How to Choose Buy Led Bulbs In Bulk?

LEDs can save you thousands of dollars

When you think about saving energy in your home you probably don’t think much about your light bulbs. How could a single bulb save much money? 

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That’s what I thought before I began this research. I knew I could save some energy by switching to LEDs, but I didn’t think it was worth the effort. 

On top of that, I worried that LEDs were expensive and produced harsh light. I imagined my home looking more like a dentist’s office than a peaceful place where I could retreat to after a long day. 

But I was wrong. To my surprise I learned three things: 

• LEDs can save most homeowners thousands of dollars (see: LED savings)
• LEDs are cheap and pay for themselves in just a year
• LEDs come in all shapes, sizes, and colors (see our LED color and temperature guide)

But I wasn’t alone. American homeowners across the country waste billions of dollars every year on inefficient incandescent and CFL light bulbs. 

And all that wasted energy leads to a lot of unnecessary pollution. Residential lighting emits 53 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. If we all switched to LEDs tomorrow we could cut that number by more than half. 

In this article I’ll share everything I learned during my research into LED lighting and show you how to make the switch.

LEDs vs. CFLs vs. incandescent bulbs

There are three common types of light bulbs:

• Traditional incandescent
• CFL (compact fluorescent lights)
• LED (light emitting diodes)

In a traditional incandescent light bulb—the ones you’re probably looking to replace—light is created by heating a tungsten filament in the bulb. The filament is heated to the point where it starts to glow but does not meet its melting point (tungsten is used because it has the highest melting point of any metal). Although this process creates light, around 90% of the energy used is given off as heat and not light. Not great.

Halogen bulbs, and other “modern” versions of the incandescent bulb, operate using the same principle, often with modifications (such as filling the bulb with halogen gas) in order to increase operating life. But they still waste 90% of the energy on heat.

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are easily recognizable because of their tubes of gas, which are often shaped in a swirl in order to maximize the light emitted by the vapor inside. They work by flowing electricity through argon and mercury vapor in a tube, creating ultraviolet light, which then interacts with a coating on the tube to create light. This process means that very little heat is created—but the process is also more energy intensive than a LED for the amount of light created, and it creates potentially dangerous ultraviolet light as a byproduct. Additionally, there’s the possibility of mercury being released into the local environment if the bulb is ever broken.

A decade ago, this was the light bulb you got to replace the traditional incandescent. It’s much more efficient than the incandescent, and because it’s been in development since the s, it was in a position to scale up production in order to bring costs down enough to compete with incandescents. But the CFL technology has not been able to keep up with the advances in LEDs. CFLs generally fall between incandescents and LEDs in terms of price and energy use.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) create light using circuits. Electricity flows into the bulb, where some interesting physics and semiconductor design work together to create light. Very little heat is produced during this process (as much as just having your or computer screen on), with up to 80% of the energy used resulting in visible light.

Because of this design, LEDs also last much longer. They have no moving parts, no parts undergoing thermal stress, and no gases and coatings which could wear off. This gives the LED bulb fewer points of failure, and allows it to continue operating long after other forms of lighting would have broken.

Converting lumens to watts: what to know when buying a light bulb

If you’re switching from incandescent to LED bulbs, you’re likely going to notice that the measurements don’t line up. For example: your incandescent bulb probably has a big 60W at the top, and the LEDs you’re looking at are advertising in lumens.

Lumens and watts measure different things.

• Watts (W) measure energy use
• Lumens (lm) measure brightness

In the past, because there was only one type of light bulb, the incandescent, energy use in watts was directly related to how bright the light was. A 100W bulb was brighter than a 60W bulb, a 150W brighter than a 100W, and so on. With the rise of new lighting technologies, this relationship broke down.

Now you need to look at the brightness of the LED bulb—not the wattage—to compare it to your existing lights. Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), which is found by measuring how much light something creates in a given amount of time. Now, lumens is what you need to look for when looking at light bulbs.

Light bulbs with identical lumen values are identical in brightness—this is important. Whether it’s a 60W incandescent, 14W LED, or a 10W LED, if they have the same lumens value, they have the same brightness. The differences in wattage just mean they differ in cost to use, with the higher wattage costing you more for the same amount of light.

