Headlight bulbs (Blue or 50%)

From next Monday Lidl

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have a few motoring items on offer including a pair of Osram headlight bulbs @ £3.99. They offer 2 kinds of bulbs; H1, 4 or 7 blue and also H1, 4, or 7 +50%. Which one do you recommend will give the best nightime visibility, the Blue or the +50%?

Reply to
John
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Blue = Much less light (and illegal too). Fine if you want to look like a 'Nova monkey'! If these are Osram "Silverstar" types, go for the "50% more light" versions. They are excellent lamps.

JB

Reply to
JB

Would agree with the +50% lamps, however I would buy a few spares as I reckon you get 12 - 18 months tops out of a pair during average use due to the thinner filaments. Brighter = hotter = thinner = higher vaporization = shorter life.

Slurp

Reply to
Slurp

I just had one H1 Osram Silverstar +50% blow after 1yr 11m (about 26000 miles), the other is still OK. 2 Philips VisionPlus only lasted 1yr.

Reply to
SteveB

The message from "John" contains these words:

Blue works by reducing the output of other colours. Stylish [1] but silly. It makes some colours of car very hard to see and your eye doesn't respond well to blue nor does it focus it well.[2]

Stick to proper white lamps, 50% extra is nice.

[1] If you don't mind looking like a teenager. [2] Ever noticed how hard mobiles with blue keypad lighting are to focus on compared to red or green. One day I must get my soldering iron out and change my Samsung A800 to green.
Reply to
Guy King

+50%, and the Osrams are good bulbs.

GE bulbs (like Halfrauds +50%) are not as good. They spew light all over the place, dazzling other drivers and putting a weird crisscross pattern on the road.

Reply to
Zog The Undeniable

The old adage "twice as bright for half as long" is really not that far from the truth. The Osram or Philips lamps are cetainly the best offerings at the moment.

JB

Reply to
JB

+50% it is then. I'll pick up a couple extra for spares but it's not very often I drive at night so they should last a while. I don't know how old the originals are but they look a bit dim and yellowy compared to other headlights.
Reply to
John

The Osram "SilverStar" +50% bulbs came out tops in an AutoExpress test about 18mths ago. I've got some in the rally car HLs because I haven't got around to upgrading the wiring for hi-wattage bulbs, and they are excellent. Markedly whiter and brighter compared with "normal" bulbs, they also have a very well formed beam pattern as well - no hot / cold spots. I thought I was getting a good deal when Maplin Electronics did them for £10 for a pair, so any thing less than that is excellent.

Reply to
anon

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