The best lightbulb ever?
Last week we had one of our CFL bulbs burn out in our recessed ceiling fixtures over the stairwell. It was less than five years old and due to its location is the hardest bulb in the whole house to replace. I managed to dislodge the bulb from its socket using a long light-bulb-changing pole (catching it in mid-air before it crashed to the ground), but the whole process made me determined to replace it with a longer-lasting LED bulb.
I’ve been thrilled to find LED bulbs at Costco lately. I purchased a fleet of them, with a couple of them being focused-light bulbs for my recessed fixtures rather than the diffused bulbs we’ve been using. Bad move! The spotlight-like light reminded Kelly of a sterile hotel room’s light. She would break out into show tunes while standing below them to make a point. It didn’t take more than a few songs before I realized this was not the kind of lighting we needed. Back to Costco it went.
So, if focused-light bulbs weren’t the answer, what was? I kept badgering whatever Costco staff I could find near the bulb section, asking for the “BR30” kind of bulbs. I found them online but the online price didn’t apply the significant rebate available from Duke Energy. Finally, a Saturday trip to Costco revealed the Feit Electric BR30 LED bulbs. Giddily, I bought a whole case of 8 of them!
The result? The best lighting I have ever seen. For years we’d gotten accustomed to the dreary light that CFL bulbs put out, thinking that was the best we could do. When these new LED bulbs went in it was almost a night-and-day transformation. LED bulbs give brighter, clearer light. They can be dimmed, and when switched on they instantly produce 100% light: no warmup time needed. Out of all the bulbs I’ve used: incandescent, CFL, and LED, the LED bulbs are superior in every way. Well, with the possible exception of cost; at roughly $6 after the rebate they are still pricey. I figure, though, that their 22.8 year lifespan should help make up for that. I’m sure the price will come way down after mass-production, too.
In short, LED lightbulbs are the best lightbulbs ever. I’m never, ever going back to CFL bulbs again.