What does “60 watt equivalent LED” mean?

A lot of LED bulbs are marketed as “60 watt equivalent,” but if it’s not actually 60W, what does that mean? In simple terms, it means that this bulb can be a 1 to 1 replacement for what was the most common type of light bulb: the 60W incandescent bulb. But there are some details worth going over here.

A couple decades ago, a bunch of lighting and electricity nerds at federal agencies with acronyms like NREL, DOE, and EPA decided that the average 60W incandescent bulb is equivalent to 800lm. In practice, you can expect a 10% difference from the average, meaning 60W incandescent bulbs could have a brightness of anywhere from from 720lm to 880lm.

Because this value is an average and not a standard, manufacturers are free to market with it and use it however they want. Meaning a LED bulb with 750lm, while below the average for a 60W incandescent, has a brightness within the reasonable expected value for an individual 60W bulb and might call itself a “60w equivalent.”

In general, you can use 800lm as the brightness of the 60W incandescent bulb you need to replace. But if you see a bulb slightly over or under 800lm, don’t treat them the same. If a bulb has fewer lumens than the alternatives also marketed using “60W equivalent,” be sure to take that into account when looking at the price.

Here’s a watts vs. lumens chart courtesy of the Light Bulb Company that might be helpful in switching bulbs.

How much do LED lights save per year?

The average home with incandescent bulbs uses about 2,000 kWh of electricity per year. And that results in almost one ton of carbon being released into the atmosphere—just for lighting. For reference, that’s the same amount of emissions as a flight from NY to Europe.

At the national average of $0.10 per kWh, that means these homeowners spend about $215 per year on lighting. By switching to LEDs, the average homeowner can bring that number down to $50–$115 and cut roughly 600 pounds of carbon per year, depending on where they live.

Of course the actual amount of electricity your home uses on lighting will depend on a number of factors including: 

• How many light bulbs your home has
• How much you use your lights
• What kind of bulbs you currently have

We won’t get super deep into the math here, but if you’re interested in getting into the nitty gritty, take a look at our LED savings guide to figure out precisely how much you can save.

How many lumens do I need?

When you’re buying new bulbs you’ll probably see a label like the one below with things like lumens, yearly energy cost, lifespan, and light appearance (or color). 

Let’s go over what all this means. 

LED Lumens

The brightness of the bulb you need depends on personal preference and where you intend to place the bulb. Lumens per square foot (lm/sqft) is a measure of how much light you need in an area.

Generally, the more detailed work you expect to do in an area, the brighter you want the space to be and the higher lumen per square foot value you want. Makes sense.

Remember: lumens are the only way you can compare the brightness of bulbs, and they mean the same thing no matter what the other statistics of the bulb are.

LED energy cost per year

LEDs save money and energy. The label will show you the estimated energy cost per year per bulb, which means you don’t need to do any math. Add up this value for all the bulbs you buy, and you’ll get a great estimate on your total yearly costs.

But keep in mind this is just an average based on 3 hours of use and $.11 per kWh electricity costs. If you keep your lights on all day or if you live in a place like Massachusetts where electricity is twice the national average, you should expect to pay more.

LED lifespan

On every LED bulb label, you’ll see a box for “Life,” which gives you either the total hour lifespan or the total year lifespan (given a specific amount of daily use). The expected LED lifespan should be about 25,000 hours, so if it’s drastically lower, you might want to try something else.

Note: if it gives you the lifespan in days, just multiply that number by 365 and then by the number of daily use hours it gives. (In the label above, 18.3 year * 365 days * 3 hrs/day = 20,038.5 hours.)

LED light appearance

Light appearance — also called correlated color temperature (CCT) or just temperature — is the “color” the light is, meaning what sort of light the bulb gives off. This is measured in kelvins (K). And it’s one of the most noticeable differences between light bulbs (if you’ve ever bought a really cold, blue light bulb for your bedroom you know what we mean).

