# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  Best quality LED globes (in your opinion)

## Cecile

After yet another blown Philips EcoClassic globe, after only three months, LED is the only way to go.  We are prepared for the price but have no idea who is making the best quality or where to get them.  I'm a bit wary of made-in-China stuff with its poor to non-existent quality control, and I am not fond of either of the local Beacon franchises. 
Over to you...opinions and your personal experience very much appreciated. 
Ten-Q

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## Pulse

I've found the osram gu10s very good, haven't had one fail and just dropped in price to about $15 at bunnies

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## Cecile

> I've found the osram gu10s very good, haven't had one fail and just dropped in price to about $15 at bunnies

  Thanks Pulse.  I should have said these are not halogen-type for downlights but regular bayonet fit globes. 
I found these, probably a good starting point LED STAR CLASSIC A

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## Brian7886

I use Atom Led downlights.  
Start at about $30-$35 up to $60 depending on size and wattage. Thats for the entire kit

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## Cecile

I should have made myself more clear.  There are no downlights fitted in this house, just ceiling batten fix with stanard globes. 
Thanks.

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## Overkill

Hi Cecile, 
I have used a few small Osram bulbs and they have been fine for the last 2 months; the only issue I have is that they are much more directional than incandescent bulbs - I think that goes for most other brands. What bugs me about ALL LED bulb replacements is the low power rating; 10W is the highest I can find, which is supposed to be the equivalent of a 75W incandescent bulb. To me, its definitely not as bright! 
I have been happy with this supplier: LED Shopper | LED Lighting | LED Downlights | LED Floods & Spots | LED Globes & Bulbs, they have good quality lights and seem competitive for the parts I wanted. Some of their stuff is made to order in the Phillipines and can take 3 weeks to arrive. Customer service was quick and effective.

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## Oldsaltoz

> I should have made myself more clear.  There are no down lights fitted in this house, just ceiling batten fix with standard globes. 
> Thanks.

  Just noticed the globe in the link is a screw in not a bayonet ?

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## Cecile

> Just noticed the globe in the link is a screw in not a bayonet ?

  There were several different globe types including bayonet.  Not sure why the link didn't work properly.  Overall I think modern light globes available are designed to fail sooner rather than later.  I don't remember having to replace them so often in the past.

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## Overkill

Looking at the spec sheet, that globe only has a 15,000 hour life, which  MUCH lower than most LED bulbs. Its hard to say whether Osram are more realistic than other suppliers, or if the bulb is just using cheapo LEDs. I also notice that particular one is only 3 watts and equivalent to a regular 15W bulb. That makes it bright enough for a nightlight , but not much else.

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## Overkill

Have a look at this nanoleaf LED bulb: NanoLeaf LED Light Bulbs to see what the near future holds. I'm not suggesting these are for everyone, but the specs are very impressive. I am hoping to get mine delivered in July.

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## SilentButDeadly

CHOICE have been testing a couple and found the Philips and Osram brand globes to be the best LED performers to date in the GLS shape  Philips 12W Master LED Globe 2700K A60 240V Dimmable LED Bulb - Lighting Matters 
Same supplier has quite a few others for a range of prices

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## FrodoOne

I realize that this thread is now over 6 months old BUT things can change a lot on the LED front in that time.
You may note that Bunnings and Woolworths are now selling Philips LED globes with both Edison Screw and Bayonet connections. 
They come in various Wattages and in both Daylight and Warm White (3000K).  I have used only the 10W ones - intended as a replacement for 60W incandescent lamps and rated at 806 lumen. 
They are rated to last "up to 15,000 hours" and cost (about) $16 for the 10W lamps which I purchased. 
To me, they appear somewhat brighter than a 'normal' 60W incandescent.   
I note that the lamps wanted are intended to be placed in Batten Fix (Fittings?).  However please note the following site concerning the ban on incandescent lamps, about half way down, where CFLs in Existing Luminaires are discussed and note that the same points about heat build-up in enclosed fittings would apply to 240V LEDs also.  Ban Incandescent Lamps?

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## Moondog55

We have bought a few of those Phillips LED lamps at woolies and so far so good; and I can only see the price coming down [ hopefully] a little now these are mainstream.
As said the downfall is the directionality but the heat issue is the same for the halogen hybrids so we have learned how to cope with that.

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## John2b

> I realize that this thread is now over 6 months old BUT things can change a lot on the LED front in that time.

