LED lamps: how to choose the right one. Which LED lamps are better: how to choose. Features of color temperature

Electricity has been used for indoor lighting for a very long time. For a long time in apartments, offices, shops, houses, etc., only incandescent light bulbs were used. These small devices are still valued mainly for their rather powerful flow light, which also has a natural shade that is pleasant to the eye. However, incandescent light bulbs have several significant disadvantages. First of all, these are high indicators in terms of energy consumption and a short service life. Therefore, recently other types of lighting fixtures - economical and durable - have become increasingly popular. The latter include those invented not so long ago. LED lamps.

A little history

The LED was first manufactured by famous engineer Nick Holonyak in 1962. The device he designed emitted visible red light. Soon after the appearance of this interesting invention, the American company Monsanto put its production on stream. The first device of this type came off the assembly line in 1968. Monsanto's light bulbs were intended for use primarily digital watch and calculators. For the next few decades, LEDs were used only in industrial and consumer electronics.

220V LED lamps, emitting bright white light and designed to illuminate rooms for various purposes, began to be produced only in 1997. The creator of the first such device was the American Fred Schubert. Nowadays, such devices are already used in many industrial and residential premises.

Main design elements

Modern LED lamps are assembled using the following components:

Base. As in this element in in this case designed for screwing the device into the lamp socket.

Drivers in plastic case With ventilation holes. This unit is designed to convert alternating current into direct current. In addition, its design includes special capacitors necessary for cooling the lamp. Another element is a zener diode, which is used to equalize voltage drops in the network.

Radiator. This unit is made of aluminum and has a very large number of ribs. It is also needed to cool the LED.

Board made of aluminum. A special thermal paste is applied to the side facing the radiator. About 90% of the heat emitted by the LED is transferred to the board.

Diffuser. give narrowly focused light. This element in their design is intended to diffuse it in order to uniformly illuminate the room.

The LED itself.

As you can see, compared to conventional incandescent lamps, the devices we are considering have a more complex design.

What is LED

Of course, this is the main element in the lamp. Actually, an LED is called a special converting electrical energy into the light. The main design elements of this device are:

Substrate that conducts current.

An LED crystal placed on it.

A housing that encloses both elements. On one side there are contacts, and on the other there is a lens. Between the last and LED crystal filled with silicone.

Aluminum base on which all elements are fixed.

Principle of operation

The LED operates thanks to a special process of electron recombination between two contacts with different degrees of conductivity. At the places where the latter emerge, the crystal is doped with an acceptor impurity containing a small number of electrons on one side, and an increased amount on the other. Recombination occurs immediately after the lamp is switched on. As a result, excess energy arises, which is converted into light flux.

Main characteristics

Owners of houses, offices, shops and apartments, when choosing LED lamps, first of all pay attention to three main parameters:

The degree of heat of the flow. Lamps of this type can produce light of different shades. Devices emitting cold flow are used mainly in public institutions. For apartments and houses, lamps with “warm” light are often chosen. The most popular types, therefore, are the 2700, 3000 and 3300 K models.

Base type. Standard option Models with this base are considered suitable for all household lamps. There are also minion LEDs on sale, marked E14.

Device power. As you know, the most popular are 60-100 W incandescent lamps. These indicators correspond to 7-13 W LEDs.

What device should I buy for my apartment?

Thus, the answer to the question is not difficult. The best option for a residential premises there will be a device with an E27 base and a warm heat flux of 2700 K.

As for power, in this case the choice largely depends on what specific purposes the device is intended to be used for. So, for a living room or office, a thirteen-watt E27 LED lamp (analogous to a 100-watt incandescent device) is best suited. For the bedroom it is better to choose a 7-10 W model. The same lamps are suitable for the kitchen and small hallway.



Advantages of devices

So what exactly are the advantages of an LED lamp? Reviews about devices of this type are mostly good. According to consumers, they:

Light flow

The brightness of an LED lamp is characterized by luminous flux, which is measured in lumens (lm). How brightly you want to light up your office or room is up to you. But try to adhere to the recommendations of SNiP SNiP 23-05-95*. Natural and artificial lighting:

To determine the power of the lamps and their number, use the table. It also reflects the conformity of conventional incandescent light bulbs with the LED ones that replaced them.

