# Quality LED E26 bulbs



## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Indoor, outdoor, can, flood, spot, up, tape??? What are you lamping?

Or are you just asking in general.

Get a good name brand and count on getting 75% of the rated service life.


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## Trailboss (Mar 11, 2018)

MikeFL said:


> Indoor, outdoor, can, flood, spot, up, tape??? What are you lamping?
> 
> Or are you just asking in general.
> 
> Get a good name brand and count on getting 75% of the rated service life.


Interior standard Edison base screw in light bulbs. 

I guess I am just asking in general.

I will just get a good brand name.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Our main customers are public utilities and lamp manufacturers. There's a consensus in the industry that if you sell/ buy/ install a 100k hour lamp, you can expect to be back up that pole in 15 years vs. the 23.8 years that lamp "should" last. 

The industry consensus is that a properly timed circuit will burn an outdoor lamp 4160 hours per year. If you go straight up sunset to sunrise you will burn that lamp 4383 hours per year.

Regardless, expect 75% of the manufacturer's stated life expectancy, as you said, the LED's may have considerable longevity but the drivers and other components should not be expected to survive.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

For A19s I've had great luck with the cheap bulbs that HDepot carries.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

MechanicalDVR said:


> For A19s I've had great luck with the cheap bulbs that HDepot carries.


I was building a test bed for prototyping and bought Philips LED A19 bulbs from HD for real cheap. They're good bulbs. They've been banged around and they can handle it.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MikeFL said:


> I was building a test bed for prototyping and bought Philips LED A19 bulbs from HD for real cheap. They're good bulbs. They've been banged around and they can handle it.


Yeah man those are the ones, only had one bad one so far and they exchanged it. 

Oddly enough the GE Bright stik bulbs with an E26 base that I got for $1.50 per 3 pack have been just as good but they are more for covered bulb applications.


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## Arrow3030 (Mar 12, 2014)

LED's will loose their lumen output before they go completely out. This info is obviously not advertised on lesser quality diodes. Some dimmers allow high end trim to tune the lamp up after noticable degradation assuming you start at less than 100% trim. 

I also wouldn't recommend anything less than 90 cri and nothing higher than 4k color. There are several studies linking well being with light quality. I think it has something to do with melatonin. Whether you believe that or not, these lighting qualities make a noticeable difference to the eye.

Don't buy anything other than dimmable IMO. 

Make sure your lamp is rated for an enclosed fixture or elevated operating temperatures when applicable.

I know you were looking for a brand name. Soraa is high quality and high priced because of it. Bulbrite and maxlite are good too. Maxlite is more affordable.


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## Trailboss (Mar 11, 2018)

Arrow3030 said:


> LED's will loose their lumen output before they go completely out. This info is obviously not advertised on lesser quality diodes. Some dimmers allow high end trim to tune the lamp up after noticable degradation assuming you start at less than 100% trim.
> 
> I also wouldn't recommend anything less than 90 cri and nothing higher than 4k color. There are several studies linking well being with light quality. I think it has something to do with melatonin. Whether you believe that or not, these lighting qualities make a noticeable difference to the eye.
> 
> ...




Yes, I have been playing with LED's for many years now watching the light quality improve. Below 3.8K is nice, and easy on the eyes. So good to get rid of those HORRID CFL's, what a joke that platform was. You do have to be aware of heat dissipation like you say too. The weak point in the cheaper bulbs relates to the capacitors in the ckt. Heat specs and longevity ratings are skimped on the cheaper bulbs. Cap longevity is pretty much a function of time and temp. A discussion on Capacitors would require a separate forum. 
Due to the recent storm here in MA, I was out of power for 5 days, and had generator problems maintaining frequency, they will be damaged if not run on strickly 60 Hz. 
Thanks for the recommendations.


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## MarianneWitt (Apr 21, 2018)

I do not much idea about it.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

E26 is the base type. I'm not sure what lamp shape you are interested in most. I have almost no exposure to A19 shaped LED's, but for HID retrofits in the E26 and E39 base types, I've been using products from Light Efficient Design (LED). Zero out of the box defects. One premature failure from a lightning strike.


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## LeboElectric (Apr 9, 2018)

So many different ones out there i would not know where to start


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## CIR Lighting (May 14, 2018)

If you want high quality bulbs look out for CEC certified/compliant. If they are in the database they must reach the same spec, regardless of the brand name. Many come from the same factory. 



The California Energy Commission is requiring a 5 year warranty, 90+ CRI, flicker free dimming, and other higher end specs. I can personally attest that these are higher end for the more common and reasonably priced lamps. 

I can't post the link(post count is too low) but you can google "MAEDBS CEC database" and click the public search option. 

You can search the database here by manufacturer or appliance type. Look for CEC tier 2 voluntarily certified for the highest spec.


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## yoricky (Aug 27, 2015)

Just don't use them upside down. Won't last long.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

For awhile, lately, it was hard to find something that was ok to use in enclosed fixture. Home Depot has some of their house brand now advertising ok for use in enclosed fixtures. Helps because the vast majority of resi fixtures are enclosed. I can't speak to the lifespan yet. I stick to mostly 2700k-3000k with a few people who want the 4100k.


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