The Ultimate LED Light Buying Guide

People have been transitioning from traditional sources of lighting to new, efficient and safer ones for some time now. This new trend meant saying goodbye to some much loved traditional lighting bulbs like the incandescent 100W, 70W, 60W, and 40W. Now that traditional bulbs are being phased out, new-age LED bulbs are taking their place.However, this transition hasn&#;t been a smooth one. While we used watt information to judge the power and luminosity of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LEDs follow a different scale. You now need to know about Lumen information to gauge the power and intensity of a bulb. This is the reason why choosing the right LED lighting product can be a daunting task.In addition, the LED market has been booming with manufacturers coming out with new and innovative products. So you don&#;t just have one type of bulb to choose from, there is a wide variety of products available. This guide is going to help you narrow down on the LED product that is the best for your space and/or project.

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What Kinds of Lighting Options Can You Choose From?

Though LED lighting products are the most efficient way to light your space and projects, they aren&#;t the only way. Even incandescent technology has improved to include bulbs that offer great luminosity while consuming less energy and leaving a smaller carbon footprint.

Before we jump into the details of the different lighting options you can choose from, here is a price comparison chart to help you see the bigger picture.

This chart is helpful in seeing that even though LED light bulbs have a greater cost up front, they save you tons of money in electricity bills and replacement costs later.

Incandescent Lighting

If we ask you to imagine holding a bulb, you&#;ll probably think of an incandescent one. This traditional source of light has been in use for ages. Ever since Thomas Edison invented it, the incandescent bulb has been working the exact same way. Electricity heats a tungsten filament encased in a glass dome making it glow.

Incandescents ruled the world of lighting until the advent of more sophisticated lighting technology like LED. Now most traditional bulbs have already been phased out. However, incandescents aren&#;t dead yet. You can still find some non-traditional versions of these bulbs available in the market. Manufacturers are always looking to tweak the initial design to make them more efficient and environment-friendly.

Fluorescent Lighting

Compact fluorescent lights or CFLs were introduced as a great alternative to incandescents before LEDs hit the market. CFLs consume less energy than incandescents and are more cost effective. They are shaped like an incandescent bulb and used the same standards for determining energy and luminosity requirements. It seemed that they would be great for transitioning to more efficient forms of lighting. However, they didn&#;t make as big a splash in the market as desired.

The main reason for that is the color temperature of the bulbs. The cool white light didn&#;t attract a lot of people. Also, these bulbs tend to require a lot of maintenance. For example, you can&#;t turn them off and on for shorter periods of time because that decreases their life expectancy significantly. They also take some time to reach their full luminosity when turned on. There hasn&#;t been a lot of research and development on CFLs making them non-dimmable. In today&#;s day of smart lighting technology, CFLs simply can&#;t compete.

Halogen Lighting

For people who are not ready to jump on the LED or CFL bandwagon, halogen lighting is the answer. Halogen bulbs look just like incandescent ones, they just have halogen gas in the glass dome surrounding the tungsten filament. This gas helps to push the burnt up tungsten back into the filament so that it burns for longer.

Halogens provide the same amount of luminosity as incandescents while being slightly more efficient. This makes them a more desirable option for people who don&#;t like the color produced by CFLs. Also, CFL bulbs contain traces of mercury, that is harmful to you and the environment. Halogen gas isn&#;t hazardous at all which makes Halogen bulbs more environment-friendly.

LED Lighting

We saved the best for last. LED lighting technology is eons ahead of any other lighting option. Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs are mounted on a microchip and illuminate when electrical current passes through them. The actual process is not that simple, you can learn more about it here.

LED lights are 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs because they require much less energy to work. They also don&#;t emit heat the same way as traditional sources of lighting. That makes them last longer and environment-friendly. According to Energy Star and Illuminating Engineering, LED lights are supposed to last for decades. This is because they don&#;t burn out like traditional sources of light. Instead they under a phenomenon called &#;lumen depreciation&#;.

According to this phenomenon, LEDs get dimmer and dimmer over a period of time. Engineers test LEDs for 9 months straight to see when the LEDs will start producing light at 70% of their original brightness. This point is called the &#;L70&#; and it is the current standard used to measure the longevity of LED lights. This means that if a LED light says that it will last for 25,000 hours, its really saying that the bulb will last for 25,000 hours to fade to 70% of its brightness.

Though LED lights are the gold standard in lighting nowadays, they aren&#;t without flaws. LED lights are still prone to mechanical, electrical, and physical damages that might render them useless. However, good LED manufacturers offer warranties to ensure you don&#;t have to face the brunt of any unforeseen damage.

