LED lamps for the home: which diode bulbs are better, an overview of led lamp manufacturers

Lamp design, bulb and beam angle

In addition to the strength of the luminous flux, an important characteristic of the LED light source is the angle of radiation, which depends on the design of the lamp. The LED itself emits at an angle of 100-130 degrees

If the semiconductors are located in the same plane, then the lamp will shine at the same, perhaps slightly larger angle. But even when using a special light-scattering bulb and reflectors, this angle does not exceed 160, less often 180 degrees.

Since dozens of LEDs are installed in each lamp, the radiation angle of the device is easy to change by placing the semiconductors at different angles. Such structures are able to cover the sector up to 300-330 degrees (the rest is covered by the base).

Why is it necessary to select a lamp taking into account the angle of coverage? First and obvious: they illuminate different areas. One will illuminate a small spot, the second will flood the entire room with light. Thus, a narrow-angle lamp is ideal for spotlights and local lighting devices, but is completely unsuitable for use, say, in a classic chandelier, and vice versa.

There is one more nuance. Try to visually compare the brightness of lamps that create the same luminous flux, but have a different coverage angle. Narrow-angle lamp shines two to three times brighter than a lamp with a circular diagram. Why?

Because in the first lamp all the lumens are concentrated in a relatively small solid angle, while the second lamp distributes all these lumens to the right and to the left in a literal sense. That is, a narrow-angle lamp has a denser luminous flux, which means it seems brighter.

The best LED lamps of European manufacturers

I mentioned that Europeans have long been leaders in high-quality diode light. Yes, the price tag for their products is not small. It bites a lot. But if you are lucky enough to purchase goods in a good store and not a fake, then you are guaranteed joy for several years.

Here we can highlight the leading positions of Osram and Cree, they make really the best LED lamps. I can't give the palm to anyone. This is a very good product on both sides. There are strengths and weaknesses. But in general - this is the standard.

Good "mediums"

I will give the second place to the little-known German Wolta.It seems that there are not many sales in Russia, but the quality is on the level! About "sales" is addressed to those who still buy things on the principle of taking everything, it means good. Recently, I had to take a number of characteristics from one of the lines of these lamps. Moreover, these copies were purchased randomly, no one provided them on purpose. And I was very smiled that the heating of all lamps from this manufacturer is no more than 48 degrees) Like a blueprint! From 46 to 48.7 degrees. A total of 18 lamps were tested. This already speaks volumes. I hope that soon, if they advance in our market, they will be able to take the first line in my rating.

Reasons for the high cost of European lamps

Once I was wondering why the best LED lamps are European? The answer was found quickly enough after I visited one of the factories for the production of such lamps.

• all lamps are produced under the same brand - the ancestor of the company. And the very word “brand” no longer allows you to release garbage. This is strictly monitored by foreign companies.
• Permanent quality control of lamps throughout the production line
• Each assembly process is handled by a dedicated department. There are no conveyors here. Before proceeding to the next stage of assembly, the lamp passes the control. Thus, it turns out that the lamp passes the so-called OTC several times.

Let's focus on special departments. Unlike Russian manufacturers of LED lamps in Europe, each department has its own structure, its own bosses, its own plans and sometimes its own laboratory

It is each department that is responsible for the marriage of its process. In Russia or China, everything is built differently. Lamps pass one control and only after they are packed in a box. Those. truncated OTK)

The division into divisions gives a great advantage and a unique quality. After all, none of the bosses wants to get "lyuley" for the fact that because of the marriage in his department, the work of the entire plant is "smart".

We often complain that "their" lamps are very expensive. Yes! Expensive! But the price is made up not only of components, but also of the fact that the lamps do not go along the conveyor, but have a strict “hierarchy” in production. And this is human labor. This is a salary, this is the cost of maintaining facilities. Hence the price. Hence the quality.

Therefore, if you have a choice between Cosmos and Philips, then I would prefer that you walk out of the store a happy owner of the latter.)

The best manufacturers of LED light bulbs price / quality:

Camelion - Germany

The German manufacturer presents a line of LED lamps, conditionally divided into categories: "BasicPower" - with a service life of 30 thousand hours and "BrightPower" up to 40 thousand hours. The Kamelion company notes that some lamps will last even 40 years to their owner, but there is a limitation on the cycle of work - subject to use 3 hours a day.

All products undergo multi-level quality control, are environmentally friendly and do not require special disposal measures. It also has good impact resistance and the complete absence of ultraviolet radiation.

