Comparison Osram LED Star MR16 6.5W 2700K GU5.3 12V vs Eurolamp LED EKO MR16 5W 3000K GU5.3 12V

Classic incandescent lamps are gradually becoming obsolete these days, with the market mainly featuring halogen, fluorescent and LED models. Traditional LED lamps can be either white or colored (RGB), and in addition to them, there are models of a rather unusual design - LED with a battery, on LED threads and phytolamps. Here is a more detailed description of the different types:

— Halogen. A slightly improved version of traditional incandescent lamps. "Halogens" also use a hot metal spiral in a sealed bulb; the difference is that the bulb is filled with a special gas containing bromine or iodine vapor. This design increases the service life of the spiral, increases brightness and efficiency, and provides a more uniform color spectrum. Another advantage of such lamps is compatibility with brightness regulators (dimmers). At the same time, they are not distinguished by their efficiency, and therefore gradually give way to more advanced types.

— Metal halide. A type of halogen lamp (see above), the luminous flux in which is formed by adding metal halides to the mercury vapor burner. Sodium or scandium iodide are used here as metal halides (special emitting additives). The burner of metal halide lamps is made of quartz gl...ass or ceramics, and the outer protective bulb is made of borosilicate glass. Such lamps are often used for outdoor and street lighting, in spotlights, etc. As a rule, they emit natural white light, close to daylight.

— Fluorescent. A type known as "daylight lamps" or "energy-saving bulbs." The bulb of such a lamp is filled with a special gas through which an electric discharge passes; under the influence of this discharge, a special coating applied from the inside of the bulb glows. In terms of efficiency, such lamps are inferior to LEDs, but they are several times more efficient than incandescent lamps (including halogen lamps), last longer and almost do not heat up during operation. Among the disadvantages of fluorescent lamps, in addition to a fairly high price, one can note an uneven glow spectrum and poor compatibility with dimmers - for this, it is necessary to provide additional control circuits. In addition, the filling gas contains mercury vapor, which is why the lamp cannot be thrown into the regular trash, and a broken bulb creates a health hazard.

— LED. LED-based lamps that emit light of one shade — usually classic white, but there are also colored models. LED lamps are characterized by extremely low energy consumption (they are several times more energy efficient than fluorescent lamps and an order of magnitude more efficient than incandescent lamps), high brightness and good color rendering, as well as almost complete absence of heating during operation. In addition, such bulbs are quite resistant to impacts and are much safer from an environmental point of view. And in many models, even a broken bulb does not lead to loss of functionality.

— LED with battery. LED bulbs with a built-in battery, which provides autonomous lighting regardless of the presence of voltage in the power grid. Such bulbs accumulate charge in the battery when there is light, and when the power goes out, they use these reserves, allowing autonomous lighting of the room for a certain time. Also, LED bulbs with a battery can be useful as mobile light sources in nature, in the garage, etc.

— LED (RGB). A type of LED lamp (see above) that uses not traditional white, but colored LEDs — usually three colors corresponding to the RGB color scheme (red, green, blue), hence the name. This allows you to change the color of the lighting in a fairly wide range — from one and a half dozen to several thousand shades. At the same time, such lamps cost accordingly.

— On LED threads. A type of LED lamp that imitates classic incandescent lamps. Such lamps also have a glass bulb, inside which luminous threads are installed on special supports; the difference is that these threads are made of LEDs, and not of a thin metal spiral. Thus, the lamp turns out to be as similar as possible to a classic incandescent bulb, while consuming several times less energy; such models can be useful, in particular, for retro-style lamps, where standard LEDs do not fit well. It is also worth noting that the glow from this type of lamp covers almost the entire sphere - unlike standard LED lamps, which usually have a narrower focus; in some situations, this is an advantage.

— Phytolamps are designed to stimulate the growth and development of plants. The products are used for auxiliary lighting: seedlings, cultivated and ornamental plants, indoor and outdoor vegetation. They are especially relevant during periods of the year when solar activity is at a minimum level. Light-emitting diodes of various shades and intensities act as light sources. White, red, blue, yellow and green LEDs can be collected within one phytolamp. The use of different color shades makes it possible to obtain light waves of different lengths. As a result, vegetation begins to develop comprehensively. Phytolamps are not suitable for the lighting that a person is accustomed to in conditions of insufficient visibility.

The type of bulb that the light bulb is equipped with.

— Transparent. Transparent flasks practically do not reduce the brightness of the light, but the light itself is sharper than from frosted lamps. They are considered optimal for lighting fixtures with transparent shades, as well as for crystal chandeliers and other similar fixtures, the design of which is designed for a beautiful play of light on corners and edges. In addition, in halogen lamps (see "Type"), other types of bulbs are practically not used — for a number of technical reasons.

— Matte. Frosted flasks have a soft glow — due to a slight decrease in brightness compared to transparent ones. They are recommended for use in lamps with frosted shades, as well as for lighting children's rooms: the light attracts the attention of small children, and it is safer to look at a frosted light bulb. Also note that non-coloured fluorescent lamps (see "Type") are, by definition, made opaque.

