VERY basic light bulb question

[Anonymous]

I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

[Anonymous]

1) Light produced

If you have a package of the old GE light bulbs, look for the number of “Lumens”. This likely will be in smaller print. This is how much light your old bulbs produced.

Trying to clarify:
Watts is how much electricity the light bulbs consume. Lumens is how much actual light is produced.

When buying a new bulb, look for the Lumen rating, not the “equivalent Watts”. Get new bulbs with at least as many Lumens as your old bulb. There are no rules on how many Lumens a “60 watt equivalent” bulb needs to have. So light bulbs often are misleadingly labeled. Lear to hunt for Lumens when comparing bulbs.

2) Light color

A more yellowish light will have a lower “color temperature” than a more white light. Color Temperature are measure in “degrees Kelvin”, usually written as “K”. Light that is very white usually will be 5000K or higher. Classic “cool white” light color is somewhat yellowish and will be somewhere in the 2700K to 3000K range.

“GE Reveal” is a bit of a special light bulb. Although it is around 3000K, its light spectrum is modified with special glass so that things it lights up are not as yellowish as usually would be the case for that color temperature.

3) Light bulb design

Some light bulbs have more glass area and so emit light in more directions - up / down / sideways. Other LED bulbs have a big solid white plastic sleeve covering the bottom portion of the glassy area of the bulb. In practice, these bulbs with the plastic sleeve do not emit as much light as the kind with maximum glass, simply because the solid white plastic blocks some of the light.

I apologize for length, but hope this was reasonably clear.

[Anonymous]

DP but had similar questions. Thank you! This was incredibly helpful.

[Anonymous]

Go to Ace.

Ask them what the equivalent is. Some dork will find it for you.

[Anonymous]

GE Relax 60W equivalent soft white bulbs, 2700k. They shine almost exactly like the old incandescents and are easily available online and in store.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-Relax-60-Watt-EQ-A19-Warm-White-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-4-Pack/1000444891?store=&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-ind-_-ggl-_-PMAX_Industry_000_Back-To-Campus-_-1000444891-_-online-_-0-_-0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22776141298&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W8NtCNNYMEUlC6E1_mYFf7Hk&gclid=Cj0KCQjws4fEBhD-ARIsACC3d28tgRyRXgOx9TK-KG1OUbtROPmJig3WkocUUyKAi6nx-t4ktOcX8ZYaAnuwEALw_wcB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) Light produced

If you have a package of the old GE light bulbs, look for the number of “Lumens”. This likely will be in smaller print. This is how much light your old bulbs produced.

Trying to clarify:
Watts is how much electricity the light bulbs consume. Lumens is how much actual light is produced.

When buying a new bulb, look for the Lumen rating, not the “equivalent Watts”. Get new bulbs with at least as many Lumens as your old bulb. There are no rules on how many Lumens a “60 watt equivalent” bulb needs to have. So light bulbs often are misleadingly labeled. Lear to hunt for Lumens when comparing bulbs.

2) Light color

A more yellowish light will have a lower “color temperature” than a more white light. Color Temperature are measure in “degrees Kelvin”, usually written as “K”. Light that is very white usually will be 5000K or higher. Classic “cool white” light color is somewhat yellowish and will be somewhere in the 2700K to 3000K range.

“GE Reveal” is a bit of a special light bulb. Although it is around 3000K, its light spectrum is modified with special glass so that things it lights up are not as yellowish as usually would be the case for that color temperature.

3) Light bulb design

Some light bulbs have more glass area and so emit light in more directions - up / down / sideways. Other LED bulbs have a big solid white plastic sleeve covering the bottom portion of the glassy area of the bulb. In practice, these bulbs with the plastic sleeve do not emit as much light as the kind with maximum glass, simply because the solid white plastic blocks some of the light.

I apologize for length, but hope this was reasonably clear.

Thank you SO much for this! I really appreciate your detailed explanation and recommendations! This has been really helpful, especially your explanation of Lumens.

My old lightbulbs actually were GE Reveal. I hadn’t realized that there was anything special about their design before I read your comment.

This has been the most enlightening post that I have ever read on DCUM💡Thank you for taking the time to write this out so clearly. (OP )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GE Relax 60W equivalent soft white bulbs, 2700k. They shine almost exactly like the old incandescents and are easily available online and in store.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-Relax-60-Watt-EQ-A19-Warm-White-Dimmable-LED-Light-Bulb-4-Pack/1000444891?store=&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-ind-_-ggl-_-PMAX_Industry_000_Back-To-Campus-_-1000444891-_-online-_-0-_-0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22776141298&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W8NtCNNYMEUlC6E1_mYFf7Hk&gclid=Cj0KCQjws4fEBhD-ARIsACC3d28tgRyRXgOx9TK-KG1OUbtROPmJig3WkocUUyKAi6nx-t4ktOcX8ZYaAnuwEALw_wcB

These look like great! Thanks for the suggestion. (OP)

[Anonymous]

Different people have different color temperature preferences. Do whichever makes you happy.

