Many of our customers purchase new car bulbs even though their current bulbs have not yet failed. This is sometimes because they want to have a spare set with them just in case, and often also because the performance of the bulbs has deteriorated, although they are still technically working.
Car bulbs in general (of any brand) don’t give out the same quality of light throughout their lifespan. A filament bulb will deteriorate over time in a similar way to a battery - the more that it is used the less power is available until eventual failure.
How and where you drive can also affect the longevity of your bulbs. People who drive more often during night time may not expect their bulbs to last as long as a daytime-only driver. Similarly, if the headlights are used in a daytime running light capacity, where they are on throughout the day, then this too will reduce both performance and longevity.
Vibration is also a large contributing factor to bulb deterioration; this is particularly prevalent in areas with poorly maintained road surfaces. Repeated jarring from potholes and inadequate surfaces can severely reduce the life of your car bulbs.
To ensure optimum use of your car bulbs it is recommended that you replace your bulbs in pairs before they fail, ideally on an annual basis. Replacing your bulbs will prevent inconvenient and sometimes dangerous failure when you need the light the most.
A good opportunity to replace them would be at your annual service or MOT where a mechanic will be able to fit the bulbs and correctly adjust the beam pattern to give you the maximum light available from your bulbs.
Browse our range of car bulbs or use the online bulb finder on our homepage to find the right bulbs for your vehicle.