The differences between incandescent and LED lamps

Despite the fact that traditional light bulbs are still widely available, we can no longer ignore the fact that LED lighting is the lighting of the future. Why? You can read that in our latest blog!

 

What is a light bulb and how does it work?

An incandescent lamp, also called a carbon filament lamp, produces light by heating a filament in an oxygen-poor glass bulb. When you connect an incandescent lamp to a power source, the filament is heated and begins to emit light.

 

The benefits of incandescent bulbs

The purchase price of light bulbs is relatively low; you can often get one for just one euro. Light bulbs are also favourable in terms of colour rendering (CRI). With a CRI of between 90 and 99, they guarantee a vibrant light colour. You can also buy light bulbs in different shapes. Think of pear-shaped, candle-shaped and ball-shaped light bulbs.

 

The disadvantages of incandescent light bulbs Incandescent light bulbs have an average lifespan of only 1,000 hours. This means you will needlessly have to replace bulbs and buy new bulbs regularly. The energy efficiency of incandescent bulbs is very low, as approximately 90% of the energy is lost in generating heat to warm the filament. An incandescent lamp has a beam angle of 360 degrees. The disadvantage of this is that a large part of the light does not shine to the desired place, but for example to the ceiling.

 

What is an LED lamp and how does it work?

The letters LED stand for Light Emitting Diode. A diode is an electrical component that is equipped with two electrodes through which current flows. This constant process generates energy and creates light. In contrast to incandescent lamps, you do not have to deal with heat at all. That is also a lot safer.

 

The benefits of LED lamps

 

• An LED lamp has a lifespan of 15,000 to 25,000 burning hours. A simple calculation tells us that LED lamps therefore last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lamps. The purchase price is slightly higher, but you will have earned this back within a year. In addition, you will save yourself a lot of hassle with trips to the store and replacing your lamps.

 

• LED lamps have an exceptionally high energy efficiency. No energy is lost when heating a filament. This saves you energy costs and at the same time contributes to a cleaner climate.

 

• LED light sources are available in a wide range of light colours. For example, think of 1800K (very warm white light) or 6500K (daylight white light). For this reason, LED lamps are much more widely applicable than incandescent lamps, which are only available in 2700K (warm white).

 

• The beam angle of LED lamps is between 8 and 360 degrees. This allows you to illuminate specific accents, but also to imitate the look & feel of incandescent lamps. There is a suitable LED lamp for every application!

 

Retro (filament) LED lamps

Nowadays there are also LED lamps that imitate the look of incandescent lamps. We are talking about so-called LED filament lamps . These retro lamps combine the low energy consumption and long life of LED with the looks of an incandescent lamp.

 

Replacing your light bulbs with LED bulbs

It is therefore clear that LED lamps, despite the somewhat higher initial purchase price, are in many ways more advantageous than traditional light bulbs. Are you convinced and do you want to switch immediately? Then you have come to the right place at LED.nl. With us you can purchase many different LED lamps at fair prices. Large fitting or small fitting, dimmable or non-dimmable: the possibilities are enormous.