Forget carpets….lights are the new fixtures that tie the room together. When we first bought our home, they had the traditional CFL's throughout the home. We immediately started purchasing LED lights to replace all of the bulbs so that we could have more energy-efficient lighting. I needed bright lighting in my office for when I take photos for here on the blog, as well as when I'm working on my computer. Squinting eyes isn't a good thing and I like to have my screen brightness a bit lower since I already have eye issues with my Raynaud's disorder.

Between traditional fluorescent lights and today's ever-evolving LED technology, there have never been more choices.

5 Things to Consider When Purchasing LED Lights

It can be overwhelming when you set out to the store with the hopes of purchasing LED lights for your home or office, but we're here to help.

Design

Incandescent bulbs are the original bulbs on the block. In an incandescent bulb, a tungsten filament, surrounded by a vacuum or nitrogen gas, glows when a current passes through it. LED lights, on the other hand, are designed to conserve as much light as possible.

Inside an LED light, there is a diffuser and a reflector. The diffuser distributes the light evenly across the surface while a reflector reflects the light to kick up the brightness. It's essential to consider the design of the light bulb when factoring in the potential environmental impact, and how much cash is in your wallet when purchasing LED lights.

Light Quality

Some light bulbs, like fluorescent bulbs, use less energy to produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. LED lights' claim to fame is soft, evenly-distributed light that is free of humming, flickering, or RF interference. The kind of ambiance you're looking for will affect your final bulb choice.

Incandescent lights are fairly all-purpose, but their lower brightness compared to fluorescent bulbs make them more suitable for soft, ambient lighting. LED lights can also serve this purpose, but their conservation abilities also make them great for task lighting (lighting used to illuminate daily tasks or activities).

Material and Color

The frames of LED lights are made of aluminum. Impurities are added to increase the number of free electrons and enhance the semiconductor’s conductivity. The materials used in the light bulb itself often determine the color of the light.

Fluorescent bulbs and CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) bulbs have mercury in them that radiates energy. However, for this reason, they are a bit dangerous to dispose of. Keep this in mind if you're on the market for these kinds of bulbs.

Energy Efficiency

The efficiency of bulbs is essential to consider when weighing the cost benefits of your potential bulbs. Just as fluorescent bulbs and CFL bulbs use less energy than incandescent bulbs, LED lights tend to use a fraction of the power that these bulbs use–only six watts! Compare that to incandescent bulbs, whose average wattage is 60. CFL bulbs do much better by starting anywhere between 13 and 18 watts, but even so, none of the other bulbs hold a candle to the LEDs.

Life Span

Incandescent bulbs typically last between 700-1000 hours, which pales in comparison to a single LED bulb, which can last up to a whopping 60,000 hours! With an average life span of 50,000 hours, LED bulbs last 25 times longer than the average incandescent bulb and 8-10 times than CFL bulbs, which run from 6000 to 15,000 hours.

LED lights got the jump on all other bulbs on the market. Between their cost, conservation-oriented design, and long life span, LED lights can make a great addition to any home or office space. Check out our top choice for the LEpro 2*2 LED panel over at LEpro.