BEST BUDGET

Bevinsee V55 H9 LED
Headlight Bulbs

CHECK PRICE

• Plug and play
• 28,000 lumens/set
• 6,000K Cool White
• +700% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Budget brightest H9 LEDs
• 100,000-hour lifespan
• 150W per set
• External CAN bus driver
• IP68 Waterproof

Best Overall

Sealight X4 H9 LED
Headlight Bulbs

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• Plug and play
• 28,000 lumens/set
• 6,500K Cool White
• +800% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Brightest overall H9 LEDs
• 50,000-hour lifespan
• 110W per set
• External CAN bus driver
• IP68 Waterproof

WORTHY CONTENDER

Auxbeam GX Series H9
LED Headlight Bulbs

CHECK PRICE

• Plug and play
• 25,000 lumens/set
• 6,500K Cool White
• +800% brighter than halogens (advertised)
• Brightest runner-up H9 LEDs
• 60,000-hour lifespan
• 120W per set
• External CAN bus driver
• IP68 Waterproof

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Some lights on your car need to be brighter than others; your high beam and fog lights are perfect examples. 

That’s where the H9 bulbs come in.

If your car is new, do these lights have adequate brightness for you to feel safe driving on an unlit road or in heavy rain? 

If the answer is no, your factory-installed halogens aren’t giving you what you need, and I recommend you upgrade to H9 LEDs.

LEDs provide more illumination, use less power, and last longer than halogens.

For more than ten years, I’ve used, tested, and experimented with every possible vehicle light. And I’ve found H9 LEDs are always an excellent investment for your vehicle.

How do you know which brands are the brightest? I’ve done the work for you and narrowed it down to my top 3. My overall favorites are the Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight bulbs; they are super-bright.

Following the Sealights is my runner-up for brightest and a budget option.

It’s time to learn all about H9 LEDs

IMPORTANT! – Make sure you have the correct bulb sizing and fitment so you don’t waste your money, use this handy tool to double check.

Top Pick: Sealight X4 H9 LED Headlight Bulbs

When it comes to the brightest H8 bulbs, the Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight bulbs snag my top spot. Clocking in at 7,000 lumens, they’re a whopping five times brighter than halogens. Now that’s what I call super bright!

Breaking Down the Specs

Sealight touts the X4 H9s as drawing design inspiration from previous models, and I’m inclined to agree with them.

These bulbs, with their stunning 28,000 lumens per set, were a significant upgrade from what was already in my car. Sealight claims these are 800% brighter than factory halogens. They indeed lit up like the 4th of July, but were they truly that intense? More on that later.

The bulbs cast a 6,500K cool white light, a distinct advantage of LEDs over halogens. Stock halogens usually sit around 3,000K. LEDs can easily double that, providing an extra degree of whiteness that helps you spot objects earlier and more clearly.

Each bulb’s wattage is advertised as 55, with a promised lifespan of 50,000 hours. I haven’t come across a bulb that’s lasted that long yet. But with a one-year warranty from Sealight, I’d bank on them lasting at least a year.

The IP68 waterproof rating is noteworthy as it represents the pinnacle of durability for headlight bulbs.

First Impressions

The package is compact and sharp-looking. Upon opening, the premium vibes continue. The bulbs boast a sleek, eye-catching design.

The external driver is compact, and the fan area well arranged. The adjustable collar is a nice addition.

There’s an exposed area towards the top of the bulb’s orientation. I’m not sure of its purpose, but it’s clear that Sealight is upping its design game.

These bulbs are a perfect fit for your H9 socket; mine plugged right in.

The Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight bulb looks and feels premium, and with a price tag around $100, it’s certainly in that bracket. But does it deliver?

Putting It to the Test

I always test my bulbs the same way. I place the lamp 20 feet in front of a lux meter. I start with the standard halogens and take their lux measurement, which is usually a consistent 725 lux for projector and 910 lux for reflector setups.

Here’s what my projector test revealed. The initial light output clocked in at 1303 lux, a healthy +578 over the halogen. Bright indeed, but not quite double the halogens.

What struck me, though, was that after 27 minutes — the average US commute time — it stood strong at 1147 Lux, +422 over the halogen. With an 88% retention rate, these bulbs outshine the average 80% retention rate.

After running the reflector test, the initial light output was 3020 lux, a staggering +2110 over the halogen. That’s around 400% brighter, half of the 800% that Sealight promises.

And after the 27-minute mark, the light output was a solid 2658 Lux, +1748 over the halogen light. That’s over 1000 lux more than previous Sealight models, with an impressive 88% retention.

The beam spread was quite decent, although the cutoff was quite high, possibly causing concern for oncoming drivers. You’ll need to aim these bulbs correctly before hitting the road.

