To produce similar amounts of light, LED and fluorescents bulbs consume far fewer watts than incandescent or halogen bulbs. A standard 60W incandescent produces lumens, whereas LEDs consume watts to produce lumens.
Fluorescents are made of glass tubes and can shatter if dropped, whereas LEDs are more durable. Also, fluorescents contain trace amounts of mercury and several states have special recycling rules.
LEDs have a higher initial cost relative to traditional lamps. Also, earlier LEDs emitted directional light making them more suitable for task lighting than ambient glow. These days, omni-directional LED luminaires have become more common, pointing light at reflective surfaces or through high-quality lenses to give off an even and diffused glow.
And although the first LEDs were associated with poor color accuracy and crispness, measured by the color rendering index CRI , they have improved in recent years. The components of LEDs are costly: circuit boards, drivers, and some use yellow phosphor, a rare earth compound. However, with advances in technology and growing popularity the prices have been steadily dropping.
Keep in mind that the quality of LEDs varies greatly, which will affect the price. Look for ones that provide the best color and light output over time from a reputable manufacturer. These days, the answer is really: anywhere. From dining room chandeliers to landscapes, LED lighting provides beautiful illumination in just about any space.
Consider brightness and colour Ask yourself what type of light you would like. Your decision breaks down simply into brightness, otherwise known as watts and lumen output, and the colour of the light, measured in degrees Kelvin. In the past when nearly everyone filled their homes with incandescent bulbs, brightness was measured in watts, which is actually a measure of power.
Since the introduction of energy-saving bulbs, watts are a less useful measure of brightness because the new bulbs use significantly less power to produce the same amount of light.
Instead, light output is now measured in lumens. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. Use this chart to see equivalent watt and lumen output for old-style incandescent and the three types of energy-saving bulbs halogens, CFLs, and LEDs.
As a rough guide, around lumens is suitable for a bed-sized table lamp, whereas you might want between 1, and 3, lumens in total from all the bulbs in the room combined for a good-sized living room.
Now that you have decided on how bright you want your bulbs, you need to decide on the colour of the light. The colour of light is measured on the Kelvin scale, which is actually a measure of temperature. The numbers you see on the side of the packaging denote the colour of light that the bulb will emit. Most people have become used to the warm yellowy light given out by the old incandescent bulb, which is 2, on the Kelvin scale.
In comparison, midday sunlight is about 5,k, sunset or sunrise lighting is around 2,k, and a candle is around 1,k. To complicate matters further, each bulb is given a CRI score. CRI stands for Colour Rendering Index, and is a measure of the ability of the light source to accurately represent different colours. Simply put, you want to make sure you get a bulb that makes your tomatoes look red, rather than a strange orangey colour.
Traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs are near perfect and score in the high 90s. If you are replacing a blown bulb, you can simply replace like for like. If you have a new fixture or are upgrading to LEDs, which are available in many different shapes, you may need to select a different bulb shape. Each of the different shapes provides a slightly different spread and angle of light , from the almost degree spread of a GLS, globe, or golf bulb, to the narrow beam of a spotlight.
Generally speaking, the shape you choose can be based on your personal preference and what looks best in your fixture. Armed with all the information you need and having made the key decisions as to what type of bulb you require, you may find our Bulb Finder tool helpful in locating the choice of bulbs to match. Should you need any more technical or additional information about the light bulbs you are looking for then please contact our friendly, knowledgeable Customer Service team on Continue reading.
All our lamps are branded and from quality manufacturers. We offer guarantees on all our products and if things aren't quite right - you can return your items to us quibble free within 14 days of receipt. Lighting can be complicated, but our friendly, experienced team makes it hassle-free. Need help? Just contact us via chat, email, phone, or pop in and see us. We'll find the perfect bulb for you.
You can simply replace your existing lamps or upgrade to the latest versions if you're feeling green. Log in. Bright Ideas Home » Featured ». Before you go shopping, though, there are some things you need to know. Read more: The best LED floodlights you can buy in When shopping for bulbs, you're probably accustomed to looking for watts as an indication of how bright the bulb will be. The brightness of LEDs, however, is determined a little differently.
Contrary to common belief, wattage isn't an indication of brightness, but a measurement of how much energy the bulb draws. For incandescents, there is an accepted correlation between the watts drawn and the brightness produced, but for LEDs, watts aren't a great predictor of how bright the bulb will be. The point, after all, is that they draw less energy. But don't bother doing the math -- there isn't a uniform way to covert incandescent watts to LED watts. Instead, a different form of measurement should be used: lumens.
The lumen lm is the real measurement of brightness provided by a light bulb, and is the number you should look for when shopping for LEDs. For reference, here's a chart that shows the watt-lumen conversion for incandescents and LEDs.
Read more: The best LED light bulb for every room in your house. As you can see in the chart above, an incandescent can draw up to five times as many watts for the same number of lumens.
Get a sense of the brightness in lumens you need before heading to the store, and throw away your affinity for watts. Here's more information on watts vs. As shown off by Philips Hue , LED bulbs are capable of displaying an impressive color range, from purple to red, to a spectrum of whites and yellows.
For the home, however, you're likely looking for something similar to the light that incandescents produce. The two most popular colors available for LEDs are soft white also called warm white and bright white also called daylight.
Not confusing at all, right? Soft white and warm white will produce a yellow, candle-like glow, close to incandescents, while bulbs labeled as bright white or daylight will produce a whiter light, closer to daylight and similar to what you see in offices and retail stores. If you want to get technical, the color of light on the white light spectrum is called color temperature, and it's measured on the Kelvin scale.
The lower the number, the warmer yellower the light. Your typical, soft white incandescent is somewhere between 2, and 3,K, so if that's the color you're going for, look for that range while shopping for LED bulbs.
Want something daylight toned?
0コメント