The cooler the light, the closer to daylight the human brain thinks it is. This makes higher temperature lights perfect for areas where you need to be alert and be able to perceive contrasts, like a kitchen. But these kinds of lights would make it harder to fall asleep if used for reading in bed. Generally, you should use warmer colors (below K) for 70% of your lighting, saving the whiter or bluer lights for areas where more detailed work is done. (Or if you’re like the author of this guide, you’ll just want to stick with warm lights for your entire home!)

To find out which color bulb you need for each room, take a look at our guide to LED colors and temperatures.

LED energy use in watts

The final box gives energy use in watts. The lower the watts, the cheaper the bulb is to use. Again, consider that the typical incandescent bulb uses 60W, the typical CFL uses 16W and the typical LED uses 10W.

Other things to consider before buying LED bulbs

It will cost between $1 and $5 a bulb to replace your existing bulb with a LED.

Why the big range? All the stats above will factor in, but it’s also dependent on the quantity purchased, the type of bulb purchased, and where you purchase the bulb.

Quantity of bulbs

Bulk purchases of any type of bulb will naturally make it cheaper to switch over. But always make sure to check the label.

For example, this deal of 24 bulbs for $24 seems great, with a price per bulb of $1, but the bulbs have a far lower lifespan than you’d expect from LED bulbs (15,000 hours vs. the expected 25,000 hours). They’re also less bright than alternatives also marketed as “60 watt equivalent” (750lm vs. the expected 800lm). While this is still a better light than an incandescent or CFL alternative, it might not be the best deal in the end.

Energy compliance

Always check to see if the bulk order of bulbs is Energy Star compliant and can be sold in California. Energy Star is a mark of quality that ensures that the bulb you’re getting follows a set of strict quality and lifespan guidelines. The California Energy Commission sets the strictest efficiency requirements in the country, and if an LED bulb is unable to be sold in California, it may be less efficient or otherwise inferior to other alternatives.

Type of bulb

How complicated you want your bulb to be is up to you. You can get a simple LED bulb, one capable of being used in a dimmer switch, or even a “smart bulb,” which can emit different colors of light and be controlled by your or other smart devices.

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The more complicated the bulb, the more expensive it will be, but this gives you the ability to customize your home’s lighting. Generally, you can expect a standard bulb to run between $1 and $5, a dimmer bulb between $2 and $7, and a smart bulb between $10 and $40.

Can I get an LED light bulb rebate?

Local utility and state programs can help you lower the cost of switching to LEDs even more. Your local power utility has as much of an incentive to cut your home electricity use as you do. Yes, it means they’re able to sell you less electricity, but to the provider, it’s worth more today to avoid the potential costs of producing more electricity. Energy efficiency allows the utility to continue to run the power grid with the existing power plants and lines even with population growth, and not have to make costly investments in new power plants or power lines that may not pay for themselves for decades.

In part because of this, all utilities run some sort of residential energy efficiency program to help offset some of the costs of retrofitting or upgrading your home.

Many of these programs come in the form of rebates, where you send the utility a proof of your purchase and they send you a check for some portion of the cost. You can use this link to see if your local utility is running a rebate program for LEDs.

Because of the success of the programs, many of them have been successfully completed, terminated, or no longer include LEDs. If your local utility doesn’t have a rebate program, it most likely has what is called “upstream incentives.” Your local utility will work with (and often just give money to) manufacturers and local retailers in order to guarantee lower prices at the store. This often results in the same price savings as a rebate, but with less paperwork for you.

Which LED bulbs should I buy?

Using all these factors, we did research for our own home and office to find what might be the best bulbs. Our local utility no longer had any efficiency programs aimed at LEDs, so we looked online for the best deal.

We found this bulk order of 6 bulbs for $15.99, or $2.67 per bulb. It’s a perfect replacement for most of the average home’s lights, with the statistics we expect from a modern LED bulb. They are 800lm, as bright as most of the incandescents or CFLs we already have. They’re capable of being used in dimmer switches, so we don’t have to go out and purchase a second set of bulbs for those rooms. And they have a lifespan of 25,000 hours, so we won’t have to think about replacing the bulb for decades.

