LED VS CFL Brightness
Are LED lights brighter than or equal to Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs? The trick is to understand the technology. In short, LED and CFL as technologies do not have a difference in brightness intrinsically. Brightness is determined by lumens. Lumens is best described as the measurement of light. A single CFL and LED bulb might have the same lumen (brightness) output but vary greatly in the amount energy needed to generate that level of brightness.
Many LED bulbs in the past were not omnidirectional which gave the upper hand to CFL in various scenarios. For example, in a floor lamp, a CFL would perform better because of the light coverage was, at the time, much broader. In most recessed lighting (ceiling), however, the LED would have greater efficacy. Fast forward to new LED generations, and we see the little light-emitting diodes surpassing CFLs in overall energy consumption, color and even becoming more competitively priced in the marketplace.
The chart below illustrates the amount of brightness in lumens you can expect from different wattages of light bulbs. LED bulbs require much less wattage than CFL or Incandescent light bulbs, which is why LEDs are more energy-efficient and longer lasting than their competitors.
How to understand this table – look at the lumens (brightness) in the far left column, then compare how many watts of power each light bulb type requires to produce that level of brightness. The lower the wattage needed, the better.
Lumens (Brightness) Incandescent Watts CFL Watts LED Watts (Viribright) 400 – 500 40W 8 – 12W 6 – 7W 650 – 850 60W 13 – 18W 7 – 10W 1000 – 1400 75W 18 – 22W 12 – 13W 1450-1700+ 100W 23 – 30W 14 – 20W 2700+ 150W 30 – 55W 25 – 28WTo compare different light bulbs, you need to know about lumens. Lumens, not watts, tell you how bright a light bulb is, no matter the type of bulb. The more lumens, the brighter the light. Labels on the front of light bulb packages now state a bulb’s brightness in lumens, instead of the bulb’s energy usage in watts. When shopping for your next light bulb, simply find the lumen output you’re looking for (the bigger the brighter) and choose the bulb with the lowest wattage (the lower the better).
To examine the cost comparison, let’s take a look at a standard 60-watt replacement incandescent bulb in this example. The energy consumption to use a bulb like this would cost about $90 over the course of 10 years. For an LED, running over the course of 10 years the actual cost would be only $18 to operate. Take a look at the table below for a breakdown.
LED vs CFL vs Incandescent Cost Incandescent CFL LED (Viribright) Watts used 60W 14W 7W Average cost per bulb $1 $2 $4 or less Average lifespan 1,200 hours 8,000 hours 25,000 hours Bulbs needed for 25,000 hours 21 3 1 Total purchase price of bulbs over 20 years $21 $6 $4 Cost of electricity (25,000 hours at $0.15 per kWh) $169 $52 $30 Total estimated cost over 20 years $211 $54 $34
Winner: LED (in the long run)
The above chart shows a clear-cut winner when considering the price over time with energy consumption factored in. In addition to LED’s cost savings, there are also government-backed rebates in some scenarios for Energy Star products.
Do CFL or LED bulbs last longer?
Quick Answer: LED
Although LED technology for use in bulbs has not been on the market for long, the lifespan estimates for the new technology are astounding and leave CFL and incandescents with little to show for in comparison. With an astonishing lifespan of 25,000 hours, LED light bulbs are the undisputed, heavyweight champion in longevity. The next best are CFL bulbs which bring in a respectable 8,000 hours of average life expectancy. Keep in mind, most tests are based on a running time of 3 hours per day.
Life Span Challenge Incandescent CFL LED (Viribright) Average Life Span 1,200 Hours 8,000 Hours 25,000 HoursIn the days of incandescent light bulbs, you could determine the bulb's brightness by the number of watts printed on the package. With today's LED bulbs, brightness is measured in lumens.
But, what the heck is a lumen? How is it different than a watt? How can you tell which LED bulb you need for your lamps and lighting fixtures?
Luckily, it's simple enough to sort out any confusion.
When buying an incandescent bulb, the watts rating gives consumers a good indication of how bright a bulb is. The more watts, the brighter the bulb.
That rule doesn't apply to LED bulbs, though. An LED that uses 60 watts is in no way comparable to an incandescent bulb that uses 60 watts. In fact, a 60-watt LED just may blind you. LEDs are designed to use less energy and naturally have a lower watt rating. This means it's useless to use watts to determine brightness.
To fix the problem, bulb companies have started using lumens to rate bulbs. This gives you a more accurate indication of how much light to expect from an LED.
Measuring in lumens isn't a new concept designed just for LEDs. It's a rating that's been used for decades as a measurement of how much light a bulb (or anything else) emits. It just hasn't been predominantly displayed on packaging until recently. In 2011, the US Federal Trade Commission started requiring manufacturers of compact fluorescent, incandescent and LED bulbs to use lumens as an indication of how bright a bulb will be.
"While watt measurements are familiar to consumers and have been featured on the front of light bulb packages for decades, watts are a measurement of energy use, not brightness," the FTC said in a press release. "As a result, reliance on watt measurements alone make it difficult for consumers to compare traditional incandescent bulbs to more efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents."
On packaging, the lumen rating is indicated by a number followed by "lm," the abbreviation for lumens. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter the bulb will be.
The easiest way to figure out what bulb you need is by using an incandescent/LED conversion cart.
Say you normally use a 60-watt incandescent bulb, for example. You would probably want to choose an LED bulb that uses 8 to 12 watts and has a lumen rating of 800 to get the same illumination. This conversion chart will help you find an LED bulb similar to the incandescent you've been using:
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As you can see, with LEDs, the amount of wattage you'll need varies for each lumen rating. This is because some LED brands have created bulbs that offer more lumens for less wattage. For the best energy savings, Energy Star recommends that you find a selection of bulbs with the most lumens you need, and then choose one with the lowest wattage.
Editors' note: This article was originally published on December 2, 2015, and has been updated.
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