# UK drivers: Which beam bender is best? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257 "2008-01-28T01:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/1 "2008-01-28T01:12:50Z")
Since everyone in North America drives on the same side of the road, you understand that there is a dearth of available literature on stick-on headlight handedness converters. I’m looking at some on ebay, and I thought I would see if anyone had any comments on which brand/type was the best bang for the buck. Also, how do they affect headlight performance aside from handedness? ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/2 "2008-01-28T03:53:16Z")
I dont have an answer, I just want to know what the heck you are talking about. it looks like english ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/3 "2008-01-28T04:16:13Z")
I think it’s about how cars have the headlights aimed slightly towards the middle of the road. If you drive on the right, as in Canada, the headlights are aimed slightly to the left. If you drive on the left, as in England, the headlights are aimed slightly to the right. Evidently there are add-on lenses that reverse the horizontal aim when you cross a driving-on-which-side border. I thought that people physically readjusted their headlights, but it stands to reason someone would come up with an easier way. It would be a pain in the neck to design, though; it would have to be custom made for each model of headlight. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/4 "2008-01-28T04:38:41Z")
Actually, the “handedness” of the headlight for reflector style headlamps are built into the lens and reflectors, and cannot be adjusted (projector style headlights sometimes can be adjusted. European ones generally can, anyway.). Basically I can either use something like [this](http://www.motortraders.co.uk/xcart/catalog/product_16632_Metro_Super_Beam_Benders.html). Or I can buy entirely new and rather expensive “left hand drive” headlight assemblies. I’m not quite sure if I want to invest that much yet, so I thought I’d try the cheaper route first. It’s not clear from the illustrations whether the sticker is applied to both headlights, or just one, i.e. whether they also adjust the other headlight up, so that no headlight functionality is lost, or simply redirect the “traffic” side light. It appears there’s only one company that makes these things, so I will probably end up buying it, I just thought I might fish for some insight here first before taking the plunge. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/5 "2008-01-28T04:52:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] I think it’s about how cars have the headlights aimed slightly towards the middle of the road. If you drive on the right, as in Canada, the headlights are aimed slightly to the left. If you drive on the left, as in England, the headlights are aimed slightly to the right. Evidently there are add-on lenses that reverse the horizontal aim when you cross a driving-on-which-side border. [/QUOTE] Actually this is incorrect. On a car driven on the right side of the road, the right side headlight points straight ahead, and the left side head light point slightly inward (to the right) so as not to dazzle the oncoming drivers. European headlights typically have a very horizontal pattern that has a 15 degree or so rise on the shoulder side. So if you have LHD (driving on the right) European headlights, they would have a flat beam cutoff for most of the pattern and a 15 degree rise on the shoulder side. If you drove with these headlights on left side of the road, the 15 degree rise would dazzle the oncoming drivers. [Here is a graphic of a Europen beam pattern vs a NA one](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/images/product/lighting/EuroUS-BeamPattern-400x178.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/pagebuild_v2.cgi%3Fmake%3DVolkswagen%26engine%3D8v%26model%3DScirocco%2520I%26submodel%3D%26category%3DLighting&h=178&w=400&sz=8&hl=en&start=35&um=1&tbnid=SrFIcqs-ZBHM7M:&tbnh=55&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dheadlight%2Bbeam%2Bpatterns%26start%3D21%26ndsp%3D21%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN) [Here is a photo of a European beam pattern (LHD)](http://www.houseofthud.com/cartech/hids/DSCN9722.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/6 "2008-01-28T04:57:32Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Actually this is incorrect. On a car driven on the right side of the road, the right side headlight points straight ahead, and the left side head light point slightly inward (to the right) so as not to dazzle the oncoming drivers. [/QUOTE] Ah, okay. I was wondering whether I’d gotten that backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/7 "2008-01-28T05:01:49Z")
Hmm, I didn’t realize that North American cars didn’t have the rise on the shoulder side - I thought all headlights had beam patterns of the “European” type. Is it still done this way, or are we talking about 3rd Generation Camaro sealed beam lights here? ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/8 "2008-01-28T12:40:15Z")
Sorry I can’t give an answer to the OP on the best beam benders - it’s about 10 years since I took my car across the Channel - I must have adjusted the headlights then but I can’t remember how 😕 These days I fly out and hire. I did a quick check on the [AA web site](http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/general_advice.html) and - for UK cars going to the Continent it notes that: > [@](#): > > Modern high-intensity discharge (HID) or xenon headlights > These can’t be adapted by applying an external mask. Fortunately, many feature an internal ‘shutter’ that can be moved into place by a screw or lever adjustment at the back of the headlamp unit. But some designs are less convenient and the dealer will need to make the adjustment. > > Modern halogen-type headlamps > Some of these now require external masks of such complex design that motorists struggle to follow the instructions and work out exactly how and where the mask should be applied. The discussion regarding the different North American and European beam patterns is interesting - do American cars not have a Main/Dip beam facility? I feel dim myself - I’ve rented a car in the States but just don’t remember :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/9 "2008-01-28T12:46:17Z")
I seem to remember cars on the Continent had those yellowish headlights and tourists who’d returned home could be spotted with little filters on their headlights. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/10 "2008-01-28T12:51:28Z")
Yes cars in NA have both main and dip beam (we call it high and low beam). What differs is the pattern of the dipped beam. See my first link above for a comparison. **Throatwarbler Mangrove** the laws on lighting here in North America have been changing and I believe they are now much closer to European standards then they were before. They are not the same however. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/11 "2008-01-28T12:57:05Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] I seem to remember cars on the Continent had those yellowish headlights and tourists who’d returned home could be spotted with little filters on their headlights. [/QUOTE] That was a French thing, but they have white headlights too these days. I don’t remember doing anything with the headlights when driving a British car in France (admittedly somebody else’s car), apart from maybe aiming the beams lower with the little adjuster wheel on the dashboard. You do see some people with bits of masking tape to block out the “shoulder” of the beam. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/12 "2008-01-28T13:25:42Z")
Which beam bender is best? Bender Bending Rodríguez ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/13 "2008-01-28T14:41:29Z")
> [@](#): > > The discussion regarding the different North American and European beam patterns is interesting - do American cars not have a Main/Dip beam facility? I feel dim myself - I’ve rented a car in the States but just don’t remember Anecdotally, I believe this may be the case - I had an old Japanese market (i.e. essentially same as the European type) Mercedes that had the beam adjustment dial, which was not present on the North American version. EDIT: I’m not referring to hi-low beam, but an actual graduated dial that adjusted the aim of the low beams. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/14 "2008-02-10T03:10:57Z")
Update: My Beam Benders arrived in the mail today, and I have installed them. There is some cause for concern, however, as I’m not sure how well the adhesive will hold up to the -30C weather, especially during spirited driving. I will have to be extra careful and double check them prior to each trip. The cost was high: ~ 12 pounds/set plus 2 pounds shipping. They do seem to be quite effective. My headlight beam is now aimed at the correct side of the road. There were in fact two bean benders included in the package, one for each headlight. It can also be used to convert left hand drive vehicles for right hand drive countries, by simply flipping the little buggers upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-drivers-which-beam-bender-is-best/435257/15 "2008-02-10T14:43:02Z")
Now at least I have an idea of what you were talking about. I was one of the first to open this thread. I was thinking what does this guy actually want. At last I know.