How To Choose an LED Bulb?
In today’s fast-paced world, where we are more conscious about the budget of our homes or offices, choosing the right type of lighting is also a paramount concern. To reduce the rising electricity bills, people moved towards energy efficient LED light bulbs. LED bulbs are preferred over other bulbs due to their efficiency, heat production, and amount of energy used by them.
LED bulbs are available in different varieties. So people are facing problems when choosing an LED bulb. Choosing the right type of bulb according to your needs is also an issue.
Different types of LED lights perform different functions. You have to choose according to your need which kind of LED bulb you want.
All types of LED bulbs are designed to be used for different occasions. They are also available in a variety of colors. Here you can find a guide about how to choose the right type of bulbs and the right color of bulbs according to your mood.
What Color Of Light Do You Want?
LED bulbs are available in different colors. The temperature of light depends on the color. Some colors produce warm light while some colors produce cool light.
The temperature of the color of light can be described by the Kelvin scale.
Lower degree Kelvin indicates the warm colors having a range of 1000-4000K. Yellow and white light colors are warm colors and produce heat more than other colors. Warm-colored lights are mostly used in homes such as in living rooms and bedrooms because they create a relaxing atmosphere.
The higher degrees of Kelvin indicate the cool light having a range of 4000-7000k having a bluish tint. Cool light colors are mostly used in workspaces, kitchens, and bathrooms for clear illumination. However, while purchasing, choose the right color of bulb considering all the information given above.
Types of LED Light Bulbs
LED light bulbs are available in different categories and each category contains different types and sizes of bulbs.
Although, it’s difficult to choose the category of light bulbs.
Here are three different categories of LED bulbs that help you to decide in which category your need falls.
Let’s explore the main categories of LED bulbs and then choose which type of bulb you need.
Standard LED Bulbs
Standard LED bulbs are the perfect bulb for the basic need. They are mostly used in homes, offices, institutes, commercial sites, and most outdoor spaces.
Such bulbs are available in different shapes and sizes. You can easily choose the size according to the brightness you need.
Such bulbs are available only in white, warm white, yellowish, and blueish colors. They require less energy so they can operate on low wattage.
Decorative LED Bulbs
Decorative LED bulbs are used for decoration purposes. Even if it’s a household decoration or a big event, LED decorative bulbs are preferred over other ordinary light bulbs.
Such bulbs are available in different shapes, and filament patterns and have a color-changing ability which creates an aesthetic atmosphere.
LED decorative bulbs are widely used in home decoration, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and event venues.
Smart LED Bulbs
Smart LED bulbs are available in a variety of different colors and adjustable brightness.
You can easily control the functions through remotes, smartphones, or smart speakers.
These types of bulbs are used to create custom lighting and different atmospheres according to the mood of the user.
You can also use smart LED bulbs for decoration purposes at parties.
Factors to Consider While Choosing LED Bulbs
LED bulbs are not only designed for lighting but also used for many other purposes. While choosing the type of your desired product, consider some factors that help you in choosing the right type of LED bulb according to your needs.
Here are the factors that you should consider while buying LED light bulbs.
Efficiency
When we go to buy anything, the first thing that comes to our mind is how efficient our desired product is.
If we talk about LED bulbs, they are the most efficient lighting technology and convert 90% of electrical energy into light.
If you choose standard LED bulbs for household lighting, then it will not increase your electricity bill even if you leave them on all night.
If you leave ordinary bulbs on for all light it will increase your electricity bill. But LED lights, due to their efficiency, will not increase the cost of electricity. Even if you replace all your lighting, LED bulbs save upto $20 per month.
Wattage and Lumens of Bulb
Wattage indicates the amount of energy bulbs use and lumens indicates the brightness of bulbs.
Wattage and lumens are not directly related to each other. In the older bulbs, the brightness of bulbs depends on the wattage. The more electricity the bulb uses, the brighter it glows.
But in the case of LED bulbs, they operate on very low wattage and glow brighter due to their efficiency.
Wattage and lumens are considered to find the efficiency of a bulb. Efficiency is measured, by lumens per watt.
The efficient light bulbs use less power to produce the higher brightness of light. So don’t rely only on the wattage of the bulb.
Compatibility
If you are going to buy LED bulbs, you have to keep their compatibility in mind. You need to decide which type of bulb you need, a dimmer or a non-dimmer.
Let me explain what is the difference between both.
Dimmer bulbs allow the user to adjust the brightness of light but non dimmer bulbs are used for consistent lighting and have no control over the brightness of light.
So, use the dimmers only if you want more control over the brightness of light. For this, you should need to use dimmer switches that are compatible with your bulb type.
Longevity
The lifespan of the light bulbs can also affect your savings.
For example, if you choose the bulbs that cost low at the time of purchase, this time will make you feel like you saved your money by buying a cheap bulb. But when it gets damaged after some time then you have to buy it again thus you have to invest more money.
LED bulbs are more expensive than other bulbs while buying, but you don’t need to replace them again and again. They save you money due to their longevity.
Whenever you go to buy a bulb, make sure to check its guarantee.
Compatible with Your Existing Transformers
If you already have a transformer, buy a similar bulb that is compatible with that transformer.
As LED bulbs are of many types and are also available in many sizes, because of their size some bulls need more energy and some less.
So while choosing the bulb, either you buy the bulb according to your transformer or buy a transformer according to your bulb type.