  In Australia not much has changed on the LED front in years. In Japan, the range, quality and price ofLED fittings is amazing and has been since I first went in 2007. Six years later and Australia hasn't got a poofteenth of the range or quality that Japan has. Panasonic has a large range of LED lights that look just like old fashioned incandescent lights, for example, but they don't bring them into Australia.  11G02035_03_880x660.jpg 
Every supermarket in Japan seems to have a bigger range of LED light bulbs than you will found in the whole of Australia, and CHEAP too LOL. Every-time I visit I want to bring back a suitcase full, but they are all rated 100 Vac only  :Annoyed:

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## Smurf

So far as LED light bulbs (to replace incandescent etc) available in Australia are concerned, my thinking is that we're likely to see ongoing price drops, efficiency gains and light distribution improvement in the years ahead. 
I thus haven't (and won't) rushed to fill the house with LED's, indeed I don't actually have any at present. I'll just get the best of what's available at the time as the existing bulbs break. 
Even just looking at what Bunnings etc sell, the LED's you can buy now are vastly superior to those of 12 months ago. A year ago they were less efficient than CFL and only came in low light outputs (eg equivalent to 25W incandescent). Now they are available up to the equivalent of 75W incandescent and have exceeded (slightly at this stage) the energy efficiency of CFL. No doubt the 100W equivalent and further improvements in efficiency are just around the corner.

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## FrodoOne

John2b 
The Panasonic lamp (LDAHV4L27CG) to which you have referred is described in the Panasonic UK site a LED Nostalgic Clear Type with the following features: - 
Ultra Long Life 40,000 hours
Recreate Atmosphere and Quality of Incandescent
Nominal and rated lamp luminous flux in lumen (lm) 210
80% Energy Saving LED Bulb (4.4W=20W) with A-Energy Rating
Soft Warm Colour (2700 Kelvin)
Compact Size, 300 degree light (E27 socket) 
I note that Panasonic lamps with exactly the type number specified are on sale in the UK, Europe and USA  so it is probably a Universal Voltage type (100V AC to 250V AC) as many LEDs are.
Hence, you could obviously import them, if you wish.  Indicative prices are 19.99 and USD$20.50)
An ebay site (231144349542) has it at AUD$55.18 plus $7.50 postage which, given the prices mentioned above, is a joke! 
This Nostalgic Clear Type lamp appears to be designed to look somewhat like the original Edison Carbon Filament lamps  which are grossly inefficient but which some may think to be decorative. 
While some might like the nostalgic look of carbon filament lamps, I am much more interested in obtaining the necessary brightness of lighting at the lowest running cost! 
Other Philips lamps, of the same type as those which I previously mentioned, give around 600lm for 7 to 8W input.  These are claimed to be equivalent to 40W BUT appear to me to be significantly brighter than the 40W incandescent I have recently replaced.  So much so that I intend to try replacing that with a 5W Phillips LED (supposedly equivalent to a 20W incandescent) ASAP.

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## John2b

> John2b 
> ...

  All very good points!  :Cool:  I posted the Panasonic LED as an example of how backward things are in Oz, that's all. :Wink:

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## FrodoOne

> So far as LED light bulbs (to replace incandescent etc) available in Australia are concerned, my thinking is that we're likely to see ongoing price drops, efficiency gains and light distribution improvement in the years ahead. 
> I thus haven't (and won't) rushed to fill the house with LED's, indeed I don't actually have any at present. I'll just get the best of what's available at the time as the existing bulbs break. 
> Even just looking at what Bunnings etc sell, the LED's you can buy now are vastly superior to those of 12 months ago. A year ago they were less efficient than CFL and only came in low light outputs (eg equivalent to 25W incandescent). Now they are available up to the equivalent of 75W incandescent and have exceeded (slightly at this stage) the energy efficiency of CFL. No doubt the 100W equivalent and further improvements in efficiency are just around the corner.

  
OK - BUT I think my original response was in sympathy with your last paragraph. (i.e. "I realize that this thread is now over 6 months old BUT things can change a lot on the LED front in that time.")  Indeed, neither I have "rushed to fill the house with LED's".  However, CFLs (the other substitute for incandescent lamps) do have several very annoying "features".
They do not attain full brightness instantly.
Their light output reduces over time.
They emit infra-red radiation - which CAN interfere with Remote Control signals, particularly when first switched on and "warming-up".  (NOT a widely known fact.)!
They present a disposal problem - since they contain mercury. 
The relatively recent appearance of the Philips LEDs gave me the impetus to change the "globes" in three kitchen down-lights.  These previously had 3-year old reflector CFLs, which were now of markedly different brightness levels and colour, even though they had all been installed at the same time.  
While you are waiting for "ongoing price drops", if using incandescence lamps you may be paying more for electricity or else you may be enjoying the "features" of CFLs. 
In either case, Good Luck.

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## GoLights

Verbatim Globes have been REALLY good, and there are never any problems. They start from $14 and come in B22 and E27 and have a 20,000 Hr lamp life (about 10 years with normal usage) 
Obviously the higher the wattage, the higher the price, including dimmable versions. 
Worth a look for sure

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