Why is LED the Best Lighting Option?

What are the Different Types of LED Lights?

One of the reasons why LED lights are growing in popularity is that they are extremely versatile, both in terms of types and uses. There are many different varieties of LED lights available in the market. But you can categorize all LED lights into three broad categories.

LED Light Strips

As the name indicates, LED light strips feature a tape that has LEDs and other components mounted on it. LED light strips come in different shapes and sizes. They are extremely versatile. You can use them to light tight spaces and unusual corners. They are also great as grow lights for your plants.

LED light strips are available in different formats:

Flexible LED light strips give you the freedom to easily light any space you want. LED strip lights like  and  can also be used creatively to light your events and projects. These strips come with adhesives on the back so installing them is fairly simple. You can stick them onto any flat surface easily. You can also use LED aluminum mounts to mount the strips on any surface you want.

Rigid LED light strips are great for commercial and industrial lighting. These strips can also be easily mounted on any surface. These light strips are weatherproof so they are perfect for lighting outdoor spaces, events, and projects.

Flexible LED Light Strips Rigid LED Light Strips Silicone LED Light Strips

Silicone LED light strips are covered in a thick layer of silicone, making them both weatherproof and flexible. These light strips are also called rope lights because of the way they look. These lights are great for wrapping around round spaces and objects like trees. They are also safe to use for lighting accent pieces in homes and commercial spaces.

LED Light Panels

LED light panels feature a number of LED light strips grouped together to make a panel. These panels are available in different shapes. But the most common shapes are square and rectangle LED light panels. LED light panels are used to light small and large spaces like events and stadiums.

Flexible LED light panels are famous among filmmakers and cinematographers for lighting videos and movies. This is because they are easy to carry and store. You can also make these panels yourself by combining different LED light strips together. This makes them very versatile as you can control the shape, color, and brightness of your light panels.

LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs are the most common type of LED lights found in the market. You can find LED light bulbs in different shapes like candle, luster, spiral, globe, and more. They are also available in different colors and brightness. Dimmable bulbs let you control their brightness so you can adjust the lighting of your space according to your mood.

What Factors Should I Consider Before Buying LED Lights?

The wide variety of LED products can make it hard for you to choose the best one for your space or project. To make the process as hassle-free as possible, we have put together a list of factors that you should consider before buying LED lights.

These factors will help you understand the basics of LED lights. You will then be able to match the right product to your lighting need. Let&#;s start by taking a look at some technical information related to LED lights.</span >

Technical Factors

The most daunting aspect of transitioning to LED technology is that it has different technical parameters than traditional sources of lighting. For example, before LED technology, the brightness of a bulb was measured by its power draw (its wattage requirement). For LEDs we use lumens to do the same.

This can be confusing when you&#;re trying to figure out what kind of LED light you need to buy to replace an incandescent or CFL one. Take a look at this chart, where we break down that information for your convenience.

This means if you want to replace a 40W incandescent bulb, you need to buy a LED bulb that has 450 lumens and a power draw of 4-5W.

But what exactly are lumens and why are they important? Also, what other technical factors do you need to consider to choose the best LED light for your need? Read on to find out.

Lumens

Lumens are used to measure the brightness of LED lights. The word &#;lumen&#; is derived from the luminous flux that measures the total light produced by an LED. The lumens of a LED light are expressed in numbers ranging from 200 up to (or more) followed by the abbreviation &#;lm&#;.

LEDs use lumens instead of watts as a metric for measuring brightness because they don&#;t require nearly as much energy to run as traditional sources of light. For example, a 100W incandescent bulb is considered to be bright enough to light a large room. Since LED lights require considerably less energy a 100W LED light may be able to light an entire stadium.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of led light model. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

This means watts are no longer a viable tool to measure brightness. Even modern-day incandescents and CFLs now use lumen rating to showcase their brightness. This doesn&#;t mean that you don&#;t need to consider the wattage rating for LEDs at all. You still need that information to calculate the power draw of your LED light. More on that later.

Correlated Color Temperature (CCT)

A great advantage of transitioning to LED lights is that you can actually choose the right color temperature to light your space. Correlated Color Temperature or CCT information indicates the warmness or coolness of your LED lights. CCT is measured in Kelvins (K). Warm white light has a lower Kelvin rating while cool white light has a higher Kelvin rating.

Kelvin rating is in numbers ranging from to . Candlelight has a Kelvin rating of while clear blue sky has a Kelvin rating of 10,000. Kelvin rating will tell you the actual color your LED light will produce. Take a look at the chart below to see how Kelvin rating can help you choose the right LED light.