The table shows how much LED lamps consume. This is one of the main reasons for their popularity.

Color spectrum

An equally important role when choosing a lamp is played by the color of the emitted flux. It is determined by color temperature, which is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The lower this parameter, the warmer the light will be.

Yellow shades are considered the most comfortable for the home: they help you relax and unwind. Warm white light is recommended when working in office spaces. It is believed to improve performance. And lamps with cool white light are intended only for non-residential utility premises.

Voltage range and color rendering index

If ordinary lamps incandescent lamps operated at a voltage of 220 V without loss of brightness, then most LEDs need more than that for stable emission low values. That is, the owners of such lamps will not even notice voltage drops in the electrical network.

When purchasing, try to choose a voltage range with the largest range of values.

The color rendering index determines how naturally the colors of objects will be transmitted in the light of a particular lamp. It is indicated by the CRI (color rendering index) or Ra parameter. The higher the color rendering index, the more natural the illuminated objects will look.

Scattering angle

LEDs are designed in such a way that they can only shine in front of them: a very small part of the light is deflected to the side. Therefore, pay attention not only to their number, but also to how they are located. The dispersion angle will directly depend on this. For different models lamps it can be from 30 to 360 degrees.

Light pulsation

The light from low-quality lamps often pulsates. This is invisible to the human eye, but can have a negative effect on the nervous system and lead to vision impairment.

Buy lamps with a pulsation range of no more than 5–15%.

Service life and manufacturer

LED lamps have average term service from 10,000 to 50,000 hours. The actual one is very difficult to establish, because technology is improving day by day, service life is calculated only in theory.

The warranty for such lamps is given from 1 to 5 years and depends on the manufacturer. It is the store's responsibility to replace the lamp if it fails during the warranty period.

There are a great many manufacturers of LED technology today. And not all of them are indicated on the packaging reliable information about the lamp. You can find out about the actually measured values ​​of a particular lamp by using the testing service lamptest.ru.

Its pages contain many reviews, articles and independent tests of LED products. Here you can not only find out everything about the model you are interested in, but also select a specific lamp to suit your needs: to do this, indicate required parameters and click the "Show" button.

How to choose the right LED lamp

To choose a lamp that will create comfortable lighting, will last a long time, will not cause harm to health and will significantly save energy, use the following tips.

1. The color spectrum of a lamp for an apartment should not exceed 3,000 K. If you need a lamp for an office, choose a temperature of 4,000 K. Lamps of 6,000 K and higher should be used only in utility rooms.
2. Choose lamps with a voltage range of 110–230 V.
3. The color rendering index must be at least 80 CRI.
4. Lamp ripple should not exceed 15%. You can easily check it in a store: screw the light bulb into the socket and hold your smartphone camera to it. If the pulsation is high, the image on the screen will flicker.
5. Be sure to check the lamp's functionality. Almost all electrical stores have a similar option.

Unlike conventional incandescent lamps, which differ only in power and workmanship, LED lamps have many parameters that affect the quality and safety of lighting. I will talk about the main parameters of LED lamps and recommend which lamps are best suited for your home.

Power

LED lamps should not be selected based on power - the efficiency is various lamps lamps with the same power can vary greatly in brightness: lamps replacing a regular 60 W bulb bulb can have a power from 6 to 10 W, lamps replacing a 40 W “candle” can have a power from 4 to 7 W.

Power equivalent

Most LED lamp manufacturers indicate the equivalent wattage of an incandescent lamp. For example, the packaging may indicate that the lamp has a power of 6 W and shines like a 60 W incandescent lamp. Some manufacturers indicate this equivalent rather incorrectly, so I recommend that you always pay attention not to the power equivalent, but to the luminous flux.

Light flow

The brightness of a lamp, or rather the amount of light that a lamp gives, is determined by the “luminous flux” parameter, measured in lumens (lm).
For ordinary lamps (pears, candles), you can approximately estimate the required luminous flux by multiplying the power of a conventional incandescent lamp by 10: 40 W - 400 lm, 60 W - 600 lm, 100 W - 1000 lm. So, if you're looking to buy an LED bulb to replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb, look for bulbs with a lumen output of at least 600 lumens.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers overestimate the value luminous flux. In reality, it may turn out to be even half as low as stated, and a lamp that should shine like a 60-watt incandescent lamp will only shine like a 25-watt one. Real values luminous flux can only be determined by the results of independent testing.

