Lighting can make your space welcoming and inviting while making you more productive. The right lighting is bright, long-lasting and energy efficient. LED home lighting is a great choice for many residential uses, while LED panel lighting is the go-to choice for many businesses.
Comparing and Contrasting: Halogen vs. LED Home Lighting
Halogen bulbs have been in use for decades, and while they once lined the ceilings of homes and businesses, they started to be phased out in many countries in 2009 and have slowly started to be replaced by LED lights.
Energy efficiency is one of the main reasons to choose LED light bulbs, but there are a lot of additional perks.
Making a Case for LED Lighting
When you choose LED bulbs, you’re choosing bulbs that:
- Last up 25,000 to 50,000 hours, or 20 to 25 times a halogen bulb
- Use 75% to 80% less energy than typical halogen bulbs
- Are free from chemicals and gases known to cause harm
- Run much cooler than their halogen bulb counterparts
You’ll pay more for LED panel lighting than halogen, but the longevity of the bulbs provides long-term savings.
Comparing LED Lighting to Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs have fallen out of favor for two main reasons:
- Longevity of the bulbs is around 2,000 hours
- Energy demands are much higher than the demands of LED bulbs
Since halogen bulbs use infrared light, they can damage fabric and artwork. The filament of the bulb is very sensitive. These bulbs run very hot and should not be touched until they cool down.
What About Brightness?
Every bulb manufacturer will have a lumen level listed for their bulbs. A 60-watt bulb from one manufacturer can be dimmer or brighter than a 60-watt bulb from another manufacturer. Lumens are the measurement of visible light.
The higher the lumens, the brighter the light should be.
When comparing 60-watt bulbs, you’ll find the following:
- LED bulbs have 570 to 830 lumens
- Halogen bulbs have 565 to 750 lumens
You’ll find that LED lights match and can exceed the brightness of a standard halogen bulb. If a workplace or home needs brighter lighting, the right LED bulb will be able to surpass the brightness of a halogen light.
If brightness is a main concern, it’s a good idea to choose LED bulbs over their halogen counterparts.
Which Type of Light Bulb is Best for You?
In most cases, LED lighting provides the better bulb. You will have to spend more upfront for these bulbs, but they will last 20+ times longer than a halogen bulb and require much less energy consumption.
LED bulbs also:
- Release fewer harmful chemicals compared to other bulb options
- Run at lower temperature, so they’re far safer to touch and leave on
- Don’t attract insects thanks to lower operating temperature
- Reduce light pollution because light is directed in one location
While halogen light bulbs were once a great option for residential and commercial usage, LED lighting offers a bulb that produces the same or more lumens, runs at cooler temperatures, lasts longer and is far more energy efficient.