LED lamps

Current LED lamps look modern, have the same dimensions as incandescent lamps and are equally bright. Incandescent out, LED in. Lamps with LEDs have the same quality of light as conventional technology and can hardly be distinguished from each other in their light colour.

With up to 90% less power consumption than incandescent lamps, LED light sources are very energy-saving and pay for themselves quickly through low power costs, long service life and freedom from maintenance. LED lamps do not become hot and immediately reach 100% brightness (no warming up as with energy-saving lamps).

At the leading manufacturers Philips and Osram, cosy warm white with natural colour rendering (high CRI) is state of the art. LED spots and lamps are available for almost all common sockets such as E27, GU10 or GU5.3 and can easily be used without special requirements.

Recommendation on light colour

Cold white or warm white, that's a matter of taste. We recommend neutral or cold white light for work rooms (office, workshop, kitchen, etc.), as this leads to less fatigue. Warm white lamps where you like it cosy: living room, bedroom or children's room. The colour temperature, which is usually given, defines the light colour even more precisely for professional users. Usually, however, it is sufficient if you only pay attention to the color name.

What is colour rendering or CRI?

With the Color Rendering Index (CRI), manufacturers of LEDs or light sources indicate how naturally illuminated objects look. Fluorescent lamps have a CRI of 60-75 and a CRI of 80 is common and sufficient for home use. For professional applications, slightly more expensive models (e.g. Philips ExpertColor lamps) are also available with a very high colour rendering value of up to 97. Only trained eyes recognize the difference between a normal and a very high colour rendering value.

Pay attention to the LED service life!

A few years ago, conventional LED spots and lamps still cost up to €30 each and had an average service life of 40,000 hours. High competition and cost pressure led to massive price erosion. Today LED lamps are available for less than 3€. This price level could not only be achieved through mass production. Manufacturers were forced to cut back on expensive lamp heat sinks or expensive LEDs. Despite progress in LED technology, many lamps now only reach 10,000 hours (equivalent to approx. 10 years á 3 hours per day). This is sufficient for many private applications. However, if you switch on the light frequently or for a long time, we recommend not only the price but also the service life.

In summary

• Cold white: Kitchen, bedroom, workshop
• Warm white: Cosy living & dining rooms
• Also pay attention to the lifetime
• A CRI of 80 is usually sufficient
• We recommend lamps from Osram or Philips
• Use filters to limit the lamp selection. Work your way from top to bottom

We are an official Philips distributor and HUE partner

As one of the few official Philips online retailers, we offer you a wider range of Philips lamps that are particularly suitable for demanding users. Professional products such as ExpertColor LED lamps from Philips score with higher light quality, longer service life or special features.