Colorful temperature

Incandescent lamps emit a warm yellowish light with a color temperature of 2700-2800K. If you want an LED lamp to produce light as similar as possible to incandescent lamp light, choose lamps with a color temperature of 2700-2800K. Many LED lamps have a color temperature of 3000K - this is whiter, but no less comfortable light. Light from lamps with a color temperature of 4000K is called “neutral white”. This light is more suitable for office premises. It is believed that white light helps improve performance, and yellow light helps to relax and unwind, so at home in the evening the light should be warm with a color temperature no higher than 3000K. Lamps with cool white light 5000K and above are intended for use in utility rooms. There is no place for them at home.

Voltage

LED lamps are produced that operate from a 220-230 V network and from 12 volt power sources.
LED lamps use drivers ( electronic boards installed in the lamp base) different types. Many lamps use stabilized drivers. The brightness of such lamps does not change when the network voltage fluctuates within very large limits. Some of the lamps shine equally brightly when the mains voltage is reduced from 230 to 70 volts. Unfortunately, manufacturers often do not indicate the actual voltage range: the lamp packaging may say 220-240 V or 230 V, but in reality the lamp burns at a much lower voltage.

12 volt lamps are available with sockets E27, E14, GU5.3, G4 and can operate on both constant and AC voltage. Most microlamps with a G4 base and some spot lamps with a GU5.3 base, when operating on alternating voltage, have a very high light pulsation, which is harmful to the eyes and well-being in general. In order to avoid pulsation of such lamps, you will have to replace the transformers with DC power supplies.

Color rendering index (CRI, Ra)

The light of an LED lamp differs from the light of an incandescent lamp in terms of spectrum. Although the light appears white, it contains more of some color components and less of some. The color rendering index shows how uniform the level of different color components in light is. At low Ra, shades are less visible. Such light is visually unpleasant, and it is very difficult to understand what is wrong with it. Incandescent and solar lamps have Ra above 98, good LED lamps have more than 80, very good ones have more than 90. It is better not to use lamps with Ra below 80 in residential areas.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers overestimate Ra: on the box they write Ra > 80, but in fact it only slightly exceeds 70 and it is better not to use such lamps in residential premises.

Working with a switch with an indicator

Many LED lamps do not work correctly with switches that have an indicator light or LED. When the switch is turned off, these lamps flash or glow dimly. Only a few manufacturers indicate whether their lamps work with such switches.

Dimmer support

Most LED lamps cannot work with brightness controls (dimmers), but special dimmable LED lamps are available that support brightness adjustment. These lamps work with most conventional incandescent dimmers, but minimum level brightness when dimming can be quite high (about 20%). In order for lamps to dim to almost zero brightness when dimming, it is necessary to use special dimmers for LED lamps.

Light pulsation

Light pulsation leads to eye fatigue and a general deterioration in well-being, so it is very important to use only those lamps that do not have visible pulsation. According to SNIP for various types indoors, the pulsation of light is normalized in the range of 5-20%; in fact, pulsation up to 35% is invisible to humans. Only some manufacturers write “pulsation-free” on the packaging of lamps. Other lamps may have a low pulsation level, but this is not indicated in the lamp parameters. The presence of pulsation can be checked using the “pencil test” or by looking at the light of the lamp through a smartphone camera (if there is pulsation, stripes will be visible on the screen).

Illumination Angle

Conventional incandescent lamps shine in all directions, while halogen spots provide a narrow beam of light. With LED lamps everything is more complicated.

Many LED lamps that replace conventional incandescent lamps have a hemisphere-shaped cap of the same diameter as the body. Such lamps practically do not shine back and if they are directed downward, the ceiling will remain dark, which can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, recently many lamps have appeared whose transparent cap is larger than the body and due to this the lamp shines a little backwards.
LED filament lamps have the same wide illumination angle as conventional incandescent lamps.

Most LED spots (suspended ceiling lamps with GU10 and GU5.3 sockets) shine with diffused light with an angle of about 100 degrees and are blinding due to the too wide angle (halogen spots give a narrow beam of light with an illumination angle of about 30 degrees). Only some LED spots have such a narrow lighting angle as halogen lamps. Such lamps are easy to recognize by the presence of lenses in front of the LEDs.

