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| # | Product | Best for | Lumens | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Philips Ultra Definition A19 LED, 60W equivalent, 2700K The default bulb for almost every lamp in a home | It is a bulb. Swap it, keep the old one, put it back when you leave. | 800 lm | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
| 02 | Feit Electric 100W Equivalent A19 LED, 2700K, Enclosed-Rated High output in a fixture that traps heat | A bulb swap. Nothing fixed, fully reversible. | About 1,500 lm (100W equivalent) | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
| 03 | Waveform Lighting Ultra High 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb Recessed cans where color accuracy is the whole point | A bulb swap in an existing can. Fully reversible. | 800 lm | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn |
| 04 | Luxrite E12 Candelabra LED Bulb, 4.5W, 2700K Chandeliers, including enclosed and outdoor fittings | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. | 500 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
Read the box in this order
Bulb boxes are designed to sell, so the biggest print is usually a wattage equivalence and a marketing name. The facts that decide whether the bulb is right are smaller, and they are the same on every box. Check them in this order and most bad purchases never happen.
| Check | Where it is | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lumens | Lighting Facts panel | Enough for the room - 800 lm is a typical 60W-equivalent A19 |
| 2. Color temperature | Lighting Facts panel, in kelvin | 2700K - 3000K living spaces; 3000K - 4000K kitchens and baths |
| 3. CRI | Box or spec sheet, often small print | 90+, or 95 where color matters |
| 4. Base and shape | The box, and the old bulb | E26 standard or E12 candelabra; A19, BR30, A15, B11 |
| 5. Ratings | Box icons and spec sheet | Dimmable, enclosed, damp or wet if the fixture needs it |
02
The five checks, in practice
1. Lumens, not watts. Lumens are the light; watts are the electricity. An LED makes the same light from far fewer watts, which is why the equivalence on the box is a translation, not a measurement. The conversion table is in lumens vs watts.
2. Kelvin for the color. 2700K is warm, like a table lamp; 4000K is neutral; 5000K and above is daylight. Feit Electric's guidance puts soft white in living rooms and bedrooms and 3000K to 4000K in kitchens and bathrooms. The full scale is in the color temperature chart.
3. CRI for color accuracy. The Philips Ultra Definition A19 is the model to measure others against: it publishes 800 lumens, 2700K and CRI 95 on the box. For recessed cans, the Waveform 95 CRI BR30 adds an R9 figure above 80, which almost no one else prints.
4. Base and shape. E26 is the standard screw base; E12 is the small candelabra base on chandelier and sconce bulbs such as the Luxrite E12 candelabra. The shape - A19, BR30, A15 - has to fit the fixture. Decoded in bulb shapes and bases explained.
5. Ratings. A sealed dome needs an enclosed rating, like the Feit Electric A19, enclosed rated; a bathroom wants damp; an exposed outdoor fixture needs wet; a dimmer needs a dimmable bulb. See best LED bulbs for enclosed fixtures.
03
The mistakes these checks prevent
Buying by the wattage equivalence. Two "60W equivalent" bulbs can differ in output. The lumen figure is the honest one.
Daylight in the living room. A 5000K bulb in a room meant for evenings makes it feel like an office - see warm white vs soft white vs daylight.
An ordinary LED in a sealed dome. It works, then fails early from the heat. The enclosed rating prevents it.
A new LED on an old dimmer. Flicker and buzzing usually come from the dimmer, not the bulb - see why dimmable LED bulbs flicker.
The picks
The products behind this page
01
The default bulb for almost every lamp in a home
Philips Ultra Definition A19 LED, 60W equivalent, 2700K
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
800 lumens at 2700K with a published CRI 95 for the price of an ordinary bulb - the single easiest upgrade in this entire category.
| Lumens | 800 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | 95 |
| Power source | Screws into a standard E26 socket (8W) |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | It is a bulb. Swap it, keep the old one, put it back when you leave. |
What it gets right
- CRI 95 at a mainstream price, which almost nothing else manages
- 2700K matches the warm light most rooms were designed around
- Dimmable and rated flicker-free
What it costs you
- 800 lumens is one bulb's worth - a dark room needs several
- 2700K is too warm for detailed kitchen task work
- R9 is not published, so deep reds are an unknown
Spec source: Home Depot listing - retrieved September 3, 2026.
