Headlight Bulb Types and Codes, Explained
Headlight bulbs are halogen, HID or LED, and a code like H11 names the bulb's fitting; a stock halogen lasts about 500 to 1,000 hours, LEDs far longer.
By Andrian ChengContributing writer.
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The short answer
Car headlights use one of three kinds of light source. Counterman, a trade magazine for auto parts stores, describes them this way:
| Type | How it makes light | Typical life |
|---|---|---|
| Halogen | A tungsten filament glows as current heats it | About 500 to 1,000 hours |
| HID (xenon) | A high-voltage arc inside a quartz tube, no filament | About 2,000 to 4,000 hours |
| LED | Light-emitting diodes | More than 10,000 hours |
The code printed on the bulb, such as H11 or 9006, tells you which bulb fits your headlight.
LED vs halogen headlights
Halogen is the long-standing standard, and Counterman notes that HID and LED bulbs cost more to replace. Its weak point is the filament: Counterman explains that heat and vibration eventually burn it out or break it, and that even a few tenths of a volt above normal can shorten its life a lot.
LEDs use less power than halogen bulbs and last far longer, by Counterman's figures. Retrofit LED bulbs exist for many halogen sockets and cost more up front; the payback is that you replace them less often.
HID lights sit in between. Counterman puts them at 2 to 3 times the light per watt of a regular headlamp, with a bluish-white color. True HID headlamps are usually marked D1R, D1S, D2R or D2S on the lens.
One more kind to know: halogen bulbs sold to imitate the HID look. Counterman notes many of these trade life for color, lasting perhaps only 150 to 320 hours.
What does H11 mean
H11 is a bulb size code. As a repair shop's guide from TP Auto Repair explains, the code names the bulb's base, connector and shape, so it tells you which bulb fits your headlight socket. It does not say whether the bulb is a high or low beam: the carmaker decides that, and the headlight housing shapes the beam.
What sets an H11 apart, by that guide:
- It has one filament, so one bulb does one job (low beam, high beam or fog light), not two.
- Its L-shaped plastic base will not swap into a 9005 or 9006 socket without changes.
- Most cars that use it put it in the low beams or fog lights.
A bulb guide from HIDConcept sums up the prefixes: codes that start with "H" or with "9" are halogen bulb sizes, and codes that start with "D" are HID xenon bulbs. LED replacements are sold under the halogen code they fit, so an "H11 LED" is an LED bulb made for an H11 socket.
How long do headlight bulbs last
Counterman puts a factory halogen headlamp at about 500 to 1,000 hours, or roughly 3 to 4 years of average driving. Real life depends on use:
- Night driving wears bulbs out faster than daytime driving.
- Daytime running lights that use the headlamps shorten bulb life further.
- "Long life" halogen bulbs claim 2 to 4 times the life of standard ones.
When one headlamp burns out, Counterman suggests replacing both, since the other is likely close behind.
Headlight bulbs on Wiki Shopping
Wiki Shopping lists 78 headlight bulbs on October 26, 2026. Of those, 50 are sold as a 2-pack and 7 as a 4-pack, which suits the advice to change bulbs in pairs. Browse more in automotive parts and accessories.
How we count
Pack sizes come from the store listings, in a read-only count of our listing pages on October 26, 2026. The bulb life figures are Counterman's published ranges, not our own measurements.