What Kind of Light Bulb Do I Need?

Everything you need to know about the world of light bulbs

 

This article was originally shared via the Toxin-Free Talk podcast, episode 164.

 

I was recently talking to a friend about the difficulty of navigating the light bulb aisle these days. If you grew up with the good old fashioned watt light bulbs then I think you understand this struggle as well.

Do I want bright light?

Do I want daylight?

How much wattage do I need?

Also, did you know there’s an environmental impact of using LED light bulbs?

But first let's get into how to choose the right light bulb.

Lighting can really impact the feel of a room and overall mood. Sometimes you need brighter light so you can see what you're doing, like when you're putting your makeup on. Or maybe you're doing some work at your desk and you need a bright light for sewing or knitting. However, you don't always necessarily want a bright light.

You need to consider the type of light you need for specific light fixtures, the room, and the task at hand.

You likely remember that incandescent bulbs used wattage to demonstrate the bulb brightness. Wattage actually shows how much energy is used and with LED bulbs, lumens demonstrate the amount of light. More lumens equals brighter light, fewer lumens equals a dimmer light. And again, the watts are the amount of energy a light bulb uses.

The light color is measured as a Kelvin. You’ll often just see the “K” on light bulb packaging. There is a lighting temperature scale that goes from 2500 K to 6500 K ranging from warm white to daylight.  Soft white (or extra warm white in the picture above) is the standard color that you're going to be used to from your old incandescent bulbs. Soft white is perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, dens, those sorts of rooms that need that softer white light.

Warm white is between yellow and white on the range. Warm white is a little bit brighter and is perfect for your kitchen, workspace, bathrooms, between the white and blue ranges.

Next on the scale we have cool white. These bulbs are great for kitchens and bathrooms. And they have a brighter blue or white hue.

Then we have daylight, which is in the blue range. These bulbs are what you want for reading or task lighting. They're bright, but they are still okay on the eyes.

You may not be familiar with the environmental impact of LED light bulbs and CFLs as well.

Let's talk about disposal first (this is also something to think about for batteries too). Do not throw away your batteries, or your LED or CFL light bulbs directly into the trash. They need to be disposed of properly at a recycling center. They contain mercury and phosphor and when disposed of improperly, can add chemicals into our ground water and ecosystem that are toxic to humans and animals.

When light bulbs are thrown out, they end up in landfills. And these substances leach into our groundwater. Eventually they end up contaminating our drinking water. Even though each bulb only contains a small amount of these chemicals, they build up over time and become more dangerous as they build up.

 

 

Are LEDs more eco friendly?

This might be what you have heard in the past because they require less energy, but it's not necessarily the case.

LEDs emit blue light radiation which impacts not only humans but also animals. Blue light suppresses melatonin in our system, hindering sleep. For instance, this is why many people wear blue light glasses. For animals, this blue light radiation can completely throw them off. Blue light messes with their natural behaviors, such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep, and protection from predators. Specific LED light sources that can cause this are external LED lighting like your Christmas lights and even the light by your front door.

So the question is… should we stop using LED bulbs?

In my research I found that some European countries are stopping their use of LED lights in external public settings, for example streetlights, because of the light pollution they cause. For yourself, you might consider swapping the external LED lights on your house to incandescents to help prevent light pollution and the negative impact it has on wildlife.

For your personal health, you may want to switch out the LED bulb in your bedside lamp to prevent your own exposure to blue light radiation before you go to bed at night.

In short, be mindful when making the choice of LED integrated lights or the old school bulbs. Both have their pros and cons so it is important to weigh the differences and be mindful when choosing.

That's all I’ve got for the crazy world of light bulbs. As always, if you have any more questions or are ready to take on a new renovation or create a beautiful new space in your home or office, we’d love to help. We’re currently booking clients for summer design projects. Just email us here.