H4 (HB2, 9003) LED, Halogen & Xenon Bulbs

Do you use an HB2 bulb in your car? Then this article will help you in choosing the best HB2 bulb for your car.

The HB2 bulb is used for low and high beam. The 9003 (HB2, H4) bulb has two filaments, which gives the 9003 (HB2 / H4) bulb the ability to serve as a high and low beam in one bulb. This makes the 9003 (HB2 / H4) lamp more convenient than most other headlight bulbs.

HB2 bulbs combine both low- and high-beam filaments. This feature determines the fact that the lamp H4 works perfectly in the dipped beam mode, can give absolutely unimpressive high beam.

Automakers either completely refuse to use H4 halogen lamps on premium cars or “divide” the low and high beam in different segments of the optical system on cars of budget and middle class.

This makes sense and an economic plan – when one of the filaments burns out, the bulb still has to change the whole, although in the second mode it continues to shine normally.

Does your car headlight use an HB2 bulb? Then this guide will help you make the right choice among the many bulbs that are on the market.

If you need help choosing a bulb for your car, read our guide to choosing a car lamp, or use the lamp selection for each car model on our website.

H4 (HB2)w Bulbs Guide

Types of bulbs
Bulbs Review
Buying Guide

What is an H4 bulb?

H4 bulbs are quite versatile because they are used for both low and high beam.

Now the HB2 is considered obsolete, in the same fog lamps has long been widely distributed H4, is much better suited for such conditions of use due to the sealed connector. Nevertheless, there are still quite a few cars on the roads of the United States that use H4 bulbs.

Variety of H4 car bulbs

HB2 bulbs are most commonly installed in dipped beam and fog lights. Depending on the light source, H4 dipped-beam bulbs are available in different versions:

• Halogen bulbs
• LED bulbs
• HID Xenon lamps

Best Brightest (HB2, 9003) Bulb

Types of H4 bulbs

1. Halogen Bulbs
2. LED Bulbs
3. Xenon Bulbs

H4 Halogen Bulbs

The halogen H4 bulb is arranged as follows: the filament is located in a bulb, the material of which is carbide or quartz glass.

H4 halogen lamps are good value for money, which is the reason they are used so often. The HB2 halogen lamps are low priced and easy to install. At the same time, the 9003 halogen bulbs have this disadvantage: they heat up to a high temperature during operation and fail faster.

Among the manufacturers of H4 lamps are several leaders: Philips, OSRAM, SYLVANIA. The brightness of these manufacturers’ lamps is 150% higher than that of a standard bulb.

These incandescent bulbs with 150% more light are the brightest on the market. HB2 halogen bulbs are fully approved for on-road use in all states and are warranted by the manufacturer.

These bulbs are easy to install because you replace the halogen with halogen and you have no problem installing them.

The disadvantage of H4 halogen bulbs is their lifespan. The brighter the light, the shorter the life of the bulb, this is due to the fact that there is a filament inside the HB2 bulb that burns out quickly. If you want a long life, use LED HB2 bulbs.

Best H4 Halogen Bulb

H4 LED Bulbs

LED H4 bulbs are usually brighter than halogen bulbs. They last much longer, use less energy, and are easy to install.

H4 LED bulbs are chosen by motorists who want bright white light. HB2 LED bulbs are considered the best for such reasons:

• Bright light
• Longer life
• Low power consumption
• Resistant to mechanical vibrations

HB2 LED bulbs are suitable for both low and high beam. The most popular manufacturers of HB2 LED bulbs are Philips, OSRAM, NINEO, BEAMTECH, HIKARI, Fahren, Aukee, AUTO ONE, CAR ROVER, Cougar Motor, and others.

Best H4 LED Bulbs

Best H4 LED Bulbs For Motorcycle

HB2 Xenon Bulbs

The xenon HB2 (H4) lamp consists of a bulb containing gases and two electrodes. The H4 headlight shines due to the electric arc that occurs between the electrodes.

Original HB2 (H4) xenon headlights are sometimes included with the car, but are usually purchased additionally.

Xenon HB2 bulbs are not like regular bulbs, they require a ballast and an incandescent bulb to work.

