That means youll also save money compared to other bulbs because you wont have to buy them as often, and youll have fewer bulbs to dispose of which makes Mother Earth happy. This type of light is better for task lighting, such as in the kitchen, bathroom, and areas in which the user needs the ability to see fine details. They create 800 lumens while using only 8.5 watts. The Best Color-Changing LED Bulbs to Brighten Your Home, The Best Dimmer Switches to Adjust the Light in Your Home, The 9 Best Outdoor Christmas Lights, Tested By the Spruce, The Best Bedroom String Lights to Add Ambiance to Any Space, How to Tell What Size Light Bulb You Can Use, The Best Lighting Fixtures for Bathrooms That Go With Any Style, The Best Outdoor String Lights for Your Backyard, The Best Ceiling Fan Light Kits to Update Your Space, We Tested the Best Indoor Christmas LightsHere Are Our Favorites. LED packaging is required to include information about brightness, light color, energy use, estimated energy costs, and expected life. Philips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb, Runner-Up, Best LED: Bulbs over 4,600K are the best light bulbs for kitchens or home offices. Maybe you already know where you want to use energy-efficient bulbs, but youre still not sure exactly which bulbs you need or how to maintain or dispose of them. Lights under 3,000K give off warm (yellowish) light thats often called soft white in the bulbs description. "LED Lighting." Users should take care to order the desired color temperature. and wont flicker like many other CFL bulbs do. Different types of energy-efficient light bulbs fit different fixtures and design schemes. However, they use75% to 80% less energythan a traditionalincandescentbulb. "It is much more accurate to look at the lumen output than the wattage." Philips Hue bulbs are compatible with IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Nest. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. Deanna McCormack, Product Tester. Cree has established itself as atop-tier manufacturer of LEDscreating affordable, effective lighting solutions to energy-sucking incandescent bulbs. "We recommend 3500 Kelvin temperatures, which is more neutral and can be successfully used in all rooms of the home," says Knopfler. To determine how efficient a bulb is, take a look at the number of lumens per watt, where a higher number indicates a higher level of efficiency. Get the Philips CFL light bulb at Amazon. Without the Bridge, you can control up to ten bulbs in a given room and set timers via the app. GE Lighting 32279 LED Bright Stik 6-Watt Light Bulbs, Best Soft Light LED: Color temp: 2700K | Lumens: 800 | Watts: 8.8 | Lumens/watt: 91. Shes always on the lookout for ways to lower her carbon footprint. Get the Philips frosted LED light bulbs at Amazon. Having energy-efficient bulbs on hand makes it easy to replace old bulbs as they go out. Energy-efficient bulbs come in a wide range of designs, from different shapes and watts to the type of bulb: halogen, CFL, or LED. This weatherproof, dimmable LED light bulb will light up your patio and garden, not your electric bill. We determined that the bulbs watts and lumens were the best indicators for energy efficiency but werent the only factors that determined our choices. However, it's also much warmer than LED or CFL bulbs, which can seem harsh by comparison. Between 4,600K and 6,500K is a true blue light thats similar to sunlight. AmazonBasics 75-Watt-Equivalent Dimmable LED Light Bulb, The Best Light Bulbs for Bathrooms That Eliminate Glares and Shadows, Best for Kitchens: However, if they get broken, everyone should leave the room, including pets. While LED bulbs are more expensive up-front, they can save money in the long run. Like the estimated lifespan, if the bulb is used longer than 3 hours a day, it will cost more per year to operate. Neporal 9W Full Spectrum LED, 8 Grow Lights That Let You Garden Anywhere, Best Bright White Light LED: We researched how energy efficiency is measured in light bulbs and which specs determine the best investment for buyers. Get the Philips Hue white LED smart bulbs at Amazon, Best Buy, or The Home Depot. TCP's 60-watt-equivalent bulbs are another great option for those looking to shop LEDs. With a manufacturer rating of 25,000 hours of use, theyre long-lasting alternatives to similar incandescents and have a very pure, bright white light. Theres also an option to create customized DIY color settings. Get the Sylvania halogen light bulb at Amazon. Switching toLED bulbswill reduce yourelectric billand lighten your carbon footprint. Some LEDs (particularly those used in screens) do emit moreblue lightthan other bulb types. On the technical side, color variation may occur from lamp to lamp with LEDs making consistency an issue. Energy-efficient bulbs are typically listed as lasting anywhere from 10 to 25 years. LEDs are more expensiveper lumenthan traditional light bulbs so they have higher start-up costs than some other lighting options. Bulb Type: CFL | Lumens: 860 lumens | Watts: 13 watts | Usage: Indoor. You'll be able to set timers for up to 50 lights to brighten every part of your homeeven when youre away. Their 700 lumens put out a soft white light that stays at 2,700K. