Comparison of 10 halogen lamps H4 Philips, Osram, PIAA, Koito, Bosch. The results are surprising.

Many car enthusiasts want to improve the dipped beam of their car. Most use the simplest method, this is the installation of more powerful halogen lamps. We will test 10 models, 7 of which are premium and promise improvement of up to 150%.

Initially, premium models indicated an improvement of 50% or 70% to increase sales. Now this figure has reached the maximum reasonable value of 150%. Sales are based on Chinese marketing, whoever cheats more will sell.

Price

The cost of premium H4 low beam halogen lamps differs from standard Philips and Osram lamps by 4-6 times. Typically, the price is between 1300-1700 rubles. per set. Established halogen H4, installed by the manufacturer, costs 150-200 rubles. a piece.

Lamps without packaging, the arrangement as in the table.

Lumens

Preheat the samples for 5 minutes to stabilize the light flux. A photometric sphere is used to measure light. As a standard lamp sample we use Osram Original H4, all the others will be compared with it.

The Japanese Fukurou F1 are leading with the result near + 32%, far + 23%. The rest have a maximum of + 15% in the low beam, + 4% in the high beam. The luminous flux practically does not differ from regular halogen bulbs; accordingly, there can be no + 150%.

Power

To measure power consumption, set the voltage on the lamp to 13.2 volts.

The maximum power in the middle differs by + 10% from the standard. At the far, it differs only by + 2%. Tests show that the power is practically no different from the standard model. Some motorists fear that expensive models will heat the headlight more strongly, the reflector of the reflector or lens will become cloudy. There will be no consequences, the life of the headlamp will remain the same.

Colour temperature

Expensive samples promise a color temperature closer to white light. The standard is 3200K, approximately like conventional incandescent lamps. To obtain white light, at least 4000 Kelvin is required. The whitest light from Koito Whitebeam III Premium, only 3900K instead of the claimed 4500K. The rest practically does not differ from regular halogen, it is in the range of 3400K - 3600K.

Description of measuring points

To compare different light sources, GOST is used, which regulates the main points of illumination measurement according to the table placed on the wall. The number in the designation of the point is equal to its distance from the car. The letters L and R indicate the location, left and right. The main measuring points according to GOST: 75R and 50R - illumination of the right shoulder at a distance of 75 and 50 meters; B50L - is responsible for the glare level of the oncoming car driver; the farthest is measured in the center of the table and is located in the center of the lane; axial luminous intensity determines the level of illumination in front of the car.

Comparison of illumination in accordance with GOST

Samples are installed in a new headlight from Volkswagen Polo with a base, then we measure the illumination of control points. The voltage is 13.2 Volts on a lamp, not a power supply.
This compensates for the voltage drop in the power wires.

The results are surprising, even Philips and Osram significantly overestimate the real characteristics or hide them behind the advertising figures + 120%, + 150%.





Since the luminous flux is almost the same (except for the Fukurou F1) with a standard halogen lamp, you can change the illumination on the road in one way. The dipped spiral is shifted closer to the base, the illumination in the center increases, but the illumination in the near zone decreases.

Life time

The life of most H4 premium bulbs is far below standard. Found only 4 specifications specified by manufacturers. Other brands do not provide such information.

The service life of the Japanese Fukurou F1 H4 is higher than the expensive Philips and Osram models by an average of 2-3 times in the low and high beam. I don’t understand why the service life of premium Philips and Osram is so low, the power almost does not differ from the standard ones, the color temperature changes due to the blue filter. I suppose that the service life is artificially lowered to be bought more often.

Test results

The leader in testing on luminous flux and light on the road was the Japanese Fukurou F1 halogen lamp. Unfortunately, world-famous brands Philips, Osram, Koito, PIAA, Bosch, General Electric are deceiving their customers. They do not provide the promised improvement; illumination can only increase by 34% for samples No. 3.4.5.

As a result, we get an improvement in illumination by a maximum of 25% -34%, and the cost is higher by 400% -600%. Given the short service life, 2-3 times less than the standard, the cost of operation is expensive.

Some motorists almost do not notice the difference in the coverage of regular and premium lamps. Some themselves inspire a significant improvement in the illumination of the road surface. Usually depends on age, color perception, driver’s vision.

Author: Sergey Kazantsev