Everyone knows CFLs are those spiral looking light bulbs, but have you ever seen this? Released on December 28th, 2008 at Target stores, GE released a new CFL bulb that is encased in a outer shell almost identical to that of a normal incandescent bulb. The bulb uses only 15 watts compared to an incandescent equivalent of 65 watts. The light bulb is part of GE’s energy smart line featuring a “Warm Soft Light” with a 2700K reading and a life span of 5 years. Simply incredible! So I had to pick one up and see for myself.
Priced around $5, this was no cheap bulb. The quality of the bulb is definitely worth the money. The outer shell is actually made from two parts and fused together in the middle (Its a mystery how they did it, but thats probably a trade secret). It feels much more sturdy than a normal incandescent bulb outer glass and doesn’t have the fragile filament inside. To me, this light bulb keeps much of the aesthetic benefits of a classic incandescent, but with a huge energy saving! The biggest benefit from this new bulb is the shape. Since many lamps have shades that require a bulb to mount on, using CFLs could never happen. But now, even my grandma can become green! I would highly recommend this bulb.
A classic light bulb packaging. You can’t miss it with its bright green packaging.
Side by side comparison picture.
Another comparison
The shapes of the bulbs are almost identical.
A re-occurring complaint of CFLs are that they are too white. They lack the warm yellow light that incandescent bulbs put out. However, I would argue against that. As you can see from these pictures, the incandescent bulb is actually putting out a whiter, less warm output.
Using our light meter from our energy audits, I measured the exact light output you would get from a desktop light. The reading from the incandescent came out to 25.1 Foot Candles while the CFL came out to 18.6 Foot Candles. Although they had different light output readings, my eyes couldn’t see a difference. This is a technology that is definitely worth looking into. I’m sold.
[Update February 26, 2009]
For a more recession-friendly CFL bulb still compatible with lampshades, head to IKEA to get your fix. IKEA has been selling these similarly-shaped CFL bulb at a cheaper cost for quite some time. If you don’t have an IKEA conveniently located nearby, go with the GE product featured in this article. Also, be sure to check out this Popular Mechanics article and learn when NOT to use a CFL bulb.
