Which headlight cleaner is the best

On some it's easy to read, on others part of the number is printed off the disc, making me guess. The lack of a sealant means the car headlights may cloud up again very quickly. However, the directions say I can use the foam ball or buffing pad and polishing compound to maintain the clarity.

Read more: Best radar detectors for Here you can see the original cloudiness on the right. This kit does not come with gloves or a towel, but it does have a clear coat sealant.

The first two sanding passes of the car's headlight housings are done by hand with a 1, grit sandpaper disc, then a 3,grit sanding pad disc, attached to a hand pad much like the one in the Cerakote kit.

To polish, attach the yellow polishing pad to the drill, add a nickel-sized amount of the PlastX lens clarifying compound and polish to your heart's content. After thoroughly wiping clean and dry with a microfiber towel, apply the Headlight Sealant to the grey foam applicator and wipe the headlight by hand. The directions say the product dries to the touch in 15 minutes, but to keep the lens away from moisture for a full 24 hours.

The discs are different colors depending on their level of grit. However, the directions don't refer to their colors, only the numbers printed on the back. The directions are a little unclear at the end, saying only to "apply the coating to the gray applicator pad.

This 3M headlight restoration kit does not contain gloves, a towel or a sealant. It also does not use as much wet sanding.

The first step is to attach the disc pad holder to the drill, use the grit sandpaper on a dry lens, then switch to an grit disc and again sand the vehicle's headlight lens dry. Lastly, use the 3,grit foam disc and water for a fine sanding. To polish attach the large foam pad to the holder and add a dime-sized amount of 3M Rubbing Compound to it.

Polish and use a microfiber cloth to buff and dry the lens. The 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System was the best kit out of the bunch to restore hazy headlights. Not only did it make the lens the clearest, each disc is color-coded and referred to as such in the directions. The directions are very thorough, offering tips and tricks, color photos, and larger print.

The original cloudy headlamp color is on the right, the left side has been treated with the 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System. Adam's headlight restoration kit comes with two microfiber towels, a pair of gloves and uses liquids rather than sanding discs like the other restoration kits.

It does not come with a protective coating sealant. The first step is to attach the backing plate to the drill and attach the "blue microfiber cutting pad" -- I'll talk more about this in a minute. Add drops of the correcting compound and sand away on the cloudy headlight housings. When finished with this step, wipe the lens with a microfiber towel, using the detail spray if needed.

Second step is to repeat the process with the 4-inch blue foam pad. Lastly, use the white foam pad and the finishing polish and wipe dry with a microfiber towel. It comes in a great-looking package, but the directions are confusing. That "blue microfiber cutting pad" is actually a white pad resting on a thin layer of blue foam. I just reached for something blue, figuring the white pads were for something later down the line.

To be fair, there is an instructional video online, but the directions should not say "blue" when the pad is clearly white. In my testing the 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System is the best headlight restoration kit thanks to its clear directions and excellent results. Although the 3M kit does not come with UV sealant, it clearly provided the best result of all the kits. Plus, most modern vehicles use replaceable bulbs with plastic lenses that are more prone to discoloration, rather than the more-durable glass sealed-beam units.

Fortunately, our tests show that for a modest cost, even junkyard-ready lens covers can be made clear again. More than a cosmetic issue, clouded lenses can pose a serious threat to safety, compromising night vision and reducing the effectiveness of your headlights by up to 80 percent, based on our measurements.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the primary culprit in the headlight aging process, compounded by other environmental factors. The problem tends to be most serious in warmer, sunny climates, but we've seen plenty of evidence of it in northern regions, including on employee cars in our own Yonkers, N.

In our experience, some makes and models seem to be more susceptible than others, depending on the size, angle, and composition of the lens, and whether the car is garaged or spends its life on the street. The effects can vary from just a slight haze to making lenses virtually opaque. Some manufacturers have responded to this trend by offering products to restore damaged lenses.

The products vary in price, ease of use, and effectiveness. Some requiring power tools, while others need a fair bit of elbow grease. All take less than an hour of your time.

Most require several steps, but the results can be well worth the effort. Our testing has found that they can make a big difference—particularly if you don't rush the job. And they can restore old headlamps for far less money than it would take to replace them. We tried four products on dozens of headlights, and our tests show that even the poorest performer of the bunch can dramatically improve light output, depending on how badly the lenses are weathered. A year later, we found many of the tested lenses had begun to haze over again.

A local body shop says it is common for them to refinish lenses annually for customers, confirming that restoration is not necessarily a long-term fix.

How We Tested Using cars with clouded headlights belonging to Consumer Report staff volunteers, we evaluated products for their effectiveness and ease of use. We measured the change in light transmission before and after working on them in one of our labs, with a light meter and with controlled light sources.

Mounted on a stand, the light meter was positioned in the brightest part of the light beam, and left in the same position for the "after-restoration" measurement. After returning the cars to their owners, we brought them back into the lab eight weeks later to re-check the light transmission and see how the products held up over time. All four products basically involve sanding away the outer, fogged surface of the headlight lenses using progressively finer abrasives and polishing the lens to a smooth finish.

Some also include a sealant. An important note is that some lenses have a hard protective coating that must be sanded off in order to refinish the plastic lens beneath.

Only the Sylvania product was able to remove the hard coating with the supplied materials, out of the box. The others require the separate purchase of a sheet of grit sandpaper to remove the coating before using. This type of hard coating was only seen on two of the cars we tested. The pack includes a drill attachment and graded abrasive discs, plus a sponge for the restoration liquid.

Four grades of sandpaper on two small foam squares have to be worked by hand, even though the final stage uses a polisher mounted on a drill bit. Skip to Content Skip to Footer. Product group tests Home Reviews Product group tests.

How we tested them Hand-applied: 1. Armor All Headlight Restoration Wipes 2. Holts Headlight Restoration Kit 2. Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email. Most Popular.

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