Of course, you might have different requirements: maybe you don’t have any rooms with dimmer switches (and don’t plan to). Or maybe you’re looking for bulbs just for your bedroom and want them to be dimmer because you use them right before bed. Keep in mind your personal preferences when making that decision.

Read more about LEDs and home energy efficiency improvement projects

How Do LED Lights Work?

So how do LED lights work? The term LED stands for light-emitting diode. In an LED light, electricity from a power supply causes a small semiconductor (the diode) to produce light. This LED process is more efficient than the glowing filament that illuminates an incandescent light, so LED lights can help you save on energy costs. A house with LED lights can enjoy the same amount of illumination as one with only incandescent lights but use less energy for lighting.

Choosing LED lights also means you won’t have to purchase replacements as often as you will if you use incandescent lights. The diode has a much longer lifespan than the filament of an incandescent bulb. Some LEDs can last up to 13 years with three hours of daily use. While LEDs can lose brightness over time, they typically won’t burn out like a traditional bulb. The design of an LED allows a heat sink to collect generated heat, preventing it from damaging the light and reducing its life. The heat sink also makes an LED much cooler than a comparable incandescent light.

Tip

LEDs produce directional light, which can be a particularly useful feature for lighting such as flood lights, recessed downlights and desk lights.

LEDs are free of mercury, which makes disposal easier.

Types of LED Lighting

There are many different types of LED lighting. Often, LEDs look like traditional bulbs and often you can replace lights in lamps, ceiling lights and more with LEDs. The types of light bulbs you need often depend on the fixtures, so you simply need to choose the types of LED light bulbs that fit. You can also choose types of LED lights that create a decorative appeal.TipBulbs will typically have a letter designating the shape of the bulb followed by a number indicating size. A larger number generally means a larger bulb.

General Purpose Light Bulbs

These types of LED light bulbs offer the benefit of working with standard fixtures like lamps and ceiling lights. However, they’re often more functional than decorative.

A-Style or A-Line

A-style LED light bulbs are designed with the traditional pear or teardrop shape. A-19 is the most common. A-style bulbs are suitable for many types of lamps and ceiling lights.

Reflector and Bulged Reflector

With an R, BR or PAR designation, these reflector and bulged reflector shapes of LEDs often work for indoor track lights and recessed lights or for some types of outdoor flood lights. A reflective coating on the inside of the bulb offers the benefit of more directed light.

Globe

The design of globe lights gives them one of the more decorative looks among general purpose bulbs. Globe bulbs fit many types of hanging lights, pendant lights and vanity lights. These will often have a G designation. You may also find this design — particularly the clear type of bulb — works well with more decorative lights, like those in pendant lights.

Decorative Light Bulbs

Decorative types of LED lighting add design elements and can create a look from classic to modern. However, they may require more specialized fixtures than general purpose bulbs.

Candle or Flame

This shape suggests a candle flame. You’ll often see these bulbs in chandeliers. They may have B or C designations.

Edison

Edison LEDs offer a vintage design with one or more strings of diodes that replicate the look of the filaments in a traditional bulb. They’ll often have an ST designation.

Spot and Flood Light Bulbs

Spot and flood light bulbs are two types of LED lighting that are good for specific uses. Each has different advantages and disadvantages. You’ll see them with PAR, MR and BR designations.

• A spot light casts a narrow beam. It creates strong illumination for a small area. Indoors you might use spot lights to highlight artwork or décor items on a shelf. Outdoors you might use them to illuminate elements of your landscape such as a tree or shrub.
• Flood lights offer the benefit of casting a wider beam and lighting a larger area. However, the illumination provided by a flood light will be less intense than that of a spot light. Indoor LED flood lights are good for ambient light. Outdoors, they can improve security and safety.

Specialty Light Bulbs

Specialty LED light bulbs can include bulbs for:

• Appliances
• Nightlights
• Home light fixtures that require specialized bulb shapes
• Landscape lights
• Commercial light fixtures

Since specialty LED bulbs can cover a wide range of sizes, shapes, configurations and base types, it’s a good idea to have the bulb you want to replace handy so you can find the right LED replacement.

