LED Light Bulb Brightness Scale & Color Charts | Bulb Guide https://www.energyearth.

com/general/categories/lighting/learn-more

EnergyEarth has created this light bulb buying guide to help you make an educated decision
when it comes to updating the bulbs in your home. We hope our color temperature chart and
light bulb brightness chart help you to choose your next LED or CFL bulb. If you cant find the
information youre looking for here, we encourage you to contact us with any questions you
may have.

First, Choose LED or CFL

As consumers are becoming more conscious of their energy usage and its effect on their
wallet, theyre finding that one of the easiest ways to save money on their utility bills is by
switching their incandescent bulbs to energy efficient CFLs or LED bulbs. LEDs are more
efficient than CFLs and their lifetime hours can be 2-10 times longer than CFLs, based on the
model. In the long run you will save more with LEDs, plus, with EnergyEarths 4everLED
Limited Lifetime Warranty, residential customers who purchase LEDs can rest assured that if
their LEDs ever stop functioning, EnergyEarth will replace the LED bulb for free*. See the
chart below to compare for yourself.
*Some restrictions apply. For more details click here or click on the 4everLED logo next to qualified items.

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How to Determine Brightness in Lumens

We typically think of the brightness of a light bulb in wattage. However, wattage simply
represents the amount of energy needed to use the bulb. The lumens scale indicates the
brightness of a bulb and should be used when selecting your new LED or CFL bulbs. To save
the most money on your electric bills, replace your bulbs with the lowest wattage for the
desired lumens (brightness). We make it easy for you by listing the comparable incandescent
wattage on every light bulb product page.

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What is Kelvin or The Kelvin Scale?

Light color, or color temperature, is measured using the Kelvin scale. CFLs and LEDs are
available in warm colors (low k) to match the yellowish light of incandescent bulbs, but you can
also choose cooler colors (high k) with whiter or bluer light. Please see the color temperature
chart below for further reference.

How to Pick LED or CFL Bulb Shape

The chart below will help guide you to the type of bulb you need depending on its specific
application to ensure you select the proper bulb.

Click on any light bulb to see available colors or on color blocks to see bulbs available in
that color.
Warm White Cool White Daylight

A17 A19* Spiral Flame Tip Torpedo

Table Lamps
*Suitable for clamp shade lamps

Flame Tip Torpedo

Decorative

Recessed Cans

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R40

Globe A19* Spiral

Vanity Strips

Spiral A17 A19 Globe

Pendant
Fixtures

Outdoor Spiral A17 A19 Globe

Covered

BR30 MR16 PAR16

Ceiling Fans

Spiral A17 A19

Track Lights

Par 30 Par38 Par40

Ceiling Fixtures

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Spiral A17 A19

Outdoor
Exposed

Lighting your home or business comprises around 15% of your overall energy bills. On
average, $200 is spent each year to light your home. These numbers may not seem like a lot,
but consider this: you can cut that expense at least half with little cost and almost no effort on
your part. By simply replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs you can
significantly lower your home's energy costs. Want more savings? Install dimmers on your
switches to make those new light bulbs last even longer and extend your savings. If you
sometimes forget to turn off the lights, add motion sensors or timers to your indoor and
outdoor lighting to make sure you're only using energy and spending your money when and
where you need it. Making a few simple, cost-effective changes to the lighting you already
have can help you on your way to illuminating your life with savings.

Ready to make the switch? EnergyEarth is here to help make it easy for you. The light bulb
lumens chart / wattage chart below will help you understand which CFL or LED bulb is
comparable to your current incandescent bulb. Simply take your current incandescent watts
and select the corresponding CFL or LED bulb equivalent on the lumens brightness scale. Pay
close attention to lumens, since this number indicates the brightness, or light output, of the
bulb. To save the most energy, choose the bulb with the lowest wattage suitable for its usage.

in Watts in Lumens
Incandescent CFL LED
25 4-9 3-4 250
40 9 - 13 4-5 450
60 13 - 15 6-8 800
75 18 - 25 9 - 13 1,100
100 23 - 30 16 - 20 1,600
125 28 - 40 21 - 23 2,000
150 30 - 52 25 - 28 2,600

Choosing the Right Color - The Kelvin Scale

Light color, or color temperature, is described using the Kelvin scale(K). CFLs and LEDs are

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available in warm colors to match the yellowish light of incandescent bulbs, but you can also
choose cooler colors with whiter or bluer light. A lower kelvin number mean the light appears
more yellow; higher kelvin numbers mean the light is whiter or bluer.

CFLs and LEDs are made to match the color of incandescent bulbs at 2700-3000K. If you
prefer a whiter light, look for bulbs marked 3500-4100K. For bluer white light, look for bulbs
marked 5000-6500K.

Want to know more about your lighting choices before you make the switch? We have all the
additional information on CFL and LED light bulbs you'll need to determine what best fits your
needs below.