Color Rendering Index (CRI)

Another technical specification you should keep an eye out for is the Color Rendering Index or CRI of LED lights. CRI tells you how objects look under a light source as compared to what they look like under sunlight. A higher CRI means more clarity and vividness. LED lights have a higher CRI than CFLs and other traditional sources of light.

CRI is measured from a range of 0-100. Generally, a CRI of higher than 80 is recommended for LED lights being used in a domestic setting while a CRI rating of 90 and above is acceptable for commercial and industrial lighting projects.

Energy Rating

The final technical specification you need to consider is the energy rating of the LED lights. The energy rating for each LED light is measured in Watts (W). LEDs consume considerably less energy than traditional sources of light. However, you still need the wattage information to see whether the LED light you choose is compatible with your power source or not.

Wattage information helps you determine the &#;power draw&#; for LED lights. This is particularly important when you&#;re buying LED light strips or panels. This is because they have multiple LEDs mounted on them.

Design Factors

Now that you have a firm grasp on all the technical aspects of LED lights, let&#;s discuss some aesthetic ones. The best thing about LED lights is that they are available in all kinds of shapes and sizes. You can even design bespoke shapes and get creative with your lighting projects.

Size and Shape

You can find LED products in many different shapes and sizes. For LED bulbs, you can choose shapes like candle, spot, globe, linear, spiral, and more. For LED panels you have square, rectangle, oblong, and even circle and oval shapes available. You can find each of these shapes in different sizes as well. So you have the freedom to choose the shape and size that fit your space and project.

When choosing LED light strips, the size of the strip is an important consideration. You also have to look at the density of LEDs on the strip to determine how much light the strip will produce. You can choose any length of strip you like. Most LED strips can be easily cut and connected, so you have the freedom of customizing your lighting.

Installation

It is important to consider how you are going to install your LED light. You can easily install LED light bulbs in lamps and fixtures around the house. Or you can install with aluminum profiles for LED. However, it gets trickier if you have to install LED bulbs for recessed lighting or in-built fixtures.

LED light panels don&#;t require much effort in installing. Rigid or flexible panels just need to be mounted on a stand and connected to power to work. You may need to mount these on the wall or any other surface, in which case you will need to be familiar with some basic installation tools.

Flexible LED light strips have adhesives on the back so they can easily stick to any flat surface. Rigid LED light strips need to be mounted but that can be done easily as well. However, if you&#;re looking for specialized lighting like under-cabinet lighting, staircase lighting, or profile mounting you might need professional help.

Control

Another important consideration while buying LED lights is how you plan to control them. Do you want to be able to dim the lights or change color? Do you want to control your lights via your smartphone or voice control? What kind of features do you want to control?

All these questions will determine the kind of LED product that is best for you. For example, not all LED light products are geared toward smart control. So, if you were looking to control the lights in your home with your smartphone or Alexa, you will need to install compatible LED products.

Most LED light strips can be controlled by LED light strip remote controls. You can find both digital and analog remotes in the market with varying degrees of control. Some allow you to control the brightness of your LED lights while others add in color changing features as well. You can also use inline, DMX, and DALI controllers with LED lights depending upon your requirement.

How to Choose the Best LED Product for Your Lighting Project?

The space or project you want to light will determine the shape, size, color, and type of LED light you need. But here is the catch, you can use different LED lights interchangeably. So, which LED light is the best one for your lighting project?

There are many ways to answer that question. Here are some points to ponder:

