Standard & Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Standard and dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs are one of the most efficient and cost-effective types of light bulbs, both in terms of bulb life and electricity consumed.

This page will help you compare and choose the best types of bulbs and will refer you to additional bulb categories to consider...

• Overview
• Considerations before purchasing
• Recommended bulbs
• Comparison with other types of bulbs

Overview of Standard & Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) are the first phase of “best of both worlds” energy saver light bulbs. They combine the efficiency of fluorescent tubes with the functional and space-saving characteristics of standard A bulbs.

However, they are only a short-term pit stop on the way to the even more energy efficient LED bulbs that are now becoming more widely available. As LEDs continue to drop in price, they will slowly overtake the accomplishments of CFLs.

But in addition to being more efficient, LEDs are also much more expensive... prohibitively so for many. CFL's provide a less expensive alternative that will cost more over the long-term but will burn a much smaller hole in your wallet now.

Considerations Before Purchasing Standard or Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Standard and dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs are right for many - but not all - home applications.

Here’s what you need to know to determine where they'll make sense in your home…

• CFLs can replace all of your incandescents since they are designed to fit standard incandescent fixtures.
• While they are up to four times more expensive than incandescents (although some are now available that cost virtually the same), they can last over 13 times longer, making them well worth the money. And this comes before taking into account the fact that they use about 75% less electricity to run for the same amount of light.
• To incandescent light bulbs' credit, they do give off a somewhat more appealing glow than CFLs. Newer CFLs make the difference less easy to detect, but it's still there (lamps with shades make the difference even less noticeable).
  
  Before you go hog-wild and purchase all of your CFLs at once, start with just a few to make sure that you're comfortable with the kind of light they give off. If you're not a fan, the new LEDs have done a great job mimicking the light given off by incandescents.
• CFL’s require a special ballast (device that starts and regulates the bulb) in order to function, although many bulbs come with the ballast built-in and are designed to fit a standard incandescent fixture or lamp (the CFLs recommended below already include the special ballast).
• CFL’s can be used with two types of ballasts: magnetic or electronic. Electronic ballasts are more expensive but are lighter-weight, more efficient and don’t flicker when turned on.
• CFLs do not work well below 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C), so you’ll need to purchase them along with a cold weather ballast (if it's not already built in) for use in lower temperatures.
• Some compact fluorescent bulbs do have a down side: while they typically turn on quickly, they may take a while to ramp up to full brightness. Fortunately, some newer models seem to have fixed this problem.
• There are a several types of CFL’s available, ranging from single-tube to six-tube designs in bent-tube or spiral shapes that may or may not have a glass encasing. There are even special CFL’s specifically designed to give off a softer light for reading.

Recommended Standard & Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs - Top Reviews

The following compact fluorescent light bulbs are some of the best available both in the standard and dimmable classes of CFL's...

• Standard CFLs
• Dimmable CFLs

Standard Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

ConsumerReports.org, one of the most credible product review organizations in the country, recommends the following standard CFLs...

Home Use	Product	Cost	Product Image
Table & Floor Lamps	Ecosmart 14 Watt Compact Fluorescent (60 Watt Equivalent) Daylight Bulb	$4.00 or less
Indoor Lighting, especially recessed or track lighting	Ecosmart 40 Watt Soft White Compact Fluorescent 4 Pack	$6.00 or less
Outdoor Security or Accent Lighting	Philips EL/A G40 23W Energy Saver Globe Decorative CFL	$17 or less
Porches or Posts	GE 49894 11 Watt (40 Watt equivalent) Energy Smart Postlight Light Bulb	$10 or less
*Costs and ConsumerReports.org recommendations are subject to change.

Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs take energy savings one step further... the more they are dimmed, the less energy they use. Here are our recommendations:

Home Use	Product	Cost	Product Image
Table & Floor Lamps	Sunlite Compact Fluorescent 18 Watt Dimmable Twist Bulb	$15.00 or less
Indoor Lighting, especially recessed or track lighting	PureSpectrum 20W Fully Dimmable Spiral CFL (2 Pack)	$6.00 or less
Outdoor Security or Accent Lighting	Sunlite Compact Fluorescent 23W R40 Dimmable Reflector Bulb	$35
Porches or Posts	Dimmable postlight not available (see standard porch light above)	n/a	n/a
*Costs subject to change.

Comparison with Other Types of Light Bulbs

Standard and dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs are leaps and bounds ahead of older bulb types. But there is a new bulb that's starting to hog the spotlight...

See our Types of Light Bulbs page for more information.

Also see...

*Minimum Savings amount is average for the United States calculated over the life of the average U.S. home and assumes that you apply all recommendations on this page. Actual savings could vary based on region-specific factors.