Lamp type

In a conventional LED lamp, several LEDs are covered with a cap (usually frosted). Sometimes you can still find outdated corn lamps, the entire surface of which is covered with many small LEDs, reminiscent of corn kernels on the cob. New type LED lamps - filament lamps (or lamps on LED filaments). Such lamps are very similar in appearance to incandescent lamps - they have a glass bulb and a wide lighting angle. Inside the lamp there are LED filaments - ceramic or metal plates on which many small LEDs are placed in a row.

Such lamps are more efficient than conventional lamps (they produce more than 100 Lm/W) and their light is as similar as possible to the light of incandescent lamps. Most filament lamps are clear, but some are matte. The disadvantage of such lamps is their lower service life compared to conventional LED lamps.

Life time

Manufacturers indicate lamp life from 10,000 to 50,000 hours. In fact, no one knows how long a lamp will actually last, because technology is improving very quickly and all service life is calculated theoretically. I recommend paying attention not to the indicated service life, but to the warranty period, during which you can exchange a lamp that has failed.

Guarantee

All LED lamps have a warranty of 1 to 5 years. Stores are required to replace lamps under warranty during this period if they fail. In addition, according to the consumer protection law, you can return the lamps to the store within 14 days after purchase if you do not like them, provided you have intact packaging and, if possible, a receipt.

How to choose good lamps

Selecting LED lamps is not an easy task. Even from the most famous manufacturers, there are lamps with unacceptably high pulsation. Some manufacturers have some good lamps, and some not so much. In order to know exactly which lamps are good and which are not, I created a project on independent testing LED lamps. I test lamps and publish the results of measuring all the main parameters. Now more than 1000 models of lamps from 75 brands have been tested and the work continues. Therefore, the easiest choice is to find the lamp you are interested in on lamptest and look at its measured parameters:

The ripple factor should not exceed 35% (or better, it should be less than 10%);
the color rendering index must be at least 80 (for utility rooms it can be from 70);
the luminous flux must be no less than that of the incandescent lamp that you want to replace with LED;
If you have a switch with an indicator, make sure the lamp can operate correctly with it.
if you have a dimmer installed, make sure the lamp is dimmable;
If you choose spotlights, pay attention to the lighting angle. Lamps with an angle of more than 50° will be blinding when installed in the ceiling of a large room.

If the lamp you are interested in is not yet on the website, I recommend following the following criteria choice:

If the package says “no pulsation”, there is a high probability that the pulsation of the lamp light will be less than 5%. If this is not indicated and it is possible to turn on the lamp, look at its light through the camera mobile phone. There should be no stripes across the screen. Try twirling a pencil or other long object in front of the lamp. If the contours of a pencil are blurred, there is no pulsation; if you see “several pencils,” there is a visible pulsation and such a lamp is not worth buying.
See what the skin of your hand looks like under the light of a lamp. If the color is grayish, the lamp has a low color rendering index and it is better not to buy it.
Compare the brightness of the lamp with the brightness of an incandescent lamp or other lamp whose brightness you know. A rough comparison can be made using the light sensor of most Android smartphones. Install any light meter application (for example Sensors Multitool and select “light” there). The sensors of all smartphones are not calibrated, so the values ​​​​of all smartphones will be completely different, but for comparison this is not important. Take a matte lamp at home in advance of the same shape as the one you want to buy, launch the application and lean the smartphone with the sensor against the lamp (the sensor is located above the screen on the left or right, bring it to the top of regular lamps and to the center of the side of candle lamps). Write down the resulting value. In the store, turn on the lamp, wait at least a minute (as LED lamps warm up, they lose up to 12% of their brightness), launch the application and place the sensor against the lamp. Compare the value with what you measured at home. Now you will know almost exactly whether the measured lamp is brighter than the one that was measured at home, or dimmer.
Pay attention to the production date of the lamp (for most lamps it is indicated on the body). If the lamp was released more than two years ago, it is better not to buy it - progress is very fast and modern lamps better than those that were released before.
pay attention to guarantee period. If the warranty is long (3-5) years, the probability of lamp failure is much less.
After purchasing, take a photo of the receipt. If the lamp fails, this photo will help you get it replaced under warranty if the regular receipt gets lost or fades.

