The Best Headlight Restoration Kits: I Can See Clearly Now

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Top 8 Headlight Restoration Kits

You’ve all seen them – sad, yellowed headlights on the nose of a vehicle offering all the illumination of two fireflies in a couple of jam jars. There are several theories as to why some cars end up looking as if they should be extras in a 1970s French movie: exposure to ultraviolet light, constant assault from road debris, and just general poor quality plastic are some of the leading explanations.

With the majority of headlights on modern cars made of polycarbonate plastic, it’s inevitable that some of them will wind up in this sorry state.

Rounding up eight selections, we learned there is no shortage of options for this DIY job. Bin those fireflies for good and check out these eight potential solutions to restoring your car’s headlights to their showroom glory.

Table of Contents

1. Editor’s Pick: 3M Ultra Headlight Restoration Kit

Yeah, I’m a brand snob. Selecting a well-known name doesn’t always pay dividends but sometimes, as with televisions and breakfast cereal, you do get what you pay for. Such is the case here, with this headlight restoration kit from 3M. It also has an 4.3 out of 5 star rating.

Customers report that, if you decide to use this kit, one will have to apply more than a little elbow grease. The investment of time and effort appears to be worth it, however, with the vast majority of users reporting great satisfaction with the product. The kit contains masking tape, light sanding discs, and a wax protectant. Break out the power drill (or not – the company says this kit works okay without one) and use that 3M abrasive technology to remove yellowing and built-up crap without damaging that plastic lens surface.

Pros

  • Well-known brand, much cheaper than a new set of lenses

Cons

  • You gotta put in the sweat equity

Bottom Line

  • Editor's Pick for best Headlight Restoration Kit

Yeah, I’m a brand snob. Selecting a well-known name doesn’t always pay dividends but sometimes, as with televisions and breakfast cereal, you do get what you pay for. Such is the case here, with this headlight restoration kit from 3M. It also has an 4.3 out of 5 star rating.

Customers report that, if you decide to use this kit, one will have to apply more than a little elbow grease. The investment of time and effort appears to be worth it, however, with the vast majority of users reporting great satisfaction with the product. The kit contains masking tape, light sanding discs, and a wax protectant. Break out the power drill (or not – the company says this kit works okay without one) and use that 3M abrasive technology to remove yellowing and built-up crap without damaging that plastic lens surface.

2. Power Tool Option: Mothers NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit

You’ll definitely need a cordless drill for this one, which is not a bad take at all. Deploying a series of bit-mounted tools, this kit is designed to safely restore, maintain, and protect many types of plastic and acrylic headlights.

With the PowerBall 4Lights polishing tool attached to any cordless drill, apply a nickel-sized amount of the included liquid polish to the center of the ball. Polish the lens until clean and clear, adding polish as needed. Buff clean with the supplied microfiber towel and enjoy the crystal-clear results. A good company continues the sales cycle, of course, so Mother’s recommends applying liquid polish, by hand or with the PowerBall polishing tool, on a monthly basis.

Pros

  • Compatible with common hand drills tools, plenty of how-to videos

Cons

  • Polish has the potential to make a mess if the user is careless

Bottom Line

  • Put your power tool to work

3. Budget Pick: Rain-X Headlight Restorer

For a cheap fix to a dirty headlight problem, check out this solution. Marketed by Rain-X, a very well-known brand, this liquid product is said to help restore clear plastic by removing haze and discoloration. This particular Rain‑X Headlight Restorer (sans application tools) is best for mild yellowing or haze on headlights while a more expensive Rain‑X Headlight Restoration Kit (avec application tools) is recommended for more severely oxidized headlights.

Reviews are all over the board, ranging from five stars of satisfaction to rants and raves about how the product does nothing. However, if one keeps in mind this particular product isn’t intended to perform miracles on a heavily yellowed set of lamps, it will likely live up to expectations.

Pros

  • Affordable, great for a quick fix to ward off discoloration before it gets out of hand

Cons

  • Doesn’t include any application tools, useless for heavily oxidized lenses

Bottom Line

  • Top pick if you're shopping on a budget

4. Chemical Guys Headlight Restore and Protect

Chemical Guys have made a good name for themselves, despite being a relatively new brand compared to stalwarts like Turtle Wax and Rain-X. This product is decently sized at 16 fluid ounces, so it should be more than enough to do the job on your car plus the kid's Power Wheels (What? Those are just stickers? Oh dear).

