Thank you to the locals that stopped by the lighting DIY Workshop that I partnered with the Home Deport on last weekend! I LOVED meeting you and it was great to get tips from the on-site lighting expert about how to increase lighting energy efficiency. It’s a topic I’ve been sadly pretty ignorant about until recently. We have a lot of CFLs in our house, but the Home Depot guy encouraged me to look at their LED offerings while I was at the store on Saturday.
I think it sort of stinks to have to drop $8-16 on just a single bulb, but how crazy is it that LED bulbs last for literally 20 years and they use a fraction of the wattage that an incandescent bulb uses?!
I picked up a pretty expensive (almost $16!) Cree bulb that has a new technology that’s supposed to help colors read more correctly, which has been my main complaint about LED in the past. I also bought this Ecosmart two-pack as a cheaper comparison that brought the price-per-bulb down to about $8. And I threw in to the test group an incandescent I already owned for good measure, just because I was curious. All of the bulbs were Soft White in tone and 60 watts or equivalent.
Well, here are the results of my extremely technical and super scientific light test results! ;)
I actually really liked the tone of the most expensive LED bulb (surprise, surprise), but really the Ecosmart brand wasn’t bad at all. I’d probably use it in bedrooms or for fixtures we use a little less. And actually I’ve read that it’s a good idea to switch over to the more expensive bulbs over time to help spread out the initial expense, but that you should put the new bulbs in your most frequently used fixtures so you can start the energy savings right away.
As a part of the workshop last weekend, Home Depot gave me a $100 gift card to give away today! Maybe you’ll want to spend the gift card on a dozen or so new LEDs? :) To enter, leave a comment here on this post. I’d love to hear about what bulbs you’re using and loving.
Contest ends next Thursday at midnight. Winner will be emailed. Good luck!
PS Home Depot has lots of great (free!) DIY workshops coming up! To see what your local store has to offer, check out the registration page here!
If I win I would certainly give LED bulbs a try!!
Building a new house and can use all the help I can get!! Those bulbs look like a great cost savings!
i love the GE led lightbulbs i use them all over my house, they give off great light without overheating our little dining room like the original bulbs did in our chandelier.
Light me up! Always wanted to try some LEDs. That gift card would make it happen!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I'm always trying new light bulbs to find the perfect not-too-cool, not-too-warm glow!
Woof, I need to stock up on LEDs for all the lights in our new house!
We typically purchase CFL, and that's all I currently have on hand. I've found that i do have to buy special sizes depending on which fixture I'm putting it in which I don't remember having that issue with regular light bulbs
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
We love LED's. The CFL's take too long to turn on completely.
Brand new house is getting brand new led bulbs in all of the recessed lights! HD card would be a great offset to the expense of it all.
we've been using regular bulbs but have been wanting to make the switch. thanks for the giveaway and your recommendations!
We have switched a few of our light bulbs out to LEDs and we love them! We have many more to go, though!
I have been meaning to try out some of them but reluctant because of the weird colors of the bulbs… glad to see they are improving. Definitely going to try some of them. Thanks!!
We are gradually changing to LEDs
My house is currently a mix of cfls and leds. we bought our LED in Costco and it had a huge energy savings rebate, so a 3-pack cree cost 9.99 or so.
I love it and the thought of not having to remember yet another thing (changing busted bulbs) is very fulfilling
I don't have any LED bulbs at home–just a bunch of CFLs. I'm interested in trying one now.
I'm always cheap when it comes to bulbs, but I'll have to think of switching since LEDs last longer and use energy.
We've got tons of the fluorescent bulbs- they give off weird light. We have one LED in my bathroom on a dimmer that I love. I'd love some more!!
I love led bulbs, but agree only in certain rooms!
I know I need to get going with this, but I've been putting off figuring it all out! These reviews are a great place to start – thank you!
I like the LED lights from IKEA. They give off a pretty soft light!