• Type of Space:Residential spaces can be lit using LED light bulbs and LED light strips. LED light panels might seem a little out of place when lighting your homes (unless they are used in recessed lighting and installed into walls). Industrial spaces usually need more light so they use LED strips and panels to make sure they are well lit. The same is true for commercial spaces. However, some shops and stalls can also use LED light bulbs to showcase their products.
• Size of Space:LED light panels take more space to install. Whether mounted on a stand or installed in the wall, LED light panels are suitable to light larger rooms and spaces. LED light bulbs can be conveniently installed in fixtures and lamps so you don&#;t really have to worry about the size of the room. However, bear in mind that larger spaces will require a greater number of bulbs to light. LED light strips are the most versatile in this case, they can be used to light large spaces and small. You can also install them to light unusual spaces like nooks and crannies.
• Power Supply:LED light bulbs are powered by the electrical connection of the fixture they are connected to. So, you don&#;t have to worry about connecting them to power separately. LED light panels will need to be connected to a suitable power source like a plug-in or battery. If they are being installed in your wall, they will need to be connected to the main power supply. The same is true for LED light strips. You can power them through a battery, connect them to a plug, or hard-wire them to your main power supply.
• Ease of Installation:If you&#;re going to be installing the LED lights yourself, bulbs are the easiest to install. LED panels mounted on stands are simple to set-up and so are flexible LED light strips. You might need to call in professional help for installing LED panels in walls and mounting LED light strips with profiles.
• Budget:The type of LED product you choose depends on how much you are willing to spend on a project. For example, a large warehouse can be lit using LED bulbs, panels, or strips. You will a greater number of LED bulbs to light the space, so there is a larger upfront cost. Also, you will need to install fixtures for the bulbs. LED light panels can be mounted on stands and will cost much less. You will need lesser panels since they can produce more light. However, they will need more space. If you install them in the walls, you will need to pay for a professional to do it. You can install LED light strips to the walls yourself, if the walls are smooth. If they aren&#;t, you will need to mount the strips which will cost extra. When choosing an LED product based on your budget, factor in the cost of purchasing, installing, and energy to get an exact picture of the overall expenditure.
• Personal Preference:Finally, the type of LED light you choose depends on what you like. If you are more prone to using bulbs than that is the way to go. If you feel more comfortable using LED light panels than that is what you should choose. LED light strips can offer great versatility and are easy to use and customize. If you don&#;t really have a preference, they are a good option to choose.

To help make the choice easier for you we&#;ve put together this chart that shows you the kinds of projects each type of LED light is suitable for. You can use our recommendations as a reference when choosing LED light products for any designated space.

Conclusion

Choosing the best LED light product can be a harrowing process if you don&#;t break it down into workable steps. The sheer variety of LED lights on the market can be overwhelming but if you focus your search you can find the right product. There is no doubt that the future of light is LED technology. So make the transition today.

Fitting/Cap

A light bulb&#;s fitting is obviously the most important aspect to get right. Fortunately, LED light bulbs are easy to shop in this respect, as they are built to retrofit to existing light fixtures. If you&#;re upgrading from incandescent bulbs to LEDs, you won&#;t need to change your lights fittings to accommodate the new bulbs, you just need to make sure you pick the correct cap type. See here for more help with cap types.

Efficiency

Comparing a light bulb&#;s lumens output to its wattage is the easiest way to determine how efficient it is. Lumens are a measure of how bright the light is, while its wattage denotes how much power it consumes.

The lower the wattage and the higher the lumens output, the more efficient the bulb. Typical LED light bulbs emit around 80-100 lumens per watt, while an incandescent bulb might only give you 40-50 lumens per watt.

Rated Life

One of the biggest advantages of LED light bulbs is their lifespan. They typically have an average rated life anywhere between 15,000 to 30,000 hours, and can even be as high as 50,000 hours. This is 10-20 times longer than an incandescent bulb, which only has a life of between 1,000 to 2,000 hours.

The long life of LED light bulbs can be a real advantage. Read our guide for more information about LED lifespans.

Colour Temperature

The colour temperature of a light bulb refers to the type of white light it emits. For example, a &#;warm&#; white bulb would give off a softer, yellower light, suited to living rooms or bedrooms, while a &#;cool&#; white bulb would give off a bluer, more intense light more suitable for kitchens and workspaces.

The colour temperature of a bulb is measured in Kelvins (K) and typically ranges in a scale from K-K. The lower the number, the warmer the light that the bulb emits. Click here to read more.

Colour Rendering

The colour rendering index (CRI) of a bulb tells you how accurately that light reproduces natural colours. This isn&#;t something you need to look for in a bulb for everyday use, but it&#;s very important when the bulb is to be used for photographic or display uses, such as in retail displays or galleries. The CRI number ranges from 1-100, and the higher the number, the better the bulb renders colour. Anything over 90 is considered to be excellent.

Beam Angle

This only applies to directional bulbs, such as GU10s, and some downlights and wall-mounted fittings. The beam angle denotes the width of the beam of light that a bulb casts. The lower the beam angle, the narrower the light that it emits.

A beam angle of 20° would be very narrow, suitable for highlighting specific objects in a room, while a beam angle of 120° would cast a very wide light, perfect for corridors and larger areas.

Dimmable vs non-dimmable

Dimmable LED light bulbs are becoming more common, but before you buy, it&#;s worth checking the compatibility of a bulb if you&#;re planning to use it with an existing dimmer switch. The vast majority of dimmable LED light bulbs won&#;t work correctly if used without an LED-specific dimmer switch. They may still dim, but they might have a visible &#; and distracting &#; flicker.

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