Tube Light Bulbs

LED tube lights are usually purely functional and act as replacements for fluorescent tube lights, such as those used in garages or basements. You may see them with a T designation.

Holiday Light Bulbs

Holiday LED lighting can range from brightly colored LED string lights to interior and exterior holiday decorations:

• Halloween string lights
• Halloween lighted decorations
• Christmas string lights
• Outdoor Christmas decorations
• Lighted Hanukkah decorations

Many lighted indoor Christmas decorations also use LED lights.

Other Types of Lights

In addition to bulbs, you can find lighting fixtures with integrated LED lights.

• LED Light Strips: Also known as tape lights, these decorative light kits include a band of material that holds a row of LEDs. These lights can typically change colors.
• Commercial LED Strip Lights: These are commercial/industrial LED tube lights designed to mimic the look of fluorescent fixtures.
• Outdoor LED String Lights: These LEDs add a festive touch to outdoor gatherings.
• LED Landscape Lighting: This type of outdoor lighting beautifies your outdoor spaces and illuminates walkways.

Many LED lights for homes are designed with integrated LEDs:

• LED vanity lights
• LED flush mount lights
• LED pendant lights
• LED track lights
• LED outdoor security and flood lights

Tip

LED under cabinet tape lights can make a modern, eye-catching addition to your kitchen.

Types of LED Light Bases

When shopping for LED lights for home use, you’ll see that different types of LED light bulbs have different base designs. Understanding the base types will help you find the best LED lights for any fixture. You’ll see screw-in bases and bases that use different arrangements of pins for connections on LEDs. Types of light bulb bases include:

Medium-Base or E26 LEDs

Medium-base or E26 LEDs are general purpose LED lights for home use. They have the same type of screw-in base that you’d see on a standard incandescent bulb.

Candelabra-Base or E12 LEDs

You’ll often see candelabra bases on bulbs designed for decorative lighting. The screw-in bases are smaller than those on general purpose bulbs. This compact design often makes these the best LED lights for many types of chandeliers, pendant lights, sconces and other décor lighting.

G5.3 LEDs

G5.3 bulbs have plug-in pin connections and are common among those LED types of lights that fit small indoor spot lights or flood lights.

Tip

Like bulb shapes, base types are designated with letters and numbers. An E designation indicates a screw-type fitting. A number after the letter designation indicates the diameter of the base, with a larger number for a larger base. G-type bases use two pins for connections. The number indicates the space between the pins.

Caution

Make sure the bulbs you choose are suitable for the planned use, location and fixture.

LED Light Features

Full-Spectrum LEDs

Full-spectrum LEDs can adjust across color temperatures and can also produce a range of colored light such as red, green, purple and blue.

Smart LED Bulbs or Smart-Compatible LEDs

Smart or smart-compatible LEDs typically have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity to allow you to control them from a mobile device or with connectivity to a smart home hub. Available functions include the ability to change colors or color temperatures, adjust brightness or even set a schedule to adjust the light automatically. Some are compatible with voice control.

Dimmable LEDs

Dimmable LEDs let you adjust the brightness of the light they cast when controlled by the appropriate dimmer switch. If you’re going to use LED lights for home living spaces with dimmer switches, make sure the bulbs are dimmable.

Three-Way LEDs

Three-way LED bulbs replace bulbs in three-way lamps. A three-way LED is one of the more common types of LED lighting for reading lamps or desk lamps because it offers three levels of brightness with less energy consumption than incandescent three-way bulbs.

Dusk-to-Dawn LEDs

Dusk-to-dawn LEDs have a built-in sensor that can turn the light on or off depending on the surrounding level of light. Since you don’t need to remember to turn off the lights during the day, these are some of the best LED lights for home exteriors when you want to maintain constant lighting at night. You can find outdoor flood lights with a dusk-to-dawn feature and built-in LEDs, as well as dusk-to-dawn flood lights designed to work with LED bulbs.

Motion Detection

Motion detection uses built-in sensors to turn lights on when the sensors detect movement. This can be one of the best LED light types if you don’t want to have your landscape lit throughout the night but still want a measure of security. You’ll most often see this feature in motion-sensor LED flood light fixtures.

