“The application [of the light bulb] and the other light sources in the room, will determine how many lumens you should target,” says Sheva Knopfler, co-founder and creative director of Lights.com. Color temperature, which is measured in Kelvins is another factor to keep in mind. “We recommend 3500 Kelvin temperatures, which is more neutral and can be successfully used in all rooms of the home,” says Knopfler. We researched and tested light bulbs from dozens of brands, assessing their brightness, efficiency, and longevity. Our best overall pick, the Philips 60-Watt Equivalent Soft White LED Light Bulb, offers warm lighting that’s energy-efficient and long-lasting. Here are the best light bulbs. This bulb has a Kelvin rating of 2700 Kelvin, which means it will illuminate any space you install it with a soft and warm white light, which is perfect for creating a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. You may want to consider installing them in the living room, your bedroom, or any other space where you often lounge rather than completing detail-oriented tasks. The bulb provides a substantial 800 lumens of brightness, though it’s unfortunately not dimmable. It also has a high CRI rating, which means the colors of your home decor and furniture will appear accurately under its glow. As alluded to in its name, this is an LED bulb. Typically, LED bulbs have longer lifespans and greater energy efficiency than a standard incandescent bulb. This LED bulb relies on 8.5 watts to bring you the equivalent of 60 watts in an incandescent bulb while also using 80 percent less energy. It can work up to 10,950 hours and last for 11 years when used three hours per day, so you’ll be able to rely on these bulbs for a while. Price at time of publish: $32 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 800 lumens | Watts: 10 watts | Usage: Indoor One drawback is that these bulbs don’t work with dimmer switches. On the plus side, these TCP bulbs distribute light evenly. They emit a pure white light, which some people find too harsh, but it works well anywhere you need task lighting, such as in the kitchen or bathroom. Price at time of publish: $20 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 800 lumens | Watts: 8.5 watts | Usage: Indoor/protected outdoor The bulbs are 10 watts or the incandescent equivalent of 60 watts. Just note that to get the full Hue experience, you need to purchase the Philips Hue Bridge, which is sold separately. Without the Bridge, you can control up to ten bulbs in a given room and set timers via the app. With the Bridge, you can control 50 bulbs from anywhere in your home and set both timers and schedules. In addition to Alexa and Google Assistant, the Bridge also makes the bulbs compatible with Apple HomeKit. Price at time of publish: $50 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 800 lumens | Watts: 9.5 | Usage: Indoor Since this is an incandescent bulb, it isn’t as energy efficient as an LED option. However, it’s also much warmer than LED or CFL bulbs, which can seem harsh by comparison. It provides light in multiple directions, and it can last for over a year. This incandescent bulb from GE has other added benefits—it can be used with a dimmer and is less expensive to purchase initially than other bulb types. Price at time of publish: $36 Bulb Type: Incandescent | Lumens: 615/1540/2155 lumens | Watts: 50/100/150 watts | Usage: Indoor/enclosed outdoor Price at time of publish: $19 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 1100 lumens | Watts: 12 watts | Usage: Indoor This bulb provides maximum visibility and makes the other colors in your kitchen nice and vibrant. It has a 90+ CRI, which means it accurately renders the colors of everything it illuminates. You can expect a bright, white (almost blueish) glow, so if you’re looking for a bulb with a warmer glow, this may not be the option for you. This indoor/outdoor bulb is also dimmable and designed to last around 22 years. Price at time of publish: $9 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 1600 lumens | Watts: 15 watts | Usage: Indoor/enclosed outdoor Unlike CFLs and LEDs, this bulb won’t give you a long lifespan (1.8 years at three hours a day), though halogen bulbs provide more light than an incandescent and use less energy. The bulbs give off a bright (but not blinding) white light that makes them great for bedside reading, and they have a 90+ CRI, so colors appear accurately under them. Price at time of publish: $19 Bulb Type: Halogen | Lumens: 680 lumens | Watts: 