a choice of colors, red, yellow, and white. Each serves its own purpose.

If the bulb replaces brake or tail lights, a red bulb behind a red lens provides double the alertness for the driver behind.

For turn signals and side markers, amber/yellow lights behind a clear or amber lens work really well.

Finally, white behind a clear lens is perfect for backup, DRLs, license plates, and all interior or parking lights.

Hyper-flashing

A common issue with replacing stock halogens with LEDs is that hyper-flashing can occur. This happens because the LEDs draw much less power than halogens do. As such, the vehicle believes the lights aren’t working, so they start to flash.

Installing a decoder will remove this issue and assist if there are CAN bus errors like dashboard notifications or radio interference.