02
High output in a fixture that traps heat
Feit Electric 100W Equivalent A19 LED, 2700K, Enclosed-Rated
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
A 100W-equivalent A19 at 2700K and CRI 90+ that is rated for enclosed and damp fixtures - the combination that stops a bright bulb dying early inside a glass dome.
| Lumens | About 1,500 lm (100W equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | 90+ |
| Power source | Screws into a standard E26 socket |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Nothing fixed, fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- Explicitly rated for enclosed and damp-rated fixtures, which most bright LEDs are not
- CRI 90+ at a mainstream price
- 2700K, so it matches the rest of a warm-lit home
What it costs you
- Enclosed-rated bulbs still run hotter in a sealed dome than in open air
- Output is given as a wattage equivalence rather than a measured figure
- Larger envelope than some flush fittings will take - measure first
Spec source: Home Depot listing (OM100DM/927CA/2) - retrieved September 3, 2026.
03
Recessed cans where color accuracy is the whole point
Waveform Lighting Ultra High 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
800 lumens from 10.5W at CRI 95+ with R9 above 80 - and Waveform publishes the R9 figure, which is the number almost every other brand quietly omits.
| Lumens | 800 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K or 3000K |
| CRI | 95+ (R9 80+) |
| Power source | Screws into a standard E26 socket (10.5W) |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap in an existing can. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- R9 above 80 is published, so deep reds are actually accounted for
- Two warm color temperatures rather than one compromise
- BR30 shape drops straight into standard recessed cans
What it costs you
- Several times the price of a supermarket BR30
- Sold direct rather than through every retailer
- 800 lumens is standard output, not high output
Spec source: Waveform Lighting product page - retrieved September 3, 2026.
04
Chandeliers, including enclosed and outdoor fittings
Luxrite E12 Candelabra LED Bulb, 4.5W, 2700K
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
500 lumens at 2700K, dimmable, rated 15,000 hours - and rated for enclosed fixtures AND wet locations, which almost nothing in this format is.
| Lumens | 500 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | Not published |
| Power source | Screws into an E12 candelabra socket (4.5W) |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- Rated for enclosed fixtures and wet locations - rare in a candelabra bulb
- 500 lm is real output for a format that is usually dim
- Dimmable, UL listed, 15,000 hour rated life
What it costs you
- CRI is not published
- HX10.5 glass shape suits some chandeliers and not others
- Sold in large packs, which is fine for a chandelier and wasteful for one sconce
Spec source: Walmart listing - Luxrite E12 candelabra LED, 500 lm, 2700K, wet rated - retrieved September 3, 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
+What should I look for when buying a light bulb?
Five things, in order: lumens for brightness, kelvin for color, CRI for color accuracy, the base and shape that fit your fixture, and any rating the fixture needs - dimmable, enclosed, damp or wet.
+How many lumens do I need?
It depends on the room. This site's method multiplies floor area by roughly 10 to 20 lumens per square foot for living spaces, so a 12 x 14 ft room wants about 1,700 to 3,400 lumens in total, spread across its lights.
+What is a good CRI for a light bulb?
90 or above for most rooms, and 95 where color matters - kitchens, bathrooms, craft tables. Many bulbs do not publish CRI at all, which is itself useful information.
+What does E26 mean on a bulb?
It is the standard medium screw base in the US. E12 is the smaller candelabra base used in chandeliers, sconces and many ceiling fan kits.
+Do I need an enclosed-rated bulb?
If the fixture is sealed - a glass dome or a closed globe - yes. Heat builds up inside and shortens the life of LEDs that are not rated for it.
Sources
Where the numbers came from
- Home Depot listing - Philips Ultra Definition A19, 800 lm, 2700K, 95 CRI
- Home Depot listing - Feit Electric 100W equivalent A19, enclosed rated, 90 CRI
- Waveform Lighting - Ultra High 95 CRI BR30, 800 lm, R9 80+
- Feit Electric - how to choose the right color temperature for your bulb or fixture
- SuperBrightLEDs - IES residential recommended lighting levels
- U.S. Energy Information Administration - LED light bulbs keep improving in efficiency and quality
All sources retrieved September 3, 2026.
Next
Read these next
About the author
Sawyer V. An enthusiast who reads the spec sheets and does the arithmetic. No lab, no test bench.