The Best LED Headlight Bulbs for the Ford F250 in 2023

This is my buying guide on the best headlight bulbs for the Ford F250 in 2023. Below is a quick summary of my top recommendations. Scroll further down to read my in depth, hands on reviews for each headlight brand.

WORTHY CONTENDER

Laxmas H13 LED
Headlight Bulbs

CHECK PRICE

• Plug and play
• 18,000 lumens/set
• Extended beam pattern
• 6,500K Cool White
• +500% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Runner-up for best overall H13 LEDs
• 50,000-hour lifespan
• 60W per set
• All-in-one unit with built-in driver
• Built-in 13,000 RPM turbo cooling fan
• Excellent heat-retention 87%
• Low temperature of 117° after 27 minutes
• IP67 Water resistant
• 1-year warranty

Best Overall

Nilight H13 LED
Headlight Bulbs

CHECK PRICE

• Plug and play
• 9,000 lumens/set
• 6,500K Cool White
• +500% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Thin 0.04-inch emitter board
• Best overall H13 LEDs
• Well-controlled beam pattern
• 50,000-hour lifespan
• 70W per set
• External driver
• Built-in 12,000 RPM turbo cooling fan
• Excellent heat retention 82%
• IP67 Water resistant
• 2-year warranty

PREMIUM CHOICE

Hikari Hyperstar H13
LED Headlight Bulbs

CHECK PRICE

• Plug and play
• 20,000 lumens/set
• 6,000K Cool White
• +400% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Best premium H13 LEDs
• 50,000-hour lifespan
• 64W per set
• All-in-one unit with built-in driver
• Built-in 15,000 RPM turbo cooling fan
• Heat retention of 87%
• Very cool after 27 minutes at 122°
• IP68 Water resistant
• 2-year warranty

---

The Ford F series have been the best-selling trucks in the US for 46 consecutive years.

And the Ford 250 is an extremely popular model; as such, it’s easy to buy replacement headlight bulbs, but not that easy to know which ones to purchase.

I’ve been testing headlight bulbs for over a decade and know what bulbs are the best and which aren’t.

The Ford F250 has various makes and models, but the most commonly used headlight bulb is the H13. I recommend that once the stock halogens burn out, they get replaced with LEDs. 

LEDs are brighter and whiter and last longer. You can read more in the FAQs below.

So which H13 LEDs are best for a Ford F250? I’m glad you asked.

My pick for best overall is the Nilight H13 LED headlight bulb. These are bright, have excellent heat retention, and are a perfect fit for the Ford F250.

I’ll also review a runner-up for best and a premium option for those with a higher budget.
Important note: I don’t own an F250 (though I wish I did), but I borrowed my buddy’s one so I could see how all the bulbs worked. My experiences are detailed below.

---

Best Overall

Nilight headlight bulbs are among the top 20 best sellers on Amazon, and the Nilight H13 LED headlight bulb belongs on that list. Find out why in my review below.

Advertised Specifications

Nilight advertises its H13 LED headlight bulbs at 9,000 lumens per set, which is lower than others but still a vast improvement on the average 1,000 lumens most stock bulbs have. 

I’m unsure where the claim of 500% brighter than stock comes from, and my test results confirm this figure is inflated.

The Nilight H13 LEDs have a maximum light output to a distance of 900 feet, strong penetrability, and up to 2 times the view range of stock bulbs. 

The Kelvin color is one of the reasons I recommend LEDs over stock bulbs. Factory halogens generally come in a Kelvin color of 3,000, that’s amber/yellow. 

I want to see the objects in front of my car more clearly; that’s why I prefer white color in the range of 6,000 up. The Nilight H13 LEDs are 6,500K, perfect for the Ford F250.

The bulb’s main unit is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and has a built-in 12,000 RPM turbofan. 

With this level of cooling and only drawing 70 watts of power per set, I expect these not to overheat. But what do my test results say? See below.

Nilight offers a 2-year warranty on its H13 LED headlight bulbs and suggests they’ll last 50,000 hours. I’m yet to see a bulb last that long, but the warranty gives me a lot of confidence in its longevity.

With an IP rating of 67, these bulbs can be taken out in all kinds of weather, like snow, thick fog, and heavy rain, and still perform.

My Observations

I got a surprise in the box. Nilight takes care of its customers. The first thing I saw was a pair of anti-static gloves, which are excellent for safety when installing bulbs.

There were also some zip ties, and double-sided tape, So I could securely attach the external driver.

There’s also a generic manual, but these bulbs are plug-and-play; I had no installation issues. They’re designed 1:1 against stock bulbs, so they popped right in for me.

The Nilight H13 LED bulbs have a really neat design. They’re well-made, all metal, and from the touch, they’re built with quality materials.

I really like the silver coating, and the removable collar looks inverted, so that’s something unique to Nilight.

Another thing I like is the thin copper board that the chips mount to; it’s only 0.04 inches thick. If it does what I think it does, I’ll be impressed.

My Tests

I test all headlight bulbs the same. My LED meter is positioned 20 feet away from the bulb.

