CFL vs. LED: What's the Best Lightbulb Type?

By Carl Seville (a green building consultant who works with Atlanta electricians) for Networx

Unless there is some big action by conservatives to repeal Bush administration legislation that requires more efficient lighting, many old incandescent bulbs (or lamps) will become unavailable over the next few years. This will leave most of us having to look for alternative products to light our homes, the most common being Compact Fluorescent Lamps, a.k.a. CFLs, and Light Emitting Diodes, a.k.a. LEDs. Somebody seriously dislikes something about both of these newer lamps, often resorting to stocking up a lifetime supply of incandescent lamps to avoid using CFLs and LEDs. But those are some short-sighted people who are prejudiced against new technology because of bad experiences, rumor, fear, or a combination of all three.

CFLs had a reasonably deserved poor reputation early in their development. They flickered, the color of the light wasn’t good, they took a while to get to full power, and they couldn’t dim. On top of that, there is a tiny amount of mercury in them, so there are some safety issues when they break, but trust me, you don’t need a HazMat team to clean up the mess. Things in the CFL world have changed. High quality, reasonably priced lamps are available that have excellent light color and quality, don’t flicker, don’t need time to warm up, and are dimmable in standard fixtures. And as a benefit, they don’t put out 90 percent of their energy as heat like incandescent lamps, which leads my friend, Architect Michael Klement to describe them as heaters with light as a by product. This means that you don’t pay so much extra to air condition your house in the summer when the lights are on. Look for ENERGY STAR rated CFLs, and check for the new FTC lighting facts label that tells you the efficiency and color of the lamp. If you’re looking for something that resembles incandescent lamps, buy CFLs with a color temperature of about 2700 degrees Kelvin. Don’t worry about what it means, just know that it is a nice, warm, familiar colored light. Oh, and the light will use about 75 percent less energy and last about 10 times longer than the old style lamp.

So, just when some of us were becoming a little more comfortable with CFLs, we now have to thing about buying LEDs instead. LEDs are electronic, solid state lighting, and we’ve been looking at it for years in our clock radios, microwaves, and other equipment. The technology has advanced far enough to provide interior lighting, although it is still evolving and not all lamps are quite ready for prime time. People like the fact that LEDs don’t have any mercury in them, so there is no fear of difficult cleanup (and they generally don’t break like a regular bulb anyway). They last a really long time, an estimated 30,000 - 50,000 hours, compared to about 10,000 for CFLs and about 1,000 for incandescents. They are, however more expensive, although prices are coming down. LED efficiency is similar to CFLs, and getting better all the time. In terms of light quality, LEDs are getting pretty close to CFLs and incandescents but it may take some effort to find something you like the look of.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Madeline L.

5:50PM PDT on Jul 20, 2012

I always look for full-spectrum lighting. Anything new in that area?

July 20
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Lynn C.

1:42PM PDT on Jun 30, 2012

Thanks, I enjoyed the article and the other comments, as well... =)

June 30
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Brad B.

8:44AM PDT on Jun 29, 2012

As this article states, CFLs are a better solution, both economically and environmentally, than incandescent bulbs, which ultimately result in greater mercury exposure than CFLs, because they consume more power and require more power generation. Since mercury is a byproduct of burning coal, coal-fired power plants are a larger source of mercury pollution than the mercury content in the CFLs. Although CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, with a proven packaging configuration and proper disposal, CFLs can be used effectively without releasing harmful mercury vapor.
While a variety of containers are marketed for transportation of fluorescent lamps and CFLs, many don't provide sufficient protection against mercury vapor emitted from broken lamps. Using a proven packaging design is vital to ensuring the safety of people who handle these lamps, as well as maintaining their green benefits. Read about a recent study that tested several packaging configurations here: http://vaporlok.blogspot.com/2010/05/layers-of-protection-packaging-used.html If a bulb breaks, consumers can learn more about clean-up procedures here: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup-detailed.html

June 29
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Roopak V.

3:37AM PDT on Jun 29, 2012

LED technology has been around for years, a little research was required to make it viable at a reasonable cost for lighting purposes.
I think big industry made a fortune taking us through CFL first.

Kathleen C.

2:33PM PDT on Jun 28, 2012

Thanks for the informative article. I have been using CFL's for years but I have alway's been concerned about the possibility of breakage. Glad to know that LED's are coming down on prices.

June 28
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Robert B.

6:15AM PDT on Jun 27, 2012

The LEDs use about half the power of a CFL. I am slowly replacing all of my CFLs with LEDS. They come in various color temperatures. They work just fine and LEDs are getting better all the time. Using regular bulbs as heat is inefficient. You're better off using a small ceramic heater with a thermostat and a high/low setting. By the way, CFLs are not loaded with mercury. If they break it won't harm you. The amount of mercury is very, very small. CFLs can also be recycled now. My local Lowes hardware store takes them.

June 27
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Callie J.

10:18PM PDT on Jun 26, 2012

@June, I often use the heat from lightbulbs as my main heat in my bedroom and at my desk during colder weather. If I have to turn the heat on I can keep the temperature relatively low. And I rarely use airconditioning in the summer. I want my choice of lightbulbs. As I said earlier in this thread, LED gives me stabbing pains in my eyes, and fluorescent makes me feel ill.

June 26
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june t.

10:10PM PDT on Jun 26, 2012

As one who lives in a generally cold climate most of the year, I prefer the incandescent light bulbs because they help provide a little bit of extra heat which is nice in the winter. I believe in choice. I don't need someone to tell which lightbulb I must use.

Carole R.

11:40PM PDT on Jun 25, 2012

Thank you.

June 25
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Elaine A.

10:40PM PDT on Jun 25, 2012

I have those that are featured in the picture and I love the bright light they put out but they are highly dangerous as they are filled with mercury......So make sure they do not break and when they burn out, wrap them in a couple of paper towels to keep them protected from breaking.