The article will be dealing answering all your questions about the best headlight bulbs for your car. If you are a car owner who doesn’t want to pay much, then in this article you will be guided how to change the lights if you have the necessary skills and tools for the job. Further, when you are done reading this article, you can easily find the best headlight bulbs for your car.
But first of all, what type of car do you have? Is it a small compact car or is it a midsize car? The headlights have to match the size of the car. It is pointless discussing just what the best headlight bulbs for a car are, if you are unaware of the car type.
Since each type of car has different headlight bulbs requirement, therefore this article will assume you have a midsize car. It will, furthermore, determine exactly for what specific purpose good headlights are demanded.
The types of headlight bulbs
There are, at the present, four types of headlight bulbs. Each has a different purpose. Let’s deal with them individually:
Halogen
Halogen lights are very common. These lights are modern because just a few years ago, incandescent headlights were used in cars all over the world.
The components of this bulb are made up of a filament encased in a bulb filled with a specific type of gas. The gas makes the filament burn not only brighter but for a longer duration without blackening up the bulb. This headlight bulb type is cheap and you can easily find it anywhere. You can also change it very quickly.
The downside of this type of bulb is that the light emitted is yellowish. This could be good in a foggy situation. The range of the light is also much less compared to the other types of light.
The life of these halogens can last as long as 1,000 hours. The bulbs get hot. And it is because of this reason, its life span is not as long as the other types of light.
But they are good for foggy and misty conditions. A halogen bulb can cost as low $15 dollars. With a full pair of headlight assembly deal, it will cost as low as $95.
LED headlight bulbs
These bulbs are complex. LED stands for light emitting diode. Light is emitted due to a process of electrons shooting towards holes that have positive charges. These holes are in a semiconductor, and when the electrons hit the holes, they release energy in the form of photons that is light.
These headlights are very bright and can shoot a mile ahead. The light is clear white and it does not blind oncoming vehicles.
The good points about these best LED headlight bulbs are they can be really small but just as strong. The semiconducting materials are flexible and can be bent to any angle. This gives you very good placement options at the front or back of the car. The bulbs can be shaped to face the front but then turn to the sides. And in this way light is given of for the front and sides of the car. The same can be done for the back end of the car.
The light can be controlled to switch to any spectrum of the white light. But at the same time does not cause trouble to other drivers. These lights are very power efficient.
But they are expensive compared to halogens because components that reduce or control the heat is costly in production. And this is needed to avoid over heating the bulbs
They can last for about 30,000 hours, depending how much they are used. They are basically cool and that’s why they can last so long.
A single bulb will cost about $95. The whole pair of headlight assembly will cost about $1,250
Xenon bulbs
Also referred to as HID commonly, these are high intensity discharge light bulbs. They produce extremely strong beams of light. Gases of xenon, argon and vapors of soft metals are trapped in the bulbs and together they produce very bright lights. This lights are bluish and white.
The beams of the lights can go straight for over a mile without scattering. A driver will have a very good view a long distance ahead of the car. But the lights take time to get to full power, as energy takes time to excite the particles inside the bulb. Oncoming drivers get annoyed with this light.
The bluish and white glaring lights disorientate other drivers, making it difficult to judge distances and produce problems for them changing lanes or parking properly; if the light is falling on to their line of vision. The bulbs may last for about 10,000 hours. Actually they can last for years. They do not have any filament that burns out.
A bulb costs about $100. And from $350 to about $1,400 for a pair of headlight set assembly work.
Laser headlight bulb
They are the innovative lighting technique breakthroughs. Light is produced by a chemical reactive action. A laser is shot in a chamber filled with phosphorus. The chamber or bulb starts glowing instantaneously. The light actually comes from the gas light up by the laser. Not from the laser itself.
Laser light is 1,000 times stronger then LED bulbs. But half the energy is consumed. The bulbs are about 10 times smaller than the LED bulbs. Manufactures can put these bulbs in much smaller placings.
You can control the distance of the light. They can beam out far. They can be put on and off fast.
They are expensive because they have to be kept cool, and for that purpose more complex systems are put in place to keep the heat down. They produce only high level beams. They can cost thousands of dollars.
The best headlight bulbs for you
How much can you afford? If you are well-off go for a combination of Halogens and Xenon or whatever combination you want. These bulbs come in all sizes to fit any car size. So the size of your car will not be a problem. It’s entirely up to you what you want, especially after reading this article. If its economy that’s the issue, well halogens are cheap while led and xenon are in the long run economical depending how much you intend to use them. The best lights for you is a subjective choice, colored by a financial background. Xenon do worry other drivers though and this could be a moral debating point. An ending advice would be this; get a mechanic to see what level of heat your headlamps can really handle.