Available from Camelion LED bulbs:

Saffit - China

LED lamps from the SAFFIT brand are in demand among buyers, attracting high power and the ability to save energy. The entire model range is adapted for use in the conditions of the Russian power supply.Before being released to the market, the products undergo full quality control, as well as checking for compliance with current certificates. The service life of LED lamps from the Saffit brand varies on average - 30,000 hours, no more. The manufacturer provides a guarantee for all products.

Available at Saffit LED bulbs:

Pros and cons

• quality control;
• guarantee;
• the service life is quite long;
• saving electricity.

Jazzway - Russia

The company "Jazzway" has more than 1500 items in its catalog. Dimmable lamps with LEDs, which have the ability to control the level of illumination, are in great demand. There are also solutions with improved energy saving properties, models for plants, refrigeration equipment and outdoor areas. Thanks to the installation of a good heatsink, the manufacturer was able to reduce the degree of heating of the lamp to a minimum.

Available at Jazzway LED bulbs:

Pros and cons

• strong body;
• no flicker;
• even distribution of light;
• acceptability of prices;
• a large selection of models and special solutions;
• quality assembly.

⇡ # Brands and "China"

But it’s not in vain that they say that the miser pays twice: it was these Chinese light bulbs, unfortunately, that did not suffer from good quality, and went out (and continue to fail) even earlier than other energy-saving ones. They could go out in a month, and in six months. And to a bunch of problems - perfect chaos in the quality of light, complete unpredictability of the color temperature of light even in one batch.You could easily have been sent a “cold” instead of the ordered “warm white”, and the headache about replacing the product would have dragged on for weeks.

LED lamp for E27 base without bulb

As for the brands, we repeat, it is too early to speak in terms of reliability, too little time has passed since the cheapening and mass operation of such lamps, too little practical information has been accumulated. Here, apparently, you will also have to check everything on your own experience. For example, my experience says that excellent CFL lamps (albeit with a slow starter) that work up to seven years (actually: tested on myself) were sold by IKEA, and, quite possibly, the Swedish concern orders LED ones just as well. And, of course, the aforementioned OSRAM and Philips.

Russian manufacturers should not be neglected: in recent times, some companies have ensured the high stability of their products and thus demonstrate a significant interest in increasing consumer confidence. Over time, we will definitely return to this topic and try to explore LED bulbs from various domestic companies in more detail.

Russian LED lamps "Era"

Summing up, we can summarize the following. Of course, even now the transition to LED lamps is already economically viable (unlike last year), their cost is already more or less acceptable, and the price / quality balance, as usual, everyone decides for himself. However, the final, more or less reliable statistics on the reliability of LED lamps from different manufacturers will have to wait.

Manufacturers

As you understand, much of the above depends on the manufacturer. As for countries, both domestic and foreign companies produce fairly reliable products.Consider how to choose the right LED lamps by manufacturer.

The leaders of the rating are such giants as Osram, Philips, Nichia, CREE and GAUSS. There are a lot of positive reviews about the Chinese company MAXUS, whose products have the highest warranty period at a relatively low price. Among domestic manufacturers, such Russian campaigns as Feron, Svetlana-Optoelectronics and Optogan (Optogan) are popular.

If we talk about Chinese LED lamps, companies such as Camelion, Jazzway and Electrum have proven themselves well.

Distinctive features of LED lamps

Traditional E27 LED bulbs are mostly SMD chips. Modest dimensions and minimal heating during operation make it possible to use them without restrictions and in any conditions, including cases where increased requirements are placed on the safety and efficiency of the lighting system.

Advantages of LED devices

The glow temperature of E27 products is located in the widest range, ranging from soft and calm warm shades in the range of 2700-3200 K and ending with cold whites from 4000 K and above.

The first option is intended for living rooms where a person spends a lot of time and rests. The second is more often used to illuminate working, technical and industrial premises.

LED devices serve reliably and for a long time, do not overload the eyes and allow you to save electrics. Compared to conventional incandescent lamps, resource consumption is reduced by 75%, and with energy-saving lamps - by 12%.

Among the advantages of the product is high cost-effectiveness.Consuming significantly less electricity than simple incandescent lamps, LED modules provide the same level of light intensity and work correctly without replacement from 20,000 to 100,000 hours.

Easily endure intense operational loads, show resistance to vibrations and shocks, and are not afraid of low temperatures.

LED lamps do not create ultraviolet radiation around, do not lead to fading of upholstery, fading of wallpaper and paint on paintings

Complete environmental safety is ensured by the absence of mercury in LED lamps. The same moment significantly simplifies their disposal, which does not require actions to be taken as in the case of the disposal of luminescent devices.

Disadvantages of products on diodes

In reproach to LED products, customers first of all put a high price. Branded domestic products are somewhat cheaper than their foreign counterparts, but they will also have to pay a substantial amount for them. Chinese "nameless" are sold inexpensively, but their quality leaves much to be desired, which cannot be discounted.

