Q&A: A CFL bulb with a warm fuzzy glow

Your eco-questions, answered.

Question: My partner and I have a longstanding argument going on energy efficient light bulbs.  I love them and he hates them.  I can sacrifice a bit to save the electricity but he can't get past the blue cast they send over the room.  Do you know where I can find an energy efficient lightbulb that has a warm cast to the light? Thanks, Mike in the Mountains

Answer: It's true -- All CFLs are not created equal, and some work and look much better than others. Making things even more difficult, not everyone agrees on what constitutes good lighting -- so finding the "best" CFL is an inherently subjective endeavor.

The easiest way to select one with a glow that matches your style is by checking out reviews from the people who've done the evaluating for you. Three to get you started:

• Popular Mechanics tested seven CFLs (PDF) against an incandescent light bulb to find that “the new fluorescent bulbs aren't just better for both your wallet and the environment, they produce better light.”
• Grist tested four CFLs, taking into account everything from aesthetics to price to eco-friendliness of the packaging. The winner here was the Philips soft-white.
• The NY Times tested 21 bulbs, including 14 CFLs, and put together a comparison chart of their six favorite energy-efficient bulbs in a handy chart (see left column on this page). The testers' descriptions here are especially colorful. Luckily for you, many of these six are described as "warm."

Don't have time to read through the reviews? Then I recommend you start with the The N:Vision Soft White bulbs, which was well-liked by both the Popular Science and the NY Times. I hope that helps you and your partner find the warm glow you were looking for --

Earlier: Get CFL bulbs already.

Photo by Adam via Flickr

Comments

[frazgo]

Before everyone get's all warm and fuzzy on cfl's you need to be aware of some health hazards.

As a migraine sufferer I can't be near any flourescent when I am going through an episode as the pain they produce is not unlike a piece of barbed wire being used as mental floss.

An old roommate can't be near them period as they are a trigger for his epilepsy. In fact I read recently that in the UK an epilepsy group is litigating seeking relief from the mandate to switch to those bulbs.

In terms of color if you do any kind of photography you will know that flourescents are the hardest to color correct for as they are not full spectrum. If you want the warm glow of an incandescent you will get close but not exactly what you are looking for.

I do support the use of the cfl mainly because I am a cheapskate and if it shaves a few bucks off the power bill during the year I am fine with that. I just have to have some old fashioned incandescent around for those days I sit on the edge of a migraine and need to controll the triggers.