We use "GE Reveal" in LR, DR, and Den. Kitchen recessed lights and home office ceiling lights are daylight (5000K) so we can see well while cooking or working from home. Kitchen under cabinet lights are about 3000K, which seems better for a late night snack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

LED artificial light producing products are horrible for indoor ambient/atmosphere light, and harsh on your eyes and health, there's no debating those facts. So IF you want to convert to LED you will have to live with that, but you can try to limit them by choosing a "warmer" Kelvin color to the diodes.

Pay attention to the Kelvin "temperature" look/color, and stick to 2500-3700K for a warm incandescent look. If you go over 3800Kelvin it gets blueish light and harsher, more industrial like, similar to original fluorescent lights. If you get over 5000K it becomes insanely harsh on your eyes.

Also be sure they never have the diodes exposed but always filtered through a frosted plastic/glass, as directly seeing the diodes is very bad for your eyes. This is why many vehicle headlights and taillights are so harsh on the eyes when you are driving.

You could also hunt online for pre-ban incandescent bulbs, or "rough use" bulbs, "appliance" bulbs, etc. to get real incandescent natural light again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

LED artificial light producing products are horrible for indoor ambient/atmosphere light, and harsh on your eyes and health, there's no debating those facts. So IF you want to convert to LED you will have to live with that, but you can try to limit them by choosing a "warmer" Kelvin color to the diodes.

Pay attention to the Kelvin "temperature" look/color, and stick to 2500-3700K for a warm incandescent look. If you go over 3800Kelvin it gets blueish light and harsher, more industrial like, similar to original fluorescent lights. If you get over 5000K it becomes insanely harsh on your eyes.

Also be sure they never have the diodes exposed but always filtered through a frosted plastic/glass, as directly seeing the diodes is very bad for your eyes. This is why many vehicle headlights and taillights are so harsh on the eyes when you are driving.

You could also hunt online for pre-ban incandescent bulbs, or "rough use" bulbs, "appliance" bulbs, etc. to get real incandescent natural light again.

Thank you! This is very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

I am in the same boat.

I keep hoping that Trump will do the one executive order almost everyone can get behind, almost as popular as the banning of paper straws, the return of incandescent lightbulbs.

A girl can dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

I am in the same boat.

I keep hoping that Trump will do the one executive order almost everyone can get behind, almost as popular as the banning of paper straws, the return of incandescent lightbulbs.

A girl can dream.

Surprised ole Trumpo hasn't done that yet quite honestly.
But the problem is getting quality American mfg ones made, as most are now made in China for the last 15+ years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am finally getting to the end of my stash of incandescent light bulbs. What —exactly— do I get now?

I have an internal hallway with ceiling fixtures. When I bought some bulbs that claimed to replace 60 watt bulbs, I ended up with dim, yellowish almost brownish light. I have lamps in the bedroom that use 3-way bulbs, and large round globe bulbs around the vintage mirror in the bathrooms. My biggest issue at the moment though is the hallway. I used to just grab 4 packs of GE lightbulbs, and all was well. Now I have no idea what brands are reliable and which ones aren’t, or what really replaces the old regular 60 watt bulbs.

Please help. An Amazon or other link with specifics would be great. Thank you!
Yes, this is a real plea. The hallway really is that bad now.

I am in the same boat.

I keep hoping that Trump will do the one executive order almost everyone can get behind, almost as popular as the banning of paper straws, the return of incandescent lightbulbs.

A girl can dream.

It would really mess with me, but I would actually thank Trump for the return of incandescent lightbulbs and the easy availability of Coke made with cane sugar. Wince.

[Anonymous]

Because LED lightbulbs cost more, many of the packages are made for a quick trial without ruining the packages. So you can take them back to the store if they don't suit you.

I used incandescent Reveals in a windowless gray bathroom for many years. I have tried some LED Reveals. The color is very noticeably different from any "soft white" whether LED or incandescent.

I have actually found Home Depot house brand to be a pretty good looking "soft white" for regular and vanity globe lights.

I have GE LEDs for kitchen spotlights but for my TV room I found some new Phillips LED spotlights that dim to a "warm glow" like incandescent used to. My husband likes that effect and it's why I only recently transitioned to LEDs in that space.

I am not satisfied with the advertised life spans but I've been able to get the look of my rooms back the way I wanted them to look before LEDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because LED lightbulbs cost more, many of the packages are made for a quick trial without ruining the packages. So you can take them back to the store if they don't suit you.

I used incandescent Reveals in a windowless gray bathroom for many years. I have tried some LED Reveals. The color is very noticeably different from any "soft white" whether LED or incandescent.

I have actually found Home Depot house brand to be a pretty good looking "soft white" for regular and vanity globe lights.

I have GE LEDs for kitchen spotlights but for my TV room I found some new Phillips LED spotlights that dim to a "warm glow" like incandescent used to. My husband likes that effect and it's why I only recently transitioned to LEDs in that space.

I am not satisfied with the advertised life spans but I've been able to get the look of my rooms back the way I wanted them to look before LEDs.

Good to know! Thank you for the specific recommendations. At this point, I’m less concerned about longevity — and more concerned about finding comfortable lighting, so I’ll have a better post-incandescent baseline, and then I can tweak things from there.