The Low Down On Green Living
January 8th, 2009
The Best CFL Bulbs for Indoor Lighting
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Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs is one of the easiest money-saving eco-changes you can make, which is why we at Low Impact Living want everyone to upgrade to these energy-efficient bulbs. After all, CFL bulbs are even available in dimmable versions — and easier to recycle than ever.
Still, some early adopters got burned by the less-than-pleasant light from some of these new CFL bulbs. Now, many CFLs work great — and we’ve put together a guide to shine a light on the best bulbs. While personal preferences obviously play a big role in deciding which bulb gives the most beautiful light (for all I know, perhaps you’ve always wanted a slightly greenish-hued light in your living room), here are the CFL bulbs that have gotten top marks from the average user:
n:Vision Soft White. This bulb most consistently gets raves, even winning the highest rating from from Popular Mechanics. A New York Times review also named this n:Vision bulb as a crowd favorite. The bulb comes on immediately and provides a warm, pleasant light bright enough to read by — though a Grist review complains of “a more garish hue coming out the top.”
n:Vision bulbs are available exclusively at Home Depot; a 4-pack costs $6.88. However, Technical Consumer Products, the company that makes n:Vision bulbs, has a similar, more widely-distributed line of CFL bulbs called SpringLight that also gets top marks from reviewers. A 3-pack of SpringLight soft white bulbs costs $6.99 at Amazon.
Philips Soft White. This bulb got top marks from Katherine Wroth at Grist, who calls this bulb the “gentlest” of the ones she tested. She says the bulb was easy to look at and remained cool to the touch.
Because it’s dimmer, this bulb does not work as a reading light — So if you want a Philips bulb to read by, try the Philips Marathon, which ranked high in Popular Mechanics‘ review. You might also consider the Philips Duramax, a somewhat yellowish light that gets an A- in blogger Shahine’s review.
MaxLite MicroMax. This bulb scored high in Popular Mechanics‘ review because it “excelled at rendering colors. Because it’s a smaller bulb, you might find this bulb handy for tight spaces. Each bulb costs $3.95.
The New York Times‘ review recommended the similar, but slightly bigger MaxLite SpiraMax.
Sylvania Daylight Extra. Popular Mechanics says this bulb, like the MaxLite, renders colors well with its “nice icy white” light. For those who want a brighter bulb, the Sylvania appears to be the best pick, though Popular Mechanics does note that the light may be too bright for a heavy reader. A pair of bulbs costs $9.95.
Overall, soft white CFL bulbs are more popular than bright white bulbs, because the latter can often be too garishly bright. Still, the bright whites could be useful for places like your garage or bathroom. Have a CFL bulb you love — or love to hate? Share your review in the comments!
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Comments
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Joe Gellman
January 13th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
As much as I feel we need to switch to CFL’s (and I have) the failure rate for n:vision is high. I have had about 12 fail (out of about 40) in less than 2 years. They have a 7 year warranty. Although they have been very good about replacing them, I think this is an unacceptably high rate.
Siel, green LA girl
January 13th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
That does seem oddly high — I have some that are more than 7 years old but still going on strong!
What kind of CFL bulbs have you been buying? I’m wondering if the problem’s with the specific type of bulb you’ve been getting — or something with your electric wiring….
Jessica Jensen
January 14th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Jeff I couldn’t agree with you more that LEDs are better than CLFs! The problem is 1) most people don’t know about them 2) they are harder to find 3) they are more expensive (but last longer!).
We promote and sell many types of LEDs on our site:
http://www.lowimpactliving.com/products/Lighting—Light-Bulbs/LED-Lighting/636
Sandra Cann
January 19th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I’m happy so far with the soft white LED’s I’ve installed but have had no luck at all (2 out of 2) with 3-way LED’s . Both have burned out in less than 3 months and make an acrid smell throughout the house when they do. I have received refunds, but will not be trying those again for awhile.
Anthony
January 24th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Great post. The thing to keep in mind when buying CFLs is: color temperature (expressed in Kelvin, higher number is whiter), fast/slow start and dimming capabilities.
Most of the inexpensive CFLs start slowly and are not great for Bathrooms, etc when you are turning the light on and off often.
CFLs on a photo sensor or timer is a no-no also. Hopefully, soon, the LEDs will be affordable enough for residential use.
And don’t fall for the “Pure Daylight” bulbs. Those put out a garish white-blue light that gives your house a warehouse feel. I reviewed quite a few bulbs and sources here:
http://greeninharlem.com/2008/04/where-to-find-quality-led-and-cfl-bulbs.html
best,
.//A.
Bill
January 29th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Thankfully CFLs are soon to be history, and that can’t happen fast enough. Have you ever taken the base appart? I count 23 electrical components, soldered with lead to a base plate and good ol’ mercury in the tube. Life span is so far less than advertised it should be a crime. Just for fun, drop one in water, it will float. Break the glass tube and they still float. So where an incandesant bulb will be ground into sand with the metal base eroding away when they enter the ocean, CFLs will last floating around forever. Now that’s a really green product. Very soon we will be using LED lamps because of advances using Aluminium gallium nitride to grow crystals. Until then, China will be supplying billions of these nasty things which will be floating to a beach near you.
Steve Bergman
February 11th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Well Bill, you certainly seem to be pushing an agenda, and your “facts” are faulty. What makes you think that they are soldered with lead. Most CFLs are completely lead free. The average mercury content is 4mg (and on the way down to about 1 mg). Compare this with the FDA’s recommendation on fish consumption, which is to keep the mercury that you *eat* below 1.5mg per week. You could actually eat an average CFL once every three weeks and remain below that limit.
Now, I have been using CFLs exclusively since years before they were even called that. Since the late 1970s or early 1980s, in fact. The life has always been excellent.
In short, you’re spewing uninformed crap, Bill. Now, I’m as interested in LEDs as anyone. But they are just not ready yet. Unless you think that people are ready to pay $80 a bulb for a 50W equivalent that needs an internal fan and shines like a flashlight.
Your stab at making incandescents sound biodegradable is hilarious, though. But do please stop spreading falsehoods.
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