Lightbulbs why are they so overwhelming

Invented in the 1800s, but refined to this day, lightbulbs are now one of lifes necessities. So why do they have to be so confusing? We will help you understand what light bulb to buy!

First, stop buying incandescent lightbulbs (if you can even find them). They use excessive amounts of energy, create unwanted heat, and do not last as long as their alternatives.

Second, stop buying fluorescent lightbulbs.

So, you have decided to choose an LED light bulb (Good Choice!) but there are too many options. Soft White, Edison, E26, let's break it down:

• Color - This is commonly confused with brightness. These are very different things. Color is defined in Kelvins (K), brightness is defined in Lumens. The more Kelvins you have the whiter the light. More Lumens = more brightness, but we will cover that later.

  • 2700K (soft/warm white) - Yes, buy this for pretty much everywhere

  • 3000K (Also soft/warm white) - This can be used for lighting surfaces in a kitchen (e.g. above a range)

  • 4000K (cool light) - This is a very white light which can be useful in hospitals and workspaces. We recommend this for your garage and maybe your workshop but this does not belong inside your living space.

  • 5000K - Do not buy this for your house.

• Brightness - As mentioned before, brightness is defined in Lumens. There is a fancy calculator you can run to determine how many Lumens you need for a space but we do not need to go into that much detail. If you want more light out of a bulb then buy one with more Lumens. The watt rating of your lamp or fixture does not apply to LEDs because they use much less energy than the incandescent bulbs the lamp is rated for.

• Bulb Base - Each lamp or fixture will have a specific bulb base that it will fit. E26 is the standard medium base and you will see this most often. However, some fixtures have a different size base. If the lamp/fixture features a smaller base it will most likely be an E12, like a candelabra. It is always best to bring an old bulb or the fixture (if possible) to the store when selecting a new bulb. If the fixture is new, then the manufacturer will be able to provide guidance as to which bulb you will need.