We put 7 LED retrofit bulb shaped lamps to the test
At Nulty we’re constantly on the look out for new and improved LED retrofit bulb shaped lamps. The classic A60 shape will never go out of fashion – it’s still the lamp style of choice in most people’s homes. With the rise of the industrial trend there’s also been a rise in exposed bulb shaped lamps in commercial interiors. Many of our clients want us to find LED alternatives to the incandescent bulb so they can save energy (and therefore money), but they still want the retro aesthetic of the Edison classic. Demand is up and prices are (slowly) coming down so we thought we’d dig out some of the LED bulb shaped lamps in our storage and put them to the test to see if they can compete in this ever-growing market.
Philips are leading the way with several LED bulb shaped lamp ranges so we thought we’d start with them first.
Philips LEDLustre Clear
Wattage: 4W – 25W
Lumens: 250
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 2700K
Holders: E14, E27 & B22
Lifetime: 20,000 hours
Energy Saving: Up to 80%
Dimmable: Yes 100% to 10%
Pros: We like the clear finish and the diamond shaped lense which helps to prevent glare when it’s on.
Cons: Despite being 2700K it doesn’t have a very warm glow.
Philips LEDLustre Frosted
Wattage: 4W – 25W
Lumens: 250
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 2700K
Holders: E14, E27 & B22
Lifetime: 20,000 hours
Energy Saving: Up to 80%
Dimmable: Yes 100% to 10%
Pros: There is zero glare and you can look directly at the lamp when it’s on.
Cons: As with the clear version it doesn’t have a very warm glow. The frosted finish also means it doesn’t have the desired retro look when turned off.
Philips Master LED Designer Bulb
Wattage: 7W – 40W
Lumens: 470
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 2700K
Holders: E27 & B22
Lifetime: 25,000 hours
Energy Saving: Up to 80%
Dimmable: Yes 100% to 10%
Accessories: Customisable lamp covers – convex and concave
Pros: We like that it’s customisable and dimmable. It also gives off a lovely warm glow and with a lamp cover on there is no glare.
Cons: Even with one of the lamp covers on this is still a strange looking lamp (the yellow is VERY yellow) and wont be to everyone’s taste.
Panasonic Nostalgic Clear
Wattage: 4.4W-20W
Lumens: 210
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 2700
Holders: E27 & B22
Lifetime: 40000 hours
Energy Saving: 78%
Dimmable: No
Pros: Possibly the most classic looking out of all the LED retrofit lamps. We like the clear finish and the way it’s designed to look like it has a filament – it also has a very warm glow.
Cons: There is some glare if you look directly at the lamp, it’s not dimmable either which means there is no way to resolve this problem.
Megaman LED Crown Silver
Wattage: 7W
CRI: 82
Colour Temperature: 2800K
Holders: E27
Lifetime: 30,000 hours
Dimmable: Yes 100% to 10%
Pros: We like the industrial look of the silver-plated crown top which also prevents glare.
Cons: This lamp gives off a poor amount of light.
Verbatim Classic A LED Bulb
Wattage: 10W-60W
Lumens: 820
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 3000K
Holders: E27 & B22
Lifetime: 30,000 hours
Energy Saving: 85%
Dimmable: No
Pros: We like the industrial look of the metallic heat sink and for a frosted lamp this gives off a lot of light, although it’s not as warm as we would’ve liked it to have been.
Cons: The heat sink will not be to everyone’s taste and the frosted finish means it doesn’t have the desired retro look – it’s also not dimmable.
Toshiba LED E-Core GLS Wide
Wattage: 7.5W-40W
Lumens: 470
CRI: 80
Colour Temperature: 2700K
Holders: E27
Lifetime: 25,000 hours
Dimmable: Yes 100% to 10%
Pros: We like the classic shape and size. The lamp is dimmable and has a soft warm glow.
Cons: The only downside is the frosted finish which means it doesn’t have the desired retro look we are after.
