Flat LED Lamp

The light aisle's Light-emitting Diode section is getting progressively crowded with legitimate values, so it should not come as a surprise that makers are searching for new methods to be noticeable. Enter the Philips SlimStyle, a low-cost LED that establishes itself apart with a silly, flattened design.

This two-dimensional spin on modern-day, large effectiveness lighting effects guarantees to replace a aspects of a traditional incandescent while saving money in your monthly power bill. It also costs simply $9, which converts approximately to AU$10, or £5 in the UK (Philips says this has no intends to increase the SlimStyle beyond the united states currently, but don't rule it, either).

That price is a dollar under might shell out for the well-reviewed , and less than . Though it is not a flawless light, or rather as cheap because the , the obtainable SlimStyle nonetheless offers exceptional value, making it a beneficial go-to light bulb for common home lighting needs.

The choice to make an appartment LED was not an arbitrary one. With a set design, Philips surely could circulate the diodes around the bulb's border, from the temperature at its base. This gets rid of the need for aluminum temperature sinks, which makes the light bulb loads lighter, and even more importantly, loads cheaper to produce.

The question is whether or not or not the flat design compromises the SlimStyle's capacity to light love an average light bulb. Generally, the answer is no. With a light output of 800 lumens and an extremely accurate color temperature slightly below 2, 700 K, it is a perfectly worthy replacement for a 60W incandescent. As for effectiveness, the 25, 000-hour lifespan as well as the 10.5W energy draw put it directly on par along with other solid Light-emitting Diode choices. The colour rendering score of 80 is within line with, too.

Philips SlimStyle LED	Cree 60W Substitution LED	Philips 60W Equivalent LED	Ikea Ledare LED	GE Energy Smart 60W Replacement LED
Lumens	800	830	600
Watts	10.5	9.5	11	10
Performance (lumens/watt)	76.19	84.21	75.45	60	72.72
Color heat	2, 653 K	2, 669 K	2, 584 K	2, 632 K (frosted) 2, 507 K (evident)	2, 562 K
Lifespan	25, 000 hours	15, 000 hours
Colors rendering list	80	81	87
Body Weight	2.20 ounces	3.70 ounces	4.55 ounces	4.10 ounces	4.25 ounces
Warranty	three years	a decade	5 years	none
Price	$9	ten dollars	$15	$5

The flat design does present a tiny problem with directionality, however. Like most of the LEDs currently available, the SlimStyle claims omnidirectional light output, which means it claims to create light uniformly in all directions. This is mainly real - aside from the left and correct sides associated with light bulb's profile, in which you'll get a hold of dim spots. These get specially apparent if you should be using the SlimStyle under a lampshade.

If this can be a package breaker is up to you. Actually, i cannot say the dim places would bother me all that much, because they do not ultimately impact exactly how much light the SlimStyle generates. I'd truly observe all of them, though - and therefore alone might-be adequate to get us to spend extra dollar on a Cree LED.

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When compared to Cree 60W substitution LED (remaining), the Philips SlimStyle has noticeable dim spots for each side of the light bulb. Colin western McDonald/CNET

Prone to inspire my buying decision would be the difference in guarantee between the two light bulbs. The SlimStyle is covered for three-years, compared to decade from Cree. That is a fairly substantial difference for such a little cost increase, and most likely worth it proper who might doubt LED durability claims.

Something different worthwhile considering before purchasing a light bulb is whether or not you will be using it with a dimmer switch. The majority of the existing Light-emitting Diode offerings from major producers claim dimmer compatibility while the SlimStyle isn't any exception, but as we learned in, not totally all dimmable light bulbs are manufactured equal.

In those examinations, the SlimStyle showed the poorest performance. Although it had been compatible with every switch that people tested (even an adult one created for incandescents just), it also buzzed visibly whenever used with each one of these, a result of electromagnetic interference inside light bulb from switch's dimming method. The SlimStyle additionally revealed a moderate amount of flicker, another universal problem with dimmable lights.