I wrote this article for Yandex Market: market.yandex.ru/articles/kak-vybrat-svetodiodnuju-lampu.
Hope it helps a large number People can't go wrong with choosing good LED lamps.

2017, Alexey Nadezhin

Light emitting diode (LED), or light emitting diodes, are widely used as indicator lights, they can be seen on dashboards and advertising signs, and in the last few years, LED lamps for the home have become increasingly popular.

The modern consumer is attentive to the ratio of price and quality, especially if we're talking about about technical innovations. Let's find out whether LED lamps will help you save money and what advantages the use of LED lamps brings.

Characteristics of LED lamps for home

Traditional incandescent lamps, including halogen lamps, are characterized by high energy losses in the form of heat. In LED alternating current is converted into constant light with virtually no heating, which makes LED lamps economical and safe. The operating life of an LED lamp can be 30,000–100,000 hours, depending on the technology and operating conditions.

One of important advantages LED lamps offer a wide range of light temperatures. Lamps of 2600–3200 K (warm white) and 3700–4200 K (natural white) are optimal for the room. Deviations up or down are perceived as uncomfortable and even oppressive. For an apartment it is recommended to use warm white, but a table lamp for a workplace can be with a natural LED lamp white light- a cool shade of lighting will help you quickly get into a working mood.

LED lamps are stronger than conventional lamps, they can be shaken and dropped without the risk of being shaken or dropped, they will not burst in your hands from too much pressure, and they do not burn out from frequent switching on/off of the light.

High-quality LED lamps do not have the pulsation effect of the light flux. This unpleasant phenomenon, sometimes invisible to the human eye, leads to rapid fatigue. You can check for pulsations using a mobile phone camera. When you point the lens at the pulsating lamp, the image on the screen will blink.

Which LED lamps are best to choose for your home?

The choice of lighting for the home has its own specifics, because most often we spend the dark time of the day here, doing everyday things, and the lamps should provide maximum comfort for long hours.

Power. If you decide to replace conventional lamps with LED ones and do not know how to choose the power, this will help you simple formula: Divide the power of the glow plug you are replacing by 8.

Voltage. LED lamps operate on a conventional voltage of 220 V, but can also be designed for 110 V.

Number of LEDs in the lamp. Although LEDs do not burn out like regular incandescent bulbs, they do experience aging. How large quantity LEDs provide required brightness lamp, the longer it will last.

Design and shape of the product. LED lamps can be made either in the traditional version with one or another bulb (ball, pear, globe, candle), or in the form of “corn” with LEDs located similar to grains on the cob.

Case materials. Frosted and transparent glass, aluminum, plastic, and ceramics can be used in the manufacture of the LED lamp housing. When choosing between glass and plastic lamps, give preference to glass ones - they have higher light transmission rates.

Product protection degree. This indicator is indicated by the letters IP and numbers. For a normal room, IP40 is enough, for a dusty room - IP50.

Base. LED lamps have screw and pin bases. Screw ones are designated by the letter E and numbers indicating the diameter in millimeters. Pins are designated by the letter G and numbers indicating the distance in millimeters between the pins.

• E27 - classic threaded base. Suitable for chandeliers and lamps designed for use energy saving lamps and incandescent lamps.
• E14 is a variation of the E27 base with a smaller diameter. Suitable for many modern lamps. Such a base is usually found in “minion” and “candle” lamps.
• GU5.3, G9 - LED lamps with this base can completely replace halogen lamps.
• GU10 - most often this base is used for installing lamps in kitchen hoods and built-in lamps for illuminating the work surface.
• G4 - base with two “wires” at the end. Typically used in small lamps to illuminate pictures.

Price . Quality lamps can't be cheap. Of course, even 500 rubles for a light bulb can be psychologically difficult to pay, not to mention more large sums. However, if you remember about the energy efficiency and service life of LED lamps, this problem will disappear by itself.

Manufacturer . The intensity of the blue spectrum in LED radiation is high, and this factor can negatively affect vision and psychological comfort. The best manufacturers make sure that LED lamps are safe for health, while small nameless ones are not interested in this issue at all. If you want new lamps to work for a long time and help your vision, give preference to high-quality certified products. The manufacturer must be indicated on the packaging.

