Upgrading the bulbs that lighten up your number plate to LED is a simple modification that makes a big difference. LED number plate bulbs are fairly cheap to purchase and can be installed within minutes with basic tools.
The best LED license plate bulbs are the Philips Vision LED Festoon Bulb that produces a 6,000K xenon white light and has a guaranteed lifespan of 12 years.
LED festoon bulbs are the standard fit for the majority of car number plates and have a range of sizes available. Simply switching from the old halogen bulb to a festoon number plate bulb will provide a more modern and clean look.
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Best LED Festoon Bulbs
| LED License Plate Bulbs | Warranty | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Philips LED Vision | 12 Years | 4.9 |
| Yorkim Extremely Bright | 1 Year | 4.8 |
| SYLVANIA ZEVO DE3175 | Lifetime | 4.8 |
| SHLight LED | 1 Year | 4.7 |
| SiriusLED | 1 Year | 4.7 |
High quality LED bulbs that fit straight into your number plate holders are offer many benefits. These includes an aggressive clean xenon white color that is much brighter, long lasting, lower temperature, energy saving and other benefits.
Upgrading to LED festoon bulbs is potentially one of the cheapest methods to make your car look more modern from the rear. The majority of high end cars will already have these lights installed but its great to have backup bulbs.
Choosing the brightest festoon bulb is not always the correct choice in terms of quality. Below is a list of the best LED license plate bulbs that will provide the white xenon look and provide long lasting light.
Philips Festoon Bright White LED light
Philips are a premium automotive bulb manufacturer that have a reputation for build quality and performance. The festoon bulbs that they offer will last at least 12 years and this is guaranteed.
With instant-on functionality, response time is fast and they can be used all around the car from the interior to the license plates. These festoon bulbs produce a super bright 6,000K white xenon light and will provide a reliable LED light.
There is a range of sizes from 30mm, 38mm and 43mm for every license plate bulb holder. Overall, it is the best LED license plate bulb with the backing of Philips 12 year guarantee and a modern xenon white light.
Check it OutYorkim Error Free LED Bulbs
Yorkim are a premium lighting manufacturer that produce a range of interior and exterior bulbs for car enthusiasts looking to upgrade. The GX-4014 LED number plate light bulbs does not produce canbus errors and it includes one years warranty, which is fairly impressive for a low cost bulb.
There are three sizes available that include 31mm, 36mm and 42/41mm that produce a color temperature of 6,500K. In terms of the power, they are 300% brighter than the standard OEM halogen bulb and has an immediate response.
The Yorkim festoon bulbs are one of the brightest LED license plate bulbs for those looking for the xenon white look. There are many cheaper bulbs but none come close in terms of build and material quality.
Check it OutSYLVANIA ZEVO DE3175 Festoon
Sylvania produce a range of automotive bulbs with the DE3175 (Festoon) bulb producing super bright white 6,000K white light. The over engineered thermal management guarantees performance and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
The bulb will fit in the majority of license plate holders where it is shock and vibration proof for extended durability.
Overall, the SYLVANIA ZEVO DE3175 Festoon bulb provides a bright 180 degree of light and has excellent warranty for peace of mind. It is an expensive festoon as they are sold individually but the lifetime warranty makes it worth while.
Check it OutSHLight LED Car License Plate Bulb
The SHLight festoon bulbs are canbus error free and can be used for a range of car interior lighting and of course, number plate lighting. Each bulb has 6 super bright 3030 SMD chips that produce the xenon white look that is highly desirable.
They are a cheap LED bulb but has high end features such as aluminum heat sink on one side and constant current driving IC for even more brightness. The temperature color is 6,000K where the beam angle is at 180 degrees.
These LED license plate bulbs also come with 1 years warranty, which for a cheap bulb is pretty impressive. Overall, it is the best cheap LED festoon bulb for your cars license plate.
Check it OutSiriusLED Extremely Bright Festoon Bulb
The Festoon Bulbs by SiriusLED provide a pure white 6,000K bright light, which is a direct swap with your old OEM bulb. Available in T10, 31mm, 36mm and 41mm sizes, there is a festoon bulb for the majority of vehicle license plate bulb holders.
The bulbs have aluminum heat sink and are designed to be long lasting with a one years warranty for peace of mind. The universal fit and build quality of these bulbs make them very popular worldwide.
Overall, the SiriusLED festoon bulbs are a great all rounder with a range of sizes, excellent xenon white light, warranty and great value for money.
Check it OutLED Number Plate Bulbs Buying Guide
Festoon bulbs or DE3175 are the bulbs used to lighten up your number plate during the night. The majority of vehicles will have a cheaper halogen bulb in order to brighten up the number plate.
Upgrading to a xenon white LED license plate bulb will modernize the rear of your plate and is a direct replacement. Like with any modification, there are a few factors you should consider before purchasing.
Canbus Error Free
An error message appearing after fitting a new light bulb to your car can be very irritating. You have the choice to use the new LED bulb with the error message or have the hassle of taking the bulb back out and returning the bulb, which is fairly time consuming.
The Canbus error allows components to communicate through a single or dual networked data bus. Due to LED bulbs using very little power, some car computers may detect that the bulb is broken and will then show a warning light.
A Canbus error free bulb have built-in load resistors that prevent any error codes or warning lights appearing. All of the recommended led festoon bulbs above have canbus error free functionality. If you are driving a classic car, the need for this functionality is not essential but the majority of people will prefer the classic halogen style if you are a true classic car enthusiasts.
Bulb Installation
Installation can be achieved within minutes depending upon your car. The hardest part of the installation is removing or getting to the bulbs via the license plate holders. The majority of the cars uses a simple screwdriver to pull the lenses over the bulbs.
Once you have got to the bulb, its a direct swap unless you have bought the wrong size festoon bulb. Usually it will require a bit of a push to get the bulb in. If it is not working, try switching the sides over (flipping horizontally). Another common mistake are many people will point the 180 degree of light the wrong way (facing upwards and not downwards at the license plate).
LED v Halogen Bulbs
The benefits of LED lights has been widely spoken about with performance, reliability, instant light and many other benefits. Upgrading to the best LED headlights you can get your hands on is the most common beginner modifications. However, installing xenon white license plate bulbs are even easier and provide an excellent white light at the rear of your vehicle..
Switching the bulbs will provide a modern/stylish look, more light at the rear of the car and other benefits. The main reason for the upgrade is usually for the added styling that can make such a difference on certain makes and models.
Conclusion
Spending that little bit more on canbus error license plate bulbs that produce solid xenon white light is worthwhile. Cheaply made festoon bulbs can begin to flicker after a few hundred miles of use as well as giving off a poor quality white light. Many claim to be canbus error free but you can use a professional diagnostic tool to try to remove the light bulb error with no luck.
We strongly recommend choosing a high quality LED license plate bulb such as the Philips Vision white festoon bulb that provides a 12 year guarantee and has the backing of the Philips brand reputation.
