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| # | Product | Best for | Lumens | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Feit Electric 3-Way LED A21, 50/100/150W Equivalent, 2700K (A50/150/927CA) A 3-way lamp that looks warm and true at every step | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. | 800 / 1,600 / 2,200 lm | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
| 02 | Philips LED 3-Way A21, 50/100/150W Equivalent, Soft White The best color from a 3-way bulb | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. | 620 / 1,600 / 2,150 lm | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
| 03 | Sylvania 3-Way LED A21, 2700K (79713, LED23A21/3WAY/O/827) The brightest top step | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. | 650 / 1,600 / 2,600 lm | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
Specifications are the manufacturer or retailer published figures, compiled by hand. We have not measured them, and where a figure is not published we write "Not published" rather than guess.
01
A dimmer built into the socket
A 3-way lamp has a socket with two contacts and a switch that clicks through low, medium, high and off. A 3-way bulb is built to match: it lights one element, the other, or both. The result is three fixed brightness levels with no dimmer on the wall.
That makes the three published lumen figures the whole specification. A good 3-way bulb gives a low step you can relax by, a middle step for general use and a high step bright enough to read fine print. The picks below publish all three.
| Bulb | Low / Medium / High | Watts | Color | CRI | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feit Electric A50/150/927CA | 800 / 1,600 / 2,200 lm | 7 / 15 / 23W | 2700K | 90 | No |
| Philips LED 3-way A21 | 620 / 1,600 / 2,150 lm | 6 / 13 / 18.5W | 2700K | 94 (Target) | Not published |
| Sylvania 79713 | 650 / 1,600 / 2,600 lm | 10 / 15 / 23W | 2700K | 80 | No - open fixtures only |
02
The picks
Feit Electric A50/150/927CA - the pick. 800, 1,600 and 2,200 lumens at 2700K with CRI 90. The low step is the brightest low here - useful rather than dim - and the color holds up at every level.
Cons: not enclosed rated; not dimmable on a dimmer; standard-socket use not published.
Philips LED 3-way A21 - the best color. 620, 1,600 and 2,150 lumens at 2700K, with CRI 94 listed at Target and the lowest wattage at each step.
Cons: an older version lists different lumens, so match 620 / 1,600 / 2,150; rated life differs between retailers.
Sylvania 79713 - the brightest top step. 650, 1,600 and 2,600 lumens at 2700K - 2,600 on high is the most here, for a reading lamp that sometimes needs a lot of light.
Cons: CRI 80, the lowest here; open fixtures only.
03
Getting it right
Only for 3-way lamps. The three levels come from the lamp's 3-way socket and switch. In an ordinary lamp, use an ordinary bulb - see best LED bulbs for the home.
Do not add a dimmer. These bulbs are not listed as dimmable; the switch is the dimmer. For stepless dimming, use a dimmable bulb and a plug-in dimmer instead.
Open shades only. The Feit is not enclosed rated and the Sylvania is for open fixtures only - fine for a lamp, wrong for a sealed globe.
Use the steps. High for reading, medium for the room, low for the evening - which is exactly the layered approach in layered lighting.
The picks
Every pick in full
01
A 3-way lamp that looks warm and true at every step
Feit Electric 3-Way LED A21, 50/100/150W Equivalent, 2700K (A50/150/927CA)
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
800, 1,600 and 2,200 lumens at 2700K with CRI 90 - the three steps of a 3-way lamp with color quality to match.
| Lumens | 800 / 1,600 / 2,200 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | 90 |
| Power source | Screws into a 3-way E26 socket (7 / 15 / 23W) |
| Dimmable | No - use the lamp's 3-way switch |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- CRI 90 published
- 2,200 lm at the top step
- Warm 2700K
What it costs you
- Not rated for enclosed fixtures
- Not dimmable on a dimmer
- Whether it works in a standard socket is not published
Spec source: Feit Electric - A50/150/927CA 3-way LED product page - retrieved September 3, 2026.
02
The best color from a 3-way bulb
Philips LED 3-Way A21, 50/100/150W Equivalent, Soft White
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
620, 1,600 and 2,150 lumens at 2700K, with CRI 94 listed at Target - the highest color rendering of the 3-way bulbs here.
| Lumens | 620 / 1,600 / 2,150 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | 94 (per Target listing) |
| Power source | Screws into a 3-way E26 socket (6 / 13 / 18.5W) |
| Dimmable | No |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- CRI 94 listed
- The lowest wattage at each step
- Warm 2700K
What it costs you
- An older version lists different lumens - match 620 / 1,600 / 2,150
- Rated life differs between retailers
- Enclosed rating not published
Spec source: Hills Flat Lumber - Philips LED 3-way A21 soft white listing - retrieved September 3, 2026.
03
The brightest top step
Sylvania 3-Way LED A21, 2700K (79713, LED23A21/3WAY/O/827)
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
650, 1,600 and 2,600 lumens at 2700K - the brightest 150W-class step here, with CRI 80 and an open-fixtures-only rating.
| Lumens | 650 / 1,600 / 2,600 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | 80 |
| Power source | Screws into a 3-way E26 socket (10 / 15 / 23W) |
| Dimmable | Not published |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- 2,600 lm at the top step, the most here
- Warm 2700K
- Medium E26 3-way base
What it costs you
- CRI 80, the lowest here
- Open fixtures only
- Dimming not published
Spec source: HomElectrical - Sylvania 79713 3-way A21 LED listing - retrieved September 3, 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
+What is a 3-way LED bulb?
A bulb for lamps with a 3-way socket and switch, giving three brightness levels from one bulb. The picks here are 50/100/150W equivalents.
+Can a 3-way bulb be used in a regular socket?
None of the three makers publishes this on the pages sourced here, so check the box before relying on it. In a 3-way lamp, the socket and switch give you the three levels.
+Are 3-way LED bulbs dimmable?
Generally not on a separate dimmer - the Feit and Philips are listed as not dimmable. The lamp's 3-way switch is the dimming.
+How bright is a 3-way LED bulb?
The picks run from about 620 to 800 lumens on the low step up to 2,150 to 2,600 lumens on high.
+Can 3-way LED bulbs go in enclosed fixtures?
Not these - the Feit is not enclosed rated and the Sylvania is for open fixtures only. 3-way bulbs belong in lamps with open shades.
Sources
Where the numbers came from
- Feit Electric - A50/150/927CA 3-way LED (800 / 1,600 / 2,200 lm, CRI 90)
- Hills Flat Lumber - Philips LED 3-way A21 (620 / 1,600 / 2,150 lm)
- Target listing - Philips LED 3-way A21 soft white (CRI 94)
- HomElectrical - Sylvania 79713 3-way A21 (650 / 1,600 / 2,600 lm, open fixtures only)
All sources retrieved September 3, 2026.
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About the author
Sawyer V. An enthusiast who reads the spec sheets and does the arithmetic. No lab, no test bench.