The search for high-quality LED lamps should begin with the choice of manufacturer, since for unknown companies the characteristics stated on the packaging may not always correspond to reality.

Rating of LED lamp manufacturers

The LED lighting market in Russia is still in its infancy. Our demand for energy-saving lighting devices developed much later than in other countries. Therefore, the share of domestic LED products on the market is small; mainly imported LED lamps are sold. Almost all of the manufacturers listed below have official websites in Russian.

European countries

LED products made in Europe are of high quality, harmless to health, and meet all modern requirements for lighting fixtures. Of course, this also affects the price.

• Philips . A global brand based in the Netherlands, operating in three main areas: healthcare, lighting solutions and consumer products. LED lamps from this manufacturer can cost 500–1800 rubles; they can be purchased at almost any reputable point of sale, where there is a department of electric lighting devices.
• Osram . A German company known throughout the world for more than 100 years as a proponent of “intelligent light.” Lamps can be purchased for 400–1600 rubles in specialized lighting stores.
• Foton Lighting . Manufacturing and trading lighting company headquartered in London. Foton Lighting LED lamps cost 400–700 rubles. They are easy to find in online electrical stores.

Japan

Japanese engineers have a reputation as pioneers in many areas of technology, and Japanese attention to detail can rival that of Germany. This is why products from the Land of the Rising Sun are so popular all over the world, and LED lamps are no exception.

• Nichia . LEDs high brightness, which this company produces, have long been used in dozens of areas of modern industry, and recently they have found their consumer in everyday life. A special feature of Nichia LED lamps is the use of special optical lenses, thanks to which the light is distributed evenly. Prices for lamps from this manufacturer start at 300 rubles.

Russia

Domestic LED products are currently not inferior in quality to European ones, and with the same characteristics they can cost less due to the fact that production facilities are located in Russia.

• Gauss . A wide range of LED products that undergo strict quality control in independent laboratories in Europe, China and Russia. LED lamps cost 400–2000 rubles and can be purchased at the Gauss brand store and other retail outlets.
• "Optogan" . The Optogan group of companies is one of the few in the world and the only one in Russia that has technologies and a full cycle of production of LEDs and LED equipment. In Russian retail networks Optogan LED lamps for household lighting have been introduced since 2011. The lineup is constantly updated. average cost Optogan lamps cost 500–700 rubles.
• A.S.D. . Today the company sells over 1,000,000 LED lamps per month. Product quality has been awarded at international exhibitions, while prices start from 100 rubles. You can purchase LED lamps from this company in online stores, supermarkets, construction markets, and lighting stores.

China

First of all, it should be noted that the practice of purchasing unnamed LED lamps in Chinese online stores currently does not justify itself. Previously, the mass consumer did exactly this, and if cheap lamp It broke down, I just bought a new one. Now this is unprofitable, and no one is responsible for the quality of such lamps. For example, LEDs of 0.15 W and 0.09 W can be produced in the same housings as those of 0.5 W, placed in the lamp in the same quantity, only the lamp will produce, for example, 400 lm instead of 1700 lm. However, in Russia you can buy certified products from well-known Chinese brands, the quality of which is beyond doubt.

• Camelion . High quality lamps, lighting equipment, power supplies and flashlights, produced for more than twenty years. The company's Russian-language website presents full information about products, including certificates of conformity. The warranty on LED lamps is 3 years from the date of purchase, resource 30,000–40,000 hours. You can purchase them in large Russian retail chains, online stores and specialized lighting stores. Cost 100–450 rubles.
• Selecta . The assortment includes light sources, lamps and accessories for them. The products are widely represented in online lighting stores. For home use, we can recommend ultra-thin built-in LED lights at a price of about 700 rubles, as well as various LED ceiling lamps costing 1200–1300 rubles.
• Estares . Trademark famous Chinese company MaySun. You can purchase LED lamps, LED controllable ASTRELLA lamps, interior and functional lamps for home, office and retail space in stores selling lighting equipment and LED products. Lamps can be purchased for 200–500 rubles, recessed thin LED lamps cost 1200–2500 rubles.

Russia-China

Russian-Chinese products are distinguished by a combination innovative technologies with reliability and ease of use.

