LED lightbulbs

[boomhower]

I am looking to start replacing the bulbs in my home with LED. I am looking for "natural" lighting and not the bright white style. What is good out there for the money?

 

[edro]

Stick with 2700K color temperature.
What style of bulb? Traditional 60W equivalent A19 lamps? Downlights? Etc?

If you don't need dimmable, and are for general A19 style, I have good experience with these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-60W-E...t-Stik-Light-Bulb-3-Pack-LED10S3-96/205783754
and
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-...-A19-LED-Light-Bulb-4-Pack-455949-2/206766847
Both are very cheap and work great. (notice, those are 3/4 packs, so they are ~$2-3/bulb.
Cree makes good bulbs, but their prices haven't followed GE/Philips for some reason.
Their latest gen is ~$10-20 EACH. WHY?! The last gen "4-flow" was $8.

If you need dimmable, that will cost you a few dollars more per.

I would stay away from Feit, Eco, etc.

 

[Kaido]

I recently finished replacing my entire home with LED bulbs. I like Philips the best. I have 4 types: (all of mine are dimmable; be aware that some brands/models are not!)

1. 100-watt equivalent for fixtures (A-base) (Philips)
2. 60-watt equivalent SlimStyle for reading & bedroom lamps (Philips)
3. 40-watt equivalent frosted for the forward-facing bathroom lights (I think these were an off-brand that was like $6 for a 4-pack because I wanted frosted ones with not a lot of lumens so they wouldn't be too bright on my eyes, you'll see them on sale at Home Depot in a box of 4, 6, or 8, I can't remember the exact count)
4. 65-watt equivalent Cree can lights (everything in one! has trim & the socket included)

If you go to Home Depot, they should have a small display setup in the LED bulb section with some lights you can play with to see the lighting. The first couple of bulbs I purchased were bright white & I didn't like them. All of mine are that soft yellow now, like a real bulb is. The new bulbs spread out the light like normal too; the early bulbs were more like a spotlight (a clinical spotlight, when they were super white only). Nice power savings & don't have to replace any bulbs!

 

[RadiclDreamer]

My problems with LED lighting have been trying to find a reliable source that isnt gouging on price for 60w equivalent candelabra base LED lighting. The GE ones ive found are great and they arent TOO terribly priced at $8 per but dang is it hard to find them in stock.

 

[Kaido]

On a tangent, I also replaced all of my light switches with Lutron Caseta smart switches. They are not cheap - $60 per switch, no joke:

https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-P-PKG1W-WH-Wireless-600-watt-Multi-Location/dp/B00JJY0S4G

But they have several benefits:

1. Each switch has an on, off, dim up, and dim down button.
2. Each switch includes a compact remote control (uses a watch battery, but has a 10-year battery life, plus uses RF so interference isn't a problem & you don't have to aim it). Lots of features on those:

a. The Pico remote has all of the same buttons as the switch does, plus a "favorite" button (like if you like to watch TV with the lights at 75% brightness).
b. There is a desktop pedestal available for either single remotes or multiple remotes, so if you want one next to your couch on an arm table, no problem.
c. There is a dummy wallmount, which is super convenient for adding switches wirelessly. In my bedroom, I only have one switch, which is by the door. I added a wall-mounted Pico remote on either side of the bed for convenient access. Looks & acts just like a wired switch. I believe you can add up to 10 remotes per dimmer. No wiring required, no electrician required. I have lightswitches at every room entrance now & at convenient places, like next to the couches & beds, it's awesome!
d. One remote can control multiple dimmers. Like if you have can lights & wall sconces, you can have a single remote control both. Or have an "all off" remote to turn off every light in your house when you go to bed.

3. The integrated radio is called ClearConnect & talks to home automation equipment. You can buy a smarthome hub (around $100) like the Wink Hub or the Lutron Hub & use your smartphone to control the lights (or if you get the Lutron Hub, you can use a Logitech Harmony smart remote!). Really convenient if you left a light on in the basement & don't want to walk downstairs to turn it off. You can also schedule lights (like by time of day, so your porch light can turn on at night & off in the morning), do vacation mode (schedule the lights to make it look like someone is home, even when you're away), and setup triggers to turn lights on (like via a motion sensor), plus turn on all of the house lights before you get home from work from your smartphone, among other things.

