If you buy an item via links on this page, we may earn a commission. Our editorial content is not influenced by commissions. Read the full disclosure.
In need of good H9 bulbs? We have a list of the best H9 bulb brands that you can consider buying for your home. We’ve got both halogen and LED bulbs to pick.
If you’re reading this, chances are that you need an H9 bulb. You’ll want to get an appropriate H9 bulb for your car when replacing headlights. Aside from compatibility, you must also consider quality while selecting a headlight to ensure longevity.
So, which manufacturers offer the best high-quality bulbs on the market?
Based on our experience and scouring the web for reviews, here are the top choices for the best H9 bulb brands.
Table of Contents
- What Is an What is an H9 Bulb?
- What Are the Uses of an H9 Bulb?
- Short on time? Check Out Our Quick Comparison Table Below!
- What to Check When Shopping for H9 Bulbs
- Choosing the Best H9 Bulb for You
- Conclusion
- FAQ
What Is an What is an H9 Bulb?
An H9 bulb has a 65W (nominal) filament that produces between 1,760 to 2,240 lumens. When compared to other Hn bulbs this lumen count is high. That is because the filament is optimized for maximum luminance and flux at the expense of a short lifespan.
Compared to other bulb types used in car headlights, the H9 bulb is brighter. The tradeoff here is a short lifespan because the bulb runs at a higher intensity. Also a point of difference is the lack of something called a blacktop.
Headlight bulbs that are meant for low beam use will have what’s called a blacktop on the glass at the end of the bulb. A blacktop is used to control the beam of a light bulb. In terms of a headlight this means the light emitting from a headlight bulb will not shine directly into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
This may seem counter intuitive. If the light is blocked from coming out the end of the bulb then how is there light shining in front of the car? Well, this is where the headlight housing comes into play.
A headlight encasement is a bit of an engineering feat. It is designed to use and reflect the light emitted from a bulb in the most efficient way possible. The light emitting from the side of the bulb is redirected out onto the road while also controlling the glare.
What Are the Uses of an H9 Bulb?
Because of their luminous qualities, H9 bulbs are often used for car, truck, motorcycle, off-road, and other vehicle lights. H9 bulbs are also often found within industrial spaces like factories and warehouses. However, with the energy efficiency and long-lasting characteristics of LED lights uses in these spaces are going by the wayside. These types of lights are used when people want a more intense and brighter light.
Generally though, they’re used for vehicle light replacements because they can last pretty long and under various condition types.
The H9 bulb is a replacement headlight type that fits into your car’s housing in place of the standard halogen, H7 (double-H) or single-H7 light. It has several advantages over the original headlight, including increased light output. The benefits of using an H9 bulb include more visible nighttime driving and more powerful lighting of the road.
The H9 headlight bulb is available in several different variations, like xenon white and halogen yellow to better suit your preferred type of light output. With that said, this type of automotive light also has a low wattage output, which means it saves energy. When it comes to the type of bulbs that you use on your car, you want to be smart about what you buy–and this article is here to help.
Short on time? Check Out Our Quick Comparison Table Below!
Later in this article, we’ll be tackling the 5 best H9 bulbs for headlights in detail so that you can familiarize yourself with the features of each.
But for now, you can take a gander if you don’t want to scroll down.
Check out the table below:
| Preview | Product | Compatible With | Price |
|---|
What to Check When Shopping for H9 Bulbs
When looking for H9 bulbs, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration in order to get exactly what you want and also what your car or light fixture can handle. Always keep in mind that not all H9 headlight bulbs are made equal. Each model and brand comes with its own set of characteristics, some of which may be important to you.
Factors such as lumens count, or how intense the light is that is being produced from the bulb is of great importance. Things like state laws, headlight lamp configurations, and the amount of current that your car may be sending to the headlight lamp can greatly impact lumens count.
The wattage requirements of the bulb you’re looking to purchase should always be compared to that of the wattage levels that your car will be providing to your headlight lamp unit. If there is a mismatch here, then you will definitely run into issues.
Choosing between LED or Halogen may seem like a no-brainer if you’re an avid reader of KRMLight+. However, this may not be as straightforward as you would think. Again, things like wattage, voltage, and headlamp socket come into play and perhaps going with the usually more efficient and longer lasting LED bulbs is not the right choice.
