How to Shop for LEDs

 

If you're considering upgrading your halogen or fluorescent bulbs to LEDs, you may be concerned about making the switch. You want to ensure that you'll get the best level of brightness and the best performing bulb for your money. With more LEDs coming onto the market, costs are down more than ever whilst standards are maintained. Here is how to shop for LEDs effectively.

Don't just go for the lowest price

Before you pick up an LED bulb just for its price, remember to look at other factors. The other factors that you should look at include life expectancy, energy usage and lumens. Each of these factors will tell you more about the quality of the bulb and how it will perform in your home. Opting for a cheaper bulb without looking at the other factors could result in a lower quality bulb. 

Lumens instead of watts

When you're shopping for lighting, you may be used to looking for wattage rather than lumens. However, with LED bulbs, the packaging will list the light value in lumens rather than in watts. The measurement will dictate how bright a bulb will be - the more lumens, the whiter the light a bulb will emit.

Brightness

You may be aware that different rooms in your home will require different levels of lighting, so you'll need different levels of brightness on your LED bulbs. For a cool white light, you'll want to look for a level of around 2,700 Kelvins. This is ideal for task lighting, in the bathroom or the kitchen. For warm light (ideal for living rooms and accent lighting), you'll need to look for lighting which is around 4,700 Kelvins. 

Consider lifespan

A good LED bulb should last around 50,000 hours. When shopping, you should always look at the lifespan. A cheap bulb may need replacing earlier, causing you inconvenience and leading you to pay more money.

Check the sockets

LED bulbs are designed to fit in standard sockets, however, it's better to double check the width, depth and position of the socket before you buy, to avoid any expensive surprises. If your socket is old or damaged, you should take swapping your lighting to LED as an opportunity to fix it. 

Colour Rendering Index (CRI)

When the CRI of the LED bulb is specified, this will tell you how real objects lit up by the bulb will appear. CRI traditionally ranges from 1-100. The higher the number, the more real objects will appear. When the CRI gets closer to 100, it will be approaching daylight quality. 

Where you Shop

We recently did a survey which found that most people shop for their LED bulbs in the supermarket. This means that you don't always get the best value or quality for the money, in the name of convenience. If you order your LED bulbs online from a recognised store such as Light Supplier, you'll find a much better selection of LED bulbs for every room in the home, and even technical equipment such as dimmer switches which will allow you to create the perfect environment. We can also offer you friendly, impartial advice on the ideal solutions for your home, simply by calling 0151 548 2705.