Two new halogen headlight bulbs resting on a folded gray shop towel beside a pair of work gloves, with a car with its hood open blurred behind

Car headlights

Headlight bulb size chart: which number fits your car?

4 sources

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Quick answer

Each headlight bulb number has its own base, so match the number printed on your old bulb or listed in your owner's manual. OSRAM's halogen spec table lists, for example, H11 on a PGJ19-2 base, 9005 (HB3) on a P20d base and 9006 (HB4) on a P22d base. Bulbs that look alike can still have different bases.

Basic halogen 2-packs (Sylvania):

Sylvania H11 Basic 2-pack Sylvania 9005 Basic 2-pack Sylvania 9006 Basic 2-pack

Common halogen headlight bulbs

Base and nominal wattage from OSRAM's ORIGINAL LINE halogen table. Your owner's manual lists the sizes your car uses.

Bulb (other name)	Base (OSRAM)	Nominal wattage (OSRAM)
H11	PGJ19-2	55 W
H11B	PGJY19-2	55 W
H8	PGJ19-1	35 W
H9	PGJ19-5	65 W
9005 (HB3)	P20d	60 W
9006 (HB4)	P22d	51 W
9012 (HIR2)	PX22d	55 W
H7	PX26d	55 W
H4	P43t	60/55 W (two filaments)
H13 (9008)	P26.4t	60/55 W (two filaments)
9004 (HB1)	P29t	65/45 W (two filaments)

H8, H9, H11 and H11B share the PGJ19 family name, but OSRAM gives each a different base code and wattage. Treat them as different bulbs. The comparisons people search for most are H11 vs 9005 and 9005 vs 9006.

How to find your size

Owner's manual: the bulb chart lists low beam, high beam and fog bulbs separately.
The old bulb: check its base for a printed bulb number.

Guides in this section

GuideH11 vs 9005Base, wattage and how to tell which bulb your headlight takes.Read guide

Guide9005 vs 9006Why HB3 and HB4 bulbs look the same but are listed with different bases.Read guide

Fix guideReplace headlights in pairsWhy makers say to swap both bulbs, and how to handle halogen glass.Read guide

Replace them in pairs. Sylvania says headlights dim over time, so always replace bulbs in pairs to keep brightness and color equal. Philips says to change both headlamps at once. See why and how.

How we work: bases and wattage come from OSRAM's ORIGINAL LINE table. Handling advice comes from Sylvania and Philips. We don't test bulbs ourselves. Sources are listed below.

Questions people ask

How do I find my headlight bulb size?

Check the bulb chart in your owner's manual, which lists low beam, high beam and fog bulbs separately, or look for the number printed on the old bulb.

Are H11, 9005 and 9006 the same?

No. OSRAM lists H11 on a PGJ19-2 base, 9005 (HB3) on P20d, and 9006 (HB4) on P22d. Different bases mean different sockets.

Should I replace both headlight bulbs?

Yes. Sylvania says headlights dim over time, so always replace bulbs in pairs. Philips says change both headlamps at once.

Sources

Last checked Oct 23, 2026. Bases and wattage come from OSRAM's spec table. Sylvania says replace bulbs in pairs and never touch the glass. Follow your owner's manual for bulb access.