Nineo Gen II LED Headlight Kit Review

February 15, 2019

PLEASE NOTE: Results and recommendations on this page are based on our version 1.0 test bench. For the latest results, please see our test chart and recommendations pages which are results from our version 2.0 testing.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Low-Beam & High Beam Reflectors
RANK*: #1 in Reflector Headlights, #5 in Projector Headlights
*as of this review, for the latest facts check our recommendations here

Shorty after the Hikari Ultra review, we tested a few more LED products (Nineo II included) from viewer requests, thinking they will fall somewhere in the middle of the test chart. We happened to find a very special gem in that new batch of kits! We were so surprised, we double, triple, quadruple checked the results. They perform exceptionally well in reflector style headlights! We do our best to wait as long as possible, testing many LED bulbs, but you never know when a kink is thrown into the mix.

REFLECTOR STYLE HEADLIGHT TEST RESULTS

When it comes to peak brightness, the Nineo II LED Kit is our top-rated #1 LED kit for Reflector Headlights, even beating out most the premium brands at nearly 200% more light, which is 3X the peak brightness. In terms of the lux rating, it’s right in-line with the much more expensive Philips Xtreme Ultinon LED Kit for the low beams (4820lx vs 4830lx). If your installing into high-beams, it’s brighter than ALL the premium kits we have tested. 6490 peak lux vs 3550 for standard halogen. Getting a higher rating in high-beam headlights seems to be more of a challenge, but these bulbs achieve 83% more light.

We always like to mention the beam pattern, and these don’t disappoint. They are about on-par with halogens due to the LED chip design and coverings. Some headlights take very well to LED, some not as much, but in most cases you should see very good results. Just be sure to check your beam and re-aim your headlights if necessary.

Reflector Beam Pattern @ 12'

PROJECTOR STYLE HEADLIGHT TEST RESULTS

If you have projectors, they are still a great upgrade, but there are much better options out there, like the Hikari Ultras, currently ranked #1 there. You can check out that review here.

KELVIN/COLOR TEMPERATURE

The color is a very nice 6150k from our meter. That’s almost a pure white, with a small hint of blue. Most LED models are around this color temperature, and you won’t find much under that (except for the Morimoto 2Stroke 2.0 at 5250k). This color suits most situations and drivers, and works well in bad weather, however if you drive in a lot of inclement weather like snow, you may want to consider choosing something with a lower color. It’s proven that colors around 4300k are best for bad weather visibility, not to say though at 6150k that you won’t be able to see, just not quite as well as the lower temperature.

LUMENS

This is our first review since we started testing for the total lumens, and this kit is about on-par with most others at 5540lm/kit. There is nothing significant about the lumen count, so don’t expect it to compensate for vehicles without fog lights or anything. The biggest benefit to the Nineo II is the very far light throw, and incredible position of the LED chips, one of the latest designs available. If your looking for a high-lumen count kit, check out the Katanas.

Projector Beam Pattern @ 12'

LED CHIPS

The Nineo II uses a CREE LED chip, which is one of the two most popular and brightest (CREE and Lumileds). We suspect they are so bright because of the higher running amperage/wattage. 29.6W from our tests. They do get a bit hotter than some other LED models, but nothing critical, and much cooler than a halogen bulb still (110°F vs 160°F).

CANBUS

From our CANBUS test on our VW Jetta (mild sensitivity), they didn’t throw any errors. If you have a vehicle with a CANBUS system that detects errors, chances are you won’t have any problems. If you’re looking to run them in your high-beams which dual as a DRL, more than likely they’ll cut off and will not dim with your DRLs unfortunately.

WARRANTY

They hold a 1-year warranty, but for around $50 we can’t complain. Amazon reviews prove they are a good quality kit, so you probably won’t see any issues.

CONCLUSION

Highly recommended, especially for reflector headlights, in both low/main and high beams. For about $50 (as of this review), don’t expect the highest quality premium LED kit, but from our tests, and other reviews, they work very well without issue. The color is about on par with others at 6150k, beam pattern is superior, and they include an external driver (with capacitor) which helps to smooth out the signal and keep things functioning well.