The lights are about to go out on the last of the incandescent bulbs. Popular 60 and 40-watt bulbs will no longer be manufactured come January. But resist the urge to hoard– Consumer Reports tested some energy-saving bulbs and found they are better than ever. Testers found incandescent bulbs are really only cheaper if you never turn them on. They cost about $8 a year to power. That’s compared with only $1.70 for an LED or CFL. Most CFL’s cost under $3. LEDs are more expensive—$20 to $30 a bulb. But even at that price, they still save you about $125 over their lifetime on electrical costs and on the cost of replacing bulbs. LEDs have advantages. They can last for decades, more than twice as long as CFLs. And they light instantly, unlike CFLs that can take 30 seconds or more to reach full brightness. Plus many LED bulbs are dimmable; most CFLs are not. Consumer Reports has tested more than 750 CFLs and LED bulbs. The lab measures warm-up time, light distribution, and how long the bulbs last, while testers use a sphere to measure brightness and color temperature. The best LEDs outperform CFLs on all counts. For 60-watt equivalents, Consumer Reports recommends the Feit Electric from Lowe’s. It promises to last 25,000 hours and delivers a dimmable white light. To help you find the right bulb for every room in your house, Consumer Reports has developed a comprehensive guide.
