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| # | Product | Best for | Lumens | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Feit Electric R20 LED, 450 lm, Damp Rated Small recessed cans and track heads | A bulb swap in an existing can. Fully reversible. | 450 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 | Cree Lighting A19 60W Equivalent LED, 5000K, Good for Enclosed Enclosed fixtures where you want daylight, not warmth | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. | 815 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
Three ratings, not two
Lighting products are marked for the location they can safely occupy, and there are three levels rather than the two people usually think of.
| Rating | Means | Typical locations |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | No moisture beyond normal indoor humidity | Living rooms, bedrooms, most interiors |
| Damp | Moisture in the air, indirect contact, condensation | Bathrooms, covered porches, laundry rooms, garages |
| Wet | Direct water, including rain landing on it | Open eaves, uncovered walls, exposed yards |
The relationship only runs one way. Wet rated always covers a damp location, because tolerating direct water implies tolerating humidity. Damp rated does not cover a wet one. When in genuine doubt, the safe direction is upward.
And a separate specification sits alongside both: the enclosed fixture rating, which is about heat rather than water. A porch lantern or a bathroom dome frequently needs both, and one does not imply the other - the heat side is covered in best LED bulbs for enclosed fixtures.
02
Where the line actually falls
The awkward cases are all about how sheltered "sheltered" really is.
- A deep porch with a solid roof: damp is fine. Rain does not reach the fitting.
- A shallow porch, or the edge of a canopy: treat as wet. Wind-driven rain reaches further under cover than people expect, and the edge is exactly where it lands.
- An open soffit or eave: wet. It is outdoors with a roof above it rather than a sheltered location.
- A covered balcony: depends on the balcony above. If there is solid floor above and walls on two sides, damp. If it is open on three sides, wet.
- A bathroom: damp, plus almost always enclosed. The Feit R20 carries both, which is why it appears on the bathroom page too.
- A garage or laundry room: damp. Condensation rather than rain is the issue, and it is enough to matter.
03
What actually goes wrong
Using an under-rated bulb outdoors rarely produces a dramatic failure. What happens is duller and slower: moisture reaches the driver electronics, the bulb fails early, and the socket corrodes so the next bulb makes a poor contact and fails earlier still. People conclude the fitting is cursed.
The failure that genuinely matters is water reaching a live connection - a socket, a junction, an extension coupling sitting on the ground. That is the reason the ratings exist, and it is why the one thing we would never do is run an indoor-rated extension lead outside, however temporarily.
For a rented home the practical upshot is simple. You usually cannot change an outdoor fitting, so the lever you have is the bulb: enclosed-rated for the heat, damp or wet rated for the location. The warm enclosed-rated A19 and the Cree enclosed-rated A19 cover most sheltered fittings between them.
The picks
The products behind this page
01
Small recessed cans and track heads
Feit Electric R20 LED, 450 lm, Damp Rated
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
450 lumens at CRI 90+ in the smaller R20 shape, damp rated and approved for enclosed use - the bulb for a can that an ordinary BR30 will not physically fit.
| Lumens | 450 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K soft white, or 5000K daylight version |
| CRI | 90+ |
| Power source | Screws into a standard E26 socket (about 5W) |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap in an existing can. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- R20 is physically smaller than BR30, so it fits shallow cans
- Damp rated and approved for enclosed fixtures
- CRI 90+ at a low price per bulb
What it costs you
- 450 lumens is modest - you need more of them
- R20 cans are less common than BR30, so check the fitting
- Not a general-purpose room bulb
Spec source: Amazon listing (R20DM/950CA/3) - 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
Enclosed fixtures where you want daylight, not warmth
Cree Lighting A19 60W Equivalent LED, 5000K, Good for Enclosed
#ad No live price right now, so we show none. How we earn
815 lumens at 5000K with CRI 90+ and a 25,000 hour rated life, marked as good for enclosed fixtures - the one to use in a sealed utility or bathroom fitting.
| Lumens | 815 lm |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 5000K |
| CRI | 90+ |
| Power source | Screws into a standard E26 socket |
| Dimmable | Yes |
| Renter-safe method | A bulb swap. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- Publishes a real lumen figure rather than only an equivalence
- 25,000 hour rated life, and rated for enclosed use
- CRI 90+ at 5000K, which is rarer than at 2700K
What it costs you
- 5000K is wrong for a living room - this is a utility and task bulb
- Rated life assumes normal ambient temperature, not a hot sealed dome
- Only 815 lumens, so a large enclosed fitting may want two
Spec source: Walmart listing - retrieved September 3, 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
+What is the difference between damp rated and wet rated?
Damp rated means the fitting or bulb tolerates moisture in the air and indirect contact - covered porches, bathrooms, laundry rooms. Wet rated means it can take direct water, including rain landing on it. Wet rated always covers damp locations; damp rated does not cover wet ones.
+Do I need wet rated lights on a covered porch?
Usually damp rated is sufficient if the fitting is genuinely sheltered and rain cannot reach it. If wind drives rain onto it, or it sits at the edge of the cover, treat it as a wet location and use wet rated.
+Can I use damp rated bulbs in a bathroom?
Yes - a bathroom is the classic damp location. What most bathroom fittings also need is an enclosed rating, because they are sealed domes that trap heat, and that is a separate specification from the moisture one.
+What happens if you use an indoor bulb outdoors?
In a genuinely sheltered spot, often nothing for a while. In an exposed one, moisture reaches the electronics and the bulb fails early or a socket corrodes. The failure that matters is water in a live socket rather than a bulb burning out.
Sources
Where the numbers came from
- Amazon listing - Feit Electric R20, damp rated
- Home Depot listing - Feit Electric 100W equivalent A19, enclosed rated
- Walmart listing - Cree A19 60W equivalent, good for enclosed
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.