• Ecola . LED lamps GX53 produced by Ecola are energy-saving, flat, used for stretch and suspended ceilings in offices and at home. They cost 150–500 rubles and can be purchased both on the company’s website and at multi-brand online and offline retail outlets.
• Newera . The company's brand is SVeto-Led, under which LED lamps have been produced at Chinese production facilities for 9 years. You can buy them through the SVeto-Led website at a price of 170–500 rubles.

When choosing LED lamps, it is useful to read customer reviews and expert reviews. The most correct reviews are those compiled after several months of operation, as well as data from independent tests. The more reputable the manufacturer of LED lamps, the fewer discrepancies there will be between the declared and actual characteristics.

If you decide to make lighting in your home using LED bulbs, you need to choose them correctly. This is primarily due to the fact that products have many parameters that affect energy savings, lighting comfort, product cost, etc. Among these parameters, the main ones are the luminous flux of the products, the dispersion angle, the manufacturer, the power and the type of base. Next, we will try to consider each of the criteria in as much detail as possible, so that you learn how to choose LED lamps for your home and apartment.

Power

The first and probably the most important characteristic for buyers is the power of LED light bulbs. The efficiency of lighting will depend on how many watts the product consumes.

Very important nuance, which you must remember - when replacing with LEDs, the power of the modern version must be reduced by no less than 7.5 times. In simple words– if a 75 W bulb was screwed in, an LED light bulb should be selected with a power of no more than 10 W.

You can see the difference in the comparison table:

As you can see, even with the example of replacing one light source, the savings are huge. What if you replace it throughout the entire apartment? For your home and apartment, it is better to choose LED lamps with a power of 6 to 8 W, which illuminate the room better than 60-watt incandescent lamps.

I would immediately like to say a few words about one more important parameter- voltage. There are light bulbs operating from 12 and 220 V. The first option is used in rooms with high humidity, for example, during installation. You should not buy 12-volt products with the expectation that they will consume less electricity, because this is not true.

Video comparison of LED and fluorescent lamps

The next option to choose wisely is . As you can see in the picture, than higher temperature(in Kelvin), the cooler the glow will be.

To spend time comfortably in the room, you do not need to choose LED lamps with bright daylight, which are most often used in offices and production premises. It is better to give preference to the range from 2700 to 3000 K, because this temperature interval represents a yellowish glow of the usual sunlight. The color may be indicated on the packaging verbal form. Buy those models that are labeled “warm white” or “soft white.”

Base type

We have already talked to you in detail about where the most popular product designs were provided. When choosing LED lamps based on the type of base, it is better to choose the option that was previously available. For example, if a standard E27 threaded base was screwed into the chandelier, look for an LED with the same thread on the market.

If you decide, you need to choose an LED lamp with a GU 5.3 base. The sconces and night lights use E27 and E14 (Mignon) threads. Light sources can be very diverse in shape: pear-shaped, elongated, round. Here, give preference to your taste and design of the lamp.

Presence of a radiator

The heatsink removes the temperature from the LED block. If the design does not provide a cooling system in the form of an aluminum ribbed surface, avoid such a model.

Sometimes manufacturers of cheap products install a radiator in the form of a plastic outlet. We do not recommend that you choose this option, because... Plastic has many disadvantages and, compared to aluminum, it does not have as high a cooling efficiency. On this occasion you can see many negative reviews on the forums from those people who used this option.

It should also be noted that frosted bulbs do not allow you to see whether a radiator is installed or not, so when choosing LED lamps for your home and apartment, think about whether you need opaque bulbs.

By the way, you can tell if there is a radiator in an LED lamp by its weight. If the light bulb is heavy (it differs in weight from analogues), most likely it has a high-quality aluminum radiator. This design option can be chosen without a doubt for an apartment or house.

Also when choosing LED lamps pay attention to such a characteristic as work resource. Today, this figure can exceed the level of 50 thousand hours, which is about 15 years of work. At the same time, we do not recommend relying too much on the reliability of the information. The fact is that over time, the quality of their glow decreases noticeably.

It would be better to start not from the working resource, but from the warranty period. This time can be from 3 to 5 years, which means the following - if during this period of time the light bulb fails, it will be replaced with a new one for free. In fact useful thing, but the problem is that domestic ones are not very quality companies allow a warranty period of up to 3 years (foreign from 5). As a rule, during these 3 years, breakdowns are extremely rare.

