Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a cosy and functional home interior. It can draw attention to your most impressive areas and bring in new energy. However, picking the right lighting type can be overwhelming given the so many different options of light bulbs available. To help you choose right we have narrowed down some of the most important aspects when on the hunt for the best light bulbs.
E14 LED Light Bulbs Are Always a Good Idea
Being one of the most used types of light bulbs in your house, the famous E14 bulb deserves a separate section in this ultimate guide. When in doubt light up your home with durable E14 LED bulbs. This small screw socket bulb is the little brother of the E27 bulb we are all familiar with. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the most popular is the candle-shaped one.
This one comes in both curled and conventional candle shapes. You frequently see these bulbs in chandeliers. However, the E14 is also used in reading lamps, table lamps, as well as desk lamps. This type is commonly found in kitchen appliances like refrigerators and ovens. Some E14 bulbs can even fit into your cooker hood, depending on their length. However, keep in mind that they are not suitable for ovens, as most of them contain plastic and cannot withstand heat.
These small but mighty bulbs are also eco-friendly. They contain no toxic chemicals, have a lifetime of 10,000 to 40,000 hours (4 to 15 years) and use less electricity to generate light. Keep in mind though that if you want to switch to LED E14, you need to know what wattage your existing bulb uses. Historically, wattage was proportional to visible light. This is not the case for E14 bulbs. When choosing the appropriate LED bulb, it is critical to consider the light output that the bulb produces, which is referred to as lumens.
In terms of dimmability, E14 LED bulbs are dimmable which means that you can adjust the amount of light you need. But it doesn’t end there. Nowadays there are dimmable bulbs with which you can dim the colour temperature and not just the amount of light.
Technology Types
There are several light technologies that are worth mentioning. A CFL bulb (compact fluorescent lamp) is made of a fluorescent-coated glass tube filled with mercury vapour and gas. When electricity flows through the tube, it emits invisible ultraviolet light, which reacts with the fluorescent coating to produce visible white light.
It's an energy-efficient bulb that consumes 60-80% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. It has a long lifespan, lasting up to ten years. CFLs are quite inexpensive to purchase and rapidly pay for themselves in energy savings. When current CFL bulbs are turned on, they nearly immediately light up to full brightness.
Halogen bulbs, on the other hand, use an older technology. They are made up of a glass-covered filament surrounded by halogen gas, which produces light. This old but gold type lights up to full brightness practically instantaneously when turned on. It also has an excellent colour rendering-its light contains all colours of the visible spectrum, resulting in more consistent colour across bulbs than any other type.
Smart light bulbs are LED bulbs that have built-in technology that allows them to be controlled and connected via an app on a smartphone, tablet, or speaker. Some link to the smart device via Wi-Fi, while others connect via Bluetooth. The app or voice control allows the user to turn on and off the light, as well as change the scheduling, brightness, and colour.
Energy Efficiency
Modern light bulbs, particularly LED lights, are more energy efficient than traditional incandescent types. LED bulbs, for example, consume 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs, whereas CFL bulbs consume 60-80% less energy. Halogen bulbs consume 20-30% less energy.
Modern alternatives also last longer. Incandescent lights last only 1000 hours (6-9 months), whereas halogen bulbs last up to 2000 hours (about. 1 year), CFL bulbs last up to 15,000 hours (10 years), and LED bulbs last up to 50,000 hours (approx. 25-30 years).
Brightness
Modern energy-saving lights require significantly less power to provide the same amount of light. So now brightness is measured in lumens (lm). The greater the amount of lumens, the brighter the light. The brightest light bulb can be 1525lm or more, while the dimmest is approximately 200lm.
The wattage of a light bulb is determined by where and for what purpose it will be used. If you merely want to replace an old incandescent bulb with an LED, look out for the lumen equivalent of the old bulb's wattage. When you replace a CFL or halogen bulb with an LED (or vice versa), the corresponding bulb will show the same number of lumens, but the wattage will be different.
Colour
All light bulbs create somewhat varied colours, which are measured in Kelvins, a colour temperature scale. The Kelvin scale goes from warm, soft, yellowish colours (2700K) to cold, bright, crisp whites (about 6500K). The greater the kelvin number (K), the whiter the light will appear.
The colour of the light bulb you choose should be determined by the style of illumination you intend to create. For example, a warm white light of approximately 3500K is suitable for places where people want to rest and feel at ease, such as living rooms and bedrooms. A bright white light of around 6000K is more energising, making it ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.