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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