Finally, how easy the bulb is to install, brand and relevant quality reputation have to be considered. You don’t want to make a quick purchase online to replace a headlight bulb you very badly need to have fixed only to find the installation process is complex or worse yet, in need of a mechanic to perform. Once you finally get the bulb installed, will the brand you’ve chosen provide you the light you want? Will their quality standards ensure the longevity that should be expected of a car headlight? Read on below as we dive deep into what makes the best H9 bulbs truly better than the rest.
Lumens
No matter what kind of H9 bulb you want to buy, one of the most key considerations is the lumens count. The number of lumens determines the light intensity of your H9 bulb and how much visibility it can give you while on the road. Perhaps the largest factor in determining the lumens that you need is whether this will be for a high beam or low beam placement.
Typical lumens counts for headlights range from 1,000 to 4,000 lumens. In most states, the maximum legal lumens count for headlights falls around 4,000 or slightly above. Low beam headlights generally lie somewhere between 1,000 and 1,700 lumens. High beam headlights are on the higher portion of the range between 1,800 to 4,000 lumens.
Once you have determined whether the H9 bulb will be used for high beam or low beam placement, it is important to then take into account what your vehicle’s headlight housing has been configured for. You can buy a 2,400 lumens H9 bulb for your high beam headlight, but if you car’s headlight encasement was made to only handle 1,700 lumens for a high beam you could get into trouble.
Remember how we said headlight encasements are a feat of engineering? Being above the range that your headlight housing was made for could cause extreme glare and potentially hazardous situations for oncoming drivers. Other issues like upward light, stray light, and backscatter occur when you’re using a bulb with a lumens count outside the range of your headlight lamp’s capabilities. Read through your car’s manual or do a quick search on your make and model online to check the ideal range of lumens for your car’s headlight lamps.
Wattage
Anyone who has had to buy a light bulb has dreaded the ever changing wattage requirements. You have to find where it says on your current bulb (often in tiny illegible font) what the wattage is. Then you go to the store, or you search online having to sift through countless different types of bulbs all at different wattages.
Why is it so critical to be sure you’re using the correct wattage? When you mix up the wattage in a lighting fixture in your house, there’s a chance that not only will the bulb burn out, but also that the circuitry of the fixture will be damaged. For a vehicle, things get a lot more complicated.
You run the danger of damaging or perhaps completely frying your headlight enclosure and maybe the circuitry within your automobile. Most modern cars have protections in place to prevent a satellite system such as a headlight from damaging the overall vehicle system. Your car’s computer system will likely sense that something is wrong in your headlight lamp and send an error code to you while also shutting down electricity to that headlight. Still, not something you’d want to risk.
The key takeaway here, again, is to check your car’s manual, talk to a certified mechanic, or do a quick search online to see what your car’s make and model requires. In most cases the wattage requirements for headlights will be between 40W-70W. The brighter lights being at the higher wattages. There are always exceptions, however.
LED or Halogen
LED and halogen lights have their own respective pros and cons. In general, LED lights are more efficient than halogens. LED lights usually have higher lumen counts, longer shelf lives, and higher levels of energy efficiency. So as much as possible, LED lights are the way to go.
Before you purchase an LED H9 bulb, make sure your car’s headlight lamp is capable of handling an LED bulb. Depending on the make and model, an LED light may be no problem for your vehicle to handle. On the other hand, as it is in most cases, your car will not be able to handle swapping a halogen bulb for an LED bulb.
A chief concern here is the wattage. Remember, installing an H9 bulb that is 55W in your headlight lamp which can only deliver 40W will cause issues. If you’ve kept up to date on some of our other knowledge content, you’ll know that a primary difference between LED bulbs and traditional bulbs is the voltage requirements. Yes, volts are different from watts, however they are a function of one another with the other side of the equation being amps.
Nonetheless, LED bulbs require much lower voltages than traditional bulbs. Sometimes LED bulbs can require as little as 10% of the volts that traditional bulbs require. Therein lies the problem. If you have a vehicle set up for headlights using halogen bulbs then it’s most likely delivering many times over the voltage requirements needed for an LED bulb. If you happen to install an LED H9 bulb in your car anyways and it still works, then that’s great. You may think that’s that and your car can handle LED bulbs. But, if it wasn’t designed for it you’re most likely going to fry the circuitry within that LED bulb overtime severely limiting the life of it.
