Dimmable LED lights are great for creating mood lighting – whether you're having a romantic night-in, watching a movie or even playing your favourite video game. Before you rush out to buy a new set of dimmable LED bulbs, this short guide will arm you with five useful nuggets of information that'll help you buy with complete confidence.
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There are two main methods of LED dimming: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and analogue. In the case of PWM, dimmable LEDs work by creating a dimming effect. Unlike traditional lighting such as incandescent, dimmable LED bulbs don't rely on voltage to dictate their level of brightness. Instead, they essentially rely on a cycle of being on and off. These cycles operate in a matter of milliseconds, so you won't be aware of them actually turning on and off. For example, if you have dimmed your lights to 10%, they will be 'on' for 10% of the time and 'off' for 90%. For analogue, the process is more straight-forward. This is where the current is controlled to either dim or brighten the lights – increasing or decreasing accordingly.
The main cause of flickering with dimmable LED light can usually be traced back to the dimmer switch. Dimmer switches come with a minimum compatible load (in short, the amount of Watts it can process). Popular leading-edge dimmer switches are mainly designed for older bulbs on a higher wattage, so their minimum load will be high. In a lot of cases, you won't be powering enough LED bulbs to meet that minimum requirement as they consume such a low amount of energy (and fewer Watts). That's why it's important that you get a compatible LED dimmer switch to avoid any potential flickering. The quality of the dimmer switch you install will also have a bearing on the performance of your lights. A good quality dimmer switch will have different modes and ranges of dimming capability. Most of the time, flickering dimmable LEDs can be remedied by simply changing the mode on the dimmer switch, or resetting the dimmer to its factory settings.
Firstly, you need to make sure you have a compatible dimmer switch. It's likely that if you're upgrading from traditional halogen or incandescent bulbs to LED, your current dimmer switch won't be compatible. So, we'd recommend getting a specialised LED-compatible dimmer switch to allow for a smoother, quieter and flicker-free performance. If you are using 12v LED spotlights, such as MR16s or G4s, you will need a dimmable transformer. An LED dimmable transformer allows dimming of constant voltage LED products, and works with most standard dimmer switches, so you might not need to replace your existing dimmer switch. LED dimmable transformers are available in a number of powers. Make sure you know how many bulbs will be powered before buying your transformer. It's also important to remember that we strongly advise that the total wattage of all bulbs combined doesn’t exceed 80% of the transformer's wattage. For example, if you're powering four 4W MR16 bulbs for a total of 16W, then you'll need a 20W transformer to produce a sufficient amount of power (and the subsequent 20% wattage deficit).
You might be wondering why you're shelling out more for dimmable LED lights than non-dimmable LEDs. This is because dimmable LEDs feature additional technology that increases the cost of manufacture, and therefore the price (by about £1 per bulb or spotlight). They are also more expensive than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is because they feature superior technology and come with long-term benefits. When compared to halogen bulbs, they: • Consume 90% less energy – saving big money on your energy bills • Last up to 20-times longer, so you don't have to buy constant replacements • Run a smoother, quieter operation – so you won’t have to suffer any buzzing, which is common among traditional bulbs when operated with a dimmer switch So, in the long run, LED bulbs will save you more money than you spend on them.
All the property experts say it: "location, location, location". And that doesn't just apply to real estate. You have to be tactical with where you install your dimmable LED bulbs. It's all about context and purpose. For example, if you're lighting a workspace or an area where you need focus, such as a kitchen counter, then dimmable LEDs are probably going to be of little use. In those situations we'd suggest you go for a non-dimmable cool white LED that casts a fresh glow to help you concentrate on the task at hand and see more of what you're doing.
Once upon a time, buying a lightbulb meant choosing an incandescent one of between 25 and 100 watts, depending on how bright you wanted the light to be and the fixture you were putting it in. You might go to a specialty lighting store to find fancy candle-style bulbs for a chandelier or a floodlight for your porch, but your choices were pretty limited, and so was the need to understand lighting minutiae.
But that’s changed. The introduction of energy-saving LEDs (which use 75 percent less electricity than incandescents), along with the Department of Energy guidelines to phase out incandescent technology, mean we all have to learn a new vocabulary around purchasing lightbulbs. Here’s what to know.
The key difference between the incandescent bulb Thomas Edison invented in the late s and today’s LED bulb is how each converts energy into light. Think of incandescent technology this way: When you put a piece of metal into a bonfire, the fire makes it glow—and the filament inside an incandescent bulb does much the same thing. Exposure to electric current makes it glow, creating light. It also gets very hot. In fact, nearly 90 percent of its energy is wasted as heat, not light.