After 27 minutes of runtime, I measured 186°F at the main unit and 156°F at the driver. Those are pretty cool temperatures compared to previous models.

The bulb’s stated wattage is 55 watts, but my tests showed it at 49.3 watts. This likely accounts for the cooler temperatures.

Feedback from Other Drivers

The Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight holds a respectable 4.4/5 stars on Amazon. 

The improved brightness over factory halogens was a common positive theme.

Installation proved problematic for some drivers, mostly those with unusual sockets. Be sure to use the Amazon Confirmed Fit tool at the top of the product page for your vehicle before ordering.

Wrapping Up

All in all, the Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight bulbs are my favorite in terms of brightness. This is a robust light with impressive performance and even better heat management. A worthy purchase for sure!

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Brightest Contender: Auxbeam GX Series H9 LED Headlight Bulbs

While the Sealight X4 H9 LED headlight bulbs bagged my choice for the brightest H9, the Auxbeam GX Series H9 LED headlight bulbs are hot on their heels. They deliver slightly fewer lumens per bulb but come with more initial brightness. They secured the runner-up spot due to their heat retention. Here’s what my tests revealed.

Details as Advertised

The Auxbeam GX Series H9 LED headlight bulbs boast 25,000 lumens per set. Similar to Sealight, Auxbeam claims these are 800% brighter than factory halogens. And yes, they’re bright alright, but are they 800% brighter? Stick around for the test results.

The Kelvin color matches the Sealights with a 6,500K cool white. These bulbs make objects farther down the road more visible and clear than your typical halogens.

Their state-of-the-art design, featuring one custom CSP chip, facilitates a maximum illumination distance of 1800 Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS).

Each bulb is said to have 60W wattage and a lifespan of 60,000 hours. Despite the year-on-year increase in the promised lifespan, I’ve yet to witness a bulb lasting that long. Auxbeams does offer a two-year warranty though, which is double what most competitors provide.

They too are IP68 waterproof. More new bulbs meet this standard nowadays. A bulb rated IP65 is merely water-resistant, hence not as reliable.

First-Hand Experience

The Auxbeam GX Series H9 LED headlight bulbs are one of the latest entrants in the market. The tech advances that Auxbeam has adopted are evident in these H9 headlight bulbs.

Honestly, these are easily the best-looking bulbs I’ve laid my eyes on in a long while. They seem to have been pulled right out of a Transformers flick.

Auxbeam does a great job packaging its products. The compact box houses these snazzy bulbs, stickers, zip-ties, double-sided tape, and an instruction manual.

The external driver is connected to the unit by heavy-duty braided cords, lending a sturdy look and feel. The unit features an adjustable collar, and the fan sits behind the Auxbeam logo at the bottom.

In the Testing Zone

I was stoked to test the H9 bulbs, and they didn’t disappoint, far from it. I used the same setup as always, placing the light 20 feet from the lux meter, comparing against halogens at 725 lux for the projector and 910 lux for the reflector.

The initial reading from the projector test was jaw-dropping — 2,190 lux. These bulbs are phenomenally bright. However, they dipped to 74% or 1,620 lux after 27 minutes, likely due to the higher heat levels in the main unit.

The reflector test produced figures I haven’t seen in ages — 4,570 lux! After 27 minutes, another 74% dip, yet the lux was still a high 3,381.

Bright lights often compromise on beam pattern, and a noticeable weak spot at the middle center was more pronounced than with the Sealight, which had a stellar beam pattern.

Aiming these bulbs properly is crucial. The last thing you want is to blind oncoming drivers.

Auxbeam lists 60 watts per bulb, and my tests showed a pretty close 56.6 watts, which is still powerful.

After 27 minutes, I checked the heat temperature suspecting it caused the lux drop. I was right. The main unit reached 211°F, a bit higher than I’d like. The external driver, though, remained significantly cooler at only 128°F, cooler than many others I’ve tested.

This is still a new model with many aspects that need thorough testing. However, if its predecessors’ quality and performance are any indication, this one promises beastly output.

Feedback from Fellow Drivers

Given how new these headlight bulbs are, only a few Amazon reviews exist, all positive so far, which is promising.

If you decide to buy these, do share a review to help fellow drivers.

Final Verdict

I’m already impressed by these H9 headlight bulbs. Besides their stunning looks, they’re among the brightest headlight bulbs out there. If the cooling system were flawless, these could potentially go the distance, justifying the hefty price tag.

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Best Budget Buy: Bevinsee V55 H9 LED Headlight Bulbs

For those of you looking to spare your wallet while changing bulbs, Bevinsee V55 H9 LED headlight bulbs could be the answer. They cost roughly two-thirds of what you’d spend on my other H9 picks. 