How to Choose the Best LED light for Your Needs

The wide variety of types of LED lights means you have a lot of options when you’re upgrading a house with LED lights. Here are some tips to help you make the right choices when shopping.

• Make sure the bulb base fits your fixture. If you’re replacing incandescent bulbs, match the base of your new LEDs to that of the existing bulbs.
• Pay attention to lumens to make sure the LED gives you the right level of light. Again, if you’re replacing incandescent bulbs, use the wattage equivalence information on the LED packaging to maintain your existing level of light.
• Consider the mood you want the light to create. A lower color temperature will create a comfortable, cozy feel for a family room or bedroom. Mid- to high-range color temperatures create good light for general purposes as well as for working in a kitchen and shaving or applying makeup in a bathroom. High color temperatures look more like natural light and can create an energetic feel.
• Look for an ENERGY STAR® certified LED. This type of LED lighting must meet specific standards for color, brightness and light distribution so you can have more confidence in how the bulb will perform and know what to expect from the light it produces. These bulbs also have requirements around how manufacturers compare LEDs to traditional bulbs, making it easier to find the right replacements.
• Get the functionality you need. For example, if you’re replacing a blub that’s on a dimmer system, you must use a dimmable LED. Outdoor lights with dusk-to-dawn features can make illuminating your landscape convenient, while motion-sensing lights can help improve security and safety.
• Look for convenience features like a tunable color temperature and smart compatibility.

Lighting a House With LED Lights

Lighting your house with different types of LED lights can help you save energy and save money from lower energy usage and less frequent bulb changes. You can find different types of LED light bulbs that make it easy to replace just about any existing bulb with a more efficient LED option.

Shop Lowe’s to find LEDs for any room, outdoor space or application. As you shop, pay attention to

• Lumen ratings for brightness
• Wattage equivalence listings to match brightness to your existing lights
• Color temperature for light that creates the feel you want, from cozy amber to the more energizing blue tone of daylight LEDs  

If you have questions about finding the best LED light for a particular use, talk to an associate at your local Lowe’s. They’ll help you find a light that gives you the right illumination, sets the right mood and has the features you need.

Frequently Asked Questions on LED Light Bulbs

If you need some quick information on choosing the right LEDs for your home, the answers to these common questions can help.

What Are the Best LED Lights for Ceilings?

For living spaces like a bedroom or family room, you might want to plan for LED ceiling lights that give you about 10 to 20 lumens per square foot. Areas like kitchens and bathrooms will need up to four times as much light, so around 80 lumens per square foot. Likewise, LEDs with lower color temperatures are suited for living spaces while those with higher color temperatures are better for kitchens, bathrooms and home offices. These are very general tips and, of course, personal preference will be your ultimate guide.

Which Wattage of LED Bulb Is Best?

If you’re replacing a 60-watt incandescent, an 8-1/2- to 9-watt LED with about 800 lumens will give you about the same amount of light. For a 75-watt replacement, look for a 10-1/2-watt LED with approximately 1,100 lumens. For a 100-Watt incandescent, replace it with a 12-1/2-watt LED with about 1,600 lumens. Pay attention to wattage equivalence and lumens on the LED packaging and the general recommendations above — 10 to 20 lumens per square foot for living spaces and up to 80 or 100 lumens per square foot for working areas.

Is a 9-Watt LED Bright Enough for a Room?

A 9-watt LED will typically generate around 800 lumens and is roughly equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent. You’ll often need more light for a living space. For example, for a 10-foot-by-10-foot bedroom, you’d want at least 1,000 lumens.

What LED Light Is Best for Outdoors?

Outdoor-rated LED lights with motion sensors and dusk-to-dawn sensors are the best LEDs for outdoor use, depending on your needs. Motion-sensing LEDs turn on when there’s movement and turn off after several minutes of no movement, making them a good choice if you want more security but don’t want lights on all night. Dusk-to-dawn LEDs will keep your landscape lit all night and you won’t need to remember to turn them off in the morning.

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