Which LED Lamp Is Right For Your Home?

When visiting the lightbulb aisle, there will be many choices available to you - but which should you select?

LEDs were supposed to represent a revolutionary breakthrough when they first hit store shelves a decade ago: brilliant illumination at fraction of the energy costs and nearly infinite lifespan of traditional tungsten bulbs. Unfortunately, that hasn't quite come to pass as the Department of Energy implements new lighting-efficiency standards this month.

These bulbs use electric current to activate phosphor coating inside, turning yellowish light into familiar white hues for use around our homes. An electron-rich gas produces ultraviolet radiation which hits the phosphor coating and produces visible light; making this solution much more cost-efficient than current incandescent or halogen incandescent lamps available on the market.

LED lamps often resemble incandescent bulbs in terms of appearance and shape, fitting easily into sockets in your home. Their bulbs come with various brightness ratings based on lumen production; some three-way bulbs allow users to choose different levels. Furthermore, these LED bulbs come in various color temperatures as measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Lower values indicate warmer light quality similar to incandescent "warm white," while higher ones produce harsher "stark white" illumination.

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