43 watts | Usage: Indoor/enclosed outdoor It gives off a 40-watt equivalent light, so you will need a few to light up your space. Unfortunately, this bulb isn’t available in bulk options. However, it will last up to 15,000 hours, so you won’t have to worry about changing it out monthly. Price at time of publish: $8 Bulb Type: LED | Lumens: 250 lumens | Watts: 6.5 | Usage: Indoor These 13-watt bulbs are the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb and provide a natural light similar to daylight. The bulbs are also Energy Star rated, last up to 12,000 hours. and won’t flicker like many other CFL bulbs do. Note that you shouldn’t use these with dimmers, though. And like all CFL bulbs, these need to be properly recycled when they burn out. Contact your city or town’s waste management department for instructions. Price at time of publish: $24 Bulb Type: CFL | Lumens: 860 lumens | Watts: 13 watts | Usage: Indoor
Light-Emitting Diode (LED): LED bulbs are the most popular type of light bulb today and for good reason. They’re highly energy-efficient, don’t contain mercury, don’t heat during use, and provide bright light with a slightly cool cast. You’ll find LED bulbs in every size, shape, and color. Incandescent: Once the mainstay of light bulbs, today, incandescent light bulbs are on the way out and are no longer available in many communities. While inexpensive to purchase, incandescent bulbs use a lot of electricity and don’t last nearly as long as LED bulbs. Plus, they generate considerable heat during use. However, incandescent bulbs do work with dimmer switches and give a warm light that many people prefer to the cooler light of an LED bulb.Compact Fluorescent (CFL): Another type of light bulb that’s now on the way out, CFL bulbs are more energy-efficient than incandescent light bulbs but not as efficient as LEDs. CFL bulbs take a few moments to reach their full brightness, which is not quite as bright as the light emitted by a LED bulb. One thing to note about CFLs: to help them last longer, leave them on for at least 15 minutes each time you turn them on. This will maximize the lifespan of the bulbs.Halogen: Already banned in California and soon to be banned in many other states as well, halogen bulbs are energy-efficient but not long-lasting. They give off an intense white light that works well in outdoor fixtures.
Lifespan
Dealing with burnt-out bulbs is becoming less of a routine event and more of an occasional annoyance, thanks to the long lifespans offered by the latest in bulb technology. LED bulbs typically offer a lifespan between 10 and 20 years and are the longest-lasting bulb. CFL bulbs will last for several years, and halogen bulbs typically need to be replaced once every year or two. In contrast, incandescent light bulbs will fizzle after about 1,000 hours of use, with some bulbs lasting slightly longer.
Watts
The amount of energy used by a light bulb is measured in watts. Incandescent and halogen bulbs have the highest wattage, making them less energy-efficient choices. CFL bulbs use fewer watts, but LED bulbs are the real winner in energy efficiency: an 8-watt or 9-watt LED bulb emits as much light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
Color
A lightbulbs color impacts the mood and functionality of a room. For any room you’re outfitting, decide whether you prefer a soft white bulb with a yellow hue or a whiter, brighter light (often called a daylight bulb). In between are warm white or bright white bulbs. Choose brighter bulbs for areas where you plan to read or study and softer, yellow-hued bulbs for accent lighting or a warm ambiance. “Warmer colors such as 3000 Kelvins are ideal in spaces that you want to be warm and invited, such as the bedroom and living room,” says Knopfler. “Whereas a colder temperature, such as 4000 Kelvins, may provide more functional lighting in the kitchen and bathrooms. In addition, many customers prefer a uniform color throughout the home and do not like the changing of colors in different rooms.”
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written, researched, and updated by Erica Puisis, who writes about home products for The Spruce, specializing in interior design and plant care. She’s contributed to Forbes and smart home blogs like Smart Home Solver and TechDigg. Emma Phelps, an Updates Writer for The Spruce, provided research assistance for this article. She reached out to Sheva Knopfler, the co-founder and creative director of Lights.com to learn more about best practices for choosing light bulbs.
