SEALIGHT H11 Yellow Fog Bulbs Review: 3000K LED Fog Lights, Fit and Fine Print

The SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs are a pair of 3000K golden-yellow LED bulbs, sold by SEALIGHT as the F5, that replace the halogen bulbs in fog lamps using the H11 size and its close relatives, H8 and H16. They have no external driver, a claimed IP68 rating and a rated 30 W for the pair, a fraction of what halogen fog bulbs draw. This SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs review explains whether yellow really helps in fog, which sockets these bulbs fit, what the lumen claims are worth, and what to check before driving with them. Ivan bought this pair in 2026 with his own money. His notes on how they perform are being collected separately and will appear in the box on this page; until then, everything below comes from the listing, SEALIGHT's own product page and how fog lighting works.

The short answer: as a way to get a yellow fog light color with less heat and no ballast, the F5 is a tidy design. But the fog-cutting benefits of yellow are smaller than marketing implies, the published lumen numbers disagree with each other, and an LED bulb in a halogen fog lamp is not a certified setup.

SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs at a glance

The listing describes a 3000K golden-yellow pair rated at 30 W, with a claimed 12,000 lumens per pair, a near 1:1 halogen size, no external driver, IP68 protection, an anti-glare design and a 60,000-hour life claim. SEALIGHT's own page for the F5 yellow H11 adds 12 CSP chips per pair, a triple cooling design with a rubber sealing ring, an operating range of -77°F to 185°F (-60°C to 85°C), a one-year warranty and fitment for H8, H9, H11 and H16 sockets. It also gives a different output figure, 10,000 lumens per pair.

What fog lights are for, and why the beam matters most

A fog lamp is not a small headlight. Its job is to throw a wide, flat sheet of light low across the road and the shoulders, with a sharp top edge, so that very little light hits the fog, rain or snow at eye level and bounces back at you. That is why fog lamps sit low in the bumper. In real fog, high beams make things worse because the droplets right in front of the car light up like a curtain; a low, flat fog beam slides underneath that curtain and lights the lane markings and the road edge close to the car.

Everything about choosing fog bulbs follows from that. A brighter bulb that spills light upward defeats the purpose by lighting the fog itself. A bulb that preserves the sharp, flat cutoff of the original halogen beam does the job, even if it is not dramatically brighter. So the most important specification is not on the box: it is where the LED chips sit relative to the original filament, and how your particular fog lamp is built.

Which bulb do you have? H8, H9, H11, H16 and the 5202 trap

The H8, H9, H11 and Japanese-style H16 share a family of plastic bases, the PGJ19 family, with locking tabs keyed differently for each type. In halogen form they also differ in power: an H8 is rated 35 W, an H11 55 W and an H9 65 W, while the H16 is a lower-power bulb used mainly in fog lamps on Japanese vehicles. LED bulbs sold for this family often fit several of these sockets, which is why SEALIGHT lists the F5 for H8, H11 and H16, and adds H9 on its website.

Two traps are worth knowing:

1. H11 and H9 are also headlight bulbs. On a great many vehicles the low beam is an H11, and on some the high beam is an H9. A yellow bulb belongs only in a fog lamp. Headlamps must emit white light, and in the US an LED bulb in a replaceable-bulb headlamp is not permitted under FMVSS 108 in any color.
2. "H16" means two different bulbs. In Japanese vehicles, H16 is an H11-style bulb. On many North American trucks and SUVs, however, the fog bulb sold as "H16" or "H16-EU" is actually a 5202, a tab-lock design that is cross-referenced with PS24W and 9009. Diode Dynamics, a US lighting maker, explains that the two are not interchangeable. The SEALIGHT F5 is the H11-style type, so if your fog lamp takes a 5202, this is the wrong bulb.

Some fog lamps also use the H10 (9145 or 9140) bulb, which is a different family altogether; our AUXITO 9005 LED bulbs review covers that shape.

To confirm your size, check the owner's manual bulb chart or read the number printed on the old bulb's base. The two types also look different in the hand: the H11 family typically has an L-shaped plastic base with the connector plugging in from the side, while a 5202 typically has a flat, round tab-lock base with its terminals pointing straight back.

Yellow vs white fog lights: what the color really does

SEALIGHT says its yellow fog bulbs are tuned to improve road contrast in fog, rain and snow. The physics deserves a closer look.

The traditional argument is that blue light scatters more than yellow, so yellow light cuts through fog better. That is true for very small particles, which is why the sky is blue. Fog droplets, however, are far larger than the wavelength of visible light, and particles that size scatter all visible colors roughly equally. A yellow beam and a white beam of the same strength produce much the same glowing curtain in thick fog.

