Dimmable LED lights are great for creating mood lighting – whether you're having a romantic night-in, watching a movie or even playing your favourite video game. Before you rush out to buy a new set of dimmable LED bulbs, this short guide will arm you with five useful nuggets of information that'll help you buy with complete confidence.
There are two main methods of LED dimming: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and analogue. In the case of PWM, dimmable LEDs work by creating a dimming effect. Unlike traditional lighting such as incandescent, dimmable LED bulbs don't rely on voltage to dictate their level of brightness. Instead, they essentially rely on a cycle of being on and off. These cycles operate in a matter of milliseconds, so you won't be aware of them actually turning on and off. For example, if you have dimmed your lights to 10%, they will be 'on' for 10% of the time and 'off' for 90%. For analogue, the process is more straight-forward. This is where the current is controlled to either dim or brighten the lights – increasing or decreasing accordingly.
The main cause of flickering with dimmable LED light can usually be traced back to the dimmer switch. Dimmer switches come with a minimum compatible load (in short, the amount of Watts it can process). Popular leading-edge dimmer switches are mainly designed for older bulbs on a higher wattage, so their minimum load will be high. In a lot of cases, you won't be powering enough LED bulbs to meet that minimum requirement as they consume such a low amount of energy (and fewer Watts). That's why it's important that you get a compatible LED dimmer switch to avoid any potential flickering. The quality of the dimmer switch you install will also have a bearing on the performance of your lights. A good quality dimmer switch will have different modes and ranges of dimming capability. Most of the time, flickering dimmable LEDs can be remedied by simply changing the mode on the dimmer switch, or resetting the dimmer to its factory settings.
Firstly, you need to make sure you have a compatible dimmer switch. It's likely that if you're upgrading from traditional halogen or incandescent bulbs to LED, your current dimmer switch won't be compatible. So, we'd recommend getting a specialised LED-compatible dimmer switch to allow for a smoother, quieter and flicker-free performance. If you are using 12v LED spotlights, such as MR16s or G4s, you will need a dimmable transformer. An LED dimmable transformer allows dimming of constant voltage LED products, and works with most standard dimmer switches, so you might not need to replace your existing dimmer switch. LED dimmable transformers are available in a number of powers. Make sure you know how many bulbs will be powered before buying your transformer. It's also important to remember that we strongly advise that the total wattage of all bulbs combined doesn’t exceed 80% of the transformer's wattage. For example, if you're powering four 4W MR16 bulbs for a total of 16W, then you'll need a 20W transformer to produce a sufficient amount of power (and the subsequent 20% wattage deficit).
You might be wondering why you're shelling out more for dimmable LED lights than non-dimmable LEDs. This is because dimmable LEDs feature additional technology that increases the cost of manufacture, and therefore the price (by about £1 per bulb or spotlight). They are also more expensive than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is because they feature superior technology and come with long-term benefits. When compared to halogen bulbs, they: • Consume 90% less energy – saving big money on your energy bills • Last up to 20-times longer, so you don't have to buy constant replacements • Run a smoother, quieter operation – so you won’t have to suffer any buzzing, which is common among traditional bulbs when operated with a dimmer switch So, in the long run, LED bulbs will save you more money than you spend on them.
All the property experts say it: "location, location, location". And that doesn't just apply to real estate. You have to be tactical with where you install your dimmable LED bulbs. It's all about context and purpose. For example, if you're lighting a workspace or an area where you need focus, such as a kitchen counter, then dimmable LEDs are probably going to be of little use. In those situations we'd suggest you go for a non-dimmable cool white LED that casts a fresh glow to help you concentrate on the task at hand and see more of what you're doing.
Dimmable LED bulbs are perfect for creating mood lighting - that's when they come into their own. They're also ideal for living spaces, bedrooms and accent lighting. For movie nights-in or romantic meals, dimmable LED bulbs can be all you need to set the perfect atmosphere. They're also great for highlighting specific decorative items such as artwork or sculptures. Because they can be set at a different level of brightness to the rest of the room, it helps draw attention to otherwise innocuous objects in an impressive way. You can view our full range of dimmable LED bulbs and spotlights here.
