With the long nights drawing in, you may be considering buying some new headlight bulbs for your car. With all the variety available on the market what is the right bulb for your car? In this article we’re going to explain the basics and help you find the right bulbs to fit your needs.
As a driver I know that replacing your headlight bulbs is a fact of life. Sometimes it’s due to a sudden burn out, other times it’s because the bulbs brightness has weakened to the point where it’s just too dim to be effective. Or maybe you just want to upgrade your existing bulbs.
When it’s time to replace your bulbs it is important to know what choices are out there. That way you can weigh up the choices to find what suits your needs best.
Did you know it is quite common for most headlight bulbs to loose 20%-30% of their output over the course of 2 years.
What Should You Consider When Buying New Headlight Bulbs
There are 3 things to look at when it comes to replacing or upgrading your headlight bulbs. These are Life Expectancy, Brightness and Whiteness. Ideally you would want all 3 in one bulb, however this isn’t possible for a variety of reasons.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is the amount of time your headlight bulb will spend behind the glass before it should burn out. Of course this is important to everyone. However, if you have daytime running lights or drive long distances at night this could be more important to you. Another aspect to consider is how difficult your headlight bulbs are to change.
Brightness
A brighter headlight bulb will give you better forward vision whilst driving, as well as improved side road vision. It is important to remember that brighter headlight bulbs work harder and therefore have a shorter life expectancy.
Did you know that drivers who live in rural areas tend to go for brighter headlight bulbs.
Whiteness
There are several advantages to having a whiter headlight bulb.
A whiter headlight bulb gives you a crisper, high definition view, allowing you to pick out more detail; especially in your peripheral vision.
Whiter headlight bulbs also give an upgrade in style and appearance to your vehicle, mimicking the more expensive HID (High Intensity Discharge) systems.
Another advantage of whiter headlight bulbs is the way it reflects off road signs. It makes for a quicker, easier read, allowing you to stay more focused on the road ahead.
With FREE standard delivery and next day delivery available on many of our products, you can get your bulbs in no time.
For more maintenance and repairs advice continue to come back to the Car Parts 4 Less blog and feel free to browse our full collection of car parts on our website.