I hate the price & also hate that they are not flip switches (not a fan of flat-button switches, for ergonomics & usability), but they are super convenient, especially when paired with LED bulbs. My power bill has dropped & my convenience level has gone up. btw, there's a nice LED cost-savings calculator available here:

https://www.ledwaves.com/pages/led-calc

 

[K1052]

Using Phillips LED bulbs at 2700K paired with Lutron Caseta dimmers, very happy so far. Lately I've been adding some Hue products now that HomeKit is becoming more useful. Really liking the wake up options from them in the bedroom which gradually increases light level and color temp to simulate sunrise....going to be nice this winter.

 

[TheGardener]

I purchased Cree LED soft whites at Home Depot. My electric utility was subsidizing the bulbs, so I bought each at $2. Cree has an excellent reputation for color accuracy and lasting a long time. Some LED's are rated only for 10 to 15 years. Cree LEDs are suppose to last around 22 years.

I got rid of all my CFL's, because they only lasted an average of a year, far less than 7 to 8 years warrantied. If they lasted longer, they started to dim, so I got less light. And don't drop one. Hate CFL's.

 

[K1052]

I purchased Cree LED soft whites at Home Depot. My electric utility was subsidizing the bulbs, so I bought each at $2. Cree has an excellent reputation for color accuracy and lasting a long time. Some LED's are rated only for 10 to 15 years. Cree LEDs are suppose to last around 22 years.

I got rid of all my CFL's, because they only lasted an average of a year, far less than 7 to 8 years warrantied. If they lasted longer, they started to dim, so I got less light. And don't drop one. Hate CFL's.

CLFs were fine for locations that are going to be left on basically all the time but given the prices you can get LEDs which last 3-5 times longer they aren't worth buying anymore. The year ratings are bases off use averages...always look at how many hours they are rated for.

 

[who?]

2700K is a nice warm light that won't keep you awake but 5000K and above is imitation sunlight and what's more natural than sunlight?

 

[who?]

My problems with LED lighting have been trying to find a reliable source that isnt gouging on price for 60w equivalent candelabra base LED lighting. The GE ones ive found are great and they arent TOO terribly priced at $8 per but dang is it hard to find them in stock.

Have you tried online sources?

 

[K1052]

2700K is a nice warm light that won't keep you awake but 5000K and above is imitation sunlight and what's more natural than sunlight?

Unless you're trying to light the cosmetics floor of a department store you don't want 5000K. Though you don't actually have to decide now if you buy the Hue White Ambiance LEDs since with the hub you can shift the temperature at will.

 

[dullard]

Have you tried online sources?

What is the best online source at the moment? I need to replace a bunch of frosted 75 W bulbs but I can't find them under $10 each in the store.

I replaced all of my incandescent floodlights with ultra-cheap (well under $2), non-dimmable, no-name LEDs and am quite happy with them far. I saw no reason to go for the far more expensive dimmable versions. I'll replace the rest of the floodlights when I can get the CFLs to burn out, but they have been going on for 7+ years and won't die.

 

[Red Squirrel]

My sister bought some "60w equivalant" ones that look like normal bulbs, I did not even realize they made them that way. I put them in the new fixture I installed and they look great, you'd never even know the difference.

Stay away from online ones unless you want a death trap. While everything is made in China anyway, the ones "straight from china" that you find on most sites have zero safety ratings. I'm talking about Amazon etc, if you go on a hardware store site you'll be fine.

As a side note if a fixture says 60w max, it's talking about actual power, because of the heat generated. you are fine to put 100w equivalent or higher in there. I always get the 100w CFLs myself. Though next time I'm buying light bulbs I'll probably go LED.

They also make actual 100w+ CFLs, I'd like to get my hands on one of those some day. They're freaking huge.

 

[flexy]

Don't buy cheap "store brand" LEDs. Good brands CAN absolutely replace incandescent halogen light bulbs in terms of "color quality".

"Color quality" here meaning mainly comfortable warm light (2700-3000K), not glaring "white" LEDs. Some cheap, no-name brand LEDs can still produce a very "uncomfortable" light that is relatively unsuitable for living spaces.

Check out Philips, Samsung etc.

I have Osram LED STAR PAR16 for the kitchen and living room, they absolutely replace the halogen I had before. For other places I have Philips, Samsung etc. "bulb style" retrofit LEDs, their color is a "tad" colder than I'd like but still very good. This was a few years ago, I assume that the tech in the meantime has even further progressed.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Don't buy cheap "store brand" LEDs. Good brands CAN absolutely replace incandescent halogen light bulbs in terms of "color quality"..