Another very significant minus is increased sensitivity to voltage drops. This limits the range of use of LEDs in summer cottages, where instability in power networks is regularly observed.

Ice-products give only narrowly focused light. In order to expand it, it is required to supplement the lamp with a special diffuser. This significantly increases the cost of the system and significantly reduces the power of the supplied light flux.

LEDs must not be screwed into closed-type luminaires. Subjected to constant overheating, light bulbs fail very quickly and do not even work out part of the period declared by the manufacturer.

When used in rooms with high humidity, LED devices lose a percentage of their power and give out a noticeably dimmer light output.

What is an LED lamp?

LED lamps use LEDs as a light source, while conventional light bulbs emit light by heating, which is heated by an electric current. From the inside, an energy-saving lamp is covered with a phosphor (fluorescent dye), which glows under the action of a gas discharge.

Each type of lamp has its own characteristics and disadvantages. The design of an incandescent lamp is quite simple: it consists of a filament (usually made of tungsten or its refractory alloys) enclosed in an evacuated glass bulb. Under the action of an electric current, the filament heats up and begins to glow. The main advantage of incandescent lamps is their low cost, which, however, is offset by low efficiency. In reality, only 10% of the consumed electricity is converted into light, the rest is dissipated in the form of heat. In addition, such a light bulb does not last long - only about 1 thousand hours.

A compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL (that's what an energy-saving lamp is called), shines almost as brightly, but at the same time consumes five times less electricity. Among the disadvantages of CFLs are a higher price, a long warm-up period after switching on (several minutes), an unaesthetic appearance, as well as flickering light, which causes strain on the eyes.

The LED lamp consists of several LEDs and a power supply enclosed in a housing.The power supply is a necessary component as the LEDs require 6V or 12V DC power or 220V AC power from the household power supply to function.

Most often, the design of the housing of LED lamps resembles a “pear-shaped” shape with a screw base of conventional lamps, which ensures their trouble-free installation. The devices have a number of advantages, including different colors of radiation (depending on the LEDs used), low power consumption (8 times less on average compared to incandescent lamps), durability (they last 20-25 times longer than incandescent lamps) , low body heating, independence of lighting brightness from voltage drops.

A significant drawback of such lamps is the price. Their price tag is several times higher than the cost of incandescent lamps. However, the high cost is offset by lower lighting costs, provided that the lamp does not burn out prematurely. At the same time, LED lamps of quite decent quality can be purchased on the Internet, not significantly exceeding the cost of conventional light bulbs. For example, at this link on AliExpress, you can buy standard design LED lamps at a very attractive price, there are 6 power options, more than 4,000 orders and many positive reviews.

LED lamps have other disadvantages. In particular, uneven light distribution due to the fact that the built-in power supply prevents the light flow. However, some manufacturers get around this limitation by using a special form of construction, such as this.

In addition, the matte lamp body looks unaesthetic in glass fixtures.The disadvantages include the lack of a brightness control (dimmer), as well as unsuitability for use at very high and low temperatures.

Main types of products

Unlike traditional incandescent lamps, LED sources do not have strict design features and are available in a variety of, sometimes very unexpected, configurations. That allows you to embed them in modern and rare lamps of any type.

The classification is carried out into three subspecies. The first category includes general purpose products. They are distinguished by high-quality light flux with a scattering angle from 20° to 360° and are intended for lighting offices and residential premises for various purposes.

With the help of general-purpose LED lamps, you can organize a household lighting system of any complexity. It will work properly, while consuming a minimum amount of electrical energy.

The second block includes directional light modules operating on one or more LEDs. The use of these products allows you to create accent lighting and highlight some areas or interior elements in the room.

LEDs designed to create directional lighting have a specific design and are called spots. Suitable for embedding in furniture, shelf and wall placement

LED lamp linear type outwardly resemble classical fluorescent devices. They are made in the form of tubes of different lengths.

They are mainly used in the technical rooms of a house or apartment, in offices and sales areas where bright and economical lighting is required that can emphasize all the details.

Linear LED lighting is available for low voltage applications.This makes it possible to use it in the kitchen, where, due to high humidity, more stringent requirements are imposed on lighting sources.

With the help of linear and other types of LED modules, you can competently and beautifully equip high-quality lighting of enclosed spaces and local areas where fire safety is a priority.