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Its better suited for areas in the home used for reading, displaying, or performing tasks. You can dispose of incandescent and halogen bulbs in your household trash. The Philips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb is our top pick since it emits a soft white light thats both bright and easy on the eyes, relies on energy-efficient LED technology, and has a high CRI rating. Users can adjust the brightness from 2,700K to 6,500K, which provides the ability to set a mood or adjust the light based on the time of day. Emma Phelps, an Updates Writer for The Spruce, provided research assistance for this article. That means that they can suppressmelatonina hormone that facilitates sleepso if you're concerned you may want to consider avoiding very bright LED light tooclose to bed time, or looking for LED bulbs on the warmer range of the color spectrum. The amount of energy used by a light bulb is measured in watts. In addition to Alexa and Google Assistant, the Bridge also makes the bulbs compatible with Apple HomeKit. Philips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb, Philips Hue 60-Watt-Equivalent A19 Dimmable LED Smart Bulb. However, theyre also sold in different color temperatures, so options exist for task lighting. A lightbulbs color impacts the mood and functionality of a room. A 40-watt incandescent bulb typically gives off 400 lumens of light. However, halogen, CFL, and LED lights use fewer watts but emit an equal amount of lumens. Read our, Philips 60-Watt Equivalent LED Light Bulb at Amazon, TCP 60-Watt Equivalent LED Light Bulbs at Amazon, Philips Hue 60-Watt-Equivalent A19 LED Smart Bulb at Amazon, GE Lighting 3-Way Incandescent Light Bulb at Amazon, AmazonBasics 75-Watt-Equivalent Dimmable LED Light Bulbs at Amazon, Cree 100-Watt-Equivalent LED Bulb at Amazon, Sylvania 60-Watt Equivalent Halogen Light Bulb at Amazon, Feit Electric 40-Watt-Equivalent Vintage-Style Light Bulb at Amazon, Philips 60-Watt-Equivalent CFL Twister Light Bulbs at Amazon, Best LED: Look for one thats compatible with the fixture, area of use, and desired control options. Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 800 lumens | Watts: 9.5 | Usage: Indoor, "Overall, I loved this smart light bulb set and purchased another set to customize my home lighting fully. Their 5,000K color temperature rivals daylight, so theyre ideal for bright task lighting. If you want a handy, easy-to-install smart bulb that's compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant for control via voice commands, look no further than the Philips Hue White A19 LED Smart Bulbs. If you prefer to use incandescent bulbs, this GE Lighting 3-Way Incandescent A21 Light Bulb is a great option. At 2,700K, theyre ideal for ambient lighting. For example, both a 4-watt LED light bulb and a 25-watt incandescent bulb emit 220 lumens; however, an 18-watt halogen bulb also gives off around 220 lumens. Pop it into your outdoor security fixture. Get the LUMIMAN smart light bulbs at Amazon. Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 250 lumens | Watts: 6.5 | Usage: Indoor. Bulbs of 4500K or above have a blue-white temperature that some people feel most resembles daylight, but others don't find the light from bulbs in this range to be pleasing. A high-quality energy-efficient bulb not only saves energy and money, but also can illuminate a room. Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 1100 lumens | Watts: 12 watts | Usage: Indoor, Not ideal if you're looking for warm light. Typically, LED bulbs have longer lifespans and greater energy efficiency than a standard incandescent bulb. The latest version of the Hue bulb can be controlled with Bluetooth or Zigbee and can be voice activated via Alexa or Google Assistant, but the Philips Hue Bridge system is sold separately. There is also a lack of standardization among LEDs. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our top pick for LEDs goes to the Philips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb, which is available in two colors and is said to have a lifespan of over ten years. "How Energy-Efficient Lightbulbs Compare with Traditional Incandescents." These bulbs are also well suited for outdoor security lights. LED bulbs can cost more up-front than other types of energy-efficient bulbs, but they also last much longer, typically at least 10,000 hours. CFL and fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and should always be recycled. Cree 100-Watt-Equivalent A21 Dimmable LED Bulb, The Best Kitchen Lights to Illuminate Your Kitchen, Best Halogen: They offer "daylight" brightness, with a high color temperature rating of 5000K. At 2,700K, they emit a soft white light that makes them one of the best bulbs for bedroom use and gathering areas in the home. We answer a few common questions here to help. Smaller sizes are also available. It's also good to look for bulbs that have EnergyStar and UL certifications. Color temp: Varies | Lumens: 800 | Watts: 10 | Lumens/watt: 80. Copyright 2022 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Keep in mind that manufacturers claims about lifespan may vary dramatically from actual performance in the real world. Since this is an incandescent bulb, it isn't as energy efficient as an LED option. The bulbs are dimmable and frosted, further dispersing their warm white light. