Osram's 40W Replacement Ultra LED shines (pictures)

Osram's 40W Replacement Ultra LED is a low-cost bulb that offers a simple design and solid performance. Click through for a closer look.

Osram's "soft white" bulb puts out 450 lumens at a color temperature below 2,700K, which puts it at the reddish-yellow end of the spectrum.

For a hotter, whiter color temperature of 5,000K, a "Daylight" version of the bulb is available for a dollar more.

The bulb features an omnidirectional design, which means it puts light out evenly in all directions. You'll want that downward light if you're ever using it in a bedside reading lamp.

Osram's LED draws just 6 watts, making it one of the most efficient 40W replacements you can buy. Like most LEDs, it promises to last for 25,000 hours -- well over 20 years if used for 3 hours a day, on average.

The bulb also features a smaller heat sink than most LEDs. This leaves more room for the bottom hemisphere of the bulb, which is where that downward light comes from.

Osram's LED is compatible with dimmer switches, though we did detect a small amount of flicker with some switches on low settings, as you can see in this GIF.

The Osram 40W Replacement Ultra LED sells for $8 at Lowe's, and comes with a 5-year warranty. Read our full review to see how it compares with the competition.