Xenon HB2 bulbs have the following features:

• high luminous intensity
• pleasant white color with a touch of blue
• will not dazzle oncoming drivers
• impervious to mechanical vibration

Disadvantages of HB2 Xenon lamps:

• Price is higher than other types of lamps
• Additional installation of an additional ignition unit (ballast) is required

Because of these disadvantages, the xenon HB2 bulb is used less often than halogen lamps.

Best H4 Hid Xenon Bulbs

H4 (HB2, 9003) Bulbs Review

A review of H4 bulbs can boil down to a few parameters

Lamps with an H4 base are used for cars with high mileage, which means that the optics will not be in the best condition: faded reflector, cloudy diffuser. In this case, the most interesting option for purchase is lamps with increased luminous efficacy. First of all, it concerns head optics. In fog lights there is a nuance – they are dipped in cold water more often, and the “enhanced” lamps are usually hotter than the standard. This means that the risk of cracking the diffuser is higher. Careful when buying bulbs with increased brightness and need to be to their light distribution – if they will start to “blow” on the oncoming lane, the drivers there will be much more noticeable.

The normal practice among well-known manufacturers to indicate on the packaging that the lamps are designed exclusively for off-road use only (for off-road use): For example, such lamps can be put in the headlight-seeker or headlamp “chandelier” raid car, but on the road, they really have nothing to do.

As for the color temperature, of course, you can choose any, except that white, going into a bright blue. However, the saturated yellow glow is still better left for the fog lights with transparent diffusers, the main light to make whiter: each color has its own advantages, and here in this combination they are best revealed.

H4 Lamp socket

Make sure you buy the right type of bulb for your car. H4 bulbs are bulbs for a car headlight or for fog light. You can determine what type of bulb you need for your car by checking this information in your owner’s manual. You can also find out what type of bulb you need by using the bulb selection by make and model of your car using our website. On the car bulbs finder page you will find information on what type of bulbs you need to use.

H4 (HB2, 9003) Bulbs Buying Guide

Once you’ve determined that H4 bulbs are what you need, you can start searching for the brightest H4 bulbs. When choosing an H4 bulb, you need to consider the following factors:

• Light distribution on the road
• Power consumption
• Luminous flux
• Compliance with light distribution with established standards

Power of H4 bulbs diode

The power of the LED depends on the brightness of the light it emits, and the higher the quality of the diode, the higher its efficiency will be. We do not recommend that you choose the most powerful and brightest models for your vehicle.

Dependence of power from the cooling system H4 bulbs

An LED generates a lot of heat when it emits light, and the higher the wattage of the lamp, the more heat the lamp produces. Poor cooling or poor quality results in the LED not being able to operate at full power.

The noisiness of the H4 bulbs cooler

If your choice fell on a powerful lamp with active cooling, then note that the cooler’s poor quality lamps are not only more likely to fail but also create a certain noise and vibration, which can be heard in the cabin. Constant monotonous barely audible hum sooner or later will drive even the most sedate driver crazy.

The brightness of H4 bulbs

It is customary to measure the brightness of a lamp in lumens, this value indicates how much light you get from the lamp. Lumens indicate the amount of light distributed by any light source. The more lumens, the brighter the light from the lamp. At the same time, fewer lumens give less light.

Color temperature H4 bulbs

The most popular LED bulbs have a color temperature of 5000-6000K, such a bulb is suitable for most cars. If you prefer the yellow color of the headlights, it is better to choose a lamp with a temperature of 4000K, such a lamp will be less bright, but more natural for the eyes. Brighter light sources with a temperature of 5000-6000K provide better visibility in rainy weather when the lamp is properly focused than similar light sources with a yellow spectrum. Do not raise the color temperature of the lamp too much and choose lamps with 7000-8000 K, regardless of optics and focus, they will not provide the same quality illumination. Modern H4 LED lamps are capable of producing light with different color temperatures:

1. Warm white (up to 3500 K)
2. Neutral white (4200 to 5000 K)
3. Cold white (temperature 6000 to 10000 K)

How do I install an H4 bulb?

To facilitate installation in cramped conditions, the ring of the base on all the bulbs is made removable. First, the ring of the base is installed, clamped by a locking device, then the H4 diode bulb itself is placed. Sometimes there are problems when installing the light bulb in the headlight, the headlight cover does not close when the cooling system is placed.

The choice of H4 auto lamps for the dipped beam is a responsible matter because it determines the safety on the road.