Description
The first thing you notice about a “SlimStyle” LED light bulb from Phillips is its flatness. It looks like an A19 bulb – pretty much – if you look at its flat side. But as you turn it it looks slimmer and slimmer, until, when you’re looking at it edge-on, what you see looks more like one of the plug-in (bayonet base) CFL bulbs with the folded tube.
I don’t know why Phillips developed this design.
Possibly it simplified manufacturing. They’re promotional material says it’s a “New sleek, flat design [that’s] ideal for use in wall sconces, table and floor lamps, open pendant or ceiling fixtures.” Maybe that’s it, but I don’t see how the design improves its function in those fixtures. It’s certainly interesting though.
By the way, the 60-watt-equivalent version of this light bulb is so new that it isn’t out yet. As I’m writing this, in late February, 2014, the release date is still two weeks away, on March 14. The information page I linked to above is for the 40-watt-equivalent version, which is already out in stores.
As the provisions of the Energy Efficiency Act come into force, more companies are entering the competition to become the supplier of new light bulbs that meet our needs and the regulations. As one result, and as predicted, prices are starting to come down for the more esoteric types. LED – light emitting diode – light bulbs are a good example of this trend. Only a major, established manufacturer like Phillips can get away with pre-announcing a new product like that.
But enough. The innovative shape is not why this LED light bulb made my review list. Its performance is the reason.
Would you like a replacement for your 60 watt incandescent light bulb that produces light that’s the same color (2700 degrees Kelvin) and the same intensity (800 lumens) as the bulb it’s replacing, that’s dimmable, and that does all of that for less than $2.00 per year? It’s here. The numbers tell the story:
Just the Facts
Analysis
Did you see the median expected life of this bulb? That’s right, it’s rated to last almost 23 years. That’s what gets the $13.99 replacement cost, which isn’t bad in itself for a 60-watt-equivalent LED light bulb, down to a measly $0.61 per year. Sixty-one cents. That beats the competition by a mile.
And the Phillips 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb is also more efficient than any other one I’ve looked at. To produce a full 800 lumens with only 10.5 watts requires pumping out more than 75 lumens with every watt.
It’s producing 800 lumens. Its color temperature is 2700K, which is the same “Warm White” or “Soft White” that most 60 watt incandescent bulbs produce. And it’s dimmable, which means that it should work with both motion detectors and automated controls, as well as with dimmers. It may look a little funny when you’re looking at it, but how much lime do you usually spend looking at your light bulbs. When it’s on, and you’re enjoying having the light it provides, you’ll probably be hard pressed to tell that the light isn’t coming from a familiar incandescent bulb.
When I did a Price Grabber search for 60 watt equivalent A19 LED bulbs and sorted it by price, this Phillips bulb came in as the second least expensive one available, if you only consider the purchase price (). I’ve used and trusted Phillips light bulbs for years – you may have too – so I was planning to search for something from them to review and compare anyway, but seeing this one in that position on what is essentially a full-web search confirmed it, and the results confirm that choice, I think.
The $13.99 purchase price divided by the expected life of 22.8 years means that it actually costs only $0.61 – 61 cents – per year to buy and install these. When you add the yearly electricity costs of $1.26 to that, the total cost per year for each one of these is just $1.88 (rounding error).
Definitely. Compared to the annual cost of a 60 watt incandescent bulb, which is $7.82, just one of these LED replacements from Phillips can save you as much as $5.94 every year. You’ve lowered your lighting costs by more than 75%.
Putting it another way, it will take more than four years for one of these to cost as much as the bulb it’s replacing costs in a year. At that point you’ve still got 18 more years to enjoy it.
Just remember to clean it every once in a while.
I would. In fact, I’m planning to. And then I’m planning to forget about them, except for cleaning them, maybe every spring. I might buy some for the grandkids too. They should last them through college and into their first home.
The first thing you notice about a “SlimStyle” LED light bulb from Phillips is its flatness. It looks like an A19 bulb – pretty much – if you look at its flat side. But as you turn it it looks slimmer and slimmer, until, when you’re looking at it edge-on, what you see looks more like one of the plug-in (bayonet base) CFL bulbs with the folded tube.
I don’t know why Phillips developed this design.