Impact on the human body: a comparison of fluorescent and ice lamps

Such a criterion is most easily determined by highlighting the following main points of impact:

1. Radiation. LED light bulbs are absolutely coherent. It means that the LED itself acts as a light emitter of the working spectrum. In comparison with energy-saving ones, it does not have a tangible effect on human vision. Fluorescent lamps are the opposite. The principle of light generation in them is based on the interaction of the discharge and the phosphor, which from the discharge comes under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. This is how lighting is created. Moreover, such a discharge also creates an additional luminous flux - ultraviolet radiation. Vision is affected slightly, but negatively.
2. Flicker. For an ice lamp, such an operational characteristic is uncharacteristic, flickering is practically absent, due to the fact that a constant voltage is required for the operating power of the LED. And the flickering frequency of fluorescent lamps is about fifty hertz.
3. Mercury. Fluorescent lamps contain mercury vapor. If the flask breaks, the body is poisoned by certain doses of these fumes. LED sources do not contain any harmful substances.

The choice of LED or energy-saving lamps for lighting your home is a very topical issue.It is quite simple to determine by evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each type: both operational and constructive. After such a comparison, the user will understand how to distinguish an ice lamp from an energy-saving one, not only in appearance, but also to find differences in their functionality. Then it will be possible to choose the optimal light source for a specific lighting design solution and for the individual operational features of the room.

Which manufacturer of LED lamps to prefer?

Such lamps are often faked, not only in Russia, but all over the world. And we are not talking about Chinese products, which, as a rule, they try to produce under their own brands. The point is in the lamps of eminent manufacturers, forged by artisanal methods.

Table. Leaders in the production of LED lamps

Which LED lamp would you choose or recommend?

Take a survey

Some properties of LED lamps from different manufacturers

• It is no secret that it is better to purchase equipment such as diode bulbs from well-known brands.Although Asian manufacturers are now widely represented in this market segment. The following are typical features for various manufacturers:
• Chinese manufacturers often use cheap components, which reduces the life of the lamp;
• In the same kit from a Chinese manufacturer, diodes can have different light temperatures, which will affect the quality of lighting (for example, one diode will shine with white light, the second with yellow);
• In Chinese samples, you can often find a poorly designed heat dissipation system, which again will affect the duration of their use;
• Western models are permanently equipped with ceramic insulators that cannot be melted even if there are problems with heat dissipation;
• LED lamps of European manufacturers are fully reflected from the lamp, which provides a bright and uniform light, they do not dazzle drivers driving in the oncoming lane and are completely acceptable even to tired eyes;
• As a rule, the declared technical characteristics for LED lamps by Western manufacturers are fully true. If the operating period is indicated in the amount of 30,000 hours, then there is no doubt about it.

Power

The first and probably the most important characteristic for buyers is the power of LED bulbs. How many watts the lamp consumes will determine the efficiency of lighting.

A very important nuance that you must remember is that when replacing incandescent lamps with LEDs, the power of the modern version must be reduced by at least 7.5 times. In simple words - if a 75 W light bulb was screwed in, the LED should be selected with a power of about 10 W.

You can see the difference in the comparison table:

As you can see, even with the example of replacing one light source, the savings are huge. But what if you replace the entire apartment? For home and apartment better to choose led bulbs with a power of 12 W, which illuminate the room with better quality than 75-watt incandescent lamps.

Immediately I would like to say a few words about another important parameter - voltage. There are light bulbs operating from 12 and 220 V. The first option is used in rooms with high humidity, for example, when installing lighting in a bathroom. You should not buy 12-volt products with the expectation that they will consume less electricity, because. this is not true.

We also recommend watching a video that compares alternative energy-saving light sources:

Compare service life

According to passport data, the service life of an energy-saving lamp is 15,000-20,000 hours, and an LED lamp is 35,000 hours. As practice shows, the real performance of "energy saving" is much worse.

When calculating the lifetime of a gas-discharge lamp, the manufacturer takes ideal conditions: the number of on / off during the day is not more than five, the absence of temperature and voltage drops.

In the conditions of an average apartment, even if the light bulb is not located in a passage place, such as a toilet or bathroom, its life span rarely exceeds 5000-6000 hours. And if you consider that in a couple of years the luminous flux will decrease by 30% and even less.

High-quality LEDs, while providing a stable voltage and current, last much longer.

How is product life determined?

For any industrial product, a load test is carried out.For shoes, for example, a robotic leg takes a hundred thousand steps, after which wear is assessed, similarly to any device with mechanical loads.

For LEDs, they arrange a multi-month marathon with continuous on / off and high current supply. According to the results of such tests, the predicted life of the LED can reach one hundred thousand hours.

aging factor

Any gas-discharge lamp, including a fluorescent lamp, decreases in brightness during operation. This is caused by the evaporation of tungsten from the spirals and the burning out of the phosphor that covers the glass bulb from the inside.

Bottom line: in terms of service life, LED lights are better.