This parameter must also be taken into account when choosing LED light bulbs for your home. The nature of the illumination will depend on whether a diverging lens is installed and whether it is coated on the inside with a phosphor.

Also pay attention to how the LEDs are positioned. If they are all in the same plane, the light will be narrowly focused. At the same time, multi-level placement of diodes will create diffuse lighting.

Color rendering coefficient

Few people pay attention to this when choosing them, but, nevertheless, it is also important. For bright lighting, the color rendering coefficient must be at least 80. A value of 95 is considered high, but the price of such a model will be much more expensive. The color rendition is indicated on the packaging, but it cannot always be found on the front side.

Right now I would like to tell you a little trick. Check how much quality manufacturer the light bulb you have chosen can be determined precisely by this coefficient. If the lamp is cheap, but the value on the packaging is high, then it is a fake.

Dimmer Compatible

When we looked at it, we paid attention to the fact that not all models of dimmers can be used with ice lamps. LEDs for connection to a dimmer must be specially designed; this must be indicated on the packaging.

If you choose an LED lamp that does not work with a dimmer, both the dimmer and the bulbs will quickly fail. You can find out more about it in our corresponding article!

Appearance of packaging

The packaging itself says a lot about the quality of the light bulb.
As a rule, popular ones display the following elements on the packaging:

• information about the manufacturer;
• power;
• warranty period;
• type of base;
• luminous flux (indicated in Lumens);
• color rendering coefficient;
• color temperature (both in words and in Kelvin);
• barcode.

If many of these parameters are not specified, the product is unlikely to be of high quality. Also, when choosing LED lamps for your home and apartment, we advise you to pay attention to the build quality itself. U good producers All fastening elements are made without gaps, irregularities and roughness.

An object lesson on packaging review is discussed in detail in this video:

How to determine the quality of an LED lamp

Manufacturers

As you understand, much of the above depends on the manufacturer. As for countries, both domestic and foreign companies produce fairly reliable products. Let's look at how to choose the right LED lamps by manufacturer.

The leaders of the rating are such giants as Osram, Philips, Nichia, CREE and GAUSS. So many positive feedback about the Chinese company MAXUS, whose products have the highest warranty period at a relatively low price. Among domestic manufacturers, such Russian campaigns as Svetlana-Optoelectronics and Optogan are popular.

Extra options

In 2017, they are gaining more and more popularity, which have the following functionality:

1. Protection from thieves. Over the course of a week, the light bulb remembers the time the owners turned it on and off and, in their absence, turns on and off on its own, simulating the effect of presence.
2. Availability of on and off timer. Settings are set manually.
3. Remote control control. In addition to turning the light on and off, you can choose the brightness or color of the glow.
4. Smoke and motion sensors.
5. Availability of battery. When the lights are turned off, the lamp can still work for several hours, which ensures.
6. Wi-Fi Boost signal. Smart LED bulbs can expand coverage Wi-Fi networks due to built-in antennas. This will strengthen the signal wireless connection in places where it is very weak.
7. Availability of speakers. Yes, the bulbs can even play your favorite music from your smartphone. To do this, you just need to synchronize the lamp and your phone via Bluetooth.

Most popular models LED smart lamps are considered Philips Hue, Xiaomi Yeelight LED and Luminous BT Smart Bulb. Do you want to choose a smart LED light bulb for your apartment or home? Pay attention to the listed models.

In addition, when choosing LED lamps, pay attention to the operating temperature range. For outdoor use, you need to choose a light bulb that can function at a minimum temperature of about -40°C. For baths and saunas, on the contrary, working temperature LEDs should be around +90°C.

Well, the last thing I would like to talk about is the pulsation coefficient. If the lamp pulsates, this indicates a poor quality rectifier in the power supply. The stronger the pulsation, the faster man gets tired, also gets more excited nervous system. Unfortunately, it is impossible to estimate the pulsation coefficient with the naked eye. This will require special device or at least a cell phone camera. Ask to turn on the light bulb, point the camera at it, if the image starts blinking, then the LED lamp is pulsating, we do not recommend choosing it.

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to choose LED lamps for your home and which models are best for domestic use. We hope that this information was new and useful for you! If you have any questions, our specialists will answer them in the comments or category “