I’m comparing these bulbs to the stock halogens. Most stock halogens have a lux rating of 725 in the projector test and 910 lux in the reflector test.

How do the Nilight H13 LED Bulbs compare? Really well!

For the projector test, I observed an initial rating of 1,437 lux. Double the stock bulb; that’s a decent level of brightness. 

My next reading was taken 27 minutes later, which is the average commute time in the US. This figure demonstrates heat retention, and I was delighted to see it only dropped to 82%, or 1,173 lux. 

In the reflector test, an initial rating of 2,690 lux, almost three times brighter than stock. No, it’s not the 500% claimed, but still a vast improvement. It maintained 82% at 2,176 lux.

Because of the thin emitter board, I expected a near-perfect beam pattern, and I got it. 

There was a slight blurring at the cutoff and a little weakness in the usual spots — the lower middle and the bottom left of the beam. The rest of the beam was exceptionally well controlled.

I wonder if the advertised watts are a misprint. Nilight promotes 35 watts per bulb, yet I only observed 24.8 watts. The benefit here is that they’re drawing even less power. 

And that is reflected by the temperature. After 27 minutes, I tested the main unit at 129°F and 136°F for the driver.

What Other Drivers Are Saying

Other drivers are big fans of the Nilight H13 LED headlight bulbs, giving them an overall 4.5/5 stars.

Customers love how very bright they are and how easy they are to install. I agree on both counts.

Some vehicles experienced flickering that a decoder can fix. This wasn’t an issue for me with my buddy’s Ford F250, but other drivers did have initial problems.

Summing It Up

For the Ford F250, the Nilight H13 LED headlight bulbs are my pick for the best. Bright, excellent heat retention and a well-controlled beam pattern make these perfect for the Ford F250.

---

Worthy Contender

My runner-up for best H13 bulbs for the Ford F250 are the Laxmas H13 LED headlight bulbs.

Advertised Specifications

Interestingly the Laxmas H13 LED headlight bulbs are advertised at 18,000 lumens per set, double that of the Nilight’s, yet a matching claim of 500% brighter than stock bulbs.

They’re made with a smart CSP LED chip, which are designed to see wider and farther. And driving in the F250 their beam was far wider than stock F250 bulbs. 

The 6,500 Kelvin color white helped me to recognize obstacles and traffic signs earlier than with stock bulbs.

The main difference between the Laxmas and the Nilight is that these are an all-in-one unit with a built-in driver. Does it make a difference? Actually, yes. See my test results.

These were easy to install in my friend’s Ford F250. They have a non-polarity socket with a 360° adjustable mounting bracket. It took me around five minutes for each bulb.

The cooling system sounds excellent on paper — a 6063 aluminum alloy shell with eight heat dissipation ducts and an ultra-thin heat sink. There’s also a 13,000 RPM turbofan. 

The bulbs only draw 60 watts of power per set, and Laxmas claims 50,000 hours of life yet only offers a 1-year warranty. This makes me feel they may not last that duration.

Like the Nilight’s, these bulbs also have an IP67 waterproof rating, so taking these out in all kinds of weather is no issue.

My Observations

In the box comes a comprehensive manual, but again as I said, these took me five minutes to install, so I didn’t need it.

I’m unsure why they provide zip ties and double-sided tape when there’s no external driver.

The Laxmas H13 LED bulbs are a compact unit 1:1 to stock bulbs which explains why they were so easy to install. 

They’re a beautiful light with a decent design without anything standing out.

My Tests

Despite the high lumens advertised, I didn’t observe much of an initial rating in the projector test at only 963 lux. That’s around 150% brighter than stock. 

After 27 minutes, though, they only dropped to 835 lux, 87%. Excellent heat retention. More than 10% better than the average.

In the reflector test, I observed 1,985 lux initially, 210% over stock bulbs, and an 87% retention rate of 1,721 lux.

The beam pattern of these is excellent. Much better than stock, has a very clear cutoff, and is slightly weak in the center bottom but even on both sides.

I observed 25.9 watts, yet Laxmas advertises 30, so it’s quite a bit less, but excellent for low-power drawing, evidenced by the temperature. 

All that cooling technology has paid off; I tested 117°F after 2 minutes.

What Other Drivers Are Saying

Drivers rate the Laxmas H13 LED headlight bulbs at 4.5/5.

Customers love how clear the white makes objects and how far down the road the beam extends.

Similarly, some drivers reported CAN bus flickering errors but fixed them with a decoder.

Summing It Up

A worthy contender for best H13 LED headlight bulbs. These only fall behind the Nilight’s as they’re not quite as bright.

---

Premium Option

If you’re like me and choose premium items for your Ford F250, look at the Hikari Hyperstar H13 LED headlight bulbs.

Advertised Specifications

I’m beginning to see a pattern in headlight bulb marketing as the claims get bigger but less consistent.

For example, the Nilights are 9,000 lumens, the Laxmas are 18,000 lumens, and both claim to be 500% brighter. 

However, the Hikari Hyperstar H13 LED bulbs are advertised the highest at 20,000 lumens but are only 400% brighter.

