Characteristics of LED lamps: color temperature, power, light and others
LED lights are replacing incandescent light bulbs everywhere because they are energy efficient and durable.But often buyers bypass these “LEDs” because they cannot understand their markings.
The technical characteristics of LED lamps are more varied - previously it was enough to select the power in Watts, but with new sources of artificial light everything is somewhat more complicated. To choose the best option, you need to take into account a number of parameters.
We will help you understand the characteristics of LED lamps, explain the meaning of the markings, and also provide practical advice on choosing lamps for different rooms. The detailed information will be a valuable help in organizing comfortable lighting for an apartment, house or office.
The content of the article:
Characteristics of LED lamps
To choose the right LED light bulb, you need to study all its parameters. The light it emits differs from the more familiar emission of incandescent lamps. Moreover, this luminous flux is far from being as uniform as before.
LEDs differ greatly in color rendering shade (color temperature), scattering angle and other parameters of the emitted glow.
The abbreviation "LED" stands for Light-Emitting Diode.These are LED artificial lighting lamps, which are sold in lighting stores. They are used in lighting devices installed both outdoors and in rooms of various purposes.
There is no uniform mandatory labeling for all LED lamps. Each manufacturer creates its own article number. Of course, it contains the main technical characteristics of the product.
However, this is often done in the form of abbreviations, which are not so easy to understand. In this case, a number of parameters are indicated only on the light bulb box.
All this must be taken into account when choosing LED. It is recommended to select LED lamps individually for each room and lighting area. In this matter, not only the color temperature is important, but also other characteristics of the LED lamp, and it has many of these parameters.
Color temperature and luminescence shade
On the packaging of each LED lamp, the color temperature indicator is always in the most visible place. This is the main characteristic of this lighting device.
If for conventional light bulbs with a tungsten filament the color of light is in a narrow range of 2200–2800 K, then for LED bulbs it fluctuates over a much wider range.
This indicator does not correlate in any way with the heating temperature of the surface of the LED light bulb and the heat emitted by it. At maximum, the LED can heat up to 60–65°C. For comparison, an analogue with a 100 W filament heats up to 250–265°C.
Almost all the electrical energy in an LED is converted into light.And no matter what color spectrum it belongs to, the surface heating temperature will always be approximately the same.
All LED lamps color temperature (colors of light) are usually divided into three groups:
- WW (Warm White) – “warm white” with an emission spectrum of 2700–3300 K;
- NW (Neutral White) – “natural white” with a range of 3300–5000 K;
- CW (Cool White) – “cold white” with light emission >5000 K.
According to human perception, the first option approximately corresponds to the illumination on the street from the sun at the horizon. The second is sunlight at lunchtime in clear weather. The third at the beginning of the range coincides with the sun shining at its zenith, and when it goes to 6500–7500 K it is equal to natural light during the day when it is cloudy.
When choosing the color of light, you need to focus on where the lamps will subsequently be used. Warm yellow shades are more suitable for bedrooms, and whites of a natural or cool spectrum are more suitable for a corridor or kitchen.
Selecting LEDs wisely is a science. And the main thing here is to start from the most illuminated room. An incorrectly selected LED light bulb can greatly harm a person’s vision.
Lighting designers have to take into account not only the color of the LED, but also the brightness and color rendering of the light source. In this case, the influence of the created lighting on people’s perception also plays an important role.
The human eye, when entering a room from the street, has to quickly adapt to the changed illumination.Often the colors of objects even seem distorted and incorrect in the first minutes.
Color rendering degree of LED lamps
The second most important indicator of the light of an LED lamp is the color rendering index, designated CRI or Ra. This indicator is responsible for the natural transmission of all shades of color from an object that falls into the beam of a lighting device.
If Ra<80, then objects in an LED-lit room will visually appear dim. It should be understood that the perception of colors is individual for each person. Plus, with age, it also becomes distorted.
It is customary to take the undistorted color rendition, which is formed when an object is illuminated by the rays of the sun, as the standard Ra=100. That is, this is how we usually see it on the street in bright natural rather than artificial indoor lighting.
The color rendering index of LED lamps can be divided into four classes:
- 100 – maximum, which is equivalent to the perception of color in natural light;
- from 100 to 90 – such light bulbs are designed for places where the most accurate color reproduction is required (laboratories, work desks and areas);
- from 90 to 80 – options for ordinary living rooms and general lighting;
- below 80 – lamps for luminaires for corridors, toilets and utility rooms, where high quality shade transfer is not so important.
There is no direct connection between color rendering and color temperature. These are independent characteristics of an LED lamp.
Scattering angle and glow intensity
One of the advantages of LED lamps over conventional lamps is the narrow directionality of the lighting flow. By itself, one LED produces a light beam only directly in the direction from its body.
An LED light bulb usually contains several or a whole array of them to create a specific cone of light. Is the same incandescent light bulb, on the contrary, it shines in all directions at once all around.
The luminous flux of LED bulbs can be scattered at an angle from 60 to 340°. Narrowly directed options are used to organize oriented spot lighting and to illuminate specific areas in the interior. Wide angle lamps are designed for general ceiling lighting.
Glow intensity (luminous output) reflects the emission efficiency of the LED lamp. This characteristic is measured in lm/W. The value in lumens (lm) is the value of the luminous flux, and Watts is the power of the light bulb. In the marking they are indicated together as a single figure in lm/W or separately.
The higher this indicator, the more energy efficient and economical the LED lamp is. On the other hand, the higher the luminous flux of a particular light bulb, the fewer such products will be needed to illuminate the room.
Design: base and bulb
Structurally, the LED lamp consists of:
- printed circuit board with a driver for converting alternating current into direct current;
- light source - one or more LEDs;
- diffuser bulbs designed for uniform light dispersion;
- base and housing.
