

I was able to dim it down to an average minimum of 1.1 percent brightness across all of my test switches, which is better than any other bulb I tested, and I never once caught it flickering. It's also pretty decent on dimmer switches.

Add in the price of the bulb itself, and it's still about half of what you would spend to run a 100-watt incandescent over the same period of time. Use it for 3 hours a day, every day, and it'll add just $1.74 to your yearly energy bill. For starters, it was the most efficient bulb I tested, putting out 1,574 lumens of yellowy brightness from a power draw of just 14.5 watts, good for 108.6 lumens per watt. That makes it the least expensive 100-watt replacement bulb I've ever tested, and while it isn't without a few minor shortcomings, it's easily good enough to offer outstanding value. Head to Lowe's, and you'll see bulbs like that from Utilitech - including a 100-watt replacement LED that currently sells in a two-pack for less than $10. After dozens of hours spent testing, here's what I found, starting with the best of the bunch.īest value pick: Utilitech 100W Replacement LEDĭimmable 100-watt replacement bulbs from big names such as Philips, GE and Cree will currently cost you about $13 apiece, but in a lot of cases you can save some money by going with a smaller brand. With that question in mind, I set out to my local lighting aisles in search of every 100-watt replacement LED I could get my hands on.

100 watt led warm light bulb upgrade#
That makes it the perfect time to upgrade your light bulbs - but which ones are right for your home? They're also more affordable than you might think - while 100-watt replacement LEDs were retailing for $20 or more only a few years ago, prices have fallen to the point where you can find decent dimmable options for less than $5 each. Swap one in for the kind of incandescent bulb they're designed to replace, and you'll save an average of about $10 per year in energy costs. They promise just as much brightness as those old-school incandescents while using a fraction of the energy. That's why you'll find plenty of "100-watt replacement" LEDs in your local store's lighting aisle. The thing is, most 100-watt incandescents have long been phased out due to rising efficiency standards. If you want something brighter, you upgrade to, say, a 100-watt bulb. They’re also fully compliant with California’s Title 20, and come with a five-year warranty that’s only half the warranty on the Cree bulbs but otherwise fairly standard.Most folks think of 60-watt light bulbs as the basic standard for common household lighting. They’re easy to find online or in stores, and typically cost anywhere between $2.50 and $3 apiece, which is about average for LED bulbs. If you’re fine with (or even prefer) that trade-off, the Feit bulbs are a good option when the Cree aren’t available. But otherwise, they worked almost as smoothly and well as the Cree bulbs. These lights did plateau (as in, they stopped their continuous rate of dimming) as they dimmed near zero percent.

However, this also means that as the Feit bulbs dim lower, they appear brighter and slightly more yellowish than the Cree bulbs, which might not be ideal for every setting. These bulbs are rated at a 90+ CRI, compared with the Cree’s standard 90 score it’s a subtle difference, but if you place the bulbs side by side, you’ll notice the Feit bulbs are just a bit more radiant. If Cree LED bulbs are unavailable or you prefer slightly warmer colors, we recommend the Feit Electric Soft White and Feit Electric Daylight 60 W Equivalent Dimmable A19 Light Bulbs.
