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Philips 60W Equivalent LED

Philips is one of the biggest names in the lighting aisle -- is their standard, 60W equivalent LED a good choice for your home? Click through to take a look.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Bright, warm light

The Philips LED puts out 830 lumens of light at a warm color temperature of 2,700K, mimicking what you'll get from a common 60W incandescent.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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40W Equivalent, too

Philips also makes a 40W equivalent version of the same LED (model number 9290002267). That bulb puts out a more muted 470 lumens.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Color temperature

Though rated at 2,700K, we found the Philips LED to be just under 2,600K in our tests. This gives the light a tone that's just slightly more yellow than the average bulb.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Daylight, too

Philips also sells a version of the bulb that puts out light at a much hotter, much whiter color temperature of 5,000K.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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The fine print

The Philips LED is UL listed, rated for dimmability, and made in China.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Energy efficiency

The Energy Star-certified Philips LED uses 11 watts, meaning that it puts out a respectable 75 lumens per watt.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Dimming performance

The Philips LED was the top performing bulb in our dimming tests. Not only was it compatible with every switch and dial we tested, but it also didn't flicker or buzz like many bulbs will.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Omnidirectionality

The Philips LED is also rated for omnidirectionality, which means that it puts out light in all directions. In this shot, you can see it illuminating both upward and downward onto the notebook.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNET

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Color rendering index

The Philips LED has a color rendering index (CRI) score of 81, which is pretty average. A higher score up in the 80s or 90s would mean that it was better at making colors look their best. Like most LEDs, you can see that it really struggles with red.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNET

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Under the dome

With the glass removed, you'll find a six-by-five grid of yellow light cells. Each cell contains two diodes, making for a total of 60 of them.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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Price point

The Philips 60W Equivalent LED retails for $15 at Home Depot, though you might be able to find it a few bucks cheaper on Amazon, or if you live in a region that offers rebates for Energy Star-certified lights. There are other solid bulbs that cost a bit less, but we think this one's worth it if you're looking for a light that'll play nicely with a dimmer switch.

Published:July 2, 2014Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Colin West McDonald/CNET

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