LED light bulbs

LED light bulbs

As noted earlier, LED light bulbs contain no mercury, and offer other advantages over compact fluorescent light bulbs. LED light bulbs turn on instantly, last much longer and are more energy-efficient. Their lifetime isn't affected by frequent cycling on and off, so they're especially suitable for light fixtures that don't stay on very long -- or conversely, for light fixtures that stay on so long that the extra energy-efficiency is significant. LED light bulbs are also less apt to break.

Reviews say that in the long run, the extremely high cost ($50 to $100) of big screw-in LED light bulbs will pay for itself in savings on electricity. However, we were unable to find any compelling evidence that the rated life holds true for every bulb. It's one thing to gamble on a compact fluorescent light bulb that costs $2 to $10, yet another to wonder if a $100 light bulb will last its rated life -- especially since light-bulb ratings are based on ideal conditions of temperature and humidity. When prices come down over the next few years, LED light bulbs should look like a better bet.

We did find some owners praising their LED light bulbs, especially for places where it's very hard to reach a bulb to change it, or where the light is switched on and off a lot. However, most LED light bulbs get mixed reviews at best. Owners say they're dimmer than expected, even when used in a light fixture that takes advantage of their directional beam (usually a 60 to 100 degree angle). Quite a few owners find the light too cold and bluish. A few LED light bulbs are designed to cast light in all directions, to be used in a regular table lamp, but they don't put out enough lumens to make this realistic except for dim "atmospheric" background lighting.

The biggest LED light bulbs now available in the United States come in two brands that look identical. A detailed review at Lighter Footstep finds the 10.8-watt EarthLED XR-10 (*est. $100) "flawlessly machined." The review praises the heat sinks that keep the bulb cool, and finds the white-light version "white without being harsh." Unfortunately the review doesn't test the "warm" version. EarthLED offers a 30-day trial period, but with a 15 percent restocking fee.

Both the 10.8-watt EarthLED XR-10 and the EcoLED (*est. $100), which look identical, are rated for 50,000 hours. This is about five times as long as most compact fluorescent light bulbs. Although a 10.8-watt bulb designed to replace a 100-watt incandescent sounds great, both LED light bulbs emit only 400 lumens -- only a fourth of the lumens needed to replace a100-watt incandescent light bulb. (Even a 40-watt incandescent light bulb is supposed to emit 450 lumens.) Some of the slack is taken up by the fact that these LED light bulbs are quite focused and directional, with 100-degree beam angles. If their 8.5-ounce weight isn't too heavy for your directional task lamp, they may produce enough light. They can be also used in recessed light fixtures. Mainly though, owners say they're just not very bright -- more like a 50-watt incandescent at best.

The Home Depot and several online retailers sell the 2.5-watt C. Crane CC Vivid (*est. $40) or Vivid Plus (*est. $45). These LED light bulbs combine 35 or 36 little LEDs into one bulb, rated for 60,000 hours. They produce only about 60 lumens, and carry a two-year warranty. They've accumulated only two reviews at HomeDepot.com at the time of this report -- both perfect five-star ratings. But 12 owners reviewing the C. Crane Vivid Plus 36 (*est. $45) at Amazon.com give it a much lower average rating, with mostly lukewarm reviews -- mainly because it's dim.

Several readers adding comments to reviews recommend less expensive LED light bulbs from Don's General Store, but the 3.6-watt 36-LED light bulbs (*est. $13) are less efficient, only emitting 72 lumens. That's too dim for most purposes. Note, however, that a typical 4-watt incandescent night light bulb only puts out 12 lumens, so even these LED light bulbs, if they do last as long as claimed, could save money in the long run. The brighter 2.5-watt C. Crane LED bulbs could provide safe and energy-efficient light in quite a few situations, and the 10.8-watt LED bulbs could light a hallway or stair landing.

The appearance of "white" LED light gets mixed reviews. "White" LED light is a mixture of light and coatings that appears white but that actually spikes in the blue part of the spectrum. Some people find it acceptable, while others say it's weird and unpleasant. An article in Fine Homebuilding notes that the Color Rendering Index (CRI) of LED light bulbs ranges from 72 to 75 (while the CRI for compact fluorescents is higher, 82 to 85). Blue light also carries some health risks, discussed in more detail below.