Best store-available headlight bulbs?

[wallyuwl]

For the past couple years we've had Sylvania Silverstars. They work great. But they burn out after eight months (if lucky). Today they burned out again.

It is for my wife's vehicle and this time of year she drives in the dark every day. So, I'm looking for something I can buy today in a store.

For local stores we have Meijer (Phillips bulbs), all the normal auto parts stores (Advance, AZ, Oreilly, CQ, NAPA), Walmart (Sylvania and GE - I won't buy GE for my own reasons), Target, and I guess that is about it that would carry bulbs.

Looking for something, ideally, at the same level of bulb as the Silverstar, but that won't burn out in eight months. Bulb is 9003.

Thanks.

 

[Billbert]

Try the sylvania xtravisions. They last about as long as the OE bulbs and are a lot better than the standard bulbs.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The Sylvania Xtravision is, to be, the best bang for your buck. I've always had a meaningful performance increase with them, and I've never had one expire yet. I typically replace bulbs due to age than burn-out anyway, but they're available cheap, last long, and genuinely give an improvement in light.

I used to really like the GE Nighthawk (and still do), but its availability isn't near what it used to be, at least at the retail level.

 

[Smokescreen]

+3 on the Xtravisions.

As you have already discovered, the Silverstars are bottom rung for performance and longevity, as with any color tinted glass bulb.

 

[5sfe91]

I always hear about silverstar ultras burning out quickly but I might have been lucky with mine that lasted a little over 2 years in a 2007 corolla which has day time running headlights.

Back on topic you can give the hella brand headlights a try. They are about the same price as the silverstars

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
I won't buy GE for my own reasons

Too bad. Otherwise I would suggest trying the GE Nighthawk bulbs.

 

[Jim 5]

Interestingly, I have an hour meter on my GM truck and because my low beams are always on (Canada DRLs) I could determine the exact number of hours the first factory bulb lasted before it burned out. It was around 1650. The other factory bulb has exceeded 1950 so far.

Sorry to be off topic, but I thought this might be interesting to those talking about bulb life.

 

[rslifkin]

I'm not sure how many hours, but I just replaced 1 of the 2 standard Sylvania bulbs in my Jeep 3 weeks ago. The other original one is still going strong, and not visibly dimmer than the new bulb.

 

[bmwjohn]

THE PHILLIPS, SUCH AS MEIJERS SELL, ARE RATED MUCH HIGHER OVERALL THAN SYLVANIA. WE NEED TO CONVINCE AAP TO STOCK PHILLIPS SO WE CAN USE THOSE ON LINE COUPONS.

 

[Hokiefyd]

NAPA sells Philips, but at an awfully high price. I paid a lot of money for a pair of Philips Vision Plus bulbs in the H13 style and wasn't all that impressed. They were brighter, yes, but I think they dimmed pretty quick. After just a few years, I put the stock Sylvanias back in that I saved and thought THEY were an improvement over the 2-year-old Philips bulbs. I put some Xtravisions in, and felt they were about on-par with the Philips bulbs when new, but at about half the price.

I'd consider Philips again, but only if I could get them local and within a few dollars of the Sylvania product. It also depends some on the bulb type. The run-of-the-mill 9006/HB4 Sylvanias aren't as nice I don't think as the H11 bulbs for instance; the H11 Xtravision I bought are made in Germany by OSRAM.

 

[97tbird]

What about the Philips Extreme Power or whatever? wonder if they're better than VisionPlus.

 

[Hokiefyd]

They probably are "brighter", but shorter-lived as well. They're a highly over-driven bulb that typically experiences short life. And they're expensive. They may be the "best performing" halogen bulb you can buy, but I question the value (in terms of benefit for dollar spent).

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
They probably are "brighter", but shorter-lived as well. They're a highly over-driven bulb that typically experiences short life. And they're expensive. They may be the "best performing" halogen bulb you can buy, but I question the value (in terms of benefit for dollar spent).


If you can find them in your size for about $30, they're not the worst bulb value out there. Yes, they do blow out after a year or so. And for that year, there's a lot of light from a clear-glass bulb.

At $50 they're not worth my money. At $30, I'd spring for them again.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
At $50 they're not worth my money. At $30, I'd spring for them again.


I'd agree with that. For $30, I'd definitely try them. When you can get a pair of Xtravisions at Walmart for $18.99 (for most bulb types), the $44.99 that Napa gets for ANY Philips upgrade bulb pair is hard to swallow.

 

[RacerE7773]

I ordered the Extreme Power once and the right burned out within a year. We bought standard 9006 last January and they were okay. Yesterday got a gift card so decided to get another set of Xtravisions as I'd had them in a previous car.

 

[K20FA5]

I have a pair of the Extreme Power in my Frontier now and they are a lot brighter than the OEM bulbs! I got mine on Ebay for $25.

I did save my OEM bulbs though, so when these burn out I can go back to them. The EP bulbs are brighter, but not worth $50!

 

[bmwjohn]

I think the highly rated Phillips Extreme are $50 A PAIR -not each- at Meijers, with sometimes a 15% discount. I have mentioned to AAP they should carry phillips (so we can use the discount coupons) but the more people that mention the better.After all, everybody carries the mediocre US market sylvanias. OSRAM of germany owns sylvania, but my understanding is that the bulbs are different.

 

[97prizm]

Yes the Osram/Sylvanias "Silverstars" are not colored in Germany, yet we get the "Blue" Silver starts in the states. One of the best alternative, and is rated as one of the best headlamp bulbs hands down. The Osram Nightbreaker Osram Nightbreaker Another option is Philips Xtreme power bulbs Xtreme Power

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: bmwjohn
After all, everybody carries the mediocre US market sylvanias. OSRAM of germany owns sylvania, but my understanding is that the bulbs are different.


Sometimes. For example, if you buy a Sylvania H11 bulb, either the regular or Xtravision, the back of the bulb clearly says OSRAM and Made in Germany. I think the H9 bulbs are the same way. So sometimes, you're getting a high quality OSRAM bulb in a discount Sylvania blister pack!

 

[John K]

I was looking at the Sylvania bulbs today and the back of the package lists the comparisons, and the higher performance ones all show they have less life than the oem.... I don't remember the details but it certainly stopped me from buying the high priced ones.