Way OT: LED light bulbs

[keevon]

I've had it with incandescent, and I've never been a fan of CFL.

What's the current state of A-type LED bulbs? Any recommendations? Anything to watch out for? I have no problem investing in the technology, but the CRI, color temperature, and durability have to be good.

Thanks!

[Mikej]

The Walmart brand soft 60w equivalent were the highest rated and. 2 pack was around $9.50. I have about 20 of them. Pretty good actually, I had some of the daylight but they were not as to my liking, too CFL -

[dave thompson]

If you like the ambiance of incandescent bulbs, the color temp is generally listed on the box. Look for the same numbers on the LED box. If you have lighting that is dimmable, make sure the LED bulbs for that purpose state they are dimmable. Some are not.

We pretty much have switched everything at our house in Mexico to LED because of the high cost of electricity here and are quite satisfied, both with the lighting and significant cost reduction. I haven't had them long enough to speak to their longevity.

[NHAero]

I've got Green Creative LED lamps - PAR20 and PAR30 sizes, and the A lamp equivalent. The PARs are excellent. The A lamps are 9,5W and don't have enough punch. They now make a high CRI 18.5W lamp that is 1600 lumens, and I would like to source that lamp and try it.

[Peter B]

I've been happy with the Cree A-19 and Par lamps. Available at your local Home Depot.

[572cv]

Phillips makes a nice lamp with an A26 base. The color quality is good. Some of them work with dimming switches. I've had one electronics failure out of about 20 bulbs, but I got them at the local electrical supply place, and they cost less than five bucks each.

This technology is now completely within reach and prices keep dropping. Also, there can be some power company incentives to sweeten the deal. If you are unsure of the coloration and warmth, get a small selection. Use the ones you don't like in the garage or shed.

[xjoex]

I have replaced all my bulbs with Feit LEDs from ACE http://www.acehardware.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4029043

No issues, I even have some Feit LED "Edison Bulbs" in some fixtures that look good.

-Joe

[carpediemracing]

I bought 20? 60w equivalent bulbs. 2 packs, Home Depot, $4/pack, so $2/bulb.

I don't want to just throw out the CFLs we have so I judiciously moved some around. As they burn out I'll replace with the LEDs.

They're all soft light, not daylight, not super soft like some incandescents. Seems fine for us.

LEDs for:
- constant on/off which are not ideal for CFL, like bathroom or hallway
- shaking on/off, where I don't want the bulb to break and spew mercury, like garage door opener (been great for about 6 months so far)
- vulnerable mounts that might get taken out when I'm trying to put a ladder away or whatever, like one in the garage.
- occasional on/off but don't want to wait for bulb to light up, like my bike trainer room in the basement. I have a 2 bulb ceiling light, one side has a CFL, one has an LED.

CFLs for:
- constantly on so ideal for CFL. Also no worries about warming up to get full brightness (certain lights in basement, on first floor). I understand that it's better to have a lower wattage fixture but for now using 13w or whatever vs 6w is fine, for 40w equivalent light, and I don't want brighter.
- relatively safe from crashing onto the floor (certain lamps, ceiling fixtures)
- lots of light (100w equivalent outside, last I checked the LED versions for very bright bulbs were really expensive).