LED Lights

Ok, so we know that LEDs last longer than the competition-60 times longer than incandescent lights and 10 times longer than compact florescent lights-but what about brightness? Are LEDs as bright as their counterparts?

It turns out that because LED light functions differently than incandescent or florescent light, there’s no quick and easy answer to that question. LED light is directional, meaning it shines in one focused direction, whereas halogen, incandescent or florescent light spreads out in every direction; it’s omni-directional. This disparity makes a big difference when talking about “lumens per watt,” which is how light output is typically measured.

At the outset, it would appear as if CFLs function at a slightly higher lumen-per-watt ratio than LEDs. Take a look at the average numbers:

Incandescent: 14 lm/W
CFL: 61 lm/W
LED: 57 lm/W

However, these numbers do not take into account fixture efficacy, which usually will reduce CFLs number by half. It works like this: typically, lights are mounted in a recessed fixture. In the case of CFLs, this type of fixture allows some light to escape behind the fixture as it’s reflected back into the ceiling, so that not all light is shining where it’s supposed to, out into the room. What a waste of light! LED lights, on the other hand, do not encounter this problem no matter what type of fixture they’re in, since their light is already directional by nature. Therefore, although CFLs may have a higher lumen per watt number in theory, in reality they’re not actually functioning at that output level when mounted in a recessed fixture, which most usually are.

So in this case, the efficacy of the bulbs while they are INSIDE the fixture is as follows:

LEDs: 57 lumens per watt (lm/W)
CFL’s: 30 lumens per watt (lm/W)

Looks like LEDs win again!