9005 vs 9006 vs. h11, what is to consider for best performance?

9005 Vs. 9006 Vs H11, this discussion will lead the seeker to functional and physical differences among these three. From a practical perspective, the 9005 is quite ahead with larger wattage, lumen, lifespan, and beam than the two others.

For the brightest and longest headlight bulb, one should go for the 9005. Moreover, they share differences in connector and socket type too. These two features are essential in terms of interchanging the bulbs.

If one is looking for a detailed discussion, they must be stuck with us until the last part of the discussion.

9005 Vs. 9006 Vs. H11

Driving a car in the dark without headlights is an impossible task to do. Also, if the headlights are not providing enough brightness or malfunctioning, the driving experience will be worst. Moreover, the headlights of the cars have a lifespan like every other piece of pieces of equipment of the vehicles.

After a time, one has to change or replace the headlights of their car. Luckily, one will find a wide range of options in headlights’ model, type, and color. Though the market has a wide range of options, people get stuck into 9005, 9006, and h11 most of the time.

Even though the three have so many similarities, they share significant differences suitable for different circumstances. Let’s know the differences between these three headlight bulbs.

What are the functional differences between 9005, 9006, and H11?

Three of them may seem the same thing from outer presence. However, they share a lot of differences in functional features.

Wattage                                                      

While picking a headlight considering the wattage is a significant part. The wattage will decide the power the bulb will drag to lighten up. In the list, the 9005 has the highest wattage of 65 watts which provides a high beam.

On the contrary, the 9006 and H11 provide the same wattage rate, 55 watts. Meanwhile, the H11 features a nominal filament for an intense beam. 

Lumen

Considering the best performance in lightening the area like clear as day, 9005 is the best option. Because this headlight has 1700 lumen as output which creates high brightness. However, the 9006 and H11 feature the same watts because nominal filament H11 produces more lumen.

H11 is ahead of 9006 with a lumen output of 1200, while 9006 has 1000 lumens. That means in term of brightness, 9006 have the lowest score.

Beam

In most vehicles, the manufacturer features two types of beams. One is a high beam, and the one is a low beam. If one is looking for the high beam option, the 9005 model is the only option.

Because both 9006 and H11 are two of low-beam headlights.

Lifespan

As with the other features of the 9005, 9006, and h11, the lifespan is higher for the 9005 model. While both 9006 and H11 have a lifespan of 30000 hours, the 9005 model has 5,000 hours. Differences in lifespan create a significant impact.

	Wattage	Lumen	Beam	Lifespan
9005	65  watts	17,000 lumens	High beam	50000 hours
9006	55 watts	1000 lumens	Low beam	30000 hours
H11	55 watts ( Nominal Filament)	1200 lumens	Low beam	30000 hours

What are the differences between 9005, 9006, and H11 in the connectors?

If one is going to replace their existing headlights, the connector is essential to check. It will be useless if the new headlight connector does not match the current. Less compare the headlights in terms of the connector.

9005 vs. 9006 or 9006 vs. 9005

Tough 9005 and 9006 look much alike. This is because they have so many differences. The statement is accurate in terms of connector too. Specifically, the 9005 headlights have an additional tab absent in 9006.

9005 vs. H11 or H111 vs. 9006

It is not surprising that both 9005 and H11 share different connectors. From the beginning to now, they share differences in every single feature. It happens because of the differences in the beam. Since H11 is of the low beam and 9005 is of the high beam, they have a different connectors. 

9006 vs. H11 or H11 vs. 9006

One may have already assumed that the 9006 and H11 must have the same connector as the low beam. But, surprisingly, this is not the case with these two headlights. Instead, they share two completely different connectors.

What are the differences between 9005, 9006, and H11 in sockets?

If one is going to replace their existing headlights, the socket is another essential thing one must check. If the new headlight socket does not match with the current, then it will be useless. Less compare the headlights in terms of the sockets.

9005 vs. 9006 or 9006 vs. 9005

Tough 9005 and 9006 look much alike. This is because they have so many differences. The statement is true in terms of socket too. Specifically, the 9006hasa larger socket than the 9005. However, it is possible if one wants to use a 9005bulb in a 9006 socket.

But using a 9006 bulb in a 9005 socket is not possible because the socket will be shorter for the 9006 bulbs.

9005 vs. H11 or H111 vs. 9006

As the previous discussion, one can use a 9005 bulb in the H11 socket. However, using an H11 bulb in the 9005 sockets is not possible because the socket will be shorter for the H11 bulb.

9006 vs. H11 or H11 vs. 9006

With some modification, most of the time, with no improvement, one can use a 9006 bulb in the H11 socket. Unlike this, one cannot use H11 in any socket, not even in the 9006 sockets. H11 is only compatible with H11 sockets.

Is 9005 the same as H11?

The shortest and most direct answer to the question is NO. Even though 9005 and H11 have a similar physical appearances, they are not the same bulb. Yet, surprisingly, they share quite a difference in all functionalities and features.

While 9005 has 65 watts, the H11 has lower 55 watts. Similarly to this, one has 1700 lumens, and the other one has 1200 lumens. A good thing about the H11 is it has a nominal filament, which is absent in the 9005.

However, the 9005 is the brightest one, with a more extensive lifespan of 50,000 hours. Another big difference that makes them two separate bulbs is the beam type. While 9005 has a high beam, the H11 has a low beam.

Can one interchange 9006 with an H11 headlight bulb?

Vehicle users often assume that they can interchange 9006 with H11 and H11 with 9006. Their assumption comes from the exact wattages, lifespan, and beam type. However, they forget the essential features for interchanging headlight bulbs.

To interchange two bulbs, they must have a similar connector and socket. If these two features do not match, one cannot use a bulb instead of the other without some modifications. In some cases, any changes will not make the action successful.

As for changing 9006 with H11 is somewhat possible with some modifications. However, the fit will not be perfect, so avoid this. In addition, one cannot use H11 in 9006 in any way.

Which headlight bulbs are compatible with 9005, 9006, and H11?

Three of the headlight bulbs are different from each other physically and functionally. Though the 9006 and H11 share some functional similarities, they are not compatible. Let’s have a look into the blubs consistent with these three.

Model	Compatible bulbs
9005	H10904090559140914591509155HB3
9006	9012HB4
H11	H8H9H16 (L-Shaped)

Among 9005, 9006, and H11 which one is the brightest?

The brightness of a vehicle headlight will depend on the lumen and the beam type. The higher the lumen and beam, the better the brightness. Among 9005, 9006, and H11, 9005 has 1700 lumens and a high beam.

Meanwhile, 9006 and h11 have 1000 1200 lumens, and both have low beams. Therefore, the 9005 will be the brightest one among these three. Also, this one will cover more area than the other two.

Conclusion

If one is stuck in the discussion of 9005 vs 9006 vs. h11, what is to consider for best performance? They are in the wrong direction. Because these three are not interchangeable. So one cannot use one in another socket.

Therefore, discussing the best among these three is a waste of time. Hopefully, one understands the logic we try to stand from the discussion above. One has to interchange blub with a similar connector and socket type.

Moreover, the pin arrangement of the socket must be similar to get a perfect fit. Otherwise, the light will not be bright enough. In some cases, they will not even provide light.