I Finally Found the Best Bedroom LED Lightbulbs, and I’m Letting You in on My Secret
I have a confession. I am an energy-saving, waste-reducing zealot, but I resisted the switch to <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="LED%20lightbulbs%20for%20a%20<em>long%20</em>time.%20I%20knew%20LEDs%20were%20the%20best%20choice%20for%20the%20planet%20and%20my%20electric%20bill,%20but%20I%20loved%20my%20incandescent%20bulbs%20fiercely.%20My%20reluctance%20to%20make%20the%20switch%20stemmed%20from%20my%20experiences%20with%20energy-saving%20bulbs,%20including%20the%20dreaded%20compact-fluorescent%20and%20some%20early%20LED%20bulbs,%20which%20left%20me%20convinced%20a%20good%20low-energy%20bulb%20didn%E2%80%99t%20exist.%20</p>%0A%0A%0A%0A<p>However,%20it%E2%80%99s%20my%20job%20to%20write%20about%20homes,%20and%20I%E2%80%99ve%20found%20my%20niche%20writing%20about%20the%20intersection%20of%20home%20design%20and%20sustainability.%20Eco%20experts%20love%20to%20tout%20the%20wonders%20of%20LED%20bulbs,%20and%20they%20came%20up%20in%20my%20reporting%20so%20often%20that%20I%20finally%20started%20asking%20the%20pros,%20%E2%80%9CHow%20could%20I%20get%20that%20warm,%20lovely%20glow%20of%20an%20incandescent%20in%20an%20LED%20bulb?%E2%80%9D</p>%0A%0A%0A%0A<p>First,%20I%20learned%20that%20the%20labeling%20of%20watt%20equivalents%20is%20pretty%20unhelpful%20because%20it%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20tell%20you%20anything%20about%20the%20color%20temperature%20of%20the%20light.%20I%20also%20discovered%20I%20should%20avoid%20anything%20labeled%20%E2%80%9Cdaylight,%E2%80%9D%20which%20was%20a%20surprise.%20Apparently,%20what%20I%20interpreted%20to%20mean%20%E2%80%9Cnatural%E2%80%9D%20actually%20meant,%20a%20cooler,%20blue-ish%20toned%20light%20with%20a%20color%20temperature%20between%205000%20and%206000%20Kelvin.%20Instead,%20the%20experts%20said%20that%20I%20needed%20to%20look%20for%20%E2%80%9Csoft%20white%E2%80%9D%20with%20a%20warmer%20temperature%20of%20about%202500%20to%202700%20Kelvin.%20However,%20even%20that%20tip%20failed%20me%20when%20I%20discovered%20not%20all%20LEDs%20are%20dimmable,%20which%20is%20not%20such%20a%20big%20deal%20in%20my%20kitchen%20but%20is%20a%20dealbreaker%20in%20the%20bedroom,%20where%20I%20need%20calming%20light%20that%20I%20can%20adjust%20to%20precisely%20the%20level%20I%20desire.</p>%0A%0A%0A%0A<p>Next,%20I%20moved%20from%20asking%20the%20pros%20for%20bulb%20specs%20to%20zeroing%20in%20on%20their%20specific%20product%20picks.%20One%20person%20suggested%20that%20if%20I%20wanted%20warmth,%20I%20should%20look%20to%20<a%20href=" https:>GE’s Amber Glass Candle Light bulbs. At 2200K, those turned out to be a little too warm for bedside reading, but I put them in my entryway where their decidedly amber glow lends ambiance but doesn’t hinder tasks.
That bulb purchase led me to my dream LEDs last year though: GE’s Relax, which you can see above. These white LED, 60 watt equivalent bulbs turned out to be the perfect lighting for my bedroom because they are soft and not too cool — but still bright enough for reading — and are also dimmable. They also last forever (up to 13 years, according to GE’s website). So I won’t have to replace them anytime soon, and so far, so good.
One last thing: If your bedroom lights aren’t on a dimmer yet, they should be! A basic plug-in dimmer switch will let you dim your existing lamps for about $15 to $20 a pop. Just be sure to buy one that is compatible with your new LED bulbs!
February is Bedroom Month on Apartment Therapy! We’re sharing stories all month about bedrooms — from how to sleep in them, decorate them, make the most of small ones, and so much more. Head over here to see them all!