One of the many reasons you might be looking at upgrading your headlights is for a whiter light temperature. A whiter light can help you see clearer, and just as importantly helps others to see your vehicle better too.

How are bulb colour temperatures rated?

Bulb colours are rated using the Kelvin scale. Essentially, low Kelvin numbers mean a yellow light, and higher numbers are whiter. The light of a candle is generally measured at 1500K, and normal daylight at 5000K.

Knowing that, halogen bulbs are generally around 3200K in colour temperature, with their Xenon counterparts reaching 5000K - even 6000K in some cases.

Why would I want a whiter bulb?

Whiter bulbs can be seen better by other motorists - as well as providing improved clarity of vision for you as the driver.

Safety isn't the only benefit either, with whiter lights often looking a like better aesthetically than the yellow-tint standard halogen output.

Can I get a whiter light with my halogen headlights?

You absolutely can - industry leaders such as Osram produce halogen bulbs with colour temperatures of up to 4200K, for example in their Cool Blue Intense range, with the Night Breaker Unlimited range giving you 4000K.

Is colour temperature related to brightness?

A whiter / bluer colour temperature is not necessarily brighter, but will allow you to see (and be seen) clearer. To increase brightness alongside colour, you should look at the wattage of the bulb too.

For example, Osram's Cool Blue Intense halogen bulbs run at 55w, which is a powerful, bright light. Combined with the whiter temperature, this makes these bulbs extremely popular with our customers.

Less expensive bulbs tend to average around 35w, with anything lower being very poor in terms of brightness.

What size/type of bulb do I need for my car?

Bulbs come in various fitment types - H7, H11 etc. To find out what bulbs you need, browse to your vehicle's page on our website and take a look at the listing for the headlights you have. Every listing on our website includes the bulbs required for the part, alongside other crucial details such as the maximum power recommended and vehicle suitability.

Which brand is best?

As we've said before, we are only interested in stocking the best quality bulbs and products in general. That's why we partnered with industry-leaders Osram to stock their entire product range. Osram bulbs last longer, shine brighter and have perfect colour temperatures.

Other brands to consider are Philips and Valeo.

To wrap-up, the higher the number, the whiter the colour temperature. If you want a bright, white light your best option is Cool Blue Intense from Osram - just make sure you know which size bulb you need before you order.