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Residential Light Bulbs

Types of Residential Light Bulbs

Most residential light bulbs have screw bases. Within the residential screw base category, there are a few different base types, including…

• E26 & E27 Bulbs

  used for general lighting like ceiling lights, lamps, flood light fixtures, and vanity lights.

• E12 Candelabra

  common in decorative fixtures, like chandeliers, wall sconces, string lights, and night lights.

• E14

  used in chandeliers, wall sconces, lamps, pendant lights, string lights, and marquee lights

• E17 Intermediate

  used for similar applications to E12 candelabra bulbs. They are also used for appliance lights, like microwave lights, refrigerator lights, and range hood lights.

When selecting a light bulb for your fixture, check to see what kind of bulb base is required. From there, you can choose a bulb shape that suits your taste and looks great with the fixture. TCP offers a wide variety of LED residential bulbs, so shop our selection to find the right fit for your light fixture.

Benefits of Switching to LED Residential Lighting

Making the switch to LED lighting is one of the easiest ways to make a big impact on your home’s energy efficiency. LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. That translates into major cost savings for you, and a far smaller carbon footprint for your home.

Since LEDs are highly energy efficient, they are also a long lasting bulb option. You no longer need to worry about replacing your light bulbs every year or two. LEDs let you enjoy high quality light for, on average, 50,000 hours—that’s over a decade of typical daily use.

Guide to LED Lighting at Home

When choosing an LED residential lighting, keep color temperature, brightness, CRI, and dimmability in mind. Take a look at TCP Lighting Style Guides for inspiration and ideas for lighting in your home. 

Color Temperature

Color temperature represents how cool (blue) or warm (yellow) a light is. It is measured using Kelvin (K). The lower the Kelvin number, the warmer the bulb.

While incandescent bulbs typically only come in a handful of color temperatures, with LEDs you have the opportunity to pick from a wide range to achieve exactly the mood you want for your home. Kelvin temperatures for LED residential light bulbs range from 2,000 to 6,500K.

For living spaces like bedrooms and living rooms, a warmer color temperature is usually best. Kitchens and bathrooms look great and are most functional with slightly cooler color temperatures.

Brightness

Before LEDs became common in homes, wattage was used to represent light bulb brightness. 60 watt and 40 watt bulbs were the most common for residential use.

But since LEDs produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb using far fewer watts, this measurement is no longer accurate. Instead, we use lumens to measure light bulb brightness.

For example, a 9 watt LED bulb and a 60 watt incandescent bulb will both produce the same lumen output. Most LED light bulbs will also be labeled with the wattage equivalent for easy comparison.

Color Rendering Index (CRI)

CRI is a measurement of how light affects the appearance of color. CRI is measured by testing swatches of color under a lamp then recording how accurate each swatch looks under the light produced by the lamp.

For the best color rendering, look for bulbs with a CRI of 80 or above. If accurate color rendering is extremely important to you, look for a CRI of 90 or above.

Dimmability

Dimmable LEDs and light fixtures help you make the most of your money and your home lighting scheme. Effortlessly convert your lights based on your mood with the flip of a switch or the slide of a dimmer.

Use your bulbs on full brightness for tasks like reading and working, then dim them down for watching movies or relaxing. Dimming your bulbs also helps them use less electricity, which is good for the planet and your power bill.