Reviews are solid, as they are for most products by this crew. In fact, nearly 90 percent of users gave this stuff a 4- or 5-star rating, contributing to its healthy rank with a large sample size. No sanding of the light is required, but it is optional. Definitely don't sand that light on the Power Wheels, okay?

Pros

  • Well respected brand, good sized bottle

Cons

  • You may have to sand the light

Bottom Line

  • Tell your kid to get his own stuff

Chemical Guys have made a good name for themselves, despite being a relatively new brand compared to stalwarts like Turtle Wax and Rain-X. This product is decently sized at 16 fluid ounces, so it should be more than enough to do the job on your car plus the kid's Power Wheels (What? Those are just stickers? Oh dear).

ALSO SEE: Buyers Guide: Top 8 Best LED Headlights for Your Car

Reviews are solid, as they are for most products by this crew. In fact, nearly 90% of users gave this stuff a 4 or 5 star rating, contributing to its healthy rank with a large sample size. No sanding of the light is required, but it is optional. Definitely don't sand that light on the Power Wheels, okay?

5. Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit

Labelled with one of the first car-care brands your author can remember seeing as a young lad, this solution from Turtle Wax includes 3 restoration pads of various grits from 2400 to 8000 grit, spray lubricant, a lens clarifying compound, and a four-inch square lens sealing wipe.

ALSO SEE: Buyers Guide: Top 9 Best HID Headlight Bulbs for Your Car’s Next Upgrade

Those three multi-stage wet restoration pads focus on deeper discoloration and scratches to restore the lens to like new condition. That sealing wipe helps protect from future yellowing and discoloration so, y’know, you’re not out doing all this again in a month or two. At under $8, it is one of the cheapest multi-step kits on our list of the best headlight restoration kits.

Pros

  • No power tools required, affordable multi-step kit

Cons

  • Takes a serious amount of elbow grease

Bottom Line

  • One of the cheaper kits from a reputable brand

6. Wipe New Headlight Restore Kit

This is an off-brand, no-tools-required kit with surprisingly good reviews. It is billed as a simple no-frills headlight restoration system designed to restore foggy or yellow plastic headlight lenses by using a simple disposable wipe.

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Color us skeptical with that claim, but there are plenty of real-world reviews on this product that report an acceptable result given the time and effort required. The company also purports that one's car headlights are "guaranteed to pass inspection for the lifetime of your vehicle". For the sake of $12.99, a 4.1 out of 5-star rating is more than acceptable.

Pros

  • Very affordable, requires absolutely no effort to use

Cons

  • Effort often equals results in this case

Bottom Line

  • It's the price of a good cheeseburger meal

7. Meguiar's Basic Headlight Restoration Kit

From the popular brand Meguiar’s, one you’ll recognize if you watch any sort of daytime car restoration show, this kit purports to restore hazy headlights to factory-like condition without the use of sandpaper or other harsh abrasives. Chalk this up as a good bet for head lights with light to moderate oxidization.

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According to the materials – and several of the reviewers – the process kicks off with a good soap-and-water washing of the headlamp lenses. From there, apply the cleaning solution using the provided applicator. This will take some work, so make sure to rub this stuff on the lamp in a firm manner. Don’t get this stuff on the car’s paintwork. Wipe it off with a clean towel, repeating the step until the headlamp has a frosted look, at which point it might appear worse than when you started. However, a couple of applications of the included spray coating (with drying time in between) works with the cleaning solution to provide a clear lamp.

Pros

  • Sandpaper-free application, results are said to last for a year

Cons

  • May not totally restore very yellowed headlights

Bottom Line

  • You thought we forgot about Meguiar's didn't you?

8. OPT7 Headlight Restoration Kit

This impressive-looking kit is on the lower end of the scale in terms of price but comes equipped with all manner of pads, compounds, and coatings. In a damning indictment of the 'low effort' options on this list, the seller of this product says "anything less is a shortcut that results in short term or poor results." Very good, then.

