Why You Can Trust CNET Utilitech Pro 60W Equivalent LED review: Need a light? Here's a cheap LED option that dims
This 60W replacement LED can be yours for less than $5 -- and it dims, too.
- 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
I'll make this quick. This 8.5W LED from Utilitech Pro isn't the best replacement for a 60W incandescent that I've tested, but at less than $5, it's a respectable one.
Utilitech Pro 60W Equivalent LED
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Unlike a lot of other sub-$5 LED options (most notably, the Philips 60W Replacement and the GE Bright Stik LED), Utilitech Pro's bulb promises to work with dimmer switches. Sure enough, it worked with our dimmer rig, albeit with a few caveats. First, it flickered very slightly on an old rotary knob dimmer designed for use with incandescents. With newer, more LED-friendly switches, it didn't flicker at all -- but it also wouldn't shine any brighter than about 75 percent at the highest settings.
Utilitech Pro's LED vs the competition
| Utilitech Pro 60W Replacement LED | GE Bright Stik LED | Philips 60W Replacement LED | Ikea Ledare LED (frosted) | Cree 4Flow LED (2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumens (measured / stated) | 646 / 800 | 786 / 760 | 821 / 800 | 658 / 600 | 777 / 815 |
| Watts | 8.5 | 10 | 8.5 | 10 | 10 |
| Efficiency (lumens per watt) | 76 | 79 | 97 | 66 | 78 |
| Yearly energy cost (3 hr. per day @ .11 kWh) | $1.02 | $1.20 | $1.02 | $1.20 | $1.20 |
| Color temperature (measured / stated) | 2,888 K / 3,000 K | 2,830 K / 2,850 K | 2,701 K / 2,700 K | 2,632 K / 2,700 K | 2,620 K / 2,700 K |
| Other color temperatures (price difference) | none | 5,000 (+$1) | 5,000 K (+$0) | none | 5,000 K (+$1) |
| Color rendering index | 81 | 81 | 80 | 88 | 83 |
| Dimmable range | 4.6 - 95.8% | Non-dimmable | Non-dimmable | 6.3 - 100% | 6.1 - 100% |
| Dimmer switch flicker/buzz | Light | N/A | N/A | None | Light |
| Lifespan | 18,000 hours (16.4 years) | 15,000 hours (13.7 years) | 11,000 hours (10 years) | 25,000 hours (22.8 years) | 30,000 hours (27.4 years) |
| Weight | 3.05 oz. | 1.60 oz. | 1.80 oz. | 4.10 oz. | 1.90 oz. |
| Energy Star certification | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Warranty | 3 years | 5 years | 3 years | None | 5 years |
| Price | $5 | $10 (3-pack) | $5 | $5 | $8 |
That problem is compounded by the fact that the bulb isn't terribly bright to begin with. It promises 800 lumens on the box (roughly what you'd expect from a 60W incandescent), but in our spectrometer and integrating sphere setup, it clocked in at closer to 650 lumens. That's plenty bright for an accent light, but as a sole source of illumination, you might rightly want a little more.
If I needed a dimmable LED, I'd probably spend a few dollars more on the Cree 4Flow LED, or grab a dimmable Ledare LED during my next Ikea run. Still, it's hard to be mad at a dimmable LED that's this inexpensive. At less than $5 at Lowe's (it's model 740062), Utilitech Pro's 8.5W LED isn't a bad pick in a pinch.