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. This includes no agreed-upon definition of lifetime or how many hours an LED will last. How Energy-Efficient Lightbulbs Compare with Traditional Incandescents. By Stacey L Nash | Published Mar 29, 2022 2:43 PM. CFL stands for compact fluorescent bulbs, known for their energy efficiency and long-lasting power compared to incandescent bulbs. BobVila.com and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. These Philips light bulbs are daylight CFLs that use only 23 watts to create 1,600 lumens. This LED bulb relies on 8.5 watts to bring you the equivalent of 60 watts in an incandescent bulb while also using 80 percent less energy. The lighting color of LEDs is usually measured in Kelvin (K). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers information and resources on where to recycle light bulbs. They simulate 6,000K of sunlightor a bright daylight colorwithout exposure to damaging UV rays. Lumens indicate the brightness of a bulb, so more lumens indicates a brighter bulb. Keep in mind that using a bulb with a greater wattage than the fixture's rating is a safety hazard. Enter the Cree 100W Equivalent Daylight (5000K) A21 Dimmable LED Light Bulb, which boasts a correlated color temperature of 5000 Kelvin, so you can clearly see everything you're cutting. One of their main benefits is the quality of the light they offer. Designed to reduce shatters, they resist shocks and vibrations. "Technology improvements are constantly occurring, which provide greater light while using lower energy," says Knopfler. They're also designed to last20,000 hours, or over the course of 18 years. The app was easy to use, and the white light was bright and soft, which you dont always get from LED lights." Theyre dimmable, and users can adjust the brightness and the color temperature according to the time of day or the task at hand through the Hue app. These indoor/outdoor bulbs can last up to 2,000 hours. GE Lighting 3-Way 50/100/150W Incandescent A21 Light Bulb, Best for Bathrooms: Get the Ascher vintage LED Edison bulbs at Amazon. This low-level energy usage likely wouldnt be noticeable on an electric bill for one or two appliances. It can work up to 10,950 hours and last for 11 years when used three hours per day, so youll be able to rely on these bulbs for a while. She's contributed to Forbes and smart home blogs like Smart Home Solver and TechDigg. The bulbs are designed to mimic the sunrise in their brightness. While they emit a decent 750 lumens at 5,000K, some people find them too bright for regular lighting. Our best overall pick, thePhilips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb, offers warm lighting that's energy-efficient and long-lasting. Models like the Philips 60-Watt-Equivalent CFL Twister Light Bulbs are a good alternative to incandescent bulbs since you wont have to replace them as often. Reds will appear red and blues will appear blues under lights with high CRI. PHILIPS LED 100-watt Equivalent, CFL Light Bulb, 11 Ways to Make the Most of Your Towns Curbside Cleanup Day, 10 Money-Saving Gadgets That Pay for Themselves, 21 Money-Saving Tricks That Every Homeowner Needs to Know, 14 Secrets of People with Low Energy Bills, How To: Get Your Bathroom Guest-Ready in 20 Minutes or Less, 9 Clever Organizing Tools to Help You Cut Clutter, Powerful 800 lumens provided by only 10 watts, Dont have as many hours per bulb as some brands, Highly efficient, offering 800 lumens with only 7.5 watts, May be too bright for those with sensitive eyes, Daylight bulbs for rooms that need task lighting, Cannot withstand direct exposure to inclement weather, Easy to order the wrong color temperature. These 13-watt bulbs are the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb and provide a natural light similar to daylight. Note that you shouldnt use these with dimmers, though. The bulbs are also Energy Star rated, last up to 12,000 hours. These energy-saving bulbs deliver high-quality light. Color temp: 6000K | Lumens: 800 | Watts: 9 | Lumens/watt: 89, Are you feeling the winter blues or looking for an energy boost on a gray day? Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. The bulbs that made our list come from trusted brands and offer excellent illumination and energy efficiency. They may cost slightly more upfront than other light bulbs. The Philips Hue White 2-Pack A19 LED Smart Bulb is our top pick based on quality and versatility. It provides light in multiple directions, and it can last for over a year. So, if youre using an LED in your art room, for example, consider one with a high CRI. They are easy to find, compatible with dimmers, and easily screw into any fixture with a medium screw base. These bulbs wont dim as they age, staying at their full 800 lumens until they go out for good. It gives off a 40-watt equivalent light, so you will need a few to light up your space. Philips Hue White 2-Pack A19 LED Smart Bulb, Philips LED Frosted, Soft White Light, 16-Pack. Theyre typically used in smart household systems and appliances. If you're a fan of the look that incandescents give off you might want to try halogen light bulbs which give off an equally warm, natural glow. If youre looking for a smart-home-friendly option, we recommend the Philips Hue 60-Watt-Equivalent A19 Dimmable LED Smart Bulb, which is Alexa and Google Assistant-compatible. However, if the bulb is used longer than 3 hours per day, its lifespan will be far less. These Sylvania bulbs are usable in damp environments indoors or out. This Sylvania Halogen Light Bulbwhich offers a 60-watt equivalentworks great for table lamps, pendants, and hanging fixtures, and it's also dimmable.