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The brand uses a ceramic coating, a process traditionally used for high-end detailing, apparently tweaked specifically for headlight lens restoration. Be aware this product involves a five-stage process, so go ahead and clear your schedule for Saturday afternoon.

Pros

  • Promise of professional results

Cons

  • Long process, across-the-map reviews

Bottom Line

  • Ample positive reviews from those who put in the effort

FAQs

What is the best product to restore your headlights?

Some highly rated headlight restoration kits that are available on Amazon are:

  • 3M Headlights Lens Restoration System ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AIZ5HY): This headlight restoration kit enjoys a 4.5-star rating from more than 30,000 users on Amazon. The unit comprises Disc Pad Holder (1), 3” 500 Grit Gold Sanding Discs (6), 3” 800 Grit White Finishing Discs (4), 3” Trizact Refining Disc (1), and 1 US Fluid Ounce Rubbing Compound (1).
  • Cerakote Ceramic Headlight Restoration Kit ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084RQKLV8): With a 4.5-star rating from more than 18,000 customers on Amazon, this headlights restoration kit doesn’t require any tools to remove oxidation and allows you to restore the affected assemblies in 3 easy steps as described in the user’s manual.
  • Turtle Wax Headlight Restorer Kit ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XZQF8O): This restorer kit has received a 4.3-star rating from more than 8K users on Amazon. Although the unit comes from a reputed brand, you may have to repeat the cleaning process a couple of times to fully deoxidize the headlights.

Is there a headlight restorer that actually works?

If you are not looking for a cheap headlight restoration kit and are willing to invest some amount in a good brand, the answer is YES. The best way to find a decent quality kit is by checking the user reviews on a trusted eCommerce portal.

For instance, you can conduct a quick search for headlight restoration kits on Amazon.com and check the results. The products with the highest number of user reviews and the highest star ratings can be considered trustworthy and could be worth trying.

However, you must keep in mind that the older the car is the harder will it be to clean its headlights. Therefore, for best results, it is imperative to use such a kit at least once a year, if not every 6 to 8 months.

Do headlight refinishing kits work?

A short answer would be, yes, they do. However, for any such restoration kit to give you the best results, you must follow the correct method of application which majorly depends on the condition of the headlight you are trying to restore.

For example, if the vehicle is old and the headlights look extremely foggy and yellowish, you may want to use a pair of good quality sanding papers to sand the lights horizontally and vertically before using the compound and polish. On the other hand, if the polycarbonate plastic (the material used to make the headlight lens) is not in that bad condition, you can safely skip the initial sanding part.

Nevertheless, during the application of the lens clarifying compound and lubricant/car/metal polish, you must use a good quality microfiber cloth and the sanding paper (sometimes shipped along with the kit) as suggested in the user’s manual to remove the yellow layer respectively.

Make sure to cover the surrounding areas of the headlights with masking tape to avoid damaging the color coating of your car’s body.

Do headlight restoration wipes really work?

Yes, they do as long as you apply them in the correct order. The right method for wipes’ application requires you to clean the headlights using the clarifying compound and spray polish, use a separate microfiber cloth for drying them, and immediately after that:

  • Thoroughly apply the Base Coat Wipe
  • Then thoroughly apply the Sealing Wipe quickly after applying of Base Coat Wipe

Note: You can expect the outcomes after around 24 hours of successful application of the wipes. During this period, you are strongly suggested NOT to wash or rub the headlight lens as doing so may nullify the impact, and you might have to go through the entire process again.


From time to time, TTAC will highlight automotive products we think may be of interest to our community. Plus, posts like this help to keep the lights on around here. Learn more about how this works.

(Editor’s note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our ‘90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don’t find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Product images provided by the manufacturer.]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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  • DenverMike DenverMike on Feb 23, 2021

    We're recycling articles? Is it to save the planet? Isn't it like a comedian repeating jokes you just heard 5 minutes before? So can we go back even further???

  • Joh65689020 Joh65689020 on Sep 28, 2022
    1. Drape/ Masking-tape paint.2. Blue Coral (or any brand) chrome polish on PowerBall with cordless drill-driver.3. Buff lightly with microfiber towel to crystal clear finish.
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