Sylvania 60W Equivalent Daylight LED review: A terrific daylight LED (if you don't need it to dim)
Despite excellent all-around performance, the Sylvania 60W Replacement Daylight LED is tough to recommend to anyone who uses dimmer switches in their home.
On paper, the Sylvania 60W Replacement Daylight LED is one of the best neutral-toned LEDs we've tested. It nails the hot white quality of light that you want from a daylight bulb, it's tied with Philips for the title of brightest LED in its class, and it's the most efficient one we tested, to boot.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Dimmable 60W replacement daylight LEDs
Sylvania 60W Equivalent Daylight LED | Philips 60W Equivalent Daylight LED | Philips SlimStyle Daylight LED | Cree 4Flow Daylight LED | Walmart Great Value 60W Equivalent Daylight LED | GE 60W Equivalent Daylight LED | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lumens (measured/stated) | 738 / 800 | 738 / 800 | 670 / 800 | 625 / 815 | 709 / 800 | 711 / 900 |
Watts | 8.5 | 9 | 10.5 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Efficiency (lumens per watt) | 87 | 82 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 65 |
Yearly energy cost (3 hours of use per day) | $1.02 | $1.08 | $1.26 | $1.20 | $1.20 | $1.32 |
Color temperature (measured/stated) | 4,781 K / 5,000 K | 4,645 K / 5,000 K | 4,758 K / 5,000 K | 4,561 K / 5,000 K | 4,562 K / 5,000 K | 4,575 K / 5,000 K |
Dimmable range | 2.1 - 96.1% | 9.9 - 93.2 % | 13.4 - 94.9% | 5.0 - 100% | 18.4 - 99.5% | 13.4 - 92.5% |
Dimmer switch flicker/buzz | Moderate | Very Light | Light | Very light | Moderate | Light |
Lifespan | 25,000 hours | 25,000 hours | 25,000 hours | 30,000 hours | 25,000 hours | 30,000 hours |
Weight | 3.0 oz. | 2.3 oz | 2.2 oz. | 1.9 oz. | 2.9 oz. | 3.8 oz. |
Energy Star Certification | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Warranty | 5-year | 5-year | 3-year | 5-year | 3-year | 10-year |
Price | $8 | $8 | $5 | $6 | $4 | $5 |
It isn't a slam dunk, though. At $8 each, it's one of the priciest bulbs we tested -- twice as expensive as a comparable Walmart-brand bulb. It'll still save you money in the long run, since it'll only add about a buck to your yearly energy bill, compared with seven bucks from a 60W incandescent, but $8 is still an off-putting asking price, especially if you need to replace several bulbs at once.
Its dimming performance also left a lot to be desired. I tested the bulb out with a couple of different dimmer switches, and while I was able to dial it down to an average minimum of 2.1 percent brightness, I wasn't able to do so without a noticeable flicker. The Cree 4Flow Daylight LED did a much better job, and costs two bucks less per bulb.
Here's the worst of it in real-time: pic.twitter.com/Um1pYkP8Ij
— Ry Crist (@rycrist) August 26, 2016
Dimming disappointments aside, this is still a well-designed bulb that performed like a champ, especially in my heat management tests. Like most electronics, LED light bulbs will see a dip in performance as they get hot, which is why they typically include things like heat sinks and convection vents in the design. All of them will see a slight dip in brightness in the hour or so after you first turn them on -- after that, they'll stabilize at what's called the "steady state."
The Sylvania LED had a higher steady state than any other daylight bulb I finished, losing only about ten percent of its initial brightness during 90 minutes of use. That's an excellent result that speaks to good bulb design, and one that suggests that this might be an especially good pick for use in enclosed fixtures, where heat gets trapped.
All in all, this is a very decent bulb, and a steal if you find it on sale for a few bucks less than the 8-dollar asking price. Still, I can't recommend it if you use dimmer switches in your home -- if that's the case, go with that Cree 4Flow LED, instead.