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For the modern generation, LED lights are the way of the future when it comes to illumination. Compared to lighting technologies of the past, it is not hard to see why LED lights are by far the most energy-efficient and eco-friendly solution.
With that being said, finding the best LED lights for your needs is not easy – due to the various designs, features and benefits that they come with. In today’s article, we are going to help those in needs with the A to Z guide to LED lighting. Let’s get to it:
LED lights and light bulbs are gaining popularity and considered to be the new generation of lighting – and for good reasons. Although they might seem a bit costly on the price tag, there is more to the story. Here are the advantages that they bring to the tables:
Less power used: LED lights consume up to 80% less energy when compared to CFLs of equivalent brightness. The conversion from electricity to light in LED lights is much more efficient since they do not generate nearly as much excessive heat as other types of lights.
Longer lifespan: Due to their effective thermal management, LED lights can have much longer expected lifespan. Many units come with heatsinks to further handle the heat matter, leading to the longer-lasting life expectancy of about 30000-50000 hours.
Better quality of light: Despite using very low wattages, LED lights can bring brighter and higher quality lights to users compared to CFLs. With bright, consistent and flicker-free light – LED lights make doing everyday tasks a breeze.
More money saved: With only 20% energy being used in the process, you are able to save a considerable amount of money without having to compromise on the quality of light. LED units also have longer lifespan, which means that you will not have to spend as much in maintenance and replacement costs.
Friendlier to the environment: Without harmful metals like lead and mercury, you will not have to worry about the disposing of LED lights after use. Less glass and fragile components also result in fewer wastes being dumped into the environment. And the energy-efficient nature of LED lights means that the use of them can help with reducing carbon emissions.
1. Cree 60W LED Light Bulb
Specifications:
-
815 lumens
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5000K
-
25000 hours
Pros:
-
Dimmable options
-
Can be used for various applications
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Brighter than advertised
Cons:
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Too simple design
2. Amazon Basics 60W LED Light Bulb
Specifications:
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800 lumens
-
5000K
-
10000 hours
Pros:
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Affordable
-
No warm-up time
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Pleasant on the eye
Cons:
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Availability problems (in California)
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Not dimmable
3. Philips Hue White Ambiance Smart Bulb
Specifications:
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800 lumens
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2700-6500K
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25000 hours
Pros:
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Good customer support
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Variety of accessories
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Dimmable options
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Work with other smart applications
Cons:
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Unintuitive app’s interface
4. Sengled Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit
Specifications:
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800 lumens
-
2700-5600K
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25000 hours
Pros:
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Supports 2.4G and 55G
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Works with other smart applications
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Useful customizable features
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Excellent after-sales service
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Easy to install
Cons:
-
Compatibility problems
5. MAZ-TEK Plug in LED Night Light
Specifications:
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5 lumens
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20000 hours
Pros:
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Multiple colors
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Smart sensor
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Kid-friendly
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Can be used for various applications
Cons:
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Does not remember color settings sometimes
Choosing the best LED lights for your needs is not exactly the easiest thing to do, especially when you consider the amount of options on the market at the moment. However, you can always look at these factors and figure out your ideal LED lights:
Fitting: In order for any light bulbs to work, they have to fit the fixture properly. Fortunately, most LED bulbs are built to retrofit existing incandescent or compact fluorescent fixtures. This means that whether you are making the transition to LED or not, you are guaranteed to find the option that suits you without having to change the fixture. Still, this does not necessarily mean that your original fixture will bring out the best of your LED bulbs.
Lighting output: The lighting intensity of LED lights is measured using lumens, not by the amount of power that they consume (like in other types of light). You can easily compare the number lumens to wattage using online conversion tools to determine your lighting needs.
More lumens means more lighting efficiency – which makes sense since LED lights consume less power but deliver better brightness than other types of lights.
The lower the wattage and the higher the lumens output, the more efficient the bulb. Typical LED light bulbs emit around 80-100 lumens per watt, while an incandescent bulb might only give you 40-50 lumens per watt.
Color temperature: The color temperature of LED lights indicates the type of white light that they generate (warm, cool or daylight). “Warm” white light is softer on the eyes and is ideal for living rooms or bedrooms – while “cool” white light comes with bluer tones and is more suited towards kitchens and offices.
The color temperature range of LED lights is about 2000-6500K (Kelvins), ranging from warmer light (lower end) to cooler light (higher end).
