You've finally invested in that Poul Henningsen pendant or Akari lamp, and now you've got to find a bulb. While many first-generation LED bulbs were too bright, too cold, and too expensive, the technology has drastically improved in the past decade. So, which LED bulb is best? We're partial to bulbs from sustainable British brand Tala (which you can also find on our website), for their dim-to-warm technology and beautiful materials. If you're looking for something in a local big box store, Feit offers a wide range of LED bulbs.
Choosing Watts and Warmth
LED bulbs use less energy than incandescent bulbs, so if you're trying to find the equivalent of a 40-Watt incandescent from back in the day, you're looking for a 4- or 6-Watt LED. The second (and most important) consideration from a design perspective is color temperature. In LED bulbs, the color temperature ranges from cold blue light to warm orange light. The sweet spot for most residential interiors is 2700-3000K. If you're in an office or really need bright blue lighting, then 3500-5000K is the choice for you. The examples below show a range range of watt equivalents and color temperature in some of our favorite vintage and modern lamps.
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