Specs as Advertised 

While they’re lighter on the pocket, the Bevinsee V55 H9 LED headlight bulbs’ specs surprisingly mirror the Sealight and Auxbeam. 

Bevinsee promises an output of 14,000 lumens per bulb, asserting that they’re 700% brighter than halogens. My tests confirmed they indeed outshine halogens, but the 700% figure is an exaggeration.

These bulbs sport a slightly lower Kelvin color of 6,000 compared to the others, but they still project a suitable color temperature. My vision was crystal clear up to about 500 feet ahead of my car.

The advertised wattage of 150W per set is quite high, raising overheating concerns. 

Nonetheless, these bulbs feature a new generation of fluid cooling tech, which includes double cooling copper tubes and a 15,000RPM silent turbofan. I ran a temperature test on these bulbs; the results are given below.

Bevinsee also stakes an extremely high claim that these bulbs will last 100,000 hours. Most bulbs on the market guarantee only half of that, and in my experience, even that’s stretching it. But given the 3-year warranty, these bulbs might just make it that far.

Like the others, these bulbs too carry an IP68 waterproof rating, making them resilient under adverse driving conditions.

First Impressions

The Bevinsee V55 is an upgrade on their V45 model, and the improvement is evident.

Bevinsee keeps its packaging simple — inside the box, you’ll find the bulbs and an instruction manual. 

These bulbs sport a pretty basic design with a chrome finish. They look nice but don’t really stand out. 

A slight concern is their length — at 39mm, they’re longer than most other models. Ensure they’ll fit your vehicle before you decide to go with them.

The external driver is linked via braided cables that seem robust.

In a nutshell, considering its price, the V55 is a noticeable improvement over the V45 and feels solid.

Test Drive

With claims of being 700% brighter than halogens, I was eager to put these bulbs to the test. I was certain they wouldn’t live up to the hype. And I was right.

I conducted my standard projector test, placing the light 20 feet from the lux meter. The initial light output was roughly 1369 lux, compared to 725 lux of a halogen. This is only 655 lux more than halogen, not even twice as bright, far from the 700% claim.

After 27 minutes, the luminance dipped to 1069 lux, retaining 78% of the initial luminance. This retention rate is surprisingly low for bulbs in this category, given that some brighter ones fare better with heat retention.

The reflector output is usually the source of the brightness claims. However, here too, it was fairly low, coming in at 2790 lux. It dropped to 2276 lux after 27 minutes, not particularly impressive. It still outperforms a halogen light at 910 lux, though.

Bevinsee rates it at 75 watts per unit, but my measurements indicated 66.2 watts, lower but still on the high side for my comfort. And my temperature check confirmed my worries.

After running for 27 minutes, the main unit heated to 251°F, and the driver to 155°F. These temperatures are higher than most other bulbs. I highly doubt these bulbs would last anywhere near their claimed 50,000, let alone 100,000 hours.

Even the beam pattern was less than ideal. The projector cut-off was quite high, meaning you’ll need to aim these bulbs carefully to avoid blinding oncoming drivers.

Customer Feedback

The Bevinsee V55 is a relatively new entrant on Amazon, with no reviews as of this writing.

If you opt to buy these and give them a try, why not leave the first review and help other drivers make an informed choice?

Final Take

The Bevinsee V55 bulbs are well-crafted and an upgrade from the preceding model. However, their long-term performance isn’t impressive, and their high operating temperature is a concern. For an additional $25–30, you can find better options.

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H9 LED Headlight Bulbs FAQ

What are H9 Headlight Bulbs?

H9 headlight bulbs are primarily used where stronger lights are required, so high beam or fog lights. They’re best suited for conditions where visibility is restricted, such as fog, a sand storm, or very heavy rain.

What bulbs are equivalent to H9?

Many drivers think the H9 bulbs are all interchangeable, which is partly correct. 

Different filaments offer different characteristics. 

For example, the H9 has a 65-watt (nominal) filament, which offers maximum luminance and flux, but at the expense of a shorter lifespan. On the other hand, the H11 has a 55-watt (nominal) filament, so they last longer, but you get lower luminance and flux.

They’re also not quite the same size, so installation can be an issue. If you wanted to replace your H11s with an H9, you’d need to trim off some of the metal tab outside the housing and from the plastic tab within.

What cars use H9 Headlight Bulbs?

H9 headlights are an extremely popular choice for many drivers, and they do fit a massive range of makes and models. 

Like when purchasing any replacement part, it’s best to check that it did match with your vehicle by contacting the manufacturer. Alternatively, if you’re buying it on Amazon, click the Amazon Confirmed Fit button at the top of the product page to check.

Is an H9 headlight bulb high or low beam?

The H9 headlight bulb is for use only as a high beam or fog light. These bulbs are way too bright for low beam, and you’d dazzle every oncoming driver if you installed them as such.