Philips L-Prize Bulb
Best 60-watt LED bulb
This is the best household LED bulb at the moment. It runs on only 10-watts, gives off the light of a 60-watt tungsten, delivers a soft white light, with the even distribution of the old bulbs. It’s dimmable. And it is promised to last 22-years. I can confirm all these claims except the last (too early to tell). It is exactly the same shape and size of a 60-watt tungsten bulb, which many other LEDs are not. This makes it easy to swap out. Also, this one is brighter than most other LED replacements that I’ve used, including the previously reviewed Lemnis 40-watt LED bulb. It is more energy efficient than other 60-watt LED equivalents. Believe it or not, at $40 it is among the cheaper hi-powered LED bulbs — although the price is still too high for me to swap all my household bulbs (most of which are compact fluorescents).
Beside the price, two minor caveats. The bulb is heavy. It seems to be made of solid ceramic. It may not work in a counter-balanced fixture like an extended arm lamp. And if the bulb is exposed it shows bright yellow-orange markings when off, which may (or may not) be distracting design-wise.
Compared to tungsten bulbs, this is crazily expensive at $40. But it’s a steal if it lasts 22 years. (By Philips’ calculation you’ll save $137 in the end.) Compared to other LED lightbulb replacements, this one is brighter, more efficient, better color light, smaller, easier to swap, and more affordable. It won the US Department of Energy L-Prize for bulbs, hence its name. In short, the Philips L-Prize bulb is the best bulb if you want to start replacing those 60-watts or higher that you use a lot.
11/15/12(Make sure to check with your local utility company as they often feature rebates on LED bulbs. Home Depot is known for selling this bulb cheaper in-store than they do online for this reason.--OH — editors)
Philips L-Prize LED bulb $15 Available from Home Depot Also available from Amazon for $25
