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Summary
  • Some of the best headlight bulbs out there include Philips VisionPlus, Philips Crystal Vision Platinum, Replacement HID (high-intensity discharge) bulbs, and Philips NightGuide Platinum Upgrade.
  • Many of these headlight bulbs are halogen, but they can significantly improve your stock headlight’s performance and light up roads like HID headlights.
  • There are a lot of great and affordable options when it comes to replacement headlight bulbs. When considering what headlight bulbs to get, don’t forget to check your headlight’s bulb socket. It can be very easy to purchase the wrong headlights.

Having good visibility at night is critical, so you should always replace your headlight bulbs in pairs when they become dim or burn out. Instead of getting a simple headlight bulb replacement that matches the original, consider getting a better bulb that can improve your vehicle’s visibility. LED bulbs are a good option since the technology is significantly brighter than halogen bulb options. Aside from just improving your road visibility at night, performance headlight bulbs can also increase your safety and confidence. Better headlight bulbs can even reduce eye strain, especially if you’re driving for long periods.

In this article, we’ll tackle the best replacement headlight bulbs that you should consider.

Philips VisionPlus

Philips is a globally renowned brand when it comes to light bulbs. Their VisionPlus series includes the most popular bulb socket types. Most vehicles come with halogen bulbs as stock. VisionPlus bulbs have a halogen bulb’s strengths, which include being affordable and easy to find. However, halogen bulbs tend to have a shorter lifespan compared to other bulb types and they can create a lot of heat. Despite being an upgrade, VisionPlus bulbs are actually still just halogen bulbs.

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Despite this, customer reviews for Philips VisionPlus bulbs are quite good. Many online users praise their brightness and clarity. Even though halogen bulbs are becoming less popular, Philips VisionPlus bulbs are substantially brighter than the bulbs that come in most vehicles. VisionPlus bulbs are still a substantial upgrade if your vehicle isn’t using LED or HID bulbs.

Philips CrystalVision Platinum Halogen

Philips also offers a higher-end halogen bulb in the form of their CrystalVision Platinum series. Compared to most halogen bulbs, which burn in a dim yellowish color, Philips CrystalVision bulbs create a bright white light that’s similar to HID bulbs in both color and intensity.

Philips CrystalVision bulbs offer great value and perform like an HID headlight without you needing to upgrade your entire headlight assembly. If you live in rural areas with dimly lit roads, these are a great upgrade since they’ll allow you to see obstacles like tree branches or wildlife sooner. The light’s increased brightness allows it to illuminate a longer stretch of road, which gives you more time to react to objects.

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Replacement HID Bulbs

Replacement’s HID bulbs are low-cost HID bulbs that will significantly improve your stock headlight’s performance. HID bulbs tend to be much brighter than standard halogen bulbs. HID bulbs are also known as xenon bulbs since these bulbs are typically filled with xenon gas.

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Replacement HID bulbs have good ratings from customers because of their good performance, easy fit, and great value for money. Users report that these bulbs are brighter than they expect, which makes it great to drive their HID bulb-equipped vehicle at night. Replacement’s HID bulbs can also come in a variety of color temperatures, so you can pick the headlight color that’s best for you. If you’re getting a headlight bulb that isn’t white or amber, verify if the bulb color is legal in your state first.

One downside of Replacement’s HID bulbs is that some users report that some bulbs wear out quickly because of issues in their vehicle’s electrical system causing the bulbs to flicker. That said, these issues seem rare. Overall, Replacement’s HID bulbs are an affordable way to significantly improve your headlight’s performance.

Make sure the headlight bulb color you get is legal in your state.

Anthony Harlin, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician

Philips NightGuide Platinum Upgrade

Philips’ NightGuide Platinum Upgrade bulbs are their most premium and most powerful headlight bulb upgrade. They claim that these bulbs create 130% more vision than the standard minimum legal requirements in low-beam headlights, which makes them the brightest halogen headlight bulb on paper. Like most bulbs on this list, these bulbs also come in a variety of colors, depending on your preferences.

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Despite having high visibility claims, these Philips bulbs actually still use halogen bulbs. This means they aren’t as long-lasting or efficient as HID or LED bulbs. That said, the bulb type doesn’t seem to matter much since they’re as powerful as HID bulbs. These bulbs also have great value, since they’re only slightly more expensive than Philips’ other products.

There are a lot of great and affordable options when it comes to replacement headlight bulbs. When considering which headlight bulbs to get, don’t forget about your headlight’s bulb socket. It can be very easy to purchase the wrong headlights. Always check your vehicle’s owner’s manual to find the right bulb type. You can use our website’s built-in search filters to see a list of headlight bulbs that’ll fit your vehicle. You can also enter your vehicle’s year, make, and model in our vehicle selector to see a list of compatible headlight bulbs.

About The Authors
Written By Automotive and Tech Writers

The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.

Reviewed By Technical Reviewer at CarParts.com

Tony Harlin is a Master Gas and Diesel Diagnostic Technician with over 18 years of experience. He works full-time at a large independent automotive shop as a driveability and repair technician working on all types of vehicles with a focus on diesels. ASE certifications include A1-A9, L1 and L2, as well as X1.

Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.

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