Everyone knows how important quality headlight bulbs are to all nighttime driving. That unsuspecting animal just a few feet away from the beam of your headlights or that sudden curve in the road can spell either life or death. Replacing your headlight bulbs with the best halogen headlight bulbs will help keep you and your family safer while driving at night.
Best Halogen Headlight Bulbs
This article covers halogen-type bulbs. You’ll find info about the best-LED headlights and the best HID headlights in other articles on this site.
#1 – PIAA Xtreme White Plus – Winner Best Halogen Headlight Bulbs
Producing a very clean white light and being SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and DOT (Department of Transportation) rated, the PIAA Xtreme White won’t have you worrying about getting pulled over by the police for using high-wattage bulbs. Not only is it rated and safe, but you’ll always get that clean white light you need for your daily drives and splash some style onto your car with the sharp look the bulbs provide when lit up.
This bulb generally lasts longer than most, but it pays to have a spare just in case one bulb goes out. Overall, the PIAA Xtreme White is not too bright to bother the police officers or your fellow drivers. It gives you maximum visibility with its white with a slightly blue tint, making a huge difference, especially if you have a few stray deer or elk in the neighborhood.
The PIAA Xtreme White offers a great deal for its price and is definitely one of the best replacement halogen headlights around.
#2 – Philips X-Treme Vision
If you’re looking for practicality and a longer life span, this bulb is the best halogen headlight bulb. It isn’t at all that pricey and produces a high-quality beam and a wider beam pattern that makes it worth the cash and then some.
The Philips X-treme Power Headlight Bulbs produce a more centered bright white light that widens visibility— especially at night, thus making the beams more focused and evenly spread. They are perfect if you’re traveling on under-lit roads. Award-winning with its precise positioning, this bulb is an inexpensive yet worthwhile upgrade that provides much-needed sidelight to spot some deer lurking by the roadside.
Also, being one of the best halogen headlights, the product promises the comfort and safety of nighttime and, when needed, daytime drivers.
#3 – SYLVANIA SilverStar Ultra
With a much better pattern and a brighter light, the SYLVANIA SilverStar Ultra-High-Performance Halogen Headlight Bulb is arguably the best among the best on this list. Suppose the NightHawk PLATINUM Headlight Bulb is that reliable schoolmate that helps you through your homework. In that case, the SYLVANIA SilverStar Ultra-High-Performance Halogen Headlight Bulb is the best friend that makes that five-day-a-week trip worth taking.
With a much whiter yet bluish tint, this halogen headlight is the best halogen headlight bulb for any regular nighttime driver. With its improved pattern and wider spread, this headlight bulb won’t make that nighttime drive terrifying, especially for drivers whose vision might be impaired.
With these on your vehicle, you won’t have to strain your neck just to see that dark edge a hundred meters away in front of your car ever again.
#4 – NightHawk PLATINUM
Having only a narrow band of blue tint away from the filament at the end of the bulb makes the NightHawk PLATINUM Headlight Bulb one of the best headlights for nighttime drivers.
That blue tint at the end ensures farther and clearer visibility compared to other blue-tinted bulbs in both high and low beams, as blue light scatters excessively during heavy rains or harsh weather — not to mention a less distracting blue hue; as you drive!
Installation of these bulbs is also pretty easy, assuming one takes the proper precautions before handling the product. To replace your old headlights with these, simply twist the bulb assembly, release the latch, position the NightHawk PLATINUM Headlight Bulb, reinsert the bulb assembly, and lock it in place.
#5 – Philips Crystal Vision Ultra
This bulb is one of the best headlight bulbs because it has a substantial improvement in terms of brightness and visual reach, but it also isn’t too bright for blind drivers driving toward you. Instead of a bright white light searing through the oftentimes intimidating darkness, the Philips Crystal Vision Ultra Automotive Headlight has a faint, almost extremely pale, light blue hue to its light, which provides increased visibility.
The beams are spread laterally wider, so you know that these headlights have got your back as you cruise along with your car. With all these perks, one would think that this product would cost more, but this bulb is surprisingly affordable.
Often praised by most of this product’s users for its noticeable increase in brightness, longevity, and reasonable price, the Philips Crystal Vision Ultra Automotive Headlight certainly deserves a place of honor.
#6 – HELLA Halogen Off-Road Use Replacement Bulb
With a great beam pattern and a headlight to help you focus more than giving off a powerful light, it’s no wonder that this headlight bulb belongs on this list. With the headlight enclosure designed to focus the beams (either near or far or low or high), you won’t need to worry about your headlight shining on everything but the pavement.
Some careful handling and maintenance will go a long way for this bulb. The low beams have been reported to have lasted for three years before they went out. What’s more, these bulbs last longer than the bulbs that cost twice their given price range.
#7 – GE NightHawk SPORT
You may think the tint on this headlight bulb might be too blue but think again. The NightHawk SPORT Halogen Lightbulb is cheap and easy to find and purchase. It has a beaming color of bright white instead of blue from a distance and has a wide reach in the case of visibility — which is very important when you’re driving at night with the possibility of wildlife lurking about the roadside.
It adds to the levels of safety for both the driver and the vehicle with its increased field of vision and clear beams.
Another great plus is that this headlight, although being a bright white, does not blind your fellow drivers. Some suggestions for this product would be to match both the high beams and low beams with the same type of bulbs to maximize its efficiency and design.
Also, with its white light, the NightHawk SPORT Halogen Lightbulb is reported to improve one’s driving environment by revealing clearer colors of objects that come in contact with its beams. From signs and road obstructions to odd humps and holes in the road, the NightHawk SPORT Halogen Lightbulb is undoubtedly one of the best halogen headlight bulbs that can light your path, literally.
#8 – SYLVANIA XtraVision
This bulb’s lights wear a happy medium of brightness with a significantly lower shade of yellow tints on them. Its reach goes farther than the regular bulbs already installed in your vehicle on a case-to-case basis and generally has a greater power that increases your field of vision considerably.
A great tip for this product is to buy a pair and keep a spare. They are fairly cheap when brought together, so either a spare bulb or another pair on hand will most likely do you good.
The price tag on this bulb is also in a reasonable range considering its life span and quality.
#9 – Philips Standard
Worried about replacing the old high beam bulb with a low beam bulb? The PHILIPS STANDARD Headlight has got you covered with a groove inside the connector that makes sure you replace the right type of bulb.
One of the things that makes this bulb one of the best headlight bulbs out there is that the bases of these headlights are interchangeable no matter the type — so installation ideally happens without a hitch, assuming you didn’t touch the bulb with your bare hands. (That’s a big no-no if you don’t already know.)
Specifications on this bulb are compared to regular 9006 stock and aftermarket bulbs, but this one clearly has superior performance, as attested by most users. And again, what makes this bulb one of the best bulbs on the market is that its price is worth its performance, and installation is quick and easy.
Installation
Do yourself a favor by watching a few YouTube instructional videos put on your latex gloves, and you’re ready to go; no tools needed!
Conclusion
All in all, the best headlights are those that fit your style and daily driving needs. Waiting for one bulb to burn out is a bad idea, which is why having a spare ready should be part of your maintenance routine for your vehicle. Mixing up different types of bulbs isn’t recommended. It looks ridiculous. Don’t be cheap. Buy bulbs in pairs.
Many people don’t know this, but if you’re looking for a major upgrade in light output and in your nighttime driving experience, consider an HID conversion kit or switching to LED headlight bulbs.