Possibly it simplified manufacturing. They’re promotional material says it’s a “New sleek, flat design [that’s] ideal for use in wall sconces, table and floor lamps, open pendant or ceiling fixtures.” Maybe that’s it, but I don’t see how the design improves its function in those fixtures. It’s certainly interesting though.
By the way, the 60-watt-equivalent version of this light bulb is so new that it isn’t out yet. As I’m writing this, in late February, 2014, the release date is still two weeks away, on March 14. The information page I linked to above is for the 40-watt-equivalent version, which is already out in stores.
As the provisions of the Energy Efficiency Act come into force, more companies are entering the competition to become the supplier of new light bulbs that meet our needs and the regulations. As one result, and as predicted, prices are starting to come down for the more esoteric types. LED – light emitting diode – light bulbs are a good example of this trend. Only a major, established manufacturer like Phillips can get away with pre-announcing a new product like that.
But enough. The innovative shape is not why this LED light bulb made my review list. Its performance is the reason.
Would you like a replacement for your 60 watt incandescent light bulb that produces light that’s the same color (2700 degrees Kelvin) and the same intensity (800 lumens) as the bulb it’s replacing, that’s dimmable, and that does all of that for less than $2.00 per year? It’s here. The numbers tell the story:
Just the Facts
- Voltage: 120V AC
- Wattage: 10.5 watts
- Size and Shape: “flat” A19
- Base/Connection: Medium screw (E26)
- Dimmable? Yes
- Cost: $13.99 US
- Rated Life: 25,000 hours
- Life in Years (based on three hours of use per day): 22.8 years
- Replacement Cost per Year: $0.61 US
- Energy Consumption (kilowatt hours per year): 11.1 kWh
- Energy Cost/Year (based on $0.11 US per kilowatt hour): $1.26 US
- Total cost/year: $1.88 US
- Initial Light Output in Lumens: 800 lumens
- Efficiency (lumens per watt): 75.18 L/W
- Color Temperature: 2700 degrees Kelvin
- Color Rendering Index (CRI): Not Available
Analysis
Did you see the median expected life of this bulb? That’s right, it’s rated to last almost 23 years. That’s what gets the $13.99 replacement cost, which isn’t bad in itself for a 60-watt-equivalent LED light bulb, down to a measly $0.61 per year. Sixty-one cents. That beats the competition by a mile.
And the Phillips 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb is also more efficient than any other one I’ve looked at. To produce a full 800 lumens with only 10.5 watts requires pumping out more than 75 lumens with every watt.
It’s producing 800 lumens. Its color temperature is 2700K, which is the same “Warm White” or “Soft White” that most 60 watt incandescent bulbs produce. And it’s dimmable, which means that it should work with both motion detectors and automated controls, as well as with dimmers. It may look a little funny when you’re looking at it, but how much lime do you usually spend looking at your light bulbs. When it’s on, and you’re enjoying having the light it provides, you’ll probably be hard pressed to tell that the light isn’t coming from a familiar incandescent bulb.
When I did a Price Grabber search for 60 watt equivalent A19 LED bulbs and sorted it by price, this Phillips bulb came in as the second least expensive one available, if you only consider the purchase price (). I’ve used and trusted Phillips light bulbs for years – you may have too – so I was planning to search for something from them to review and compare anyway, but seeing this one in that position on what is essentially a full-web search confirmed it, and the results confirm that choice, I think.
"How much will these light bulbs cost me every year?"
The $13.99 purchase price divided by the expected life of 22.8 years means that it actually costs only $0.61 – 61 cents – per year to buy and install these. When you add the yearly electricity costs of $1.26 to that, the total cost per year for each one of these is just $1.88 (rounding error).
"Will they actually save me money?"
Definitely. Compared to the annual cost of a 60 watt incandescent bulb, which is $7.82, just one of these LED replacements from Phillips can save you as much as $5.94 every year. You’ve lowered your lighting costs by more than 75%.
Putting it another way, it will take more than four years for one of these to cost as much as the bulb it’s replacing costs in a year. At that point you’ve still got 18 more years to enjoy it.
Just remember to clean it every once in a while.
"Should I buy one?”
I would. In fact, I’m planning to. And then I’m planning to forget about them, except for cleaning them, maybe every spring. I might buy some for the grandkids too. They should last them through college and into their first home.
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