The Philips Headlight Restoration Kit Review

  • Written by: William Copper

The Philips Headlight Restoration kit was designed practically and includes all the necessary cleaners and tools to get the most out of the process. Even better, not only does Philip’s guarantee that the UV protectant will still be effective a year from now but takes pride in that it’s polishing compound and sealant are designed to last up to two years. This can be very beneficial, save you unwanted costs, time, and efforts in the future.

What seems to separate the Philips Headlight Restoration Kit from the market’s competitors is that it offers two additional, unique liquid cleaners and a process meant to more thoroughly clean, but also prepare your car’s headlights for buffing, and ultimately polishing and protective sealing. Given its consistent feedback from customers, we’re confident that the 1oz. bottle of water based pretreatment and 1oz. of shine restorer/preserver included will get the job done.

Philips has a long-standing reputation for manufacturing and providing headlight lamps, LED headlight bulbs, and even conversion kits. Given its already an existent area of specialty (automotive lighting) for Philips, it’s more believable that using this headlight restoration kit is both practical and effective. To top it off, Philips has gone above and beyond in providing sizable amounts of each cleaner which not only make it easier to be generous with the application, but also for application's later on. Just make sure you purchase new sandpaper and other materials as necessary so you can give it the freshest application and results possible should you decide to use it again later or on another vehicle.

Designed to Simplify the Process of Restoring Headlights

The headlight and restoration kit by Philips is unique in that it not only strives to simplify the process for vehicle owners, but has also designed its cleaners and polish to do more than just "fill in the cracks" or "micro holes" in your headlights. Philip’s proprietary combination of chemical ingredients are designed to not just replace, but also restore the original UV sealant that was first applied when you purchased your headlights.

The Philips Headlight Restoration Kit includes practically everything you’ll need to get started, so it’s also "newbie friendly". No matter what type of headlight restoration kit you purchase, it’s necessary to thoroughly read the instructions, which Philips has gone above and beyond to clearly demonstrate both via factory videos and the manual included with this kit.

From the sandpapers to the polish, and even a latex glove to protect your skin while working on your headlights we’re confident that Philips has maximized this system and to make it simpler for you – just don’t forget the masking or protective tape to the surrounding parts or your car! (More on this below). And while some customers may report dissatisfaction with the sandpaper included, it’s important to first ensure you are sanding and "buffing" properly with the included sanding papers and necessary "grits" for each step. Sandpaper, as strong and effective as it is can also be quite sensitive to debris and chemicals – which is why it’s so important to clean after each sanding step to ensure you’re not carrying the dirt and wearing down your sandpaper too fast.

The Philips Headlight Restoration Kit takes the headache out of experimenting with other brands of sandpaper, or additional polish which is by no means a definite, positive investment unless you know the right brands to pick or already have experience with such.

 

Kit Content

  • Water based pretreatment (1 oz.)
  • Cleaner / Polish (1 oz.)
  • Shine restorer / Preserver (1 oz.)
  • 600 Grit sandpaper (coarse)
  • 1500 Grit sandpaper
  • 2000 Grit sandpaper
  • Paper towels

Helpful and thorough video of using this product

Advantages and disadvantages

  • Kit was designed with convenience in mind, and provides all the necessary sandpaper, protective gloves, paper towels, and a pre-application cleaner to break down dirt, UV damage, and yellowing.
  • This headlight restoration kit comes with 600-grit, 1500-grit, and 2000-grit sandpaper to maximize buffing and sanding down micro-holes caused by rocks and debris, scratches, or hard to remove dirt and UV damage or discoloring.
  • The Philips Headlight Restoration Kit includes a helpful step-by-step manual, and has multiple, helpful videos to guide you along the prepping, cleaning, restoring, and preventative polish application steps system.
  • Although advertised as being an only 15-20 minute process, this is not the case for all vehicle owners. It’s more commonly along the lines of an hour or so more for both beginners and those with relative experience using headlight cleaning and restoration kits.
  • Misuse of the included sandpaper can cause scratching to your lenses, and require extensive, or even professional restoration and polishing using a power drill and special buffing discs design to sand down and polish your headlight lenses – however is also a process you can complete with your own power drill and necessary polishing trizact discs.
  • Without the right amount of polish and sealant, hazing and yellowing can come back only months later if done improperly or due to severe weathering and wear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has my headlight gone foggy and streaking after I wipe it?

Can I use this kit for my taillights too?

Why is the clear coating wearing away already after a few weeks?

Will this kit really help to get out scratches and deep indentations?

Our Rating 4/5

The fact that some customers have complained that with proper use the sandpaper was worn down and there was none left for the remaining headlight is discouraging, although each application of tools like this is highly subjective to the person doing it. In efforts to avoid blame in any form, we also took into consideration the reality that no product is made perfect. Also, taking into account how thorough Philips was – excluding protective masking tape – in providing an all-around DIY kit for restoring and polishing your headlights to a like-new condition we are confident in giving this headlight restoration kit rating 4/5. We’d absolutely love to see more automobile cleaning products produced by Philips, and when the time comes look forward to seeing what customers report back.

Buy or not to buy ? If you have a car that’s well past its years when it comes to the condition of your headlights, or you’re looking for a genuine product that’s designed to prep, clean, buff, and polish with a simple to use system then the Philips Headlight Restoration Kit is a noteworthy purchase.

If you’re willing to put in the necessary time and patience to get the job done, and understand the labor that may or may not be involved with sanding dependent upon the condition of your vehicle this kit works great. It’s an alternative, designed for those that do not want to or perhaps don’t know how to use a power drill for buffing and polishing. Which is understandable, and also offers convenience for the many of us that don’t have the money or time to invest in a power drill.

Overall this is a great headlight restoration kit for those with minor to moderate scratches or micro-holes in their lenses, discoloration (also known as ‘yellowing’), UV damage, or a foggy appearance. As for those with severe UV ray damage or scratches, it is still possible to effectively use this product, though it may be necessary to spend extra time, or use additional sandpaper to really "buff" it down by hand to get the desired results.