We have some CFLs and are working our way through the last of the incandescents. We haven't been thrilled with CFLs, as they don't last as long as they're supposed to, so we're looking forward to seeing the reality LEDs.
We have not changed bulbs in two years and I forget what they are..I know they are GE.
yes.4eva.r(atgmaildotcom)
We definitely need to work on the lighting in the kitchen!
I just got Phillips Soft White LED bulbs from Home Depot, and I'm really happy with the color of glow!
Something i know I need to do, but have been dragging my feet.
We're in the process of changing to LEDs all over the house. The best deal is the Legere (sp?) lights at IKEA. The 60 watt version is only $7.49. Our electric company gives a $3.50 mail in rebate for each LED light purchased, so that got me down to about $4 a bulb!
Target also has a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal on GE LED bulbs every now & then. Pair it with a Printable Target coupon and your red card, and they're pretty cheap that way too.
It's time I get me some LED action!
Haven't tried LEDs yet. So many other things around the house are sucking my time and money right now! I work nights, so I doubt I would get as much savings as someone with normal hours – I mostly use daylight! (Off tonight, so lights on!).
I've been stubborn about changing out our bulbs in the house. Maybe this will help make it easier!
We recently switched most of our light bulbs to LEDs. Our local power company is offering an instant rebate at retailers making the bulbs about 30-40% cheaper than normal price. We've gotten some of the Cree bulbs at Home Depot and also gotten some multipacks at Costco. Some of the Costco ones have a delay of about a half second before turning on, which is kind of annoying. The Cree ones are better, but more expensive. So I could definitely use the HD gift card!
Awesome giveaway! I've been meaning to try LEDs in our home in place of our CFLs, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Thanks – it is helpful to see a comparison and to hear other's views on making such a changeover. I love the idea of the long-lasting LED and have only minimally used CFLs due to the difficulty of disposal.
I would love to try some LED bulbs!
Thanks for the comparison of bulbs, plan on switching soon, still have a few cfl to use. Or maybe HD would give credit for unused/unopened cfl bulbs toward the purchase of LED bulbs. I can dream :)
Cree makes "regular" and "full spectrum versions of most of their bulbs. You tried the TW series full spectrum version of their 60 W bulb, which is more expensive.
It's unusual in that it has a high Color Rendering Index (93) so colors seem accurate, but it also has a warm color temperature of 2700K, which many people prefer to 5000K. I live in the Pacific Northwest and find FS bulbs essential for getting through the rainy winter, so to find a safe energy efficient LED bulb is worth the gradual investment. I can't wait for Cree to make a 100W version of this bulb.
LED, of course!
A few years ago we switched all our light bulbs to CFL and have already changed a few out. We are really considering changing to LEDs
We are slowly switching to LED when bulbs go out in our house. So far we are really happy with the change
We're still in a mixture of CFL and incandescent — but I'm definitely interested in trying the softer-toned LEDs. Anyone know of energy-efficient dimmable bulbs? I haven't checked in a couple years, but we have a few lights on dimmers (which I LOVE).
We just use GE light bulbs. I haven't tried the LED lights yet.
2dogs5catscrew@att.net
I love my energy hogging, cheap warm old school bulbs, but the new LEDs look promising! We're going to start upgrading slowly…in rooms other than my bedroom for now. I try to keep on energy efficient other ways though!
I would love to win! I have some of the new bulbs but haven't replaced them all yet.
Love saving money! Hate buying bulbs. LEDs with good light sound perfect.
We have not made the switch to LED's yet, but your post and the comments are making me want to invest in that change!
I still use mostly incandescent bulbs, but I might have to switch to these more color friendly bulbs!!
Ugh! Having a really hard time jumping on the LED bandwagon—do these dim?? That's my biggest pet peeve.
We've recently purchased a new home. The lighting currently there sucks. These new bulbs would be awesome.
Currently using CFLs everywhere – but really want to make the switch to LED's especially because I have heard CFLs are a migraine trigger. I just gave yet to make the jump.
I'd love to try them out.