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Best halogen headlight bulbs1/1/2024 ![]() Improper electrical connections can lead to a litany of disastrous consequences, so do your homework. There are a lot of companies that pop up overnight and sell flimsy, cheaply made bulbs.Īt the very least, a poorly made bulb won’t last. It doesn’t matter if the bulb is extremely bright and a crisp white color if it won’t hold up. Quality construction might be the last of the key features we will touch on, but it’s something to keep on the back of your mind at all times. Neutral or white colors exist around 3,000 to 5,000 Kelvin, and most bulbs used as headlights will appear on the higher end of that window. The lower the number, the redder the light will appear, and it will gradually shift to blue as the number increases. BrightnessĬolor temperature is the appearance of the light measured by Kelvin on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000. All of the numbers are actually a lot easier to understand than you might think. Things get a little technical, but you can relax. These are the features you need to keep an eye on. This changes the light pattern from the factory, and not always in a positive way. Not only do they spread the light source out from a single point, they often don’t provide 360 degrees of coverage. LED bulbs use several light producing ships, often spread out over a large area. ![]() The parabolic reflectors in your factory headlights were designed specifically to work with a single, small omnidirectional light source, the filament in your halogen bulb. While LEDs do produce more light with less energy usage, there is a downside besides the legality. Both drivers and fans are known to fail before the actual LEDs. LEDs also create a good amount of heat, so either heatsinks or fans are required for cooling. A driver is used to your car’s 12 volts into whatever voltage the LED is made to use. LED retrofits do require other equipment. Car manufacturers are switching over to LEDs in everything from exterior lights to illuminated switches as they use significantly less energy and last many times longer than other lights. That, combined with spotty customer service and a short warranty, can make for a frustrating experience for some car owners. It does seem quality control is an issue for these bulbs as there are reports of some failing in short order. No offerings are perfect, and there are some issues to be aware of with these bulbs. A unique detail about this bulb is that it features a special blue cap that gives the bulbs a cool, blue tone during the daytime and will not interfere with visibility at night.Īs if improvements in brightness, reliability and personal touch aren’t enough, these bulbs are also priced to fit within any budget. These bulbs are designed to cast light farther down the road than stock, which will boost visibility, but they aren’t so bright that you need to concern yourself with legal restrictions. It’s not the brightest or flashiest option on the market, but the quality is there, and it’s still a major step up from factory offerings. ![]() The Philips H11 CrystalVision Ultra Bulb is affordable, it works well, and it’s the type of bulb manufacturers designed cars to work with. All of our picks are halogen bulbs, although LED swaps are becoming more popular, retrofitting LED bulbs in place of halogen is illegal according to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in the United States. We’ve assembled a list of some of the best halogen bulbs available for cars that use an H11, single filament bulb for low beam headlights. To get the most out of your car’s headlights, you want to use the best bulbs available. Since halogen bulbs dim with age, you may want to replace them before they burn out. Most people probably don’t give much thought to bulb selection until they are forced to replace them. Still, as of 2021 less than 30 percent of new cars for sale in the United States received a “Good” rating for their headlights. In 2016 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, even began testing and rating new car headlights and now includes them in the qualifications for earning a Top Safety Pick+ award. Your car’s headlights are an important safety feature that should be prioritized at the same level as brakes and seat belts.
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