The guts of an LED bulb are more akin to a grouping of tiny electronic semiconductors illuminated by the movement of electrons across their surface. Your flat-screen TV consists of thousands of mini LEDs. These throw off almost no heat: About 90 percent of their energy gets converted to light. That means a 60-watt incandescent can be replaced by an LED that uses less than 10 watts, which is great for your electric bill. But if you want attractive lighting with the familiar look of incandescent bulbs, you’ll need to shop in a slightly different way. And that starts with the label. Here’s where you’ll find important information about the brightness and quality of light the bulb produces.
Many of us chose incandescent bulbs by wattage and thought of the number of watts as an indication of brightness. A 100-watt incandescent bulb looks much brighter than a 40-watt incandescent. Wattage is actually a metric of energy, and the light intensity that energy produces is measured in lumens. That’s the term to look for on an LED package: The higher the lumen count, the brighter the bulb. To put things in perspective, a 100-watt incandescent bulb puts out 1,600 lumens, so when shopping for a replacement LED you want that lumen count. The chart below shows the rough equivalents between lumens and watts, but many LED packages now contain phrases such as "60W replacement" to make the conversion simpler.
Link to LUFUL
Another thing to know: Some LEDs can make colors look "off." McGowan explains that lower-quality LEDs can make everything in a room look flat, so vibrant colors appear much duller than they actually are. Better LEDs have what’s called a higher Color Rendering Index (CRI), indicated on a scale from 1 to 100, which measures how accurately a bulb illuminates. "Go with 90 or 95 CRI if you can find it," says Marty Schmidt, the brand director for System 7, a Boston-based home lighting company. Not all LED packages note the bulb’s CRI number, McGowan says, so you may have to search for the product online to get that information. Higher CRI bulbs may cost a little more because they require more complex technology to reach those higher levels of accuracy.
Finally, decide whether you want dimmable bulbs. Not all LEDs dim well. Unlike incandescents, which naturally emit a warm, amber light when lowered, LEDs "can look both kind of gray and also bluer," McGowan says. So check for the word "dimmable" on the label, and shop for what’s called "dim-to-warm," which indicates an LED made to emulate that incandescent yellow-orange candlelight-type glow. One caveat: Some LEDs work only with certain kinds of dimmers. (The manufacturer’s website should have that information.) Don’t know what dimmer you already have? You could buy a dim-to-warm LED and try it out. Keep your receipt: If it doesn’t dim well or makes a noise, you may have to return it and try again.
According to the Department of Energy, LEDs should last up to 25 times longer than equivalent incandescents. But your mileage may vary. McGowan suggests reading the warranty of any bulb. For instance, the GE Sunfilled bulbs shown below at left are labeled as having 13.7 years of life, but that’s based on 3 hours of use per day. The warranty they carry is for three years, not 13. WiZ smart bulbs—$11 each—also have a three-year warranty.
One bonus: Depending on where you live, your utility company may offer in-store or coupon discounts on bulbs through the federal government’s Energy Star system. You can find these offers on energystar.gov and also filter the bulbs you find for lumens, CRI, and dimmability.
As for disposal, LEDs should be recycled. Some stores, like Home Depot, as well as local recycling centers, have programs in place. Find more by searching for "LED lightbulb" on earth911.com.
As your eyes age, the muscles that control the pupils get weaker and the lenses get thicker. That can increase the need for brighter light.
The GE, Philips, and Cree Lighting bulbs shown below check the boxes for high-quality light, as explained by the experts we consulted. Shopping tip: For consistent color temperature and CRI (illumination), it’s best to stick with one brand throughout your whole house. Also, some LEDs have a dual-prong socket. You can buy inexpensive adapters to help fit your fixtures.
Soft, Warm Light for Table and Floor Lamps
GE 60W Sunfilled A19 Soft White
840 Lumens, Dimmable, K, 97 CRI
$11 at Target
Tunable Smart Bulb
Philips 60-Watt Equivalent A19 LED Smart Wi-Fi Color Changing Smart Light Bulb powered by WiZ with Bluetooth
800 Lumens, -K, 90 CRI
$13 at Walmart, $11 at Home Depot
Bright, Cool Light for Work Areas
Cree Lighting A19 100W Equivalent LED
Lumens, Dimmable, K, 90+ CRI
$9 at Amazon
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