Color rendering: The CRI (Color Rendering Index) rating is a standard measurement of how LED lights reproduce natural light. Daily users might find this rating unimportant, but people who do specific photographic or display work will appreciate it. On a scale of 0-100, anything from 90 onwards in terms of CRI rating is considered to be excellent.
Dimmable options: Dimmable options are obviously a useful feature for LED light owners, but it is essential for you to check out your units’ specifications. Most of the time, dimmable LED lights require an LED-specific dimmer switch in order to work properly – and if you do not have it, your light will start flickering when you change the lighting intensity.
You might find this interesting: Best LED grow lights
Why are LED lights not as affordable as other lighting options?
LED lights consist of circuit boards and drivers, which are expensive materials to start with. Some use rare components like yellow phosphor – which does play a factor in raising the overall price of the units. However, keep in mind that technology is on the rise and LED lights are gaining popularity – so at the moment, their prices have been reduced quite a bit and there will be more dramatic drops in the near future.
Another factor that can affect the prices of LED lights is the quality of the bulbs – which will vary greatly between manufacturers. Most notably, characteristics like color temperature and lighting output are important – but other advanced features will also drive the price up as well.
What are the disadvantages of LED lights?
As mentioned before, LED lights have higher upfront costs compared to other options – but in the long run, you can save much more money on electricity bills, maintenance and replacement costs.
Earlier LED lights are better suited towards specific task lighting use than everyday use. However, modern LED options are now equipped with high-quality lenses and complicated components to generate diffused and even light – which makes them more user-friendly than ever before.
Earlier LED lights also have poor color accuracy and crispness, but since CRI rating has been made official as a measurement – these aspects have been improved.
Why are CRI ratings not as important as other specifications?
The CRI rating of about 80-90 is considered to be “good” in comparison to natural light – and this is a common number that you will find on many LED lights today. However, this does not always mean that lower rated LED options are not capable of generating clearer and more precise white light than those ones. This is the main reason why the CRI rating is not as important when compared to the lighting output and color temperature.
What are the things to keep in mind when buying LED lights for your rooms?
Obviously, every room in the house is different and requires different lighting needs. However, there are still some shopping tips that you can follow to get better results.
For the bedroom: A calm and relaxed atmosphere would suit the bedroom the most, but we understand that there are night time readers and workers out there. A general rule of thumb is to avoid blue light waves to keep your circadian rhythm normal – but for those who have other needs, choose LED lights with softer or more neutral tones.
For the home office: To keep you focused and maximize the productivity in the office, use cool white lights that are glare-free. For the best results, look for LED lamps with adjustable color temperature to change within the day.
For the living room: A mix of LED lights in the living room is the best way to support all activities and events that happen in the living room. Avoid bright, blue lights – and add spotlights to decorate and illuminate certain details that you want.
For the dining room: When the family gathers together and has meals, it is important to find the perfect lighting balance for such occasions. Consider switching to a chandelier with dimmable LED bulbs for better aesthetic, and the light must be soft and neutral to create the right ambience.
For the kitchen: On-the-counter bulbs that generate blue lights can do a good job of keeping us alert when doing kitchen work, but if you have an additional table – try to balance it out with overhead LED lighting that has warmer color temperature.
For the bathroom: Most of the work in the bathroom is done in front of the mirror – so put your bright, globe-style bulbs around the mirror to ensure you can prepare yourself better and bring the aesthetic of the whole room up a notch.
What are the recommended brightness levels and color temperature for each room?
With the abovementioned guideline in mind, here are our recommended specifications for the LED lights that you use for your rooms:
For the bedroom: 1500-4000 lumens and 2700-3000K
For the home office: 3000-6000 lumens and 3000-5000K
For the living room: 1500-3000 lumens and 2200-3000K
For the dining room: 3000-6000 lumens and 2200-3000K
For the kitchen: 4000-8000 lumens and 2700-5000K
For the bathroom: 4000-8000 lumens and 3000-5000K
Hailed as the future of home lighting, LED lights certainly do not disappoint. Energy-efficiency, long-lasting lifespan and consistent quality of light are the most impressive characteristics of LED units – and right now is the perfect time for you to make your transition.
For the best LED lights, you cannot go wrong with Philips Hue White Ambiance Smart Bulb due to the amazing features that it offers. If you are looking to make your transition, starting with something like Cree 60W LED Light Bulb or Amazon Basics 60W LED Light Bulb is ideal. Keep a close eye on these units, and turn your house into a smarter home today.
Pawel Dimitri
Hey, I’m Pawel Dimitri, creator of BestLEDLightReviews. I’ve been blogging and writing guides/reviews on lighting items for over five years now.
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