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Headlamp bulbs tested

As we head into winter, decent headlamp bulbs are as vital as any other safety kit on your car. We pick from 25 top buys

Bulbs test

By Kim Adams

October 2010

See and be seen on the road this winter! Headlamp bulb makers have upped performance again, with some now claiming 100 per cent more light. Do they deliver? We test 25 of the latest over the next three pages to find out.

You don’t have to wait until a bulb fails to upgrade; all lamps dim in time, and the latest performance versions will give a big improvement. Output claims refer to the extra light over a standard bulb, 75 metres ahead of the driver – just where you need it on unlit roads at night.

Makers have been hiking output ever since plus 30 per cent bulbs debuted in the early 2000s. The H4 twin-filament bulbs we tested appeared in the Sixties, but advanced production methods have allowed firms to push them to the limit.

Take Osram’s Night Breaker Plus; it uses filters on the glass to bring super-bright filaments back within legal levels. But upping output on any bulb hampers longevity – so long-life products (tested for the first time here) are worth a look, especially as changing can be so fiddly.

We spent a day in Osram’s light tunnel near Munich, Germany, to pick the best bulbs in three different categories.

How we did it

Two samples of each bulb were tested in a VW Polo MkV headlamp – its reflex reflector and clear lens would highlight any deficiencies. Glare was adjusted to legal levels, and we measured dip beam 50 and 75 metres ahead of the ‘car’.

The readings were combined, with the focus on the furthest marker, to rate the beam, and our results are an average of the two bulbs. We corroborated the top results by measuring the light output from the filament itself. This can also reveal manufacturing flaws.

It was clear headlights need adjusting when you fit new bulbs, as there are big differences, even between those in the same pack. We tested long life and standard, up to plus 60 per cent, and plus 100 per cent and white bulbs. We bought all our bulbs or took them from multipacks to prevent maker filtering. Prices are for a pair, excluding delivery. Cost played a minor role in this safety-focused test.

 

Long life/ standard

Up to plus 60 per cent

Up to plus 100 per cent

Making light work of rivals are original equipment suppliers Philips and Osram. These brands have driven development, and it’s no surprise to see them on top. Taking victory in the long life and standard section is Philips EcoVision, which also promises fuel savings and durability. Osram rules in the performance categories, with its Silverstar winning in the up to 60 sector and new Night Breaker Plus proving the best of the 100 per cent bulbs, ahead of Philips’ all-new X-tremeVision. 

Winner: Philips EcoVision

Winner: Osram Silverstar

Winner: Osram Night Breaker Plus

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8 Comments

Needs Sorting

'The Management' need to sort this on-line report as, in each case, the top 3 have been wrongly listed.

By iantanner3 on 28 October, 2010, 4:00pm

Testing Facility

Am I the only one to notice that when the Phillips test tunnel was used their bulbs were the best and now Osram are the best in.......the Osram tunnel! :-o

By IANLUSMORE on 28 October, 2010, 6:27pm

Testing Facility

Am I the only one to notice that when the Phillips test tunnel was used their bulbs were the best and now Osram are the best in.......the Osram tunnel! :-o

By IANLUSMORE on 28 October, 2010, 7:35pm

"Independent" testing ?

I agree Ian, it does seem a bit more than coincidental that the test facility hosts bulbs came out top.
An entirely independent test facility would give more credible results.
The results also are quite subjective with no performance figures quoted - unless I just haven't been able to find them.

By suzukifan on 29 October, 2010, 11:27am

Re: Independent Testing

Hi all,

The apparent 'home advantage' has not gone unnoticed and is of some concern, which was why we corroborated the beam result with the filament brightness test.

To be honest it is difficult to explain this home advantage. We conduct each test meticulously to ensure a fair result. I am convinced the results are correct and, in the case of the top bulbs in the latest assessment both were new and untested previously so there is no 'form' that might have been overturned. The story is the same with the plus 50 bulbs as we have tested H7 previously in a different headlamp.

Independent facilities for bulbs may be the answer but these would be prohibitively expensive and would inevitably preclude the magazine conducting the tests.

Rest assured, we would not publish these tests unless we thought the results were valid and on that basis Auto Express is right to continue to do them with the assistance of experts in the field under our scrutiny.

However 'inconvenient' the results may look we are confident they are correct.

Thanks for your interest,

Jamie

By jamiefretwell on 1 November, 2010, 6:43pm

Testing

I believe the results make sense. If you observe the head unit being tested on - VW. VW will design their optics best suited to top OEM manufacturers, therefore the filament design, position makes a massive difference to the test results from each bulb. The top brands like OSRAM and Philips are OEM producers.
I doubt OSRAM lamps are designed for the test facility. All lamps are tested the same way. Its off course a coincident that the 2/3 categories were OSRAM. Last year I remember Philips had the best? R&D will continue and we may see newer lamps next year, but I reckon it will be one of these manufacturers again.

By f1moh on 2 November, 2010, 9:42am

AlanH

It's all very well having these brighter lights but they seem to me to be accompanied by a higher percentage of over-bright and maladjusted lights on the road. How many people bother to adjust their lights from the control on the dashboad when carrying a load?
I find the xenon lamps very penetrating to the eyesight and have to look away from lights rather than being able to keep my eyes on the road. My '09 Touran lights are perfectly adequate and I shall not bother wasting money on upgrades. Perhaps I'm just getting old!

By AlanRH2 on 2 November, 2010, 6:13pm

Headlight bulb Testing

its actually fairly easy to do using a light meter (suggest what the DOT/NHTSA compliant use) a Minolta and you can get color temp in Kelvin (K) also
but he reality is that certain size bulbs can be overclocked like a computers processor like using Osram's Hyper/Super Bright Rally H7 in 65W (uses H9 filament) which outshines Philips Rally 80W H7 or the new Philips HIR2 (9012) LL (Long LIfe) instead of 9005/HB3 or 9006/HB4

By suvlights on 16 November, 2010, 8:49am

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