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Hey let's talk about LED light bulbs.
For some reason, this has long been a fascination/hobby of mine, and I've purchased... and embarrassing number of them. It began as a desire to go greener while not sacrificing my lifestyle, and it morphed into something, er, unexpected.
For some reason, this has long been a fascination/hobby of mine, and I've purchased... and embarrassing number of them. It began as a desire to go greener while not sacrificing my lifestyle, and it morphed into something, er, unexpected.
First, the basics (feel free to skip if you know it).
To say nothing of reliability, the quality of a bulb's light is governed by more than simply its brightness. There's also its color, as well as its color rendering index (CRI). The former is widely reported, the latter, not.
To say nothing of reliability, the quality of a bulb's light is governed by more than simply its brightness. There's also its color, as well as its color rendering index (CRI). The former is widely reported, the latter, not.
For color, preference varies. Most people prefer 3000K or 2700K for home lighting; the lower the #, the warmer the light. Old-style incandescent bulbs are closer to 2700K. Halogen bulbs such as many recessed can downlight models are closer to 2900/3000K.
So you can pick based on your preference. They range all the way up to 5000/6000K, but that's often considered too "institutional" in appearance for comfort in a home.
Brightness, meanwhile, is also obv. important; for a standard 60W-equivalent A19 bulb, 800/900 lumens is fine.
Brightness, meanwhile, is also obv. important; for a standard 60W-equivalent A19 bulb, 800/900 lumens is fine.
For a PAR30, closer to 950/1000 is better if possible, and PAR38, 1500 lumen. Also be careful not to get narrow spot bulbs when buying PAR reflector models for indoor use; you want 40° flood PAR models, not 25° spot.
So, that's it? Not so bad, right? WRONG! Next, one of the most critical (and least reported) properties of a bulb is its CRI (color rendering index).
The CRI of standard incandescent bulbs is 100%... meaning they accurately render all colors on the spectrum.
The CRI of standard incandescent bulbs is 100%... meaning they accurately render all colors on the spectrum.
A high CRI (95%+ preferably) means you're getting light that brings your surroundings to life, vividly and accurately pulling out all of the color in furniture, paint, your food, etc. It's *critical* to get a high CRI, lest the mood just seems... off. It's subtle but impactful.
It's easier to find bulbs that are 2700K with high CRI, mostly because they tend to render their Reds more completely—& red is the hardest color to render for LEDs, which operate with a heavy bias toward blue light (hence all of the hubbub over blue light filtration these days).
But 3000K models exist also (and those are the ones I personally prefer). Digging even deeper, thanks to the blue bias, the "R9 value" is a component of the CRI measurement which is therefore of particular interest also. Higher R9 values indicate better rendering of Reds.
Take a look at this color rendering graph from a typical Philips ExpertColor bulb, for instance. Notice the large spike in the blue area of the spectrum; this is systemic in LED lighting. However, the bulb does a good job of rendering the reds, which is a plus.
In general, an R9 value of 75+ is ideal in today's modern LED bulbs, or at least a graph indicating good red rendering. If the manufacturer doesn't advertise the CRI or R9 value, as you might expect, that's probably a bad sign.
And it goes even deeper. Flicker is also a problem, though most people aren't really bothered by it. If you happen to be, one of the only options out there is Waveform Lighting's Centric Home series, which isn't cheap, but which is also flicker-free. https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/centric-home-full-spectrum-flicker-free-a19-10w-led-bulb
Okay. So after all this, what are my recommendations for the best overall LED bulbs in each category?
I've tried a TON of bulbs, and I can confidently say that what follows are among the best I've found:
I've tried a TON of bulbs, and I can confidently say that what follows are among the best I've found:
If cost is no object:
Philips ExpertColor PAR30/38 bulbs (CRI 90+, high R9):
12PAR30S/EXPERTCOLOR RETAIL/F40/930/
17PAR38/EXPERTCOLOR RETAIL/F40/930/
If cost is more of a concern (CRI 90+, R9 unknown):
Cree TW Series PAR30/38
Brightness is comparable across both of these.
Philips ExpertColor PAR30/38 bulbs (CRI 90+, high R9):
12PAR30S/EXPERTCOLOR RETAIL/F40/930/
17PAR38/EXPERTCOLOR RETAIL/F40/930/
If cost is more of a concern (CRI 90+, R9 unknown):
Cree TW Series PAR30/38
Brightness is comparable across both of these.
If cost is no object:
Waveform Lighting Centric Home Series A19:
95+ CRI, 75+ R9, flicker-free
https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/centric-home-full-spectrum-flicker-free-a19-10w-led-bulb
If cost matters:
Cree Lighting A19 "Exceptional light quality" bulbs (90+ CRI, R9 unknown, typical flicker present). https://www.amazon.com/Cree-Replacement-White-Dimmable-4-Pack/dp/B07CWH6H2R/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=cree+A19+60w+exceptional&qid=1612706122&s=hi&sr=1-4
Waveform Lighting Centric Home Series A19:
95+ CRI, 75+ R9, flicker-free
https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/centric-home-full-spectrum-flicker-free-a19-10w-led-bulb
If cost matters:
Cree Lighting A19 "Exceptional light quality" bulbs (90+ CRI, R9 unknown, typical flicker present). https://www.amazon.com/Cree-Replacement-White-Dimmable-4-Pack/dp/B07CWH6H2R/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=cree+A19+60w+exceptional&qid=1612706122&s=hi&sr=1-4
A little side note: when buying A19 standard bulbs, be sure to pay attention to the lumens/brightness. The wattage of the incandescent bulbs you're replacing directly correlates with the light output; 60w is close to 850 lumens, whereas 100w is closer to 1200 lumens.
Candelabra/E12 bulbs:
If cost is no object:
EmeryAllen E12 7.0W candelabra bulbs:
(700 lumen, CRI 90+)
https://emeryallen.com/product/e12-7-0w/
Other, lower wattages are also available if less light/small form factor is desired.
If cost matters:
LED filament bulbs https://www.amazon.com/Candelabra-Boncoo-Chandelier-Incandescent-Equivalent/dp/B07PVMTNYV/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=led+filament+e12+3000k&qid=1612706429&sr=8-5
If cost is no object:
EmeryAllen E12 7.0W candelabra bulbs:
(700 lumen, CRI 90+)
https://emeryallen.com/product/e12-7-0w/
Other, lower wattages are also available if less light/small form factor is desired.
If cost matters:
LED filament bulbs https://www.amazon.com/Candelabra-Boncoo-Chandelier-Incandescent-Equivalent/dp/B07PVMTNYV/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=led+filament+e12+3000k&qid=1612706429&sr=8-5
The latter are widely available, and the light quality is quite good. Nothing quite matches the EmeryAllen bulbs I've tried, but they're definitely a close second. Problem is, their form factor also makes them unsuitable for many fixtures - so be sure to measure carefully.
I hope this helps someone. I've spent thousands of dollars on LED bulbs to date, which means I... have a problem. If I can save you any time and money, I'm glad to have been able to do so!