— Coloured. Flasks painted in a certain colour provide a glow of the corresponding shade. Usually, such lamps are used for decorative purposes, but other uses are possible — for example, for colour temperature correction in a photo studio. In addition, this category also includes the so-called. "black light lamps" — lamps that emit mainly ultraviolet light and very faintly glow in the visible range. Ult...raviolet from such lamps is relatively safe for humans, while it makes various substances and materials glow brightly. This effect is used both for entertainment and decorative purposes, and in quite practical areas of activity — chemistry, medicine, forensic science, etc.

The power consumed by the light bulb during normal operation. The lower this indicator, the more economical the model and the cheaper it will cost to operate. In traditional incandescent lamps, the brightness of the glow also depended on the power, however, different types of lamps are presented on the modern market, with different efficiencies. Therefore, it is possible to uniquely link the power consumption and brightness only in lamps of the same type (see above), and to compare different types of models, you need to use the LON analogue (see below).

The conditional "amount of light" produced by a light bulb in normal mode. The higher the luminous flux, the brighter the light and the more clearly the illuminated scene will be visible. Note that lumen values are used primarily for special purposes; in everyday life, the estimation of brightness by the analogue of LON is more popular (see above), and here the ratio is as follows:

— 40 W analogue LON corresponds to a brightness of 370 lm;
— 60 W — 550 lm;
— 75 W — 800 lm;
— 100 W — 1200 lm;
— 150 W — 1900 lm;
— 200 W — 2700 lm.

Note that the principle "the more the better" in the case of the brightness of light bulbs is not always applicable. And the point here is not only energy consumption: too bright light is harmful to the eyes, leads to rapid fatigue and psychological discomfort.

This parameter describes the general coloration of the light of the lamp in "warm" or "cold" tones.

Initially, colour temperature is the temperature (in kelvins) of an object at which it begins to glow in a certain colour. Interestingly, the higher its value, the more “cold” the colour is: for example, the dull red glow of a heated metal corresponds to 800-1000 K, and the bluish-white tint of a fluorescent lamp corresponds to about 6000 K.

The temperatures encountered in modern light bulbs can be described approximately as follows:

2700 – 3000 K — "warm" white light, similar to traditional incandescent lamps;
3000 – 3500 K — "slightly warmer than average";
3500 – 6000 K — neutral white, similar to daylight;
More than 6000 K — cold shades of white.

Note that the colour temperature is not directly related to the quality of colour reproduction provided by the light of a particular lamp — much depends on the features of its design and, accordingly, the spectral colour balance.

The angle of light dispersion is the space in front of the light bulb, which is illuminated by the source itself, and not by the light reflected from the walls and interior items. In other words, the angle of light scattering determines the zone of the best illumination. Classic incandescent bulbs demonstrate the widest dispersion angle — they shine almost 360˚. LED spotlights have the smallest illumination angle, which are able to illuminate well only the area directly under the bulb — the scattering angle in such cases is about 15˚. Of course, a large angle of light scattering is not always needed. Working in the evening at the table, you need light only in front of you, so as not to disturb anyone. For spotlights that light up only small objects in front of them (a painting, sculpture, bas-relief, etc.), the scattering angle can even be from 4 °. As for the top (general) lighting, in this case it is better to choose something with a wider dispersion angle. These bulbs provide extremely uniform illumination.

The energy efficiency class characterizes the economy of electricity consumption by a light bulb. Initially, classes were designated by simple Latin letters - from A (the most economical) to G (the most "gluttonous"). However, later improved classes A +, A ++ and A +++ appeared. The more "pluses", the more economical the light bulb in the end.

Energy class according to the new European standard applicable from 2021.

In general, the energy efficiency class indicates how economical a light bulb is compared to other models with similar characteristics. In the old system (current until 2021), the most energy efficient class was designated as "A+++"; however, the development of technology inevitably leads to the emergence of even more economical devices, for which even more "pluses" would have to be added. To simplify marking, it was decided to switch to a new notation system. That is, manufacturers returned to the previous indices from G to A, where A is the most energy efficient indicator. The new classes D, E, F and G, respectively, became the approximate equivalent of the old classes A+++, A++, A+ and A. At the same time, the requirements for class A in the new standard are very high, its achievement is still planned in the foreseeable future.

The service life of the light source claimed by the manufacturer is implied, during which the illuminator is able to generate the claimed brightness and temperature colour spectrum. It is believed that light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs have the longest service life — their working life can be 10,000 — 50,000 hours ( 50 years of operation), depending on the modification of the bulb. But this parameter cannot be regarded as a guarantee, since a lamp with an operating time of 25 years can work less, and maybe even more, than a lamp with a "life" of 30 or even 35 years. In second place are energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs that are capable of generating daylight — the service life of such is in the range of 2000 — 20,000 hours. The average service life of halogen bulbs is about 2000 — 4000 hours, but when the power supply is equipped with a soft start device, it can be almost doubled. In last place are classic incandescent bulbs, the service life of which is within 1000 hours.