Still use incandescent bulbs? The time has come to flip the switch to another option, namely LED bulbs. Not only are incandescent bulbs high-energy and costly for your monthly energy bills, but they're now going to be very to find in a store. After years of rising standards, new regulations from President Joe Biden's Department of Energy have effectively banned the sale of most incandescent lightbulbs in the US. The rules state that lightbulbs must emit a minimum of 45 lumens per watt — about three times what an incandescent bulb emits. Anything else will no longer be produced, which is essentially a death sentence for all incandescent lights.
If you haven't switched to LED bulbs yet, now is the time and the reasons why are vast and compelling. For starters, LED bulbs last much, much longer than incandescent bulbs, and they put out the same amount of light using significantly less energy. That's great for the environment, and it can save you money on your electricity bill in the long term, especially if you're upgrading a whole home's worth of bulbs.
In fact, the Department of Energy projects that this new policy will save US consumers almost $3 billion on their utility bills, all while cutting global-warming carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next 30 years. And if the cost and environmental benefits aren't enough to sell you, LED bulbs also have many interesting and worthwhile features, including bulbs that change colors, and bulbs that sync with your smart home, home security system or voice assistant of choice.
Buying the right LED is different from buying incandescent bulbs, though. So before you go shopping, there are five things you need to know. For more, read everything to know about the incandescent lightbulb ban and how to save money on lighting.
Forget what you know about incandescents; your watts are no good here.
When shopping for bulbs, you're probably accustomed to looking for watts as an indication of how bright the bulb will be. That's because with incandescents, the wattage is a reliable indicator of how much light the bulb will emit: The greater the bulb's wattage, the greater that tungsten filament inside will glow. The brightness of LEDs, however, is determined a little differently.
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Contrary to common belief, wattage isn't an indication of brightness, but a measurement of how much energy the bulb draws. For incandescents, there is an accepted correlation between the watts drawn and the brightness produced, but for LEDs, watts aren't a great predictor of how bright the bulb will be. That's because LEDs are designed to be as efficient as possible without compromising the quality of the light -- and some LEDs are better at the job than others.
For example, an LED bulb with comparable brightness to a 60-watt incandescent will typically only draw 8 to 12 watts. Imagine you see two LEDs sitting on the shelf at the store, each of them branded as a 60-watt replacement. One draws 8 watts, the other draws 12 watts. It is absolutely possible that the 8-watt bulb will be brighter than the 12-watt bulb, which is why you should essentially ignore the wattage when you're looking for brightness from your LED bulbs.
Fortunately, there's a better way to talk about brightness, and that's the lumen. The lumen (lm) is the real measurement of brightness provided by a lightbulb, and it's the number you should look for when shopping for LEDs. For reference, here's a chart that shows the watt-lumen conversion for incandescents and LEDs.
Watt-lumen conversion for incandescents and LEDs.
As you can see in the chart above, an incandescent can draw up to five times as many watts for the same number of lumens. Get a sense of the brightness (in lumens) you need before heading to the store, and throw away your affinity for watts.
Incandescent bulbs typically put out a warm, yellowish hue, but LEDs come in a range of colors.
As shown off by Philips Hue, LED bulbs are capable of displaying an impressive color range, from purple to red, to a full spectrum of whites and yellows. For the home, however, you're likely looking for something similar to the light that incandescents produce.
The two most popular colors available for LEDs are soft white (also called warm white) and bright white (also called daylight). Not confusing at all, right?
Soft white and warm white will produce a yellow, candle-like glow, close to incandescents, while bulbs labeled as bright white or daylight will produce a whiter light, closer to daylight and similar to what you see in offices and retail stores.
