Picking the Right Performance Globe

One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to upgrade the lighting output of a vehicle is to install performance headlamp globes.

It’s a job that’s within the reach of most DIY mechanics, or in a worst case scenario, can be handled by your local auto store or technician at the time of servicing.

Installation aside though, there’s a bit of research needed to determine what exactly you’re looking to gain from a globe upgrade. Is it a greater volume of light? A whiter light output? Is it longevity or perhaps a bit of each? Budget will most likely also form part of the purchase decision.

Narva has a large range of performance globe upgrades that will cover all of these scenarios, but before making your choice, you should also consider the type of driving you do, where you drive to and how regularly, as this should also influence your decision.

Let’s shortlist some typical driver types now while proving Narva’s recommended globe upgrade for each driver type.

Narva's Performance Globes are categorised as follows:

More Life, More Volume	Maximum Volume	More Light, Whiter Light

Inner city / urban drivers

These drivers tend to do most of their driving in a city environment. Normally the areas they venture to are well lit and they don’t need to worry about seeing long distances well down the road in front of them. Driving in these conditions, you’ll benefit from a whiter light output that better reflects and illuminates road signs and pedestrians while also increasing the visibility of your vehicle to others on the road. Narva recommendation: *New ‘Sapphire Plus 50’, ‘Arctic Plus 50’, ‘Blue Plus 110’ and ‘Intense Plus 30’ globe ranges.

Outer suburban / rural drivers

The streetscape can be very different in the outer suburbs. Street lighting will not be as good and generally there’s just less lighting so globes that provide additional penetration down the street and more light output would be a smart choice.  Narva recommendation: *New ‘Plus 100 Longer Life’, ‘Platinum Plus 130’ or ‘Plus 150’.

Country drivers

Drivers who mainly drive on rural or regional highways and country roads face the challenge of reduced street lighting with an increased chance of having encounters with wildlife or stray stock crossing the road, and perhaps poor road conditions (pot holes, bad road edges). This driver will most benefit from more light volume and penetration.  Narva recommendation: ‘Plus 150’ or ‘Platinum Plus 130’.

Professional drivers

Commercial vehicle, taxi and uber drivers can spend a long time driving their vehicles at night time or early morning, so their lights are being used for much longer than for most other drivers. This heavy use may result in blown globes on a regular basis, so for these drivers a long-life globe is great consideration, and even better when it’s combined with extra light output. Narva recommendation: *New ‘Everlife’, New ‘Plus 100 Longer Life’.

Car enthusiasts

These are the drivers for who lighting performance (output and penetration) might come second to how their vehicle looks on the road. The modern and sleek appearance they’re looking for can be achieved with ‘white’ or ‘blue’ type globes. Narva recommendation: *New ‘Sapphire +Plus 50’, ‘Platinum Plus 130’, ‘Blue Plus 110’, ‘Intense Plus 30’.

Some other considerations

There is normally a compromise with halogen globes in terms of their lifespan versus performance. A globe that produces more light will not last as long as a standard globe, as its internals are placed under much greater stress to achieve the higher output. The additional longevity of long life globes is achieved by employing a design that is more resistant to vibration while having internals with a greater heat tolerance, so they will last longer but are also more expensive to buy.

So next time you’re looking to replace your globes, have a think about where and how often you drive, before deciding what the best globes are for your situation.

Want even more lighting performance?

If their application or driving conditions require even more light output, Narva L.E.D Performance Globes take things to the next level by providing a powerful, white light (2,000 lumens per globe) with unparalleled long-life and performance. Unlike many L.E.D headlight globes that are available the Narva globes provide the correct cut off and will not dazzle other road users.

Recommended for off-road use, these 12/24V globes are a direct replacement for halogen globes and provide a ‘fit and forget option’ lasting over 30,000 hours – an amazing 30 times longer than comparative standard globes.

Note: L.E.D Globes are NOT ADR APRROVED and are SUITABLE FOR OFF-ROAD USE ONLY.

And when the full potential of their headlamps have been reached, you could recommend some auxiliary lighting. Narva offers an extensive range of market-leading driving lights and light bars including the Ultima Enhanced, Ultima High Powered and Explora L.E.D Lightbar. Compare their performance now with the Narva VR Driving Light Experience.