Ease of Installation
Ease of installation is pretty important, especially if you’re not too handy with electronics. Most bulbs are plug and play, so they’re pretty easy to install. However, another aspect that you need to take into consideration is the compatibility of the bulb. Some bulbs are compatible with more than one size type. For instance, some are compatible with both H9 and H8 while others are only compatible with H9. For an easier time, get the one that’s compatible with more than one type.
You can also run an H11 within an H9, albeit with a small modification as the electrical connector is slightly different.
Brand and Quality
Last but not least, you must consider the brand. Since you’re buying an electronic appliance, you need to make sure that the product you get is from a brand with a longstanding reputation of high-quality. If you get a cheap, low quality product, you can’t be certain of what you get. In most cases, though, you will get what you paid for. Cheap bulbs often wear down and burn out faster. If you were reluctant to dig a little deeper into your pockets, you could get a bulb that overheats as well or provides inconsistent light with a non-uniform beam.
Fortunately, we’re very particular with quality and branding so we make sure that our top picks for the best H9 bulbs are all high-quality products from reputable brands with the highest rated reviews.
Choosing the Best H9 Bulb for You
1. Cougar Mont All In One Headlight Bulb
Via: Amazon.com
When it comes to power, this is without a doubt the greatest H9 led bulb on the market. The total lumen count of this LED light is 7200 (60w). It’s nice because even with that much power, it won’t overheat thanks to its 10,000 RPM turbo cooler fan. As a result, it’s durable, strong, and efficient.
Best Features:
- 7200 lumens of power
- 10,000 RPM TurboCool fan
- 50,000 hours of run time
- Plug n Play installation
- Rainproof
2. Philips Standard H9 Halogen Bulb
Via: Amazon.com
Philips is a well-known name when it comes to light bulb production. If you want a high-quality halogen bulb that delivers excellent performance while being safe to use, this is the brand to go with. You should check these out. They’re really bright and ideal for automobile headlamps or trunk lights.
Best Features:
- High Durability
- Plug n Play installation
- Guaranteed quality
- Removable O-rings
- Compatible with most cars
3. Sealight Headlight Bulb
This is another LED light that’s a fantastic alternative to the conventional halogen bulb. The beauty of this LED light is that it provides excellent visibility even during the day. That’s because it provides a 6,000 lumens light source, which generates more visibility.
Best Features:
- Plug n Play installation
- 6000 lumens (40w)
- 6000K light
- Good warranty
- Wide area coverage
4. DZG Halogen Headlight Replacement
This halogen light has a long life if that’s what you are searching for. That’s because this company only uses high-quality components to make their bulbs. That’s also a major factor why these bulbs endure longer in harsh circumstances than other halogen replacement bulbs. It is also waterproof and weatherproof, which makes it ideal for use outdoors.
Best Features:
- Waterproof
- 50 watts
- 5500K white color
- High durability
- Easy to install
5. Winpower H9 65W Halogen Bulb
Last on the list is the Winpower H9 65W halogen. This is definitely one of the best H9 halogen bulbs in the market because it provides high durability, power, and coverage. It makes use of 65W for illumination and has a coverage of 35 meters. It is also heat resistant and does not produce glare.
Best Features:
- 65w of power
- 35-meter coverage
- Heat resistant quartz glass
- Decreased glare
- Five-minute installation
Conclusion
While we consider all these products to be the best that you can buy, we still have quite an affinity for LED lights. That’s why we will probably pick the Cougar Mont All In One Headlight Bulb as our top pick out of the five. First, it comes from one of the best H9 bulb brands in the market, so you feel good about it being high-quality.
With regard to the product variant, it is the most powerful in the list in terms of lumens and also one of the most durable. It’s also pretty easy to install and it doesn’t crack under bad weather.
FAQ
H9 bulb high or low beam?
H9 bulbs have a lumens count (up to 2,240lm) higher than allowed for low beam headlights. H9 bulbs also come without a blacktop tip which prevents the beam from obstructing the view of oncoming drivers.
Recommended Reading:
- Best LED Flame Bulbs Review & Guide
- Best RGB Strips For PC Reviews