Plus, there is a small radiator inside that dissipates the thermal energy generated when the LED crystal glows. Although it is formed a little, it is still there.
Of all these elements, only the shape of the bulb and base type. The remaining details are not even described in the markings and data sheets of such light bulbs.
Most often, at home, LED lamps are used with standard threaded sockets.
They have the letter “E” in their designation and a number indicating the diameter size. Typical option - base E27, similar to a conventional household lamp with a 60, 80 or 100 W filament.
In homes you can also find light bulbs with minion base E14 (“candles” for sconces).
Models with G pin socket or GU are intended to replace halogen analogues. And GX are small flat lamps for recessed lighting. They are mounted in furniture walls and ceilings.
The design of the housing also differs in IP degree of protection. In dry rooms without much dust (for example, corridors and bedrooms of apartments), IP20 or IP21 will be sufficient. For installation in kitchens, bathrooms or garages, a lamp should be selected with IP56 or higher. And only models with at least IP65 are suitable for outdoor use.
Power and power parameters
The LED is powered by a constant voltage of 12–24 Volts.In order for an LED light bulb to be screwed into a 220 V lamp, its housing contains the necessary transformer. For LED strips, this converter is an external device. For lamps it is initially already built into the base.
For incandescent lamps, brightness and power consumption are directly related. The higher the first indicator, the higher the second.
With LED analogues the situation is somewhat different. Here, the brightness is determined by the characteristics of the LEDs installed inside and their number. At the same power, different LED lamps can vary greatly in luminosity and color temperature.
Choosing LED for different rooms
Lamps with natural white light are the least likely to tire your eyesight. However, for residential premises it is still recommended to select LEDs with a soft yellow tint. Artificial light from them is more comfortable when exposed to the eyes for a long time. Bright indoor lights will sooner or later start to irritate.
Lamps with blue cool shades are more suitable for offices. There, the vigor and concentration “generated” by them will come in handy. But in the bedroom and nursery, such options are definitely not worth installing.
Another point is the pulsation of LED light bulbs. If the LED transformer board is not designed professionally, the lamp will pulsate. This is a result of its AC power supply.
In the vast majority of cases, this is not even noticeable to the naked eye. However, this constant pulsation has a negative effect on vision and the brain. When buying LED lamps, you should not chase excessively cheap prices.
It is at this point that many careless manufacturers save money, later creating problems for consumers with their well-being.
The manufacturer will also play an important role when choosing diode light bulbs. We have prepared a series of review articles about LED lamps from different manufacturers.
We advise you to read:
- LED lamps “ASD”: review of the model range + selection tips and reviews
- LED lamps "Era": reviews of the manufacturer + brief overview of the model range
- Osram LED lamps: reviews, advantages and disadvantages, comparison with other manufacturers
- LED lamps “Gauss”: reviews, review of the advantages and disadvantages of the manufacturer
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
To make it easier for you to understand how to choose an LED lamp, we have made a video selection with reviews from different manufacturers and a detailed description of their work.
Comparison of different LED lamp models:
Description of LED characteristics in full detail:
How do LED light bulbs designed for household lighting work:
When choosing an LED lamp for a household lighting device, it is necessary to take into account all its parameters and technical characteristics. There are quite a lot of them, but the time spent will definitely pay off. And not so much with money, but with the good health and comfort of the household.
Do you have anything to add or have questions about choosing LED lamps? You can leave comments on the publication, participate in discussions and share your own experience of using such lamps. The contact form is located in the lower block.
I recently discovered the beauty of LED lamps. I seem to have heard that there are some energy-saving light bulbs, but not about these, but about fluorescent ones. I thought that such bulbs were only used in flashlights and the like. It turns out they have applications in everyday life. This is a huge saving plus excellent lighting. For example, I often work in the dark, the light is on throughout the night. I changed incandescent light bulbs every 1.5-2 weeks. While LED has a service life of several years. I now have a light bulb in my room that consumes 10W, but burns brighter than a 60W incandescent.
I want to say that as soon as such lamps entered the general market, I immediately bought them for myself. I replaced all the old incandescent light bulbs. Before purchasing, pay attention to their characteristics, because... they differ in color temperature, power of the lamp itself and light dispersion. The luminous flux of such lamps can generally be scattered from 60 to 340 degrees. So, the choice has become greater compared to those that we are used to using.
Just a month ago I replaced a couple of burnt-out diode lamps. To be honest, I like everything about them - both the savings and the cost are gradually decreasing. But they have one problem - they depend too much on fluctuations in electricity in the wiring. It is because of this that their service life is shorter than what the manufacturer claims. At least that's how it is for me.The manufacturer claims 50,000 hours of continuous operation, which is more than 5.5 years for a second. For me they last a year or two at best. But even under such conditions, their benefits are obvious.
There are some inaccuracies, but they are fundamental. The luminous flux of an LED is calculated by half the scattering angle. I translate it into Russian: in the center it’s 100%, and after 90 degrees it’s half. An incandescent lamp does not have such a “trifle”; therefore, the area of an LED cannot be kept up even with a higher efficiency. Further, the LED table lamp is not a competitor. But here again bad luck, it turns out that the LED is “fed” by a stable current, and this is easier to organize by pulse-width modulation... I translate it into Russian: the level of ripple depends on the greed of the manufacturer. And if you read the technical documentation for LEDs, you will learn a lot of interesting things and it turns out that the life of an LED directly depends on its cooling temperature, it also states that the degradation of an LED in the first month is up to 30%. The best LEDs have a light output of 180Lm\W, but those that put 60-90 in light bulbs (the same as for fluorescent ones)…..The LED is a good thing, but you shouldn’t expect a miracle from it.