How to Protect your Headlights with PHF! | HR Tested
Rock chips, tree branches, more rocks, and the dreaded shopping cart with a mind of its own… who has it out for YOUR headlights. How dare they?! No need to worry about driving slowly through the dirt or parking in the farthest corner of your supermarket lot. With Lamin-X Protective Headlight Film, you can have a layer of protection for your headlights.
It is super common to get a car covered in something called paint protection film, or PPF as it is more commonly referred to. PPF involves applying a thick layer of film to protect your car or truck’s paint from rock chips and other debris. Unfortunately, this is only limited to the body of your car. But now Lamin-X has you covered.
ABOUT
Lamin-X is a self-adhesive, protection film specifically designed for headlights, fog lights, and taillights. Just as with PPF, Lamin-X is meant to protect your headlights from the elements, both natural and unnatural. Think normal wear and tear on the road and rock chips while driving on dirt roads. You can also think of shopping carts and car doors.
We have this fog light from an owner who used his car daily, which involves him driving up and down his dirt driveway. Since the fog lights are mounted close to the ground and he was not using any protection film, they are all pitted up. The more scratches and divots in the lens mean the more diluted performance of your lights.
You may ask, “what if the Lamin-X gets damaged?”
No worries, just peel the film off the light and replace it. Your lights will be fine.
Lamin-X will take the brunt of those impacts and keep your headlight safe. Thanks to the range of sheet sizes and vehicle-specific kits, you can find a Lamin-X product that fits your car. They even offer standard fog light and headlights sizes for those of you with 4x7-inch square lights or 7-inch round headlights.
It is also good to note that Lamin-X will protect your headlight from hazing up. Essentially, the Lamin-X will take all the hits from the UV-rays and elements for your to then peel it off once it has run its course. From there you can apply some more Lamin-X. All the while, your headlights remain unbothered.
(HINT: If you already have Morimoto XB LED housings, they are already UV-protected. You will receive double the protection when a Lamin-X kit is applied!!)
INSTALLING LAMIN-X
While installing the film is generally easy, there are a few things you should know beforehand.
Tips for Applying Lamin-X
If you do not have one of the vehicle-specific kits Lamin-X offers, you will need to do some DIY work. For example, if your housing has a lot of curves or edges on it, we recommend cutting pieces of Lamin-X that match each face of the housing.
This will make applying the film easier, and ensure the film goes on the housing properly.
When applying the film, you can cut Lamin-X sheets yourself, but there are vehicle-specific kits as well. These kits are pre-cut to the shape of your headlight and are designed to go right on. There are also universal ones that fit all fog lights and lights of a corresponding size.
Lamin-X also offers kits for the Morimoto XB LED headlights. XB LED Headlights share all the same mounting points and connectors as the OEM part, but they often have different facias and overall shapes to them.
So, if you own a 2017 F-150 with XB LEDs installed, the standard 2017 F-150 Lamin-X kit will not fit your XBs. Something to keep in mind when buying a set.
Just like some PPFs, Lamin-X offers their PHF in a few different colors. They are colors that are only available for vehicle-specific kits, but they also offer these standard colors:
Yellow
Blue
Tint
Gunsmoke
Lastly, when installing the vehicle-specific kits, you will have little tabs on the edges of the film to grab on to. Putting your fingers anywhere on the film will weaken its residue and will leave marks on the inside of the film. And who wants fingerprints all over their headlights?
Install
Begin by giving your headlights an intense clean. We mean the mother of all cleans. You want to see your reflection in these bad boys. Absolutely NO DUST can be leftover on the headlights. It will show up in the Lamin-X.
Do not use Lamin-X when you have a chemical like a detail spray, on your lens. It will not stick to your lens.
Once your headlights are spotless and clean of dust, take a spray bottle and fill it with room temperature water. Coat your headlights in water. This will allow you to maneuver the Lamin-X into the place you need it to be in. It is somewhat similar to those waterslide decals you used to put on your model cars as a kid.
Next, you can begin to peel off the Lamin-X from its backing by grabbing onto the small tabs on the edge.
Drape the film over the headlight in the position it is supposed to sit on. Adjust the position of the film by pulling on the tabs. If you need to, pull the film completely off the housing and start again. Because the water is on the headlight it makes it easier to adjust the film.
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Once you have the film in place, use either the squeegee from Lamin-X or one with felt on it. The latter of which will less likely lead to scratches. The squeegee will be able to squeeze out the water from under the film and flatten the film onto the housing.
Conclusion
The Lamin-X film is an easy way to protect your headlights from daily wear and the impending doom of shopping carts. The film is super thick, and it is built to withstand almost anything.
One last thing to note, there will be some rippling after you install it. As the film settles and gets used, these ripples will disappear. Just know that the Lamin-X PHF is one of the most optically clear protective films you can buy today.
If you are more of a visual learner, be sure to check out our video on the Lamin-X Protective Headlight Film. While you are there, make sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest lighting upgrades for your vehicle.
Have any questions about one of the products we mentioned? Contact us today, and our customer service team would be happy to help.
