Myths about

LED lights

Myths about LED lights

Even though more and more people appreciate the benefits of LED lighting, there are still stories and misunderstandings going around. Let us shed light on the most common myths to give you a clearer picture of how LEDs can work for you.

Myth 1: LEDs last forever: LED bulbs do last a lot longer than the average light bulb, but no, they won’t last forever. Like all light sources, they eventually fade over time. But remember that our LED light bulbs will keep shining almost as brightly as they did when new for most of their lifetime whereas many other brands start to noticeably fade even after a year.
Myth 2: LEDs are not bright enough: Yes they are. LED bulbs emit the same amount of light as traditional light bulbs, energy saving sticks and twisters. The main difference is that they use far less energy. For example, a 7W Philips LED bulb is just as bright as a 60W traditional light bulb or a 12W energy saving stick. You can choose a LED light that shines with the familiar warm glow of a traditional lightbulb, or go for one that closely mimics natural light. There’s a LED light for every need in your home.
Myth 3: LEDs don’t get hot: LEDs do give off some heat, but much less than energy-saving sticks, twisters and traditional light bulbs. Just as importantly, when used in your light fittings at home, LEDs don’t emit infrared (IR), only visible light. You can’t see IR so it doesn’t add to the brightness of the light; it just makes bulbs hotter and wastes energy. Another plus point is that LEDs don't emit ultraviolet (UV) light either.
Myth 4: 3W LEDs are brighter than 1W LEDs: Not necessarily! In the past, we relied on wattage to give an idea of the brightness of a traditional bulb. But the number of watts (W) is just a measure of the power the bulb consumes. With LEDs, the number of watts does not tell you about brightness. Two different LEDs can consume the same power but differ noticeably in light output.

When selecting LED bulbs, it’s better to look at light output instead of power. The light output of a bulb is measured in a unit called lumens (lm), and this is indicated on the packaging. We also show the wattage of an equivalent traditional incandescent bulb that would give the same light output, but this is because we know you are still familiar with this.
Myth 5: Switching to LED cost a lot: Although the initial cost of a LED bulb is higher than that of a traditional light bulb, in the long term you save money. The initial investment is more than paid back over the life of the bulb because the running costs are lower due to lower energy consumption and they won’t need replacing for a very long time, typically around 15 years. And don’t forget that the prices for LED lighting in 2015 are already lower than a few years ago, and are getting closer to the prices of traditional bulbs.
Myth 6: LED light quality is poor: No it’s not. How well a light bulb shows colours in comparison to daylight is measured by what is called the ‘Colour Rendering Index’ (CRI). The CRI for white light LEDs is between 75 and 85, while the CRI for daylight is 100. The CRI of LEDs continues to increase, making them ideal for a growing number of lighting applications.

However, CRI is not the only way to judge the ‘quality’ of light. We’ve looked into how people choose light bulbs and discovered that people often preferred LEDs over halogen and incandescent bulbs based on overall colour appearance, not on the CRI value. This is why we also focus on creating high-quality LED bulbs with consistent light output. We have even developed our own way of measuring the light quality (we call it Optibin® technology) to ensure the colour output of the Philips LEDs meets your expectations.
Myth 7: LEDs are not resistant to vibration: There are no moving parts, filaments or fragile glass used in LED bulbs, so they are very robust. The Philips LED products all pass vibration tests according to internationally agreed standards (IEC), and in some cases, we use even tougher military standards to make sure our LEDs are going to last.
Myth 8: LEDs need time to warm up: No they don’t. Unlike fluorescent lamps and energy-saving twisters that come on slowly or even flicker, LEDs shine with their full light output almost instantly after switching them on. They can also be switched on and off continuously without shortening their lifespan.
Myth 9: LEDs don’t work in extremely cold environments: LEDs actually become more efficient and last even longer when used in cold temperatures. Excessively high temperatures can shorten the life of electrical and electronic components (which is partly why traditional incandescent lamps don’t last very long), so running a LED lamp in even the coldest climate is not an issue.
Myth 10: LEDs can’t be dimmed and controlled: Yes they can. LEDs are digital, which basically means they are either on or off. To dim them, they are switched on and off very rapidly (faster than the eye can see), so they can be controlled. However not all LED light-bulbs are designed to dim, so if you want to use a dimmer, then please choose the lamps that show that they can be dimmed. Look for the dimmable logo on packs. In many cases, you can use your existing dimmer switches. Just remove your current lamp and replace it with a dimmable LED lamp.
Myth 11: All LED light bulbs shine with a very white light: The first LED bulbs were very white as this was the most effective way to use them, but today they are also available in an array of 'shades of white' from warm yellow through to cool blue. Look for the 'shade of white' indication on the packaging.
Myth 12: LEDs contain hazardous substances: LEDs do not contain mercury, lead or other toxic materials and are completely recyclable just like most other electronic devices.
Myth 13: LED lights are harmful to the eyes: LED lights are as safe to the eyes as any other artificial light source. They are not like lasers, the light is not focused to a single point, and the intensity is comparable to traditional bulbs and halogen lamps.
Myth 14: LED isn’t yet value for money: A Philips LED bulb has a lifespan of up to 20,000 hours, which at an average of around three-and-a-half hours on per day, means it’ll be 15 years before you need to change the bulb. They also consume around 80% less energy than traditional lamps, so you’ll soon enjoy savings in your energy bill. So yes, LED is already value for money, and as the price continues to come down, the added value will increase.

Philips LED lamps are in fact, more effective than many ‘similar’ LED lamps with the same wattage and colour temperature, so you get brighter illumination for the same energy consumption.