Why not? FWIW I've bought several walmart brand led bulbs and can't tell the difference between them and the equivalent phillips bulbs.... except they are 1/3 the price.

 

[Imp]

I have also just replaced the majority of the light bulbs in my home with LEDs -- after a CFL exploded on its own upon death.

Most of the bulbs I went with were warm-ish white Ikea RYET 400 lumen LED bulbs for CA$2/each because of fit problems -- see next paragraph. I had success with Ikea LEDARE LED bulbs in the past so was comfortable with Ikea.

The biggest thing to look out for may be bulb size. We renovated the electrical system when CFLs hit prime-time and I think they started sizing fixtures for them. I bought a bunch of, I think, A19 LED 60-watt-ish equivalent bulbs and they were too big so I had to go with smaller Ikea 400 lumen Ikea RYET bulbs -- and they're still a fairly tight fit.

And the 600 lumen RYETs I got were duds. I'm pretty sure the few I got all buzz -- weird cause the 400 lumen bulbs were good and still work months later. I've read on another forum about someone who had their 600 lumen bulbs drop dead after a few months.

Also look for dimmable or not dimmable. Philips and Ikea appear to have cheaper non-dimmable bulbs with lower rated life spans.

 

[midnight growler]

Lots of people are mentioning Phillips bulbs here, does anyone have any impressions on GE bulbs?

 

[boomhower]

Picked up a pack while at Walmart on an impulse buy. Less than $8/4 pack for 60W 2700k "15" year bulbs. I'll try them and see how they work out. If they don't satisfy me I'll try the Phillips.

 

[Imp]

Lots of people are mentioning Phillips bulbs here, does anyone have any impressions on GE bulbs?

From what I remember, GE took forever to come out with "normal" looking LEDs. I started seeing them at Wal-Mart a year or two after Philips and Ikea came out with somewhat affordable options -- $15 or less. All the GE bulbs I've seen look huge like old 60 watt incandescent bulbs too.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Cree makes good bulbs, but their prices haven't followed GE/Philips for some reason.
Their latest gen is ~$10-20 EACH. WHY?! The last gen "4-flow" was $8.

Looking at Cree's web site, it looks like the only version of the 4Flow bulb now is "connected". Strange, I just bought one of the others not more than a month ago. Chalk it up to a rapidly developing market and quickly changing product lines.

http://creebulb.com/connected-60-watt-replacement-soft-white

Here is their cheaper bulb, designed like most of the GE and Philips bulbs:

http://creebulb.com/60-watt-replacement-soft-white

Never considered it, but those connected bulbs could really be useful. It would give you timer control (with the right software) of any bulb in the house. Could be nice when away from home. You could have lights going on and off all day and night long, making it really look like someone is at home.

 

[gpse]

I have my entire house using Phillips dimmable LED's. They work great, I went soft white (2700k-3000k)

 

[BrainEater]

I have been running led bulbs in my house since the beginning .I tend to buy Sylvania , or Philips.
I run some addressable led stuff for my bookshelves , I'm starting to replace all my bulbs with addressable ones , pick your color temp....nice reds for comfy areas , nice sharp blues for stairways etc.
Change anything on a whim.

 

[readymix]

here and there i collected cree bulbs and can wholeheartedly recommend them, until i saw ecosmart at half the price, if not more. i think it's the HD house brand and equal to any others i've tried, i put them everywhere possible.

 

[Skeeedunt]

I must have mental problems, I love the sterile look of 5000K. I want to make a big jump to the Hue White but haven't gotten around to it, right now we have a three pack of the full color Hues which are fun to play with.

 

[agent00f]

I am looking to start replacing the bulbs in my home with LED. I am looking for "natural" lighting and not the bright white style. What is good out there for the money?

Lots of people are mentioning Phillips bulbs here, does anyone have any impressions on GE bulbs?

The quality of light output is largely predicated on the LED phosphor coating used. "White" leds are actually blue led's with some chemically doped film cover type deal in front to absorb some blue photons and emit ones of lower energy (ie redder light). The more blue they absorb and re-emit, the better/fuller the resulting color spectrum at the expense of efficiency.

Philips and CREE (and maybe OSRAM?) are the major LED makers. I think generally philips has slightly better color rendition and cree has better efficiency, but this varies with the specifics of the coating they use on each batch of led chips. The more color/less efficient models are called "High CRI".