My test results below reveal the actual brightness compared to stock halogens.

The Kelvin color of the Hikari Hyperstar H13s is slightly lower than Nilight and Laxmas at 6,000K, but I love how clear the objects appeared, and I could see street signs way down the road.

The chip is called an Acme X chip, which may be proprietary as I haven’t seen it on any other bulb.

Like the Laxmas, this is an all-in-one unit with a built-in internal driver. I think we’re going to see more of this in the future.

A rather specific 64 watts per set is what’s advertised.

The Hikari Hyperstar H13 LEDs have an advanced cooling system with a 15,000 RPM turbofan. That’s the highest level of RPMs I’ve heard of in an LED headlight bulb. 

Does it do the trick? Find out below.

Like Nilight, these are advertised as lasting 50,000 hours and are covered with a 2-year warranty.

Unlike Laxmas and Nilight, the Hikari Hyperstar has a waterproof rating at the highest level of IP68. Everything about the Hikari is premium.

My Observations

Inside the box is a comprehensive manual, including some FAQs, but nothing else except the bulbs.

As technology improves, more and more are using all-in-one designs. I like them. No external driver means installation is easier, and it was. Hikari states five minutes, and I agree.

The Hikari Hyperstar H13 LEDs are excellent-looking bulbs. They’re made from high-quality materials, and I like the beefy square design. They look and feel sturdy and have a well-designed heatsink.

I like the black chrome finish and the added touches like the Hikari name engraved at the bottom and its logo on the fan cover.

There are a few things I don’t like about these at first glance. 

The LED chips have really wide emitters, and I’m concerned about the extended beam.

The adjustable collar is friction-fit which I’m not a fan of, as I prefer ones that clip in. But is it a performance issue? Find out.

The other thing I’m not a fan of is the DOT stamp at the base of the unit. The DOT isn’t an approving entity; it’s not its task. This stamp is a little misleading. 

My Tests

With 20,000 lumens advertised, I expected these to be super-bright, but I was wrong.

The initial rating in the projector test was only 1,188 lux, 453 lux higher than stock halogens and 160% brighter.

I’m impressed that after 27 minutes, they still maintained 1,045 lux. That’s 88% — excellent heat retention.

In the reflector test, I got an initial rating of 2,020 lux, 220% brighter than halogens, but not 400%. 

After 27 minutes, the excellent heat retention continued dipping to 1,777 lux only.

As I expected, the wide emitters resulted in a very high cut-off, and I couldn’t see as far down the road as I could with the Laxmas and Nilight. 

There’s a decent control of the beam pattern but also a bit wavy at the cutoff area due to those wide emitters.

I know why they’re advertised at 32 watts each. I got 30.4 watts, so advertising 30 each only would be understating.

Here’s what I love the most about the Hikari Hyperstar H13 LED bulbs. 

The fan spins up gradually over time; it’s not a straight-on/off like other models, contributing to the well-managed heat control.

I can confirm this as the temperature after 27 minutes was 122°F, well below average, especially for an all-in-one.

What Other Drivers Are Saying

Other drivers agree that the Hikari Hyperstar H13 LED is an excellent premium bulb, with 76% rating it 5/5.

Customers state these are their favorite headlight bulbs and are very bright, dependable, and durable.

The lack of distance projection came up a few times, and I wonder if Hikari will reconsider such a wide chip on future models.

Summing It Up

The Hikari Hyperstar H13 LED headlight bulbs aren’t as bright as the Nilight or Laxmas. But they’re well-constructed, have excellent heat management, and remain very cool.

---

LED Headlight Bulbs Ford F250 FAQ

What headlight bulb sizes does the Ford F250 use?

Most Ford F250 vehicles require an H13 bulb for high and low beams. There are some exceptions. For example, some 2020 models use an H13 for high but an H7 for low.

Then there are the special vehicles with LH Asymmetry that need a 9005 for high beam and an H7 for low beam. 

Before buying replacement headlights, always check which ones your Ford F250 make and year requires.

Any other headlight upgrades I should consider for the Ford F250?

Yes! I recommend upgrading from stock halogen H13s to LEDs if you have a Ford F250. Why? They provide more clarity.

Safety when driving is paramount. I like to see objects in front and off to the side as quickly and clearly as possible. I don’t think the 3,000 Kelvin color of stock halogens give me that.

The 6,000+ Kelvins of LEDs do. All the bulbs I’ve compared against stock ones provide better clarity every time.

Is a CAN bus Converter needed for LED bulbs on my Ford F250?

Some Ford F250 drivers reported needing a CAN bus converter, while others didn’t. I had no problem with the Laxmas, Nilight, or Hikari H13 LED bulbs.

Think of it like a surge protector. It evens out the draw of power, which causes flickering or dashboard errors.

Are LED Headlight bulbs worth it for the Ford F250?

For me upgrading to LEDs for the Ford F250 is much more cost-effective. Stock halogens burn out very quickly, and LED bulbs have advanced technology and cooling systems that create better heat management and much longer life. 

I’ve never had to replace LEDs as often as stock bulbs, saving me lots of money in the long run.