What yellow does reliably is remove the short, blue wavelengths. That matters more with LEDs than with halogen, because white LEDs have a strong blue peak in their light. Many people find blue-rich light more glaring and more tiring, especially when it reflects off wet roads, rain and falling snow. Taking that blue out tends to make the scene more comfortable to look at, and many drivers feel it improves contrast. The evidence that it lets you see objects farther away is much thinner. In practice, the beam pattern and aim do far more for fog driving than the color does.

There is also a terminology catch. Color temperature, measured in kelvin, describes shades of white light, from warm (around 3000K) to cool (6000K and above). A 3000K white LED is a warm white, not yellow. When sellers label a yellow LED as 3000K, it is a loose shorthand. The color the SAE standards call selective yellow is defined by precise color coordinates, and SEALIGHT does not publish those for the F5, so whether its golden yellow meets that definition is not published.

Lumens, power and the anti-glare claim

The listing claims 12,000 lumens per pair and SEALIGHT's own product page says 10,000 lumens per pair for the same F5 yellow H11. Both state 30 W for the pair.

Neither figure survives a simple check. Thirty watts per pair means about 15 W per bulb. White LEDs deliver somewhere around 100 to 200 lumens per watt in good conditions, and yellow versions usually less, since some light is lost converting or filtering the color. Fifteen watts of LED cannot plausibly produce 5,000 to 6,000 lumens. For comparison, a halogen H11 is rated at 1,350 lumens at 55 W and an H8 at 800 lumens at 35 W. The real output of the F5 is very likely much lower than its label, and it does not need to be dramatically higher than halogen to work well, because a fog lamp's job is spread and cutoff, not raw output.

The anti-glare claim is the maker's, and no independent figures are published. A bulb can only be "anti-glare" in the sense that its chips sit where the halogen filament was; whether that works out depends on your housing.

Reflector vs projector fog lamps

Fog lamps come in the same two families as headlights.

• Reflector fog lamps use a shaped bowl designed around the halogen filament's exact size and position. An LED's flat chips emit from slightly different spots and in different directions, so the cutoff can soften, light can spill upward, and the beam can develop dark patches. A thin, near 1:1 bulb like the F5 is designed to reduce that, but no retrofit can guarantee it.
• Projector fog lamps use a lens and a cutoff shield, which physically block most upward light. LED retrofits usually keep a cleaner cutoff in projectors, though focus can still shift the hot spot or blur the edge.

SEALIGHT's F5 page does not say which housing type the bulbs are designed for. Either way, the wall check described below is the only reliable test.

Are LED fog light bulbs legal? US and Canada

This is general information, not legal advice.

Fog lamps are optional equipment. FMVSS 108 does not require fog lamps. Its main federal rule for optional lamps is that they must not impair the effectiveness of the required lighting, for example by drowning out a turn signal next to the fog lamp. Fog lamp color, use and performance are left largely to the states, many of which reference SAE standards that allow white or selective yellow fog lamps. Some states also limit when auxiliary lamps can be switched on or how many forward lamps can be lit at once.

The retrofit question. A fog lamp is designed and tested as an assembly around a particular halogen bulb. Swapping in an LED changes the light source the lamp was designed for, and there is no certification that covers a retrofit LED bulb inside an existing fog lamp. NHTSA's statement that LED light sources are not permitted is about replaceable-bulb headlamps, not fog lamps, but that does not make an LED retrofit a certified fog lamp setup. Whether an inspector or officer objects depends on your state and on what the beam looks like.

Canada. Canada's lighting standard closely mirrors the US approach, and provinces set the rules for vehicles in use, including auxiliary lamps and inspections. Check your provincial rules.

The certified route to yellow fog lights is a complete fog lamp assembly certified with a selective yellow output, or a halogen bulb designed for your lamp. If you go ahead with the F5, aim it carefully and use fog lamps only in conditions that call for them.

How to install SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs

Fog lamps sit low in the bumper, so access is usually from under the car or through the front wheel well liner.

1. Record the halogen beam. Do the wall check in the next section first, with the old bulbs, and mark the top of each beam with painter's tape.
2. Get access. On many vehicles you turn the steering to full lock, remove a few clips or screws from the wheel well liner and fold it back. On others, the back of the fog lamp is reachable from under the bumper.
3. Unplug the connector. Press the latch on the H11 connector and pull it straight off. Salt and grime can make it stiff; wiggle it gently rather than prying on the wires.
4. Remove the halogen bulb. Turn it about a quarter turn counterclockwise and pull it out. It may be hot if the fog lamps were just on.
5. Compare tabs. Hold the old and new bulbs side by side and check that the locking tabs match.
6. Insert the LED bulb. Turn it clockwise until it locks, making sure the rubber O-ring is seated evenly and not pinched. A thin film of dielectric grease on the O-ring and the connector's weather seal helps keep water and salt out.
7. Reconnect and secure. Plug in the connector until it clicks, then tuck any extra cable away from the tire and suspension.
8. Test before reassembly. Switch on the fog lamps with the low beams and check both sides light and look the same color. If your vehicle shows a warning or the bulbs flicker, an anti-flicker decoder is the usual fix.
9. Refit the liner or splash shield, making sure every clip is back. A loose liner can rub the tire.