If you want to get technical, the color of light on the white light spectrum is called color temperature, and it's measured on the Kelvin scale. The lower the number, the warmer (yellower) the light. Your typical soft white incandescent is somewhere between 2,700K and 3,500K, so if that's the color you're going for, look for that range while shopping for LED bulbs. Want something daylight toned? Look for bulbs rated at 5,000K or higher.
Not sure which to buy? Read our warm lightbulbs versus cool lightbulbs comparison to help you decide.
LED bulbs are like hybrid cars: More expensive upfront, but cheaper to operate.
It used to be that you could grab an incandescent bulb at the hardware store for a buck or so. Then, LEDs came along -- most of them costing a lot more. Thankfully, several years of development and competition have brought prices down to the point where you'll find plenty of LED options in the lightbulb aisle available for $5 or less.
But the dollars and cents don't stop there. You need to factor in the cost of using the bulb -- and the great thing about LEDs is that using them doesn't cost very much at all. For instance, a traditional 60-watt incandescent lightbulb will add about $7 to your energy bill each year if you use it, on average, for three hours a day. A 60-watt replacement LED that puts out the same amount of light will draw as little as 8 watts, and only add about a buck to your energy bill over that same year-long span.
In other words, even if the LED costs $5 and the incandescent is a freebie that you found rolling around in a drawer somewhere, the LED is still the less expensive option after less than a year of use. In the meantime, you'll enjoy less heat production, longer bulb life and even the option of controlling them with your smartphone. It won't burn out after a year, either.
Because of their circuitry, LEDs aren't always compatible with traditional dimming switches. In some cases, the switch must be replaced. Other times, you'll pay a little more for a compatible LED.
Most of the existing dimmers in homes today were likely designed to work with incandescents. Dimmers like those work by cutting off the amount of electricity sent to the bulb in rapid-fire succession, faster than the eye can detect. LEDs draw a lot less energy, so they don't always work well with dimmers like that. (Here's a handy guide that goes a little deeper into the reasons why.)
The first thing to do if you're buying LEDs that you want to use with a dimmer switch is to make sure that you buy bulbs that are, in fact, dimmable. Most manufacturers offer nondimmable LED bulbs with no onboard dimming hardware whatsoever, and while those are fine if you want to save a buck or two on a bulb intended for a nondimmable fixture, they're the last thing you want if you like the lights dimmed down low.
My second recommendation? Start with a single bulb from a major manufacturer and hang onto the receipt. Try it out with the dimmers in your home, and if it works, feel free to buy as many as you need. If not, most major retailers will be happy to let you return the bulb and exchange it for something else. At some point, you might also consider upgrading your dimmers to newer models designed to work with LEDs. Big names like Lutron and Leviton are your best bet there.
One last point: If dimming is truly important in your home, then you should really consider smart bulbs. Most use their own, built-in mechanisms to handle dimming, so you don't need a dimmer switch at all. Dimming mechanisms like those are great because they won't flicker or buzz, and you'll usually be able to sync things up with a voice assistant like Siri or Alexa, which opens the door to commands like, "set the lights to 20%."
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Knowing where it's OK to place an LED will ensure that the bulb won't fizzle ahead of its time.
You probably know that LED bulbs run a lot cooler than their incandescent cousins, but that doesn't mean they don't produce heat. LED bulbs do get hot, but the heat is pulled away by a heat sink in the base of the bulb. From there, the heat dissipates into the air and the LED bulb stays cool, helping to keep its promise of a long life.
And therein lies the problem: The bulb needs a way to dissipate the heat. If an LED bulb is placed in an enclosed housing, the heat won't have anywhere to go, sending it right back to the bulb and sentencing it to a slow and painful death.
Remember, LED bulbs are electronic devices. Just like with your phone or your laptop, it isn't good to let them overheat.
That's why it's fine to stick with incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs for enclosed fixtures. LEDs will work, too, but in some cases, the heat buildup inside the fixture will reduce the bulb's lifespan.
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