Changing headlight bulbs
Now this part is really important. If you are going to change the bulbs of the headlights you might find out a thing or two which would be the best lights for your car. Can the place where the bulbs are going to be put, handle the heat factor from the LED or laser headlights? Can your car take that intensity of heat?
But if you just want to change your halogen bulbs. These are the steps to follow:
Turn off your car. Make sure all electronic gadgets in the car are off due to no electricity.
You will need no tools for the job.
Pop the hood, and anchor the hood so that the compartment to the engine is fully open to view and it should stay like that.
Fiddle around to find the bulb in the engine’s compartment. That part that’s facing the front of the car. But from the inside. You will find bulb handle of your headlight. And yes, do start with the left blub first. You will be using your right hand which will make it easier the first time.
If you are doing it for the first time, try attempting it in the morning or day time.
Have a strong touch with you or some other source of strong light, so you can see what you are doing properly.
Have the new bulbs ready and make sure they are in a safe place. Maybe inside the car. Not between the hood and the windshield. The hood can accidentally come slamming down and the new bulbs can roll off the car.
Disconnect the headlight bulb’s power wire.
Unscrew the fused bulb carefully. Doing for the first time could get your hand injured. You could easily scrape you hand, wrist or forearm against some sharp jagged metal protrusion, like a large or small screw nut or its threaded part.
Now screw in the new bulb. And connect the power wire.
Now turn on the car and check if that bulb is working.
Do not waste time to fix both bulbs. First try doing one successfully.
If successful. Then do the other bulb the same way. Remember to turn the car off first.
Top brands for best-LED headlight bulbs
Headlights are one major component of every vehicle and you cannot pick them from any random label. To lessen your hassle of finding the appropriate brand, we have listed down the top labels that are providing you with the best halogen headlight bulbs and best-LED headlight bulbs.
Let’s discuss the top brands available currently in the market;
Philips 12972XV+S2
One of the renowned companies for producing best-led halogen bulbs, Phillips brings easy to install headlight bulbs, which are manufactured from high-quality glass and coated with finesse. The bulbs provide a long-lasting light beam with clear visibility and a Kelvin color temperature of 3700. You can get your pair of Philips LEDs from here.
- Easy installation
- Top-quality materials and coating
- DOT complaint
- Durable
- Not compatible with many car models
Osram 64150NBU
With 3400 Kelvin color temperature and 1550 lumens, Osram’s led headlight bulb provides superior light overall, making the path visible for the driver in the darkest of nights. Apart from pleasant lighting, it reduces back-glare blue ring coating as well. Its robust and resilient coil makes it one of the most dependable options on the list. Get yours now from here.
- Made with robust and high resilient coil
- The light beam is longer making visibility clear
- Coated with glare-reducing coating
- Pleasant light
- Doesn’t provide enough white light
Sylvania 9006SU.BP2
You can not make a wrong choice with Sylvania 9006SU.BP2 because it is 100% street legal. This 1000 lumens headlight led bulb that produces 100 Kelvin color temperature is considered best for nighttime visibility. By selecting this tri-band technology-infused light for whiter and brighter light and sharp downward visibility, you can count yourself among people who believe in being safe rather than sorry. So, purchase the Sylvanian headlight pair from here.
- High performing headlights
- Sharp downward visibility
- Straightforward installation
- Equipped with Tri-band technology
- Shorter life expectancy than the mentioned options
- Heavy on pockets
Piaa 17655
Built with durable glass and high-quality filament materials, Piaa’s headlight bulbs are surely a wise choice. Moreover, these are not only DOT compliant but are also 100%street legal. Providing the driver with 4000-kelvin color temperature and luminous 1500 lumens visibility, Piaa surely ticks all the boxes to be one of the best high-performing headlights. Get yourself this durable pair of headlights with just a click.
- 100% street legal
- Reduce glare
- Hassle-free installation
- Provides excellent light and sharp visibility
- Short life expectancy
Philips 12362B1
Another of Philips’s creations has bagged a place in the list of best-led headlight bulbs for cars. This DOT compliant quality bulb comes with an OEM quality seal, affirming its durability and reliability. Furthermore, its resistance to vibrations and high temperature adds to its dependability. All in all, Philips 12362B1 is an overall best pick for headlight bulbs providing 1350 lumens of visibility and 4100 Kelvin color temperature. What are you waiting for, get yours from here now.
- Bright white light
- SAE Compliant
- High life expectancy
- Straightforward installation
- Heavy on pockets
Conclusion
The best headlight bulbs are those that satisfy you. The headlight is one of the car’s components that can never be compromised. Just imagine driving in the dark, it wouldn’t be an easy task for you. A lot of basic information on headlight bulbs is concentrated in this article and it is hoped you know now what you have to do.
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