Check the beam against a wall and aim your fog lamps

• Park on level ground facing a wall 25 ft (7.6 m) away, with normal tire pressures.
• Mark the center height of each fog lamp on the wall with tape.
• Switch on the fog lamps with the low beams, then cover the headlights or switch to parking lights if your car allows fog lamps on their own.
• The fog beam should be wide and flat with a sharp, horizontal top edge sitting below the fog lamps' center line, typically a few inches lower at 25 ft. It should always be lower than your low-beam cutoff. Your service manual gives the exact figure.

Compare the result with your halogen marks. Warning signs include light above the cutoff line, a cutoff that has turned fuzzy, a bright patch high in the middle, or one side noticeably higher than the other. Many fog lamps have a small adjusting screw, reachable through the bumper grille or from below; use it to correct a level cutoff that sits too high, not to hide stray light. If the pattern is clearly worse than with halogen, put the halogens back.

Winter, water and the IP68 rating

Fog lamps live in the worst spot on the car: low, in spray, salt, slush and gravel. Three points matter for drivers in the northern US and Canada.

• IP68 is about the bulb. Under the international IP code, the 6 means dust-tight and the 8 means protected against continuous immersion under conditions the maker specifies. That protects the bulb's own electronics. It does nothing for a cracked fog lamp lens or a missing O-ring, so check the housing seal when you install.
• LEDs do not heat the lens. A 55 W halogen warms the front of the fog lamp enough to help melt light snow and frost. An LED at about 15 W puts most of its heat out the back. In wet, heavy snow the lens can stay packed with snow or ice, so brush it off before driving.
• Cold-weather rating. SEALIGHT rates the F5 from -77°F to 185°F (-60°C to 85°C). That is a maker's figure, but LEDs generally start instantly and run efficiently in the cold, which suits northern winters.

SEALIGHT F5 yellow vs other fog light options

We compared these options on paper, from published specifications and how each one works.

The F5's main advantage over white LED fog bulbs is the missing blue glare. Its advantage over coated halogens is that it runs far cooler on a fraction of the power; SEALIGHT does not publish how the F5 produces its yellow color, so how much light that costs is unknown. Its disadvantage against a clear halogen bulb, and against a coated halogen certified for your lamp, is certification.

If your vehicle uses 9005 bulbs in the headlights, our AUXITO 9005 LED bulbs review covers that size, including why an LED bulb in a halogen headlamp is not FMVSS 108 compliant for road use:

For the rear of the car, see the AUXITO 1157 red LED review for brake lights and the AUXITO 194 LED bulbs review for plate and interior lights. Everything else is in the Car Upgrades hub.

Who should buy the SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs

• Owners of H8, H11 or Japanese H16 fog lamps, especially projector types, who want a yellow beam with less heat.
• Drivers bothered by the blue glare of white LED fog lights in rain and snow.
• Off-road and show vehicles where the yellow look is the point and road rules do not apply.

Who should skip them

• Anyone whose fog bulb is a 5202, PSX24W or 9145; the base will not fit.
• Drivers who need a certified setup for inspection; a halogen bulb or a certified selective yellow fog lamp is safer.
• Anyone who often drives in heavy, wet snow and relies on halogen heat to keep the fog lamp lenses clear.

Tips, common mistakes and maintenance

• Never put these in the headlights. H11 is a common low-beam size; a yellow LED belongs only in the fog lamp.
• Use fog lamps for fog. In clear weather they add glare for others and, in some places, break local rules.
• Check the O-rings each season. Salt and grit wear seals; water in a fog lamp ruins any bulb.
• Inspect the lens. Stone chips and cracks let water in. A cracked fog lamp lens is worth replacing.
• Keep the halogens in case you need them for an inspection.

Final verdict

The SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs are a compact, ballast-free way to get a yellow fog light color at about a quarter of halogen's power draw, with a claimed IP68 rating and a wide operating temperature range that suits northern winters. The fine print matters: yellow reduces blue glare rather than magically cutting through fog, the two published lumen figures disagree and both exceed what the rated wattage can plausibly deliver, the North American 5202 "H16" is a different bulb, and an LED in a halogen fog lamp is not a certified setup. If your fog lamps take an H8, H11 or Japanese H16, you understand the legal position and you will check the beam on a wall, the SEALIGHT H11 yellow fog bulbs are a sensible choice. Ivan's own notes will appear on this page when they are ready.