OSRAM SYLVANIA, parent company of Sylvania, has roots that run deep in the electric lighting industry. Though you may see the Sylvania name on radios, televisions, computer monitors and other electronics, Sylvania’s heritage is closely tied to the light bulb, making them the perfect choice for your automotive lighting needs.

A Brief History of OSRAM SYLVANIA

SilverStar Halogen Headlight Bulbs

Cool Blue Halogen Headlight Bulbs

Are Sylvania Cool Blue Bulbs Really Blue?

Is There Any Difference Between SAE Halogen Bulbs & Performance Bulbs?

Are Sylvania SilverStar and Cool Blue Bulbs Street Legal?

A Brief History of OSRAM SYLVANIA

Though Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the light bulb in 1879, German engineer Werner von Siemens’s company perfected the light bulb in 1880. That achievement, along with other electrical engineering feats from the company that would become Siemens & Halske AG, led to widespread use of the light bulb. But Siemens’s company wasn’t the only German influence in the development of the light bulb. Another German light bulb manufacturer would soon follow: OSRAM.

The OSRAM name, a combination of the elemental names of Osmium and Wolfram (the German word for tungsten), was registered by Auer-Gesellschaft in 1906. OSRAM was instrumental in the development of the tungsten filament lamp and the osmium lamp. After a 1919 merger between three German companies that were pioneers in the electric lighting industry, AEG, Siemens & Halske AG and Auer-Gesellschaft, OSRAM became a force to be reckoned with in the world of lighting.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Frank Poor entered the lighting industry. In 1901, Poor became partners in a small, Middleton, Massachusetts company that bought and remanufactured burned-out light bulbs. Eventually Poor would buy out his partner, re-name the company the Bay State Lamp Company, move it to Danvers, Massachusetts, and have his brothers join him. With his brothers, Poor would go on to create the Hygrade Incandescent Lamp Company in 1909. While the Bay State Lamp Company would eventually fade into history, Hygrade would continue to grow until they needed to open another plant in Salem, Massachusetts in 1906.

While the Poor’s built their fortunes in Massachusetts, in Pennsylvania the Novelty Incandescent Lamp Company, founded in 1906, was turning out novelty lights and remanufacturing light bulbs as well. The Novelty Incandescent Lamp Company would trade hands a few times until 1922, when it was bought by Bernard Erskine and two associates who helped him create Nilco Lamp Works. Two years later Nilco would create another company whose name is still familiar today- Sylvania Products Company. Though today we associate Sylvania with lighting among other things, in 1924 the company was formed to produce radio receiver tubes.

By 1932 Hygrade, Sylvania and Nilco had merged to become the Hygrade Sylvania Corporation and produced lamps under the Hygrade name and radio tubes under the Sylvania tube. However, in 1942 the name changed to Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. After mergers, acquisitions and many innovations, OSRAM and Sylvania continued to grow and develop the technology that would make light bulbs more efficient. Finally, in January of 1993, OSRAM purchased Sylvania from GTE, creating the company we know today.

As you can see, OSRAM SYLVANIA has a long history in the lighting and electronics history. If you would like to see a more, check out the OSRAM SYLVANIA website. If you would like more information about Sylvania’s line of automotive lighting products, read on!

Sylvania SilverStar Halogen Headlight Bulbs

For safety or cutting-edge looks, it’s hard to find halogen bulbs that are as brilliant as Sylvania SilverStar headlight bulbs. Sylvania SilverStar bulbs are the street-legal way to give your headlights the HID (high intensity discharge) look! Most HID bulbs burn at 4100 Kelvin (K) and Sylvania SilverStar bulbs aren’t far behind at 4000K, making them the hottest halogen bulbs on the streets! But what does that mean to drivers? SilverStar bulbs burn brighter and whiter than other halogen bulbs, making them the perfect choice for nighttime driving and safety in inclement weather. Sylvania headlight bulbs are made to fit factory headlamp sockets and installation a snap! With bulbs for 9000 series and H4 headlights and H3 lamps as well as sealed beam headlights there’s sure to be a SilverStar bulb for your ride. For headlights, fog lights or driving lights, whether you like the look of HID lighting for your ride or just want the brightest halogen bulb available, Sylvania SilverStar headlight bulbs are the right choice for your car, truck, van or SUV.

Nothing extra is needed to install SilverStar or Cool Blue performance bulbs into your vehicle. They are directly interchangeable with you OEM headlight bulbs.

Sylvania Cool Blue bulbs

For some it’s always show time and for those people Sylvania Cool Blue halogen bulbs are the only headlight bulbs for their ride. Sylvania Cool Blue bulbs give image conscious the ability to take their ride to next level, to redefine cool, to make their machine in their own image. 100% street legal, Cool Blue halogen headlight bulbs feature a blue absorption coating on the glass tube. The result- a great light bulb that adds personality to your car, truck, van or SUV and gives you the intense white light you demand for rolling the streets at night. Since Sylvania made Cool Blue headlight bulbs to meet SAE standards they’re easy to install. Plus, Sylvania Cool Blue bulbs are available for most 9000 series, H4 and H7 lamps as well as sealed beam headlight applications so chances are there’s a cool blue available for your machine.

Are Sylvania Cool Blue Bulbs Really Blue?
Good question. It depends on how you look at it. The glass envelope of the Cool Blue bulb has a blue absorption coating, working as a filter. As a result the light it emits is brilliant white and your headlights shine brighter than they would with standard halogen bulbs. So, though the bulb is blue, the light it cuts through the dark with is white, making it street legal.

Is There Any Difference Between Standard Halogen Bulbs and Performance Bulbs? Look below and judge for yourself! In the three pictures you see the standard, SAE halogen headlight bulb, a Sylvania Cool Blue Halogen bulb and the SilverStar halogen bulb. Notice the difference in color and intensity? Sylvania Cool Blue and SilverStar bulbs are clearly brighter than the standard halogen bulb. If you can tell the difference here, imagine what the difference would like on the road with either a set of Cool Blue bulbs or SilverStar bulbs piercing the night in brilliant white light!

Are Sylvania SilverStar and Cool Blue Bulbs street legal?
They are 100% street legal. Sylvania SilverStar and Cool Blue headlight bulbs meet all FMVSS 108 and CMVSS 108 standards, making them street legal in all 50 states and Canada. Sylvania tests their headlights bulbs to make sure they meet all National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration requirements to further ensure the legality of these bulbs. SilverStar and Cool Blue bulbs emit bright white light, which is accepted in all areas. But check out your local laws and regulations if you’re unsure or want further peace of mind!