LEDs
LEDs come in a wide variety of sizes and fittings. The most common are:

Globe: Just like the globes you already have, but more efficient. For use in bathroom
vanities, pendant fixtures and other areas where the bulb is visible.
Semi Globe: Can be used in any fixture you would place a globe, these eliminate
light waste by directing the light forward from the fixture.
Capsule/A-shape: These maintain the same looks as incandescent bulbs and are
often used in fixtures where the bulb is visible.
Reflector: As these provide directional lighting, they are ideal for ceiling fans,
recessed cans and tracking lighting.
Candle/Flame Tip: These are perfect for wall sconces, some ceiling fans and fixtures
and covered outdoor fixtures where candle lights are desired.
Outdoor: Wet-rated, meaning they can be used outside in exposed fixtures without
damage to the bulb or fixture. Most are reflector shaped, making them perfect for

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outdoor flood lights.

3-Way: Just like incandescent 3-way bulbs, these can switch between 3 light levels,
making them ideal for many table and floor lamps. Only use LEDs that are specifically
designated for use in 3-way sockets for optimal savings.
Dimmable: Made especially for use in dimmer switches for the most efficiency and
savings. Avoid using non-dimmable LEDs with a dimmer switch, their lifespan will be
reduced.
Portable: These handy little lights are small enough to fit in your pocket but powerful
enough to provide you with the light to need where you need it.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a Solid-State Lighting technology, or an SSL. Instead of

emitting light from a vacuum (as in an incandescent bulb) or a gas (as in a CFL), SSLs emit
light from a piece of solid matter. In the case of a traditional LED, that piece of matter is a
semiconductor. The movement of electrons through the semiconductor material illuminates the
tiny light sources. The color of the light in the LED is determined by the energy gap of the
semiconductor. A small amount of heat is released backwards into a heat sink; in a
well-designed product, LEDs are basically cool to the touch. LEDs powerful enough for room
lighting are more expensive than incandescent bulbs and CFLs; however, they offer many
advantages including the lowest energy consumption of all light bulbs, longer lifetime, smaller
size, faster switching, greater durability, reliability and do not need to be recycled.

LEDs are an excellent choice for lighting your home or business. They provide the same
quality of lighting that you're already used to while using the least power of any light bulbs and
helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LEDs last up to 6 times longer than CFLs and
50 times longer than incandescent bulbs, reducing waste. This means that making the switch
to LED lighting can save you $200 or more in energy costs per bulb.

CFLs
CFLs come in a wide variety of sizes and fittings. The most common are:

Spiral: Arguably the most versatile, these replace incandescent bulbs in ceiling
fixtures and fans, table and floor lamps, wall sconces and covered outdoor fixtures.
Capsule/A-shape: Just as versatile as spiral bulbs, these maintain the same looks as
incandescent bulbs and are often used in fixtures where the bulb is visible.
Reflector: As these provide directional lighting, they are ideal for ceiling fans,
recessed cans and tracking lighting.
Globe: Just like the globes you already have, but more efficient. For use in bathroom
vanities, pendant fixtures and other areas where the bulb is visible.
Candle/Torpedo: Also just as versatile as spiral bulbs, these are perfect for wall
sconces, some ceiling fans and fixtures and covered outdoor fixtures where candle
lights are desired.
Tube: Available in twin, triple and quad biax, tube lamps are comprised of parallel

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tubes that vary in length and light output depending on the number of tubes.
Outdoor: Wet-rated, meaning they can be used outside in exposed fixtures without
damage to the bulb or fixture. Most are reflector shaped, making them perfect for
outdoor flood lights.
3-Way: Just like incandescent 3-way bulbs, these can switch between 3 light levels,
making them ideal for many table and floor lamps. Only use CFLs that are specifically
designated for use in 3-way sockets.
Dimmable: Made especially for use in dimmer switches for the most efficiency and
savings. Note: It is not recommended to use a regular CFL with a dimmer switch as it
will reduce their lifespan.

CFLs use a completely different technology than traditional incandescent bulbs. Instead of an
electric current running through a metal wire, an electric current is transmitted through an
internal ballast and into a tube containing argon and trace amounts of mercury. These
elements then emit UV rays, which energize the fluorescent (phosphor) coating on the inside
of the tube, releasing visible light. The initial illumination uses slightly more energy than an
incandescent bulb so a slight flicker can sometimes be seen as the bulb warms up; however,
the energy needed for continued operation is significantly lower.

Safe disposal of CFLs is actually quite easy. CFLs do contain trace amounts of Mercury (about
4mg, equal in volume to the dot on an i), so they should not be thrown in the trash where
they can be broken. Instead, many areas provide curbside collection of CFLs or central
recycling locations. If this is not available